The Disappearance and Murder of Amy Drake

Source: maine.gov

Amy Drake was found murdered in Norridgewock, Maine on November 24th, 2006. That day, hunters were scouring a wooded area near the Norridgewock - Skowhegan town line when they discovered human remains. It was immediately suspected that the remains belonged to Amy, who had been reported missing approximately two months earlier. 

Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that the body was, in fact, that of Amy Drake. She was only 18 years-old at the time of her death. Detectives quickly classified her manner of death as a homicide, but her exact cause of death has never been revealed. 

Reports state that Amy was reported missing by her mother, Norma Drake, on September 20th, 2006. Norma told detectives that Amy often spent time in Skowhegan at the home of her boyfriend, Jason Forbus. Due to this, it was not unusual for Norma to go a day or two without seeing Amy - but they still spoke every day via phone or some other means of contact. 

After four days passed without any contact from Amy, Norma grew worried and reported her daughter's disappearance to police. Authorities called Amy's disappearance suspicious, especially since many of her personal items were left behind. Many people were questioned, including Jason Forbus and the father of Amy's then-2-year-old, but police were seemingly unable to find anything that led to her whereabouts. 

Detectives initially stated that they did not have any evidence that foul play caused Amy's disappearance. After her remains were found, detectives obviously changed their tune and classified her death as a homicide. At this point, several years have passed and many questions remain unanswered. Namely: What really happened to Amy? Will there ever be enough evidence to make an arrest?

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Before Amy's disappearance.

source: Facebook

Amy was only 18 years-old when she vanished. Her remains were found shortly after her 19th birthday. 

According to various friends and family members, Amy struggled with addiction before her disappearance. In December 2006, a friend told reporters that Amy "had descended into a life of drugs and hung out with the wrong crowd." However, as previously noted, Amy still kept in touch her with mother every single day. 

Additionally, various reports and online speculation indicate that Amy was in an abusive relationship at the time of her disappearance. In July 2006, Jason Forbus was arrested on domestic violence charges after reportedly assaulting Amy. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charges.

Forbus was given a six-month sentence in September 2006 - however he was not required to report to jail until October 9th, 2006. Therefore, he was still free at the time Amy vanished. 

Amy also had a young child who was only two years old at the time of Amy's disappearance. While some reports refer to Jason Forbus as the father of this child, people close to Amy have contradicted this and stated that the father is a different man who had custody of the child and lived with his parents. 

In 2023, a friend of Amy's posted about her murder on the Cold Cases subreddit. The friend wrote that Amy vanished after leaving her residence in September 2006. The friend also seemingly confirmed that Jason Forbus was due in court right around the time of Amy's disappearance.

Source: Reddit

Commenters on the post asked about the person with whom Amy left their friend's house. The friend replied, "that person just dropped her off at the end of the street so the cops eliminated him as a suspect pretty quickly."

The homicide investigation.

Amy's case was shifted to a homicide investigation after her remains were found. Unfortunately, the case grew cold case as years passed without any arrests. In 2018, it was reported that "police have interviewed a suspect in the past but stopped short of naming any persons of interests in the case."

The general consensus locally and online over the years is that Jason Forbus is responsible for Amy's murder. He has never been charged with anything related the homicide case. It's been speculated that police simply have not been able to collect enough evidence to make an arrest.

Where the case stands today.

Amy's murder remains unsolved. Her loved ones are still fighting to find justice.

If you have any information that could help solve Amy's murder, please contact investigators at the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit at (207) 624-7143.

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Sources:
13 WGME
Central Maine
Murder She Told
Reddit
Tapatalk
Uncovered

The Disappearance and Murder of Suzanne Morphew

source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation

Suzanne Morphew (49) vanished on May 10th, 2020. The mother-of-two disappeared on Mother's Day. It was originally reported that she left her Maysville, Colorado home to go for a bike ride. Suzanne never returned home, and a neighbor reported her missing later that evening.

Initial searches for Suzanne ended unsuccessfully. Reports stated that search crews "of more than 100 investigators, eight tracking dogs and four drones, as well as members of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, South Ark Swiftwater Rescue and Reach Air Ambulance have been unable to find her." The only trace of Suzanne that was found was her bicycle, which was located in a nearby ravine shortly after she was reported missing. 

Suzanne's husband, Barry Morphew, put a $100,000 reward in place for anyone with information about Suzanne's whereabouts. That reward was later increased to $200,000 after a friend donated money to the case. Barry told police and loved ones that he was in Denver on the day she vanished - which is an approximate 3-hour drive away from their home in Maysville. 

