It's been twenty-four years since Jason Jolkowski disappeared on June 13, 2001 while walking a short distance from his home to meet a co-worker a few blocks away. Throughout that time, theories continue to pile up but nothing seems to change the stagnancy of the case. Despite the unanswered questions and the years that have slipped by, Jason’s case is far from forgotten, and his family continues searching for the closure they so desperately need.

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It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning in Waukesha, Wisconsin on May 31, 2014 when a cyclist came upon Payton Leutner laying near a bike path in a park. The 12-year-old girl had been stabbed multiple times and left for dead, but after extensive life-saving measures, would miraculously survive the vicious attack. Authorities were forced to confront their fundamental assumptions when she told them that her own friends, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, had been the ones to carry out the heinous act. Both girls believed that the fictional character Slender Man would harm their families, but killing Payton would dissuade him in their favor.

Reshaping motive into a dilemma of insanity and delusion, they were found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a mental health institution. But the story was far from over, creating a bigger conversation about mental health in the legal system and the true definition of justice. How far does guilt go, how do we heal as a community and is closure a tangible thing or just a feeling?

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All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com Cylinder Four/Two, The Dark Glow of the Mountains & There Are Many Different Kinds of Love by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com

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*A special thanks to ABC's 20/20 "Out of the Woods", The Independent, Slenderman by Kathleen Hale, HBO's Beware the Slenderman & CBS News for information that allowed this episode to be possible.

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When 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd failed to show up for work, it immediately set off alarm bells for everyone who knew how responsible and reliable she was. Upon further inspection, two sets of footprints in the snow would show Jessica's shoes walking away from her home towards the property line, vanishing once met with tire tracks. Someone had taken her. And this was yet another event on a growing list of break-ins, burglaries and even assault in small Ontario towns once untouched by major crime. What was first disregarded as some deranged creep on the loose had escalated to kidnapping and possibly even murder. But the last thing the authorities expected was for their investigation to lead them right to the Royal Canadian Air Force, and specifically, Colonel David Russell Williams. Could this really be their guy? How was it possible that a decorated pilot and respected commander was one of the most dangerous and deadly men Canada has ever seen?

Support the show & get bonus episodes on PATREON

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All music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. Measured Paces by Kevin MacLeod via incompetech.com There Are Many Different Kinds of Love and Cylinder Four by Chris Zabriskie via chriszabriskie.com

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*A special thanks to Camouflaged Killer by David A. Gibb, Maclean's Magazine, Explorations in Forensic Psychology by Margo C. Watt, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Way of Ninja, The Peterborough Examiner & The Toronto Star for information that allowed this episode to be possible.

Thank you for listening!