Carolyn DeFord, Part 3: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and People
Release Date: 11/25/2022
Elma, Washington: The Grays Harbor Jane Doe
The Fall Line: True Crime
In October of 1988, the remains of a homicide victim were found in a rural area of Grays Harbor County, just outside Elma, Washington. A dedicated detective worked her case for years—first in his role with the sheriff's office, and then as coroner. Even now, in his retirement, he’s followed the case. Despite thousands of hours of investigation, her identity remained elusive; but then, in 2018, forensic investigative genetic genealogy became a possibility, and The DNA Doe Project took on the case of the Grays Harbor Jane Doe. But her case has proved incredibly difficult, and genealogists...
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A Long Fight: The Disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
We continue our coverage of the disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya. On St. Patrick’s Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case. 2026 Update: The unidentified person considered as a possible match for Melissa has been ruled out. However, law...
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Dulce: The Disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya: New Mexico
The Fall Line: True Crime
On St. Patrick’s Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Ann Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case. 2026 Update: The unidentified person considered as a possible match for Melissa has been ruled out. However, law enforcement is seeking to speak with anyone who was with her on the night...
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Come Home: The Disappearance of Calvin Willie Martinez, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
In today's episode, we continue the story of Calvin Willie Martinez. Mothers Day 2019 was the last time Calvin Willie Martinez’s family heard from him. After suffering an immense loss in 2014, Calvin had struggled with depression and alcohol dependence. But he always stayed in contact with his loved ones—so when he called them from a truck stop in Albuquerque, NM, and promised he was heading home, they believed him. But Calvin never arrived. Ever since, his sister Becky Martinez has been advocating for her brother. And as she discovered in late 2023, that persistence was...
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An Aching Heart: The Disappearance of Calvin Willie Martinez
The Fall Line: True Crime
Mothers Day 2019 was the last time Calvin Willie Martinez’s family heard from him. After suffering an immense loss in 2014, Calvin had struggled with depression and alcohol dependence. But he always stayed in contact with his loved ones—so when he called them from a truck stop in Albuquerque, NM, and promised he was heading home, they believed him. But Calvin never arrived. Ever since, his sister Becky Martinez has been advocating for her brother. And as she discovered in late 2023, that persistence was vital: otherwise, his case would have remained erroneously closed. ...
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Unsolved Michigan: Cold Cases
The Fall Line: True Crime
We sit down with podcaster and author Nina Innsted to discuss her coverage of and investigation into Michigan’s unsolved missing persons cases and unresolved homicides—many of which are detailed in her new true-crime book. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at #rulapod Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Order Nina’s book now: The Fall Line® is an investigative true...
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Everyone’s Daughter: The Disappearance of Arden Pepion, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
We continue our coverage of missing child Arden Pepion, and her family’s reflections on what justice really means. In April of 2021, three-year-old Arden Pepion was taken to a shooting range on the banks of the Two-Medicine River on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana. She hasn’t been seen since—and despite years of search efforts, her family still doesn’t have an answer. What happened to Baby Arden? In the first of a two-part series, we cover her disappearance and the experiences of her paternal grandmother, cousin, and MMIP advocate Rhonda Grant Connelly. ...
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The Banks of Two-Medicine: The Disappearance of Arden Pepion
The Fall Line: True Crime
In April of 2021, three-year-old Arden Pepion was taken to a shooting range on the banks of the Two-Medicine River on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana. She hasn’t been seen since—and despite years of search efforts, her family still doesn’t have an answer. What happened to Baby Arden? In the first of a two-part series, we cover her disappearance and the experiences of her paternal grandmother, cousin, and MMIP advocate Rhonda Grant Connelly. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. ...
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Karma: The Disappearance of Anastasia Ferriera, Part 2
The Fall Line: True Crime
For the family of Anastasia Ferriera, the search has been defined by obstacles: a detective they waited six months to meet, and tips that arrived too late or led nowhere. Her mother, Natalie, and grandmother Brenda have largely driven the investigation themselves, canvassing the International District, funding billboards and radio ads, and connecting with advocacy group Aunties for Justice. In this conclusion, we follow the leads that emerged after Anastasia's disappearance, including a search warrant executed at a southeast Albuquerque address, a missing persons flyer recovered from a...
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God’s Warehouse: The Disappearance of Anastasia Ferriera
The Fall Line: True Crime
Nineteen-year-old Anastasia Ferriera grew up close to her mother, Natalie Padilla, and her grandmother Brenda. Birthdays were always spent together, and texts flew back and forth throughout the day. In March 2023, that contact stopped. Anastasia was last seen in Albuquerque's International District, and her family has been searching ever since. In this first episode of a two-part series, we trace Anastasia's life in Albuquerque's International District and the days leading up to her disappearance. Her family has never stopped searching. They hope someone out there knows something. Rula...
info_outlineThis week, in honor of National Native American Heritage Day, we are re-releasing one of our most popular series: our three-part interview with Carolyn DeFord.
In the final installment in our series covering the life of MMIW advocate and daughter of a missing person, Carolyn DeFord, we learn how the disappearance of her mother, Leona Kinsey, has shaped her current world--and work--and the crisis she sees in MMIWCR cases; disappearances and murders are undercounted, underreported, misclassified, and rarely addressed outside action groups and specific political campaigns. Carolyn, and advocates like her, are changing that. And they need your help.
Pre order Laurah’s book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Written, researched, and hosted by Laurah Norton, with research assistance from Bryan Worters, Kyana Burgess, and Michaela Morrill/Interviews by Brooke Hargrove/Produced, scored, and engineered by Maura Currie/Content advisors are Brandy C. Williams, Liv Fallon, and Vic Kennedy/ Theme music by RJR/Special thanks to Angie Dodd, Liz Lipka, and Sarah Turney
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
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2022 All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast, LLC
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