The Dark Oak

Episode 113: Cindy Jones - The Unknown Event

After separating from her husband of 15 years, Cindy James, a nurse in Vancouver, Canada, was brutally stalked and harassed. Despite nearly seven years of reported incidents of harassment, threatening calls, physical and sexual assaults, and other forms of abuse, police concluded that her claims were likely fabricated, possibly to gain attention or due to mental health issues. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spent an estimated $1-1.5 million investigating Cindy's claims, making it one of the longest and most expensive investigations in British Columbia history.
 
Sources:Neal Hall, Torment, The Vancouver Sun, December 30, 1990 Page 6
Brian Driscoll, Two Views of Same Tragedy, Edmonton Journal, February 24, 1991, page 28
Cindy James: Part 1- The Night Stalker. (n.d.). [Video]. Stephanie Harlowe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo5R6W6KXRECindy James- Part 2: Under Siege. (n.d.). [Video]. Stephanie Harlowe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_1YIe9Z51k
Unsolved Mysteries. (2021, December 8). Cindy James - Unsolved Mysteries. https://unsolved.com/gallery/cindy-james/
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Rerun: The Unsolved Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley

Who killed Athalia Ponsell Lindsley? The logical suspect was a man who had previously threatened her life. A man, that, conveniently, borrowed a machete from the county and never returned it. A man that had been called out by name by the only eyewitness to the murder. A man who lived in the house with a blood trail leading from the crime scene to its front door. Was this simply circumstantial evidence? You tell us.
Sources:
Randall, E. (2016). Murder in St. Augustine: The mysterious death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley. Arcadia Publishing.
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep
 

Episode 112: Brandon Swanson

On May 14, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson vanished near Canby, Minnesota, after his car got stuck in a ditch on a rural field road. Earlier that night, he had been celebrating the end of his college semester, consuming alcohol at two parties but not appearing heavily intoxicated. Intending to drive home to Marshall, a familiar 30-mile route, Brandon inexplicably took backroads and ended up far from where he thought he was, mistakenly believing he was near Lynd. At 1:54 AM, he called his parents for help, describing his location inaccurately. During a 47-minute phone call with his father, he decided to walk toward lights he assumed were from Lynd, mentioning a field and running water before shouting an expletive and the call cutting off. Search dogs later traced his scent from his car, along rural roads, to the Yellow Medicine River, across it, through an abandoned farm, and to another road, where the trail stopped. Despite extensive searches involving volunteers, air surveillance, and river excavations, no trace of Brandon or his belongings has been found. Theories include drowning in the river, succumbing to hypothermia, falling into a well, or being picked up by a vehicle, with the latter gaining traction due to the scent trail ending at a road and the lack of physical evidence. Landowner restrictions have complicated searches, and Brandon’s Law, passed in 2009, now ensures immediate missing persons investigations. His disorientation is attributed to fatigue, mild intoxication, unfamiliar roads, and distraction, but his fate remains a mystery.
 
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
4:30 The Boca Raton Mall Murders
1:39:00 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
 
https://youtu.be/ylKQGI0PGj4?si=7LPu_1FExL3aItIk
User:Jeff Hasse/Missing Person Case Study -- Brandon Swanson - Wikiversity. (n.d.). https://en.m.wikiversity.org/wiki/User:Jeff_Hasse/Missing_Person_Case_Study_--_Brandon_Swanson
Mystique. (2022, January 4). Brandon Swanson vanished while on a call with his parents; Where did he go? Medium. https://medium.com/@the-mystique/brandon-swanson-vanished-while-on-a-call-with-his-parents-where-did-he-go-dd13bc9e4421
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 111: The Boca Raton Mall Murders

The Town Center at Boca Raton should conjure up images of luxury designers and expensive restaurants but unfortunately for those local to the high-end mall, it is a string of abductions and brutal murders that remains in the forefront of many minds. When women and their children began getting abducted from the mall in 2007, locals to Boca Raton and around the country began asking, is anyone safe? 
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
7:54 The Boca Raton Mall Murders
56:33 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
 
