August 23, 2010. London, England. After he is not heard from for a week, the nude decomposed body of 31-year old Gareth Williams, a junior analyst who had been working with MI6, is found inside a padlocked holdall bag in the bathtub of his flat. While his cause of death cannot be determined, there are differing opinions about whether Gareth could have locked himself in the bag on his own and suffocated, or if he was murdered by an unknown third party. A number of different theories are pushed forward, such as Gareth being killed by Russian agents or becoming the victim of a sex game gone wrong, but there are no conclusive answers about how he died. Did Gareth Williams somehow manage to trap himself inside the bag and die in a tragic accident, or did something else take place? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore of the most bizarre unexplained deaths in the history of the United Kingdom.

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Gareth_Williams

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/sep/06/mi6-death-gareth-williams-cctv

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-11095158

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/20/gareth-williams-spy-mi6

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12059910

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/02/gareth-williams-key-unanswered-questions

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/23/spy-in-bag-death-coroners-inquest

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/02/gareth-williams-death-mi6

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/02/gareth-williams-coroner-never-solved

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24927078

https://www.businessinsider.com/kgb-defector-russia-killed-the-british-spy-found-in-a-duffel-bag-2015-9

https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/murder-the-likely-story-of-gareth-williams

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomwarren/secrets-of-the-spy-in-the-bag

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/gareth-williams-mi6-bag-bath-b2490768.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-68202900

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

November 6, 2021. Orlando, Florida. 22-year old Bryan “Vladek” Hasel shows up at a coffee shop he often frequents, but after police are called and Vladek is issued a trespass warning for a prior incident with a pocket knife, he walks off and vanishes without a trace. Nine days later, Vladek’s father returns from a family trip and discovers that his son is missing and has left most of his personal belongings behind in their apartment. There is speculation that Vladek may have suffered some sort of a mental health crisis and disappeared voluntarily, but no trace of him can be found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we are covering the unsolved disappearance of Bryan “Vladek” Hasel at the direct request of his family, who are doing whatever they can to spread awareness about his story and are hoping he is still alive somewhere and can be found safely.

If you have any information about Vladek’s disappearance, please contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 254-7000. His case number is 21-83864. You can also reach out to the family directly at FindBryanVladekHasel@gmail.com or visit their website about the case at findvladekhasel.wixsite.com/find-vladek.

Please visit FACTORMEALS.com/cold50 and use code cold50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month while your subscription is active!

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

April 26, 2000. Reno, Nevada. 25-year old Star Palumbo is found wandering around through a restricted area at Reno-Tahoe International Airport and tells security that she is looking for her sister, even though she does not have one. An officer drives Star to the nearby Hilton Hotel and Casino and drops her off, but she soon vanishes without trace and her abandoned car is discovered at the airport one day later. Since Star had been displaying erratic and paranoid behaviour prior to her disappearance, investigators explore the possibility that she was on drugs or suffered some sort of mental breakdown, but even though there are a number of unconfirmed rumours about what might have happened to Star, no trace of her is ever found.

October 28, 1991. San Francisco, California. After last being seen at a hospital, 29-year old Selena Edon inexplicably disappears and breaks off all contact with her loved ones. Two years earlier, Selena had suffered a serious brain injury in a motorcycle accident which caused memory issues and made it difficult for her to take care of herself. She eventually tells her family and friends that she is leaving town with an unidentified woman, but no one can confirm if this woman even exists and Selena is never heard from again.

On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a pair of missing persons cases that were featured on “Unsolved Mysteries” and involve young women who disappeared without leaving any evidence behind.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Star Palumbo, please contact the Reno Police Department at (775) 334-2155. If you have any information about the disappearance of Selena Edon, please contact the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 553-0123.

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/star-palumbo/

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Palumbo

https://charleyproject.org/case/star-michelle-palumbo

https://www.newspapers.com/image/149308077

https://www.newspapers.com/image/149383924/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/150317171/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/150315406/

https://mynews4.com/on-your-side/ask-joe/ask-joe-have-any-clues-surfaced-after-womans-disappearance-20-years-ago

https://unsolved.com/gallery/selena-edon/

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Selena_Edon

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

October 26, 2015. Calgary, Alberta. Lee Antoni, the husband of 31-year old Amanda Antoni, returns home, from a weekend trip and discovers Amanda’s body lying in a pool of blood inside their basement. Two days earlier, a phone call between Amanda and Lee had abruptly cut off and since her broken cell phone is found on the floor, police initially believe that Amanda was attacked and her death was a homicide. However, after failing to turn up any strong suspects or forensic evidence pointing towards an outside party, investigators start to consider the possibility that Amanda actually suffered an accidental fatal fall down the stairs. Was Amanda Antoni the victim of foul play or was her death nothing more than a tragic accident? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a Canadian case that was recently featured on the “Unsolved Mysteries” reboot.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Calgary Police Service at (403) 266-1234 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

