A podcast about those who never came home

On the night of December 12, 1990, 31-year-old Norine Higuchi Brown left her New Hyde Park, New York home to pick up ingredients for Christmas cookies. Her car was found the next morning in the supermarket parking lot — locked, with Christmas presents in the back. Norine was nowhere to be found.

Former child actor Joe Pichler had big plans for his future—but after an emotional late-night phone call on January 5, 2006, he vanished from Bremerton, Washington. Days later, his car was found parked behind a local business with his phone inside, but Joe was nowhere to be found. In this episode of And Then They Were Gone, we break down what’s confirmed, what’s disputed, and why his family believes the official narrative doesn’t explain what happened.

Eight-year-old Debbie Sassen vanished on February 13, 1996—during what should have been a routine, 10-minute walk home from school in Düsseldorf. There was no confirmed witness to an abduction, no recovered clothing or bag, and no trace of where she went next. Nearly 30 years later, new investigative movement has pushed this case back into the spotlight. In this episode of And Then They Were Gone, we break down the timeline, the long-running theories, and the recent developments that could finally lead to answers.

On March 29, 1989, 22-year-old Monique Rivera left her Brooklyn apartment with her six-week-old son, Andre Terrance Bryant, after two women urged her to join them for a day out. She never returned. Within 24 hours, Monique was found murdered in the Bronx—and baby Andre was gone. In this episode of And Then They Were Gone, we break down the timeline, the unsettling details, and the leads that still haunt Andre’s disappearance decades later.

In 2012, Leesburg mother Leyla Mastova McCullagh vanished without a trace after a disturbing domestic history. Foul play is suspected — but her case remains unsolved.