Crime Junkie Case Files: Missing Persons Cold Cases Vol. 4, True Crime Investigations of People Who Mysteriously Disappeared

By Dexter Gable

Dive into the haunting world of unresolved disappearances. Explore 20 harrowing missing persons cases spanning decades and crossing continents, this gripping account delves into the stories of twenty individuals who vanished under mysterious circumstances, leaving families, detectives, and communities grappling with more questions than answers.<

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crime Junkie Case Files
• Release date: May 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869369956

Book preview

Dexter Gable

Crime Junkie Case Files Missing Persons Cold Cases Vol 4

Copyright © 2024 by Dexter Gable

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

First edition

Contents

Cassie Compton

Kianna Galvin

Mel Wiley

Kimberly McAndrew

Angela Mack

Shemika Cosey

Kayla Berg

Jessica Lynn Garino

Tabitha Tuders

Patty Vaughan

Ryan Shtuka

Sabrina Long

Jeremy Grice

Erin Marie Gilbert

Marsha Brantley

Nathaniel Holmes

Sandra Hughes

Sneha Philip

Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle

Barbara Holik

About the Author

Cassie Compton

Born on December 4, 1998, Cassie Compton was the daughter of Judy and Roy and at least one of five children with four half-siblings residing in Oklahoma with her father, Roy. Cassie and her mother relocated to Stuttgart, Arkansas, when she was quite young. Cassie was always the quiet and shy type as she grew up but not without facing a few challenges along the way.

Her father was called Roy, and he had a criminal record, which may have led to the problems in her family life. The nature of relationship existing between Cassie and her father is not identified, even the frequency of contact between the two of them, as because of the distance and her father’s lifestyle.

By the time Cassie reached her teenage years she had started to experiment with her personality. As a normal teenager, she smoked and dyed her hair to make her personality more visible. Cassie was also a victim of bipolar depression, for which she was diagnosed when she was 13 years old. She hated the medication she was given and on many occasions, just threw it away without telling a soul.

Educational history was also not a bed of roses for Cassie. She elected to be home-schooled for a period of time, and by age 15, she had made the decision to acquire a General Educational Development (GED) certificate instead of a traditional high school diploma. There are no clear reasons for this decision, whether by academic ordeal or perhaps by lack of support and guidance at home.

Judy being Cassie’s mother could not have been an easy task; after all, she was said to have had a few personal problems, maybe even in her personal relationship, which might have made it even worse for Cassie during her upbringing. Cassie Compton was in a relationship in 2014 with a 25-year-old man named Brandon Lee Rhodes. Their relationship seemed stable as long as it was looked at from a distance because, with the wide gap that existed between them—17 years between him and Cassie’s mother, Judy—it appeared as though no issue could come between them. However, when not turning heads, a brewing storm perturbed their relationship. Brandon and Cassie more often than not disagreed with each other. To make the matter worse, Brandon was often in trouble with the law, which made his integration into the family quite awkward.

Judy, who was considered disabled, lived with Cassie in a modest Section 8 house in Stuttgart, Arkansas. The specifics of her disability remain unclear, adding another layer of mystery to their living situation. Eventually, Brandon moved into their home, which did little to ease the already strained dynamics within the household.

During these turbulent times, Cassie found solace at her friend Hunter Snyder’s house. Living 30 minutes away, Hunter and his mother, Tracy, became a refuge for Cassie. They were fully aware of the difficulties she faced at home and welcomed her anytime. The exact nature of the troubles Cassie experienced at home is not well-documented, but it was evident that she was much happier and felt more accepted at the Snyders’. It was common for her to spend extended periods there, sometimes days and nights, seeking the warmth and stability she lacked at home.

On Friday, September 12, 2014, despite suffering from a severe cold that warranted a doctor’s visit earlier in the day, Cassie felt well enough by evening to engage in typical teenage activities. She decided to attend the local high school football game with some friends, embracing a moment of normalcy away from her complex home life.

The following day, Cassie spent at Hunter’s house, attending a derby in DeWitt, Arkansas, and spending quality time with his family. She stayed overnight at the Snyders’, enjoying what they would later describe as a relaxed and chill day.

