The Dark Oak

Episode 68: Ron Sisman and Elizabeth Platzman: The Son of Sam Story - An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.
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On the Halloween of 1981, Ron Sisman and his girlfriend Elizabeth Platzman were found brutally executed in Ron's ransacked Manhattan apartment. Detectives originally believed the murders to be drug related, however, a prison informant came forward saying he had information about the case. The informants source? None other than David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam.
Come with us as we explore the underbelly of the satanic cult in which David Berkowitz claimed to be operating. Did he commit all of his heinous crimes alone? Was he led by a demonic spirit? How was he connected to Charles Manson? Are other killers still at large? And, as it pertains to this case, how did Ron Sisman find himself in the crossfires in the world of evil?
 
Sources:
Vanapalli, V. (2021, May 5). How and Why Was Ron Sisman Killed? The Cinemaholic. https://thecinemaholic.com/how-and-why-was-ron-sisman-killed/
Fuqua, L. M. (2021, December 12). Son of Sam’s connection to a Halloween massacre - True crime addiction - medium. Medium. https://medium.com/true-crime-addiction/son-of-sams-connection-to-a-halloween-massacre-76f0ce92b6c1
LetsRead_YouTube. (n.d.). It is Halloween night 1981 : r/LetsReadOfficial. https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsReadOfficial/comments/cwe2xf/it_is_halloween_night_1981/
The Son of Sam: A Timeline of the Killings that Terrorized New York City. (2021, May 4). Biography. https://www.biography.com/crime/son-of-sam-murder-timeline
 
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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 67: What Happened to Sandra Hughes? - An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While the rest of the world was feeling the chaos of the Covid 19 global pandemic, 54-year-old Sandra Hughes decided to spend time in the place she felt most at home...the great outdoors. 
What began as a simple solo camping trip turned into one of the most mysterious missing person cases in recent years. 
Chaotic abandoned campsites, unusual behavior, and several eyewitness sightings has left the Sierra National Forest Community questioning what exactly happened to the confident outdoorswoman.
The case took an eerie turn when a two-year-old little boy claimed to be able to see and speak to the spirit of Sandra, who was asking for his help from somewhere deep within the woods. 
 
Sources:
Franco, M. (2023, October 3). Special Report: The latest on the search for a woman who went missing 3 years ago. KMPH. https://kmph.com/news/local/special-report-the-latest-on-the-search-for-a-woman-who-went-missing-3-years-ago
Flanagan, B. K., & Writer, S. (2023, August 3). Three years missing. Mariposa Gazette -. https://www.mariposagazette.com/articles/three-years-missing/
Admin. (2022, March 20). Sandra Hughes - disappeared. Disappeared. https://disappearedblog.com/sandra-hughes/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFm2pRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHS3xOGEy9KIXrhOZiJULjAMU7AUVdErt5lnBB56niRExO2XYss2AMjC7mw_aem_UX9AwiTXWOscVYG4Wf7W2w
Evans, R. (2020, September 21). Mummy, I see dead people! These children all have invisible friends who really existed. NZ Herald. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/mummy-i-see-dead-people-these-children-all-have-invisible-friends-who-really-existed/RAQJ7KQRLIU4FTGNZ4RS3EUVMI/
 
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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 66: Death Watch on the Hanging Hill & The Blue Sentinel of Peddlers Rock - An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak's celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get you in the creepy mood.
This week Stefanie shares the tales of two spectral dogs, steeped in history, active to this day, and sure to haunt your dreams.
 
Sources:
Clyne, P. E. (1977). Ghostly Animals of America. Dodd Mead.
 
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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 65: Who Killed Robert Wone?

32-year-old Robert Eric Wone could never have imagined that spending the night at an old college friend's house would result in his bizarre murder, yet that is exactly what happened on August 2, 2006. A little over an hour after arriving at the DC home that Joe Price's shares with two other men, Robert was dead and a bizarre 911 call was placed. When first responders arrive to find Robert stabbed to death, but very little blood and no signs of a struggle, suspicions quickly turn to the housemates. 
This episode is full of twists and turns and at the end we are left asking, Who Killed Robert Wone? 
 
Sources:
Robert Wone (episode 240). (n.d.). https://prosecutorspodcast.com/2024/03/26/240-the-murder-of-robert-wone-part-1-of-6-backstabber/
Who Killed Robert Wone. (n.d.). https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/who-killed-robert-wone/8330027078016478112/seasons/1
 
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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 64: The Unsolved Murder of David Bacon

An up-and-coming Hollywood actor best known for his role in "The Masked Marvel,” crashed his sports car in a bean field in Los Angeles, California. The actor, christened David Bacon by the famous Hollywood film producer Howard Hughes exited the vehicle and stumble only a few feet before collapsing. In his back was a single stab wound to the back made by a six-inch-long "stiletto-like blade.” Some say it was the result of a love triangle and some say he was cursed from the start. What is known is that how came to meet this fate is still a mystery today.
 
Sources:
Kantor, W. G. (2019, June 27). Who killed the Masked Marvel? EW.com. https://ew.com/celebrity/2019/06/27/who-killed-the-masked-marvel-true-crime/
The Love Triangle that Killed David Bacon. (n.d.). Criminal. https://vocal.media/criminal/the-love-triangle-that-killed-david-bacon
 
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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 63: Where is Cathy Moulton?

16-year-old Cathy Moulton was reported missing on September 24, 1971. She was last seen in downtown Portland, Maine wearing a navy-blue coat and carrying a brown leather bag. Police immediately decided that she was a runaway and her case remained uninvestigated, that is, until nearly thirty years later, a determined detective Kevin Cady devoted his career to finding answers for the Moulton family.
Over the course of several decades, Detective Cady and his team tracked down witnesses and were able to piece together what they believe happened to the young girl on a stormy night so many years ago. 
 