However, in October 2020, new information about Barry's alleged alibi surfaced. It was originally reported that Barry was in the Denver area on the day Suzanne vanished. He said that he left the family's Maysville home during the early morning hours of May 10th, and then returned later that afternoon after learning of his wife's disappearance. Barry went to the Denver area to work on a landscaping job. He was hired by the president of the landscaping company, who also happens to be his close friend. 

However, Barry's name is reportedly not on any documentation related to this specific job. Additionally, the job was reportedly scheduled for Monday, May 11th - not Sunday, May 10th. In fact, the city did not issue a special permit for the work to be completed on a weekend, which would have been required for this particular job.

All of this information leads to many questions. Did Barry actually go to the Denver area that day? And if so, why did he go a whole a day earlier than necessary? Why did he lie about the date of the job? Suspicions had been cast on Barry since the beginning of the investigation - especially when it revealed that Suzanne was unhappy in their marriage and was having an affair with another man. She had reportedly begun a relationship with this man two years prior, while she was going through chemotherapy.

In May 2021, Barry Morphew was arrested and charged with Suzanne's murder. At that point, loved ones of Suzanne felt they were one step closer to getting answers. Unfortunately, though, this would end up being far from true.

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Barry's arrest.

source: Law and Crime

Barry's arrest came nearly a year after Suzanne's disappearance. At the time, authorities did not disclose any other details, but they revealed that Barry is facing charges of first-degree murder, attempting to influence a public servant, and tampering with evidence. 

The spy pen.

Meanwhile, more and more speculation about what happened to Suzanne began to surface. It was revealed that Suzanne had been using a spy pen prior to her disappearance. The purpose of the pen was for Suzanne to record Barry so she could potentially catch him in an affair. 

source: CBS News

However, the pen would reveal to investigators that Suzanne was actually having an affair herself. The man with whom she was having an affair was eventually located and questioned. His alibi checked out and he was cleared of suspicion.

Other speculation.

The main theories that began to surface involved Barry being responsible. Some speculated that Barry killed Suzanne after she asked for a divorce, or after he found out about her affair. Barry himself speculated that Suzanne was taken by someone else, or that she was harmed by something in nature - possibly a mountain lion. 

Additionally, during the initial investigation into Suzanne's disappearance, detectives found empty tranquilizer darts and a tranquilizer needle in the Morphew's yard. Barry told police that he often used those tranquilizers to "sedate deer and remove their antlers to sell in his hunting business."

April 2022 update: charges dropped.

Almost a year after the arrest, a judge dismissed the first-degree murder charges against Barry Morphew in April 2022. This ruling came after the prosecution filed a motion to dismiss the charges without prejudice - which means Barry can be charged again at a later date. 

The prosecutor implied that they hoped to charge Barry again once after finding Suzanne's body. At that time, authorities said that they were close to finding her remains, but the snow is preventing them from doing so. Court documents state that authorities "zeroed in on a remote and mountainous area near the Morphew's home." Said area was covered in snow at the time this was reported. It's unclear if investigators ever got to search the area.

May 2023: Barry files a lawsuit, speaks out.

source: ABC News

In May 2023, Barry filed a $15 million lawsuit claiming that he was falsely charged with his wife's murder. Shortly thereafter, Barry and his two daughters with Suzanne spoke to ABC News and proclaimed Barry's innocence. The daughters supported their father and stated that they never had a single inkling that he was involved in their mother's disappearance. 

September 2023: Remains found.

During September 2023, it was reported that authorities searched "an area of Moffat in Saguache County on an investigation not related to the Morphew investigation" when human remains were found. Days later, those remains were positively identified as that of Suzanne Morphew.

source: KRDO Newschannel 13

This area is located approximately 45 miles away from the Morphew home - which means that investigators were incorrect about their belief that Suzanne's body was hidden in a mountainous area near their home. However, her body was found in a shallow grave, and it was obvious that someone else had placed her in such location. 

April 2024: Suzanne's autopsy results are revealed.

After Suzanne's remains were discovered, investigators remained quiet about her cause and manner of death for months. Then, in April 2024, it was announced that Suzanne "died homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine (BAM) intoxication."

BAM is often found in the tranquilizers that Barry previously admitted to using at his home. This has obviously cast even more suspicion on Barry. In fact, Suzanne's loved ones told reporters that they are not surprised to learn that she was killed in such a way - as they had believed this to be the case from the start. 

Where the case stands today.

As of today, Suzanne's case remains unsolved. Barry has not been re-charged with anything related to her disappearance and/or death. The investigation into her case is ongoing.

If you have any information that could help solve Suzanne's case, please submit a tip. 

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Sources:
9 News, (2)
CNN
Daily Beast
Heavy
Inside Edition

The Murder of Jenna Franks

Source: FBI.gov

On February 24th, 2021, street division workers in Jacksonville, North Carolina were clearing debris in a wooded area near Ellis Boulevard and White Street when they found something unexpected: a human body. Police responded to the scene, and it was quickly determined that a murder had taken place. The victim was subsequently identified as 34-year-old Jenna Franks.

Shortly after news broke about her murder, it was announced that the case was being investigated as a possible hate crime. Jenna was a transgender woman and had active involvement with the Onslow County LGBTQ+ Community Center. Her death has been a devastating loss for both Jenna's loved ones and members of the community. 

Authorities initially did not reveal many details about Jenna's death; only that she had been murdered, and that the FBI was assisting with the investigation. Months later, in June 2021, the results of Jenna's autopsy were revealed. The report states that she was "stabbed multiple times in the neck and lower half of her body." 

The FBI has also revealed that they believe Jenna "willingly met up with whoever is responsible for her death, not knowing her life would end." Investigators also believe it is likely that the killer is familiar with the area where Jenna's body was found. On the three-year anniversary of Jenna's murder, a detective told reporters that it's possible that the killer "may continue to live or work in the community."

Investigators ask that anyone who knew Jenna or might have information about her murder to come forward. A monetary reward is available in exchange for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Jenna's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip. 

 

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Sources:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jacksonville Daily News
Human Rights Campaign
News & Observer
WNCT, (2)

The Disappearance and Death of Sebastian 'Ty' Husted

The above images are of Sebastian Tyrese Husted - known as Ty by family and friends - pictured at the age of 18. The image on the right is the last known image of Ty before he vanished. He went missing on January 22nd, 2018.

Ty posted the pictures to his Facebook page three days earlier, on January 19th. That same day, he also wrote “Feels good to be workin’ again” in a Facebook post. Ty was referring to a job he had recently gotten as a power washer at a hog farm in Mercer County, Missouri. The hog farm was over an hour’s drive away from his family’s home in Centerville Iowa. 

On the day Ty was last seen, he arranged to carpool with a coworker to the farm. However, after being driven there, Ty reportedly texted his brother and asked him to pick him up, as his coworker was acting strange and aggressive. His brother replied to ask for an address, but Ty never got back to him. He never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again. Ty was reported missing two days later.

Ty’s family members later learned that the co-worker returned to Centerville without him. Police inevitably questioned this man, but according to Ty’s family, nothing ever came of their questioning. Police looked at Ty’s cell phone records, which revealed that his final phone ping was near the hog farm on the day of his disappearance. 

Eventually, searches were conducted in that area, and pits at the hog farm were drained, but unfortunately no clues were found. These searches not conducted until weeks after his disappearance, so many believed that they were conducted too late. By this point, evidence could have potentially been destroyed by the hogs or other environmental factors on the farm.

Ty’s sister Ieesha Husted told reporters that she believes there was no urgency in the early stages of Ty’s disappearance because investigators thought he was missing on his own accord. However, Ty’s family members never believed this to be true. Ty had a child on the way and was reportedly looking forward to becoming a father. 

Ieesha also told reporters that their family has tried to reach out to the co-worker Ty was last seen with on many occasions. They have not received any replies from him. It is unclear if police are still investigating this man. He has not been identified in the public.

Years passed without any updates in Ty's case. Then, in April 2024, turkey hunters found human remains on a private property in northeast Mercer County. Days later, those remains were confirmed to be that of Sebastian Tyrese Husted. 

At this time, a cause/manner of death has not been revealed. It appears that the circumstances surrounding Ty's death are still being investigated. Ty's family is still hoping to find answers about what led to his disappearance and death. 

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at (660) 748-3165.

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Sources:
Charley Project

Des Moines Register
Iowa Department of Public Safety
News Press Now
Ottumwa Courier

People
Sebastian's Facebook

The Disappearance and Murder of Jaylen Griffin

Jaylen Griffin vanished on August 4th, 2020. The young boy was only 12 years old at the time of his disappearance. Jaylen's family members last saw him near his home on Warren Avenue in Buffalo, New York. 

The day he vanished; Jaylen took his new puppy for a walk in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood. Shortly after he returned home, he told his mother he was going out again. Jaylen's mother assumed he would return soon, but he never did.