 
Sources:
Nancy & Joey Bochicchio | Boca Raton, FL. (n.d.). https://www.myboca.us/214/Nancy-Joey-Bochicchio
Glass, A. (2025, March 24). WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/still-no-arrests-18-years-after-boca-raton-mall-abduction-murder
Bente, K. (2024, August 7). Still Unsolved: 17 years since Jane Doe abduction and Boca Raton Town Center Mall murders. WPEC. https://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-news-i-team/still-unsolved-17-years-since-jane-doe-abduction-and-boca-raton-town-center-mall-murders-south-florida-news-true-crime-august-6-2024
Markowitz, M. (2025, February 2). Luxury Florida mall’s string of murders and kidnapping have one thing in common: retired FBI agent. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/luxury-florida-mall-linked-string-murders-kidnapping-have-one-thing-common-retired-fbi-agent
Glass, A., & Ostroff, J. (2024, May 24). WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. https://www.wptv.com/news/crime/the-missing-piece
Criminology. (2025, June 3). The Boca Raton Mall murders [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlaOGe4YOvg
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 110: The Strange Disappearance of Mother and Daughter - Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers

Korrina Malinoski, 26, disappeared from South Carolina’s Mount Holly Plantation on November 21, 1987, after arguing with her abusive husband, Stephen. Her car was found locked on the property, but she was never located. On October 4, 1988, her daughter, Annette Sagers, 11, vanished from a nearby bus shelter, leaving a note claiming she left with her mother, though its authenticity is debated. Stephen, with a history of abuse and abandoning families, is the main suspect, but no evidence confirms his involvement. Despite extensive searches, including a 2019 effort narrowing the search area and investigating a suspicious carpet, Korrina and Annette remain missing, with theories pointing to murder by Stephen, unrelated foul play, or a voluntary departure. The case is unsolved, and Korrina’s sons continue seeking answers.
 
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
5:00 Korrina Malinoski and Annette Sagers
56:20 The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
 
Sources:
From Victim to Monster: Cary Stayner – the Yosemite Killer. (2024, May 1). https://www.truecriminelle.com/cary-stayner-the-yosemite-killer/
Annette Sagers & Korrina Malinoski — unresolved. (n.d.). Unresolved. https://unresolved.me/annette-sagers-korrina-malinoski
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 109: Reincarnation - The Shanti Devi Story

Shanti Devi’s reincarnation case, one of the most compelling and well-documented in modern studies, unfolded in 1920s and 1930s India, a period of cultural revival and anti-colonial resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. Born in Delhi on December 11, 1926, Shanti began claiming at age four to be Lugdi Devi, a woman from Mathura who died in 1925 after childbirth, about a year before Shanti’s birth. She provided precise details about Mathura, her husband Kedar Nath Chaubey, their son, and her past life, using Mathura’s dialect and terms unfamiliar to her Delhi family. Her school principal verified Kedar’s existence, and a surprise visit from Kedar and his family saw Shanti correctly identify them, emotionally reconnecting with her former husband and son. Intrigued, Gandhi commissioned an investigation in 1935, during which Shanti led researchers to Lugdi’s Mathura home, noted town changes, and located an empty coffer where she claimed to have hidden money (Kedar admitted removing it). The 1936 commission report concluded Shanti was Lugdi’s reincarnation, finding no rational explanation for her knowledge. Shanti later described her death and afterlife experiences, lived a quiet spiritual life, and passed away in 1987. Her case, extensively studied and covered by media, remains a cornerstone in reincarnation research.
 
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
5:45 Shanti Devi
48:00 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation
 
Sources:
Hartzman, M. (2024, April 29). Shanti Devi, the girl who claimed she was reincarnated. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanti-devi
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 108: The Disappearance of Ben McDaniel

30-year-old Ben McDaniel had been through a lot by the time he reached the age of 30; He had lost his brother, his business and his home. In 2010, Ben was in the middle of a year-long sabbatical when he went scuba diving in a dangerous underwater cave late one afternoon and was never heard from again. It was assumed that Ben had run into trouble and drowned in the cave, but despite numerous searches, Ben's body has never been found. 
Did Ben really drown in Vortex Spring? Did he stage his own death so he could run away and start a new life, or was his death the result of foul play? 
 