Sources:
Cady, K. (2016). Cathy Moulton missing & endangered: A Cold Case Missing Person Investigation. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
 
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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 62: The Disappearance of Ebonee Spears

30-year-old, Ebonee Spears was last seen on Jan. 14, 2016. The week and days before her disappearance were plagued with strange occurrences and troubling moments that have left her family wondering what could have become of Ebonee. On the evening of her disappearance, she attempted to make a phone call at the Wilmington Police Department but was unable to work the lobby's telephone. In a surveillance camera in the station's lobby, she appeared frustrated at being unable to use the phone before walking away.
A neighbor claims to have seen Ebonee at her apartment just 15 minutes before her boyfriend arrived to see her. But Ebonee hasn't been seen since. Where is Ebonee Spears? Listen now.
 
Sources:Simmons, K. (2023, January 17). Ebonee Spears’s family still waits for answers seven years after disappearance. https://www.wect.com. https://www.wect.com/2023/01/17/ebonee-spearss-family-still-waits-answers-seven-years-after-disappearance/
Ebonee Shanetta Spears – The Charley Project. (n.d.). https://charleyproject.org/case/ebonee-shanetta-spears
Lupus - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic. (2022, October 21). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lupus/symptoms-causes/syc-20365789
Podcast, V. (2019, June 24). EPISODE 181: Ebonee Spears — The Vanished Podcast. The Vanished Podcast. https://www.thevanishedpodcast.com/episodes/2019/6/16/episode-181-ebonee-spears
 
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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 61: The Unsolved Murder of Garrett Phillips

When a 12-year-old dies suddenly, law enforcement focuses their attention on one man almost exclusively. Surveillance footage seems to contradict the person of interest's alibi. In this episode we have a soccer coach, a Sheriff's deputy and a small town torn apart by the devastating loss of Garrett Phillips.
Sources:
Who Killed Garrett Phillips. (n.d.).
 
7 News Staff. (2023, July 3). U.S. Appeals Court strikes down Nick Hillary’s verdict appeal in discrimination case. https://www.wwnytv.com. https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/07/03/us-appeals-court-strikes-down-nick-hillarys-verdict-appeal-discrimination-case/
 
City of New York v. Nicholas Hillary - Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP. (n.d.). https://ecbawm.com/results/city-of-new-york-v-nicholas-hillary/
 
 
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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 60: The Disturbing Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley

According to the website Maritime Injury Report approximately 400 people have gone missing from cruise ships in the past 20 years. And according to Cruise Lines International Association of the 212 listed as having gone overboard between the years of 2009 and 2019, only 48 people were rescued. 
While these numbers aren’t insignificant, it is important to realize that approximately 30 million people take cruise ship vacations each year, so, the chances of disappearing while aboard are small.
However, statistics were not on the Bradley family’s side in March of 1998 as 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared under extremely strange circumstances while on board a 7-day Caribbean cruise. Did she fall overboard? Or was she trafficked on to the island of Curacao and forced into sex slavery as eyewitness accounts may suggest. We give you all the details.
 
Sources:Cflores. (2023, June 30). When people go missing on cruise ships - Maritime injury guide. Maritime Injury Guide. https://www.maritimeinjuryguide.org/blog/when-people-go-missing-on-cruise-ships/
Miller, J. (2024, May 21). What really happened to Amy Lynn Bradley, a woman who vanished from her cruise ship? Oxygen Official Site. https://www.oxygen.com/deadly-waters-with-captain-lee/crime-news/cruise-ship-disappearance-of-amy-bradley-explained
Cesaric, C. (2024, June 23). Where is Amy Lynn Bradley, who disappeared on a cruise ship 26 years ago? Peoplemag. https://people.com/amy-lynn-bradley-cruise-ship-disappearance-8667257
Tron, G. (2024, January 19). Amy Lynn Bradley: What really happened to the 23-Year-Old who vanished on a family cruise ship? Oxygen Official Site. https://www.oxygen.com/blogs/amy-lynn-bradley-what-really-happened-to-the-23-year-old-who-vanished-on-a-family-cruise-ship
 
Jones, S. (2024, May 22). The Strange disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley: What happened to her? Historic Flix. https://historicflix.com/the-strange-disappearance-of-amy-lynn-bradley-what-happened-to-her/
ABC News & By ABC News. (2006, January 6). Con man dupes family in hunt for daughter. ABC News. http://web.archive.org/web/20170113141133/http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=131968&page=1
 
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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 59: The Unexplained Death of Olivia Jane Ward

When 16-year-old Olivia "Janie" Ward died after a fall at a teen party in the woods, her family began a decades long search to find out what really happened to her on that night.
 
With conflicting autopsies, "misplaced" records, and eyewitness statements that create more questions than answers, Janie's death sadly remains as much a mystery today as it was 35 years ago.
 
Sources:
The Waiting Game - Hell and Gone | iHeart. (n.d.). iHeart. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-hell-and-gone-29974699/episode/the-waiting-game-47137697/
Pederson, J. (n.d.). Looking back at the death of Janie Ward 30 years later. KATV. https://katv.com/community/7-on-your-side/janie-ward-30-years-after-death
McLeod, J. (2019, August 6). Hell and Gone investigates death of Janie Ward. Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/aug/06/hell-and-gone-investigates-death-of-jan/
Oman, N. (2008, April 29). No homicide in porch fall, 3rd autopsy of teen finds. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Arkansas’ Best News Source. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/apr/29/no-homicide-porch-fall-3rd-autopsy-teen-f-20080429/
 
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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