Jaylen reportedly left his home around 11:00 AM, and he did not tell his mother where he was going. He was known to frequent nearby stores in the area so he could help people carry their grocery bags. Jaylen's mother initially thought he was doing that on the day of his disappearance. However, when he did not return home, his family members began to think that something was wrong. 

According to sources close to Jaylen's family, he was not the type to go far from home or to stay out late.  There were reported sightings of him around the Buffalo area in the months following his disappearance, and authorities stated that they believed he may still be in the area. In November 2020, three months after Jaylen vanished, his older brother Jawaan Griffin was shot and killed. Many thought that the news of his brother's passing would encourage Jaylen to return home, but he didn't--nor did he contact his family at all. 

Despite all of this, authorities reportedly still maintained their belief that Jaylen was alive. An article from April 2021 quotes Buffalo Police Captain Jeff Rinaldo, who stated, "we have no information that leads us to believe he is in immediate danger. I mean the fact of his age and the fact that he is not under his parental supervision is obviously dangerous to begin with, but we do not believe that he was abducted or taken against his will." 

Then, in 2024, that all changed. A maintenance man working at a multi-unit house on 107 Sheffield Avenue found a body in the attic. That body was later identified as Jaylen Griffin. His death was labeled a homicide. 

The house where Jaylen was found is approximately five miles away from his home. Neighbor in that area told reporters that police had responded to that house "several times" over the years. At this time, police have not named any suspects or persons of interest in Jaylen's case.

Jaylen's mother passed in September 2023, before learning of her son's fate. His remaining family members are hoping to find justice. The investigation is ongoing, and there is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Jaylen's homicide.

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at (716) 847-2255.

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Sources: [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Disappearance of Cieha Taylor

Source: Finding Cieha on Facebook

Cieha Taylor vanished under suspicious circumstances on February 6th, 2020. The then-28-year-old was reportedly last seen leaving a residence on Cowart Road in Plant City, Florida. Cieha never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Reports state that Cieha drove her boyfriend to the Cowart Road residence on the day of her disappearance. She and her boyfriend then allegedly got into a fight, and she subsequently left the residence around 4:00 PM. According to a report from News Nation, Cieha called a friend crying about the fight. She made plans to go to said friend's house, but never arrived.

A few hours later, Hillsborough County Dispatch received a call about an abandoned car that was blocking traffic on railroad tracks near East Trapnell Road. When police arrived on the scene, they found the vehicle with the engine running and the driver's side door opened. A cell phone was found nearby on the ground and a wallet found was inside the car. The officers pulled the car over to the shoulder, turned it off, and left the cell phone and the keys inside. 

The vehicle - a black two-door Toyota Solara - belonged to Cieha. It had been abandoned an approximate mile away from the Cowart Road residence where Cieha was last seen. The car was left on the shoulder for three days before one of Cieha's friends went to that location and found the car abandoned with Cieha's belongings inside. 

By this point, it was determined that nobody has seen or heard from Cieha since February 6th. This was inevitably worrisome to Cieha's loved ones, and a missing person's report was subsequently filed. It was then that Cieha's family learned that police had actually moved the car to the spot after it was initially found abandoned, while the engine was running, in the middle of the road. Despite those suspicious circumstances, it appears that police did not attempt to identify or contact the owner of the vehicle at the time it was found. 

Investigative efforts by both police and Cieha's loved ones have not turned up any answers. In 2022, police told reporters that they were at a "dead end" with the case. Since then, there have been very few media updates. However, there has been some information provided by various online and local sources that shed more light on the events surrounding Cieha's disappearance. 

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The lead-up to Cieha's disappearance.

Source: newsnationnow.com

The Finding Cieha page on Facebook has been spreading awareness about Cieha's case for years. On February 6th, 2024, the 4-year anniversary of when Cieha was last seen, a post was made describing the events surrounding her disappearance. 

The post identifies Cieha's boyfriend as Jason Roberts, also known as J.D. The Cowart Road residence that Cieha allegedly brought J.D. to on the day of her disappearance belongs to the family of J.D.'s friend, Kevin Ring. Various news reports indicate that J.D. was living at the residence during February of 2020. 

The Facebook post notes that the family was told Cieha left the Cowart Road residence "upset and yelling". Kevin Ring's father told Cieha's family members that he saw her car driving away from the house. However, the Facebook post also states, "No other information has been given to us as to what conspired that day, or if she even was actually at that house. No proof has been given she was there or left. Only the three statements." 