On Sunday, September 14, Cassie continued to enjoy her time with the Snyder family, cherishing the peace and companionship that eluded her in her own home. Hunter drove her back around 6 PM, returning her to a house where more tension awaited. That evening, Judy was bedridden, feeling unwell and using pain patches that reportedly exacerbated her discomfort.

Upon Cassie’s return, she found Brandon cooking pancakes for himself and Judy. The atmosphere shifted as Brandon asked Cassie if she had any cigarettes. When she replied that she didn’t, he expressed his intention to borrow Judy’s car to buy some, despite not having a license. Cassie mentioned needing cigarettes as well, prompting Brandon to leave in Judy’s car.

On the evening of Cassie Compton’s disappearance, the atmosphere in her home was anything but ordinary, despite initial appearances. Judy, Cassie’s mother, was ill and confined to her bed, relying on her daughter and boyfriend, Brandon Lee Rhodes, to manage the household. According to Judy, she heard Cassie return home that night and make her way to her bedroom. However, Cassie did not check in with her mother, nor did Judy have the strength to verify Cassie’s presence herself.

Brandon had ventured out earlier to buy cigarettes, a trip that seemed routine. Upon returning, a minor disagreement arose over the brand of cigarettes he had purchased—Cassie preferred a different type and decided to go out to buy her own. With her black LG cell phone in hand, Cassie announced she was heading to the store and left the house. That was the last time she would be seen or heard from. The following day, both her mother and Hunter’s mother, recognizing the gravity of her uncharacteristic silence, reported her missing.

In another version of the story, the sequence of events shares similarities but diverges in key details. Cassie had only been home for a brief moment when she asked Brandon if he had any cigarettes. Learning that he didn’t, she decided to step out to buy some for herself. It was a fleeting visit home—she was barely back before she was out the door again, cell phone in hand.

Shortly after Cassie left, Brandon decided he too needed cigarettes and left Judy’s house. Judy, still unwell, was left alone. She later recounted that Brandon was gone for an extended period, up to two hours. Upon his return, he complained of feeling ill and retreated to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Judy, growing increasingly concerned as night fell, tried reaching Cassie by phone multiple times, only to be met with her voicemail each time.

Brandon’s explanation for Cassie’s phone going straight to voicemail was that she hadn’t taken her charger. Despite the plausibility of this scenario, it did little to ease Judy’s worry. The evening unfolded with Brandon contacting the Snyder family multiple times to inquire about Cassie’s whereabouts, despite knowing she had left to buy cigarettes earlier. Each call to the Snyders was met with confusion and concern; they had seen Cassie enter her home earlier that evening and did not understand why Brandon seemed so unsettled.

The Snyders, sensing something was amiss, advised Brandon to contact the police if he was genuinely concerned. He claimed he did ride his bike to the police station, but there is no record of such a visit. The authorities allegedly told him to wait 72 hours before officially reporting someone as missing—a statement that adds yet another layer of mystery to the story.

In the days leading up to her disappearance, there had been signs that Cassie was trying to escape her life’s complexities, having run away twice before. Each previous disappearance lasted several days, but this time, the level of concern among her loved ones—particularly Judy and Brandon—was palpably different.

Cassie Compton was officially declared missing on Monday, September 15th, a situation that deeply concerned both her mother, Judy, and Tracy Snyder, a close family friend. Given Cassie’s history of running away, authorities initially suspected she had left home of her own volition. This assumption meant no Amber Alert was issued—there was no concrete evidence to suggest Cassie had been abducted or was in immediate danger.

However, as days turned into weeks with no sign of Cassie, the police began to scrutinize her close contacts more closely, particularly Brandon and Judy. Their criminal histories did little to alleviate the suspicions hovering over them. In response, law enforcement intensified their efforts, which included monitoring Brandon and Judy’s movements and pinging their cell phones to establish their locations during critical times.

The investigation took a more focused turn on October 3rd when authorities confiscated the cell phones of both Brandon and Judy. The very next day, officials announced they were preparing to search a specific area between Casco and Elmira, Arkansas, hinting at a recovery mission. This proximity in timing to the seizure of the phones raised questions about a possible link, suggesting the police might have uncovered crucial information from the devices that directed their search efforts.