Sources: 
Caterina, D. (2025, May 27). The Deeper You Go. . . - Dellantonio Caterina - medium. Medium. https://medium.com/@dellantonio.caterina/the-deeper-you-go-e5c2c94e85f7
Lovethesepicture. (2012, June 29). Adrenaline Junkies Cave Diving Vortex Spring [Pics, Videos]. lovethesepicture.com. https://lovethesepicture.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/adrenaline-junkies-cave-diving-vortex-spring-37-pics-5-videos/
Battison, J. (2024, September 12). Haunting theory about what happened to diver who jumped into Vortex Spring water and never came back. LADbible. https://www.ladbible.com/community/ben-mcdaniel-vortex-spring-missing-diver-133757-20240912
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 107: The Murder of Penny Bell

On June 6, 1991, Penny Bell, a 43-year-old businesswoman and mother of two, was brutally stabbed over 50 times in her Jaguar in the busy Gurnell Leisure Center parking lot in Greenford, London, in a frenzied attack that left no witnesses despite the public setting. Penny, a happy and successful director at a recruitment agency, lived in an affluent Buckinghamshire neighborhood with her husband, Alistair, and their children, Matthew and Lauren. That morning, she left home for an unspecified 9:50 a.m. appointment, mentioning it to builders renovating her home, but no record of it was found. Three days prior, she withdrew £8,500 from a joint account, an unusual act possibly linked to her murder. Witnesses reported seeing a man enter a blue Jaguar, a slow-moving Jaguar with hazard lights, and Penny mouthing “Help me” with a passenger, but no one intervened. The investigation, which interviewed over 8,000 people, was hampered by compromised forensic evidence and no clear motive, though the attack’s savagery suggested Penny knew her killer. Suspects like Alistair, a former neighbor, John Richmond, and serial killer Robert Napper were cleared. In 2021, Penny’s daughter, Lauren, who was nine at the time and has no memories of her mother, renewed efforts with a £20,000 reward and media campaigns, believing the killer was motivated by personal rage. The case remains unsolved, leaving Lauren to honor her mother’s vibrant legacy by naming her daughter Penny.
 
Sources:
McMahon, J., & McMahon, J. (2024, August 9). The Inside Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Cold Case Murder. VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-inside-story-of-britains-most-notorious-cold-case-murder/
 
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
2:25 Penny Bell
53:09 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation
 
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 106: The Disappearance of Shane Fell

On June 10, 2011, 36-year-old Shane Fell vanished after a car accident in Marrero, Louisiana. After a night at a bar watching his brother Brett’s pool tournament, Shane, who had some beer but wasn’t visibly drunk, took a backroad home, possibly avoiding DUI checkpoints. He crashed his car on River Road, told Brett he was fine, and exited through the window. By the time Brett arrived, Shane was missing. Police found minor blood traces, a fastened seatbelt, and later one of Shane’s shoes nearby. Extensive searches—using helicopters, dogs, and river scans—yielded nothing, nor did his phone, wallet, or keys turn up. A couple reported Shane declined their help at the scene. Despite family-led efforts, including a reward and billboard, and unverified sightings of Shane possibly homeless, the case stalled. Theories range from amnesia to a river accident, but no evidence confirms his fate, leaving the mystery unsolved.
 
Sources:
Baxter, J. (2023, June 2). Man vanished from scene of accident: Where is Shane Fell? Medium.
 
https://medium.com/@jennbaxter_69070/man-vanished-from-scene-of-accident-where-is-shane-fell-102d8bab2f9a
 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qXUhYwZlWfWIvVV6IUl68?si=9r6vGYDKTNyp5y6I4Gz4tw
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 105: The Yuba County Five

Described as "America's Dyatlov Pass Incident," the disappearance of five young men has baffled the world for decades.  When their vehicle is found abandoned on a rough mountain road, authorities are suddenly filled with more questions than answers. Why did the group of men drive the wrong direction from home and end up on the side of a mountain? Why did they leave the safety of the vehicle to head out, presumably on foot, completely unprepared and underdressed, into the snow? Where did they go? When signs of the men start being discovered, the questions only intensify. 
Here we are, over 40 years later, still asking.....what happened to the Yuba County Five?
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Dark Oak
10:15 The Yuba County Five
57:28 The Brand of Hope - JED Foundation
 
 
Sources:
Gorney, C. (2023, December 21). 5 “Boys” who never come back. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/f8b30b11-baeb-4351-89f3-26456a76a4fb/
Yuba County five. (2023, July 17). Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yuba-county-five/id1609249707
 
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep