EPISODE 263: Nicholas "Nico" Johnson

On April 14, 2016, four-year-old Nicholas “Nico” Johnson was taken from his home. He wasn’t just taken from his home, but he was taken from his family and the country in which he had been born to an entirely different nation with a different language, customs, and culture. Nico’s story is an uncommon one, with complicated twists of family courts, international law, and diplomacy that often forget the child lost in the midst.

If you have any information about Nico Johnson, please contact the San Bernardino County, California, District Attorney’s office at 909-677-0591 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST. 

EPISODE 262: Rosemary Rodriguez

On the evening of October 6, 2019, Rosemary Rodriguez went to dinner with her boyfriend and her mother. On the way home, they dropped Rosemary's mother off and headed to her boyfriend's home. According to her boyfriend, Rosemary left his residence in Longview, Texas, after a brief argument. Two days later, a colleague called Rosemary's family to tell them she hadn't been to work, something very much out of character for Rosemary. Rosemary's family immediately called the police to report her missing. More than a year has passed since Rosemary's daughters last saw their mom, and every day seems to bring more and more dread that something awful happened.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Rosemary Rodriguez, please call the Gregg County Sheriff's Office at 903-236-8400.

You can follow Rosemary's story on social media at Finding Rosemary Rodriguez. 

UPDATE: On December 30, 2021, Rosemary’s bright green Chevy Sonic was found in a densely wooded area in Kilgore, Texas. Human remains were recovered inside the vehicle. DNA testing on the remains is currently pending.

UPDATE: In February of 2022, authorities confirmed that the remains found inside Rosemary’s car have been identified as those of Rosemary Rodriguez.

EPISODE 261: Case Update- Grundy County Jane Doe

It has been nearly two years since we shared the story of Grundy County Jane Doe, whose remains were discovered in October 1976 by a farmer in rural Seneca, Illinois. When we initially researched her story, we learned that her case was reopened by ambitious Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson, who works in Grundy County, Illinois. At that time, the coroner’s office had recently exhumed Jane Doe and had sent a bone to a lab for DNA testing, but results had not come back from the lab. The coroner’s office considered several possibilities for identifying Jane Doe if her DNA was not matched to a profile already in the CODIS database. We spoke to Brandon again recently to hear more about what has taken place in the effort to identify Jane Doe.

If you have any information about Jane Doe’s identity or her murder, please contact Grundy County Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson at 815-941-3359 or email him at bjohnson@grundyco.org.

You can follow Jane Doe’s story on Facebook at facebook.com/grundycountycoldcase.

UPDATE: In June 2024, it was announced that Jane Doe had been identified as JoAnn “Vicky” Smith from Ohio. Vicky’s murder remains unsolved.

Photo of JoAnn “Vicky” Smith

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