The search areas, roughly 15 miles from Stuttgart, formed a geographical triangle that included both Casco to the east and Elmira to the south. The locale was extensively scoured, including a small airport nearby and a region known as Bayou Bridge. Despite the thorough searches, no significant leads or evidence emerged from these efforts.

Amidst the ongoing investigation, domestic tensions reached a tipping point, and on October 11th, Judy expelled Brandon from their home. Within a week of his departure, Brandon was found squatting in a vacant house—an act that led to his arrest on October 19th. Meanwhile, the community rallied to aid in the search for Cassie. An organization known as Class Kids coordinated volunteers to focus on areas where Brandon was known to frequent with his bike. This included local reservoirs, railroad tracks, and two dump stations—one a rice hull dump and the other a coal ash dump. Despite these concerted efforts, the searches yielded no clues.

Adding to the intrigue, reports surfaced of Brandon lingering near a local cemetery, which subsequently became another focal point of the search. Yet again, no evidence was uncovered. As a further measure, Judy’s car was seized by the police, but it too failed to reveal any new information.

Throughout this ordeal, the police have reiterated that both Judy and Brandon remain persons of interest in Cassie’s mysterious disappearance. The community and authorities continue to grapple with the unsettling lack of answers, holding onto hope that new information will eventually surface to unravel the mystery of what happened to Cassie Compton.

Kianna Galvin

Kianna Galvin, born on a warm summer day on July 16, 1998, was the cherished daughter of Fionna Galvin and Everick York. Growing up in the bustling community of South Elgin, Illinois, she started her academic journey at South Elgin High School, showing early signs of her creative spirit and resilience.

In a twist of events that shaped her teenage years, Kianna moved to Rockford, Illinois to live with her father, Everick, for a year. During this period, she attended Auburn High School, where she continued to explore her academic and artistic interests. However, the pull of her hometown and the familiar faces of South Elgin beckoned her back.

Upon her return, Kianna pursued and successfully earned her General Educational Development (GED) certificate, overcoming traditional academic challenges with determination and grace. Her dreams were vivid and colorful; she aspired to delve deeper into the world of art and design and had plans to move to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue further education in this field.

Life at home was a blend of the routine and the comforting—Kianna lived with her loving mother and her younger sister in their family home on Concord Avenue. She took on the responsibilities of a full-time job as a housekeeper at a local rehabilitation center for the elderly, contributing to her community and building a life of independence.

Personal challenges, however, were part of Kianna’s journey. She had recently ended a relationship with her boyfriend and was navigating the complexities of single life. Her past was marked by moments of turbulence, including a notable argument with her mother that resulted in juvenile probation. Although she had faced difficulties, including being listed as a runaway in the years 2013 and 2014, Kianna was on a path to rebuilding her life and stepping into a future filled with potential.

On a seemingly ordinary day, May 5, 2016, Kianna Galvin faced a significant setback in her life—she was dismissed from her full-time housekeeping position at a rehabilitation center for the elderly in South Elgin, Illinois. Despite her enthusiasm for the role, Kianna had struggled with attendance issues over her two-month tenure, leading to her termination. The news was undoubtedly disappointing, yet Kianna managed to keep her composure, not allowing her emotions to overwhelm her visibly.

In an attempt to shake off the day’s earlier events, Kianna decided to spend some quality time with her mother. Together, they ventured out on a shopping trip, transforming the day’s earlier negativity into a productive outing. They bought steaks, planning a special Mother’s Day celebration to look forward to, a small yet meaningful gesture to lighten the mood and strengthen their bond.

The following morning, on May 6, Kianna’s spirits seemed to have lifted. She conversed with her mother early in the morning around 7:00 AM as her mother prepared to leave for work. Everything appeared to be normal; Kianna was in a surprisingly cheerful mood, showing no signs of the previous day’s troubles. It seemed as though the promise of the upcoming Mother’s Day festivities had instilled a sense of normalcy and optimism in her.

Later that day, at approximately 12:30 PM, the atmosphere at home was calm and routine. Kianna told her younger sister that she planned to meet some friends at the nearby Jim Hansen Park, located just three blocks away at