Additional Reading:

https://unsolved.com/gallery/body-in-the-basement/

https://globalnews.ca/news/2306865/family-of-amanda-antoni-desperate-for-answers-in-her-mysterious-death/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/amanda-antoni-calgary-homicide-castleridge-1.3290985

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-amanda-antoni-death-ruled-accidental-1.3895003

https://globalnews.ca/tag/amanda-antoni/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/amanda-antoni-unsolved-mysteries-netflix-calgary-police-1.7281846

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/new-unsolved-mysteries-episode-examines-death-of-calgary-woman-1.6984557

https://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/death-of-calgary-woman-featured-in-new-unsolved-mysteries-episode

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

September 25, 1966. Bridgetown, Ohio. After he is seen taking out the garbage, 28-year old Jerry Bricca returns to his residence, where he lives with his 23-year old wife, Linda, and their four-year old daughter, Debbie. Two days later, the entire family is found murdered, as they have each been stabbed to death inside their respective bedrooms. Police begin to suspect Fred Leininger, a local veterinarian whom Linda had recently started working for and was rumoured to be having an affair with, but there is not enough evidence to implicate him and no one is ever charged with the crime. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the disturbing story of the Bricca Family Murders, which has remained unsolved for nearly 60 years.

If you have information about this case, please contact the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Section at (513) 851-6000.

Special thanks to Factor sponsoring this episode. Please visit FACTORMEALS.com/cold50 and use code “cold50” to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month while your subscription is active!

Additional Reading:

“Summer’s Almost Gone: The Haunting Case of the Bricca Family Murders” by J.T. Townsend

https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/death-on-a-quiet-street1/

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2018/12/18/cincinnati-author-examines-bricca-family-massacre-new-book/2003965002/

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/st-lucie-county/crime/who-killed-the-bricca-family-local-historian-explores-cold-case-in-new-book

https://www.wlwt.com/article/bricca-murders-a-new-push-to-solve-cincinnatis-infamous-cold-case/30984570

https://www.fox19.com/2022/05/17/detectives-continue-investigating-brutal-bricca-family-murders-five-decades-later/

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

January 7, 1990. Daviess County, Kentucky. The nude body of a white male who appears to be in his thirties is found in a remote wooded area. The victim has been shot and severely beaten and his hands and feet were removed, but since he cannot be identified, he becomes known as the “Daviess County John Doe”. Seventeen years later, investigators announce that the victim has been identified as Scott Morris, a 14-year old boy who went missing from Indianapolis, Indiana in 1978, but this turns out to be mistake, as DNA testing later shows that the decedent has no genetic connection to Scott’s family. Finally, in April 2024, the Daviess County John Doe is correctly identified as William Mathews, a former Louisville resident who was 37 years old at the time of his death, but his murder remains unsolved. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore two separate unsolved cold cases which wound up being linked together in a very unlikely fashion.

Additional Reading:

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/William_Mathews

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/133umky.html

https://www.the-messenger.com/news/local/article_6f162764-e767-11e4-a441-8bdf44f3238c.html

https://www.14news.com/story/1753449/stefanie-silvey-investigates-alleged-murders-of-james-cable/

https://transdoetaskforce.org/index.php/articles/case-solve-owensboro-ky-doe-1990

https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/victim-in-34-year-old-daviess-county-cold-case-identified/

https://www.wdrb.com/news/crime-reports/37-year-old-louisville-man-identified-as-victim-in-1990-daviess-county-cold-case-ksp/article_b6f1ee08-fea3-11ee-a482-4bfd956cc402.html

https://charleyproject.org/case/scott-michael-morris

https://www.14news.com/story/7059575/brutally-murdered-john-doe-identified/

https://www.14news.com/story/7077566/family-prepares-to-bring-home-body-of-murdered-man/

https://www.14news.com/story/145375/unsolved-murder-unidentified-man/

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to either event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting Crimecon.com or Crimecon.co.uk.

“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at the Berkshire Podcast Festival, taking place in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 18-20, 2024. To get a 30 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD2024”, by visiting https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

Welcome to “Hot Pursuit”, a summer true-crime collaboration, where we dive deep into the world of true crime. We’ve gathered many incredible true-crime podcasters to bring you an episode that’s all about the heat of the chase. We'll explore cases where justice was relentlessly pursued, delve into crimes that occurred during the scorching summer months, and highlight cold cases that desperately need some heating up. From heart-pounding pursuits to stories of perseverance and determination, this collaborative effort aims to shed light on cases that have captivated the public’s imagination and those that need your attention now more than ever. You’ll hear from the following podcasters (in order); if you enjoy listening, please check out their podcasts by clicking their link below:

Fresh Hell The Trail Went Cold Suffer the Little Children Music City 911 Already Gone Sirens: A Southern True Crime Podcast Everything Scary Private Dicks The Dark Oak Podcast Key to the Case True Crime Creepers Vintage Homicide Excuse Me, That’s Illegal Beyond the Rainbow Murder and Mimosas Coffee and Cases Method & Madness Podcast