The Fall Line: True Crime5 Nov 2025

Missing Twice: No Body Homicides

Forensic anthropologists Dr. Amy Michael and Dr. Jen Bengtson reveal a critical gap in missing-persons databases and unidentified-remains cases. No-body homicide victims—those identified as murdered, but without recovered remains—may not appear in forensic identification databases, creating problems for cold-case investigations and forensic anthropology work.

Their research examines how missing persons cases, forensic databases, and unidentified human-remains investigations may be disconnected, which can in turn affect victim identification efforts nationwide.

The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

Help SEMO solve cold cases (specify gift to anthropology program): https://semo.edu/giving/

Help FAIR Lab solve cold cases: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/34914/donations/new?designation=forensicanthropologylab

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

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Episoder(277)

After Ancestry: How TreeScope Is Changing IGG Casework

We continue our coverage of the ways in which Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogists (AIGG) C are approaching the massive changes in the field of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG...

9 Sep 36min

Constantine: The Murder of Lavern Chupp

Lavern "Vern" Chupp was a well-known figure in St Joseph County, Michigan, where his Old Order Amish family had deep roots, and his skill at construction and carpentry meant he'd worked with just abou...

2 Sep 27min

Precious Child: The Murder of Sylvia Lou Dowdell, Part 3

We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother's Day 1998. Her daughter, Precious, still has...

26 Aug 30min

Tuskegee: The Murder of Sylvia Lou Dowdell, Part 2

We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother's Day 1998. This episode, we examine the crim...

19 Aug 29min

Opelika: The Murder of Sylvia Lou Dowdell

In 1998, a 38-year-old mother of seven, Sylvia Lou Dowdell, was murdered in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her body was left under a bridge, and her family in her hometown of Opelika waited to hear word of an arr...

12 Aug 36min

Elma, Washington: The Grays Harbor Jane Doe

In October of 1988, the remains of a homicide victim were found in a rural area of Grays Harbor County, just outside Elma, Washington. A dedicated detective worked her case for years—first in his role...

29 Jul 54min

A Long Fight: The Disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya, Part 2

We continue our coverage of the disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya. On St. Patrick's Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a ...

22 Jul 40min

Dulce: The Disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya: New Mexico

On St. Patrick's Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Ann Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was th...

15 Jul 35min