Every now and then I uncover a case buried deep in the archives with circumstances that prove truth is stranger than fiction. This story is one of them.

When a prominent Bridgeport, Connecticut woman failed to show up for lunch with a friend, it led to a devastating discovery in her overflowing home that had become a sort of treasure trove of local history. The investigation stalled until months later when some of the woman’s treasures started showing up around town.

With a suspect identified, the case was nearly closed until the accused killer quite literally slipped through investigators’ hands in one of the most bizarre escapes I’ve ever encountered.

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Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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In late summer of 1990, a mother in central Maine seemed to slip quietly out of her own life. Shirley McAvoy had been navigating a painful separation, leaning on friends and trying to rebuild a sense of normalcy. Then, shortly before a scheduled court date related to her pending divorce, she simply disappeared.

Days turned into weeks, and small, unsettling details began to surface—things that didn’t fit with the idea of someone who’d chosen to leave. What started as a missing persons case slowly transformed into something far more disturbing, stretching well beyond the quiet town where Shirley was last seen. More than 35 years later, investigators are still trying to identify a mystery man believed to know exactly what happened to Shirley.

• If you recognize “Jerry” or have any information about the murder of Shirley McAvoy, please contact Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit - Central at (207) 624-7076 x9. You may also submit a tip using the Maine State Police tip form.

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/shirleymcavoy

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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More than a century ago during the winter of 1923, a quiet Christmas in East Hartford, Connecticut took a devastating turn that would echo far beyond that holiday. Mrs. Mary Monsell never arrived for the dinner she’d been warmly invited to, and within hours, her home became the center of a crime that would send police searching for a suspect who vanished into the world and never returned.

Mary’s name rarely appears in headlines now. Her story has nearly slipped beneath the weight of time. But history leaves clues if you’re willing to look, and some stories are worth digging up again.

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/marymonsell

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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Some cases linger for years not because the truth is hidden, but because the tools needed to prove it aren’t yet strong enough. Evidence waits on shelves, memories shift, and flawed forensic science can steer an investigation away from the person who seemed suspect from the start. This is one of those cases.

This is a story about a young woman whose life was brutally taken and the decades that followed as investigators, family members, and forensic experts worked to overcome outdated science and finally confirm what so many had suspected all along.

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/judithlord

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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On a winter night in early February of 1992, John E. Volungis Jr. was standing on the edge of a brand-new life. After years of working toward a career in law enforcement, John was about to take off for his next step in that pursuit.

It was supposed to be a fresh start after navigating a complicated past and an equally complicated marriage. But before he could take that next step, something happened inside the Worcester duplex he shared with his wife. Something no one has ever fully explained.

• If you have information relating to the murder of John E. Volungis Jr. please call the Worcester Police Department Unsolved Homicide Unit at (508) 799-8688. To submit an anonymous tip, text “CRIMES” (274637), then type the keyword “TIPWPD” followed by a space and your message.

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/johnvolungisjr

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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It was early January in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, when a discovery in a quiet stretch of woods changed a family forever. A young woman had crossed paths with a violent killer close to home. The investigation led to a swift arrest and a conviction that should’ve brought some measure of justice and safety, but what came next defied reason.

The man convicted of her murder was given chance after chance to walk free – opportunities that no one could ever justify to the people who loved her. Each time he reentered the world, he proved exactly who he was.

• If you have any information relating to the murder of Joanne Lee Reynolds, please contact the North Kingstown Police Department Detective Division at (401) 294-3316, extension 8211.

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/peggyflynn

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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November 26 marks three years since Reina Carolina Morales Rojas disappeared after getting into a car in East Boston, Massachusetts. She was later dropped off in nearby Somerville and that was the last time anyone saw or heard from her.

Despite being reported missing soon after, information about her disappearance didn’t reach the public for nearly two months. It was only after community advocates spoke out that her story began to get the attention it deserved.

Today, Reina Carolina Morales Rojas is still missing. There have been no new developments in her case, and her family – who once spoke to her every day – continue to wait and hope for answers. As we mark the anniversary of her disappearance, we’re re-releasing this episode to renew attention on her story, to keep her name in the public eye, and to remind listeners that she is still out there somewhere.

• If you have knowledge that could help bring Reina home, please contact the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office at (781) 897-6600.
• Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is advised to contact 911 or A-7 Detectives at (617) 343-4324. If you would prefer to share information anonymously you can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word 'TIP' to CRIME (27463).

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/stillmissing-reinarojas

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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One ordinary day during August of 1983, in a quiet patch of parkland just off the road in Penacook, New Hampshire, a teenager found something that didn’t belong. What followed rippled through the small community for years.

Interviews, rumors, and timelines never quite fit together. Voices clashed over what was seen, what was said, and what couldn’t be proved at all. This is a story about how quickly attention can settle on one person, and how hard it can be to find the truth once it does.

View source material and photos for this episode at: darkdowneast.com/bernardegounis

Dark Downeast is an Audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

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