In August of 1989, a 26-year-old man in Prince George, British Columbia was given an unexpected lifeline when a bearded stranger at a pub offered him and his partner short-term work at a logging ranch nearby. With two young children, desperation for employment outweighed caution. Later that night, a witness saw the family pack their belongings and step into the man’s truck outside their home. But they were never seen again. This is the disappearance of the Jack family.

In August of 2011, a 21-year-old art student suddenly vanished from her Ohio townhouse. Her purse, her car —even her beloved dog—were all left behind. And with no signs of struggle and no clear explanation, the case baffled investigators and shook her community. For nearly two years, her disappearance was a haunting mystery… until a discovery miles away across state lines changed everything. This is the murder of Katelyn Markham.

In August of 1973, a 22-year-old woman was beginning her graduate degree in psychology at the same Missouri university when she was brutally murdered in her apartment. Originally, police believed the crime was committed by a woman. Or, a professor she may have been seeing on campus. Now, 52 years later, even more curious potential suspects have come into play, as a whole new investigation is underway. This is the murder of Tess Hilt.