Finding Cieha on Facebook

It's worth noting that news reports have stated that Cieha called a friend about the alleged fight between her and JD. If this phone call did, in fact, take place, then it seems that the fight can be corroborated. Still, the events that followed this argument still seem a bit unclear. 

The Facebook post states that Kevin Ring's father saw Cieha leave the residence at 4:00 PM. Three hours later, the post explains, Cieha's car was found abandoned just a mile away:

Finding Cieha on Facebook

As previously noted, police did not attempt to contact Cieha or anyone else after finding her car abandoned on East Trapnell Road. Reports state that the officers who moved the vehicle simply thought the driver would return. However, it seems quite odd that anyone would voluntarily abandon their car in the middle of the road while it was still running. 

Cieha's car is recognized.

The car remained untouched on the shoulder until February 9th, 2020. That evening, according to the Facebook post, J.D.'s mother Lisa was bringing clothes to J.D. at the Ring's house when she recognized Cieha's car abandoned on the shoulder. Lisa subsequently reached out to Cieha's mother, Canitha Taylor.

Around the same time, J.D. reached out to Cieha's friend, Tiffany Hall. Tiffany went to the car's location herself and called AAA to have the doors unlocked. She then drove the car to Canitha's house in Pasco County. 

Finding Cieha on Facebook

By the time Cieha's car made it to her mother's house, her cell phone was dead. Her friend charged the phone and found messages between Cieha and J.D. that indicated they were in an argument. Cieha's last outgoing message was to J.D., and it read, "you sent your wyt supremacists (sic) friends to deal with me you think you are so smart I'm smart."

Finding Cieha on Facebook

Investigating Cieha's disappearance. 

Cieha's friends met up with authorities the following day to explain all the suspicious circumstances surrounding the discovery of Cieha's vehicle- namely, the fact that Cieha herself was still nowhere the be found. After this, Cieha's missing persons' case was finally opened. 

Flyers about Cieha's disappearance were handed out and posted around the area. Police interviewed several people, including J.D. and Kevin Ring. Still, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified. 

According to Cieha's page on The Charley Project, Cieha's "shoes were found in a drainage pipe near the road where her car had been abandoned" about three weeks after her disappearance. The shoes were found "next to a telephone pole that had a missing persons flier about her hanging on it." 

The Charley Project also states that Cieha's mother "believes the shoes were deliberately placed there some time after she went missing; she stated the area had been previously searched multiple times."

In August 2020, an investigator in Cieha's case went on a podcast and said that Cieha's vehicle had been searched thoroughly. Fingerprints were found, but they all reportedly belonged to "people known to have been in the vehicle."

Where the case stands.

As previously noted, investigators told reporters that they were at a "dead end" in the case during 2022. Since then, very few updates in Cieha's case have been provided. 

There is still a lot of speculation that both J.D. and Kevin Ring are responsible for Cieha's disappearance, but at this time, neither have been charged with anything related to her case. It appears that investigators have not been able to find enough evidence to prove their involvement. It is unknown if any other persons of interest have been looked into by authorities.

Cieha's loved ones are still desperately hoping for answers. A monetary reward is available for anyone with information that could lead to her whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 813-247-8200.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Finding Cieha
News Nation
Uncovered
WFLA

The Disappearance of Matthew Kalange

Source: nbcmontana.com

Matthew Kalange has been missing since August 16th, 2021. 

The then-25-year-old vanished after his car ran out of gas on Highway 200 in Montana. Matthew's car was later found abandoned on the eastbound side of the highway near Ovando. A note found was on the windshield that read, "RAN OUT OF GAS, PLEASE DO NOT TOW! God Bless, Matt."

Source: nbcmontana.com

Matthew has never been seen or heard from again. Various reports state that he may have tried to walk to Ovando, Lincoln or Helmville. Matthew did not have a wallet or cell phone with him at the time of his disappearance. This has inevitably made it even more difficult to track his movement after he ran out of gas. 

Shortly after Matthew's disappearance, it was reported that "law enforcement is investigating several different possible scenarios" about what might have caused his disappearance. Years have passed since this report, and it is unknown if investigators have narrowed down to a prominent theory. 

There has otherwise been very little reporting on Matthew's disappearance. He remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to Matthew's whereabouts, please contact the Missoula Police Department at 406-552-6300 or the Powell County Sheriff at 406-846-2711.

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Sources:
Blackfoot Valley Dispatch
Charley Project
NamUs
NBC Montana