The Trail Went Cold - Episode 493 - Margaret Ellen Fox and Kim Leggett

August 25, 1973 Adelaide, Australia. While attending a football match at the Adelaide Oval stadium alongside their respective families, 11-year old Joanne Ratcliffe and four-year old Kirste Gordon leave their seats to go to the toilet together, but never return. After Joanne and Kirste are reported missing, numerous eyewitnesses report having seen them in the company of a middle-aged man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and since the two girls appeared to be in distress, they were likely the victims of an abduction. Over the years, a number of known pedophiles are looked at as potential suspects in the case, but there is not enough evidence to implicate any of them, so Joanne and Kirste are never found. On last week’s episode, we presented Part One of our series about the 1966 disappearance of the Beaumont children. This week, we will not only conclude our series about the Beaumont case, but also explore another unsolved Australian mystery known as the “Adelaide Oval Abductions” and look into the possibility that these two missing children’s cases are connected. Additional Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Joanne_Ratcliffe_and_Kirste_Gordon https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/on-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-disappearance-of-joanne-ratcliffe-and-kirste-gordon-family-reveal-new-connections-to-murderer-bevan-spencer-von-einem/news-story/c5449152bfe324dd65b4bead5fcc7fc1 https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/cold-case-fresh-leads-in-1973-adelaide-oval-abduction-links-key-suspect-to-abandoned-prospect-home-with-an-underground-bunker/news-story/a20c5f0e8db7de5c81c22ff316971a30 https://www.nine.com.au/tv-shows/joanne-ratcliffe-kirste-gordon-abduction-adelaide-oval-mystery-breakthrough-under-investigation-20221031-p5rcy0.html https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/adelaide-oval-abduction-1973-sister-joanne-ratcliffe-kirste-gordon-20230823-p5yuqz.html https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-25/joanne-ratcliffe-and-kirste-gordon-disappeared-50-years-ago/102770974 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-29/search-for-clues-linked-to-kirste-gordon-and-joanne-ratcliffe/105112146 https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/real-life/joanne-ratcliffe/ https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/coldcases/top-cops-stern-words-in-private-search-for-joanne-ratcliffe-and-kirste-gordon-50-years-after-disappearance/news-story/c2c53d53603c3039b96c8f2a3d689220 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-10/bones-found-in-yatina-search-not-human/106325728 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_the_Beaumont_children https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/parents-of-beaumont-childrens-tortured-wait-goes-on/news-story/fb533bc2a34d59bacea04713d1b03732 https://www.theage.com.au/technology/one-man-so-many-faces-of-evil-20070422-ge4pv0.html https://www.theage.com.au/national/suspected-mass-child-killer-is-buried-with-his-secrets-at-90-20020722-gduf0t.html https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts/allan-max-mcintyre-who-was-linked-to-the-disappearance-of-the-beaumont-children-in-1966-has-died/news-story/aa23bce2ce29b65a9182a81cb5f18ef5 https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/exscout-master-anthony-allan-munro-jailed-for-repulsively-evil-abuse-of-boys-from-1965-to-1983/news-story/e75963cb928358a9487460a13a3deb12 https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/sa/2018/01/22/new-search-beaumont-children https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/beaumont-children-mystery-harry-phipps-angry-son-says-his-father-did-not-kill-the-children/news-story/173bda07a90ba4a450e8f154921bddf6 https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/beaumont-children-grandfather-was-involved-in-disappearance-says-grandson-20180201-p5w63x.html https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-10/beaumont-children-search-at-former-castalloy-factory-site/104917216 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-01/dig-for-beaumont-childrens-remains-concludes/104997388 “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place

January 26, 1966. Adelaide, Australia. Three children from the Beaumont family – nine-year old Jane, seven-year old Arnna and four-year old Grant – leave their residence in order to travel to the beach in the suburb of Glenelg, but they never return home. A number of eyewitnesses report having seen the children in the company of an unidentified man before they went missing and this person is believed to be responsible for their disappearances. Over the years, investigators explore a number of potential suspects and perform excavations at various locations, but no trace of Jane, Arnna or Grant is ever found. This week, “The Trail Went Cold” will be releasing the first part of a special two-part episode about one of the famous mysteries in the history of Australia: the disappearance of the Beaumont children. Special thanks to listener Kristen Rodway for narrating the opening of this episode. Additional Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_the_Beaumont_children https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/parents-of-beaumont-childrens-tortured-wait-goes-on/news-story/fb533bc2a34d59bacea04713d1b03732 https://www.theage.com.au/technology/one-man-so-many-faces-of-evil-20070422-ge4pv0.html https://www.theage.com.au/national/suspected-mass-child-killer-is-buried-with-his-secrets-at-90-20020722-gduf0t.html https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts/allan-max-mcintyre-who-was-linked-to-the-disappearance-of-the-beaumont-children-in-1966-has-died/news-story/aa23bce2ce29b65a9182a81cb5f18ef5 https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/exscout-master-anthony-allan-munro-jailed-for-repulsively-evil-abuse-of-boys-from-1965-to-1983/news-story/e75963cb928358a9487460a13a3deb12 https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/sa/2018/01/22/new-search-beaumont-children https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/beaumont-children-mystery-harry-phipps-angry-son-says-his-father-did-not-kill-the-children/news-story/173bda07a90ba4a450e8f154921bddf6 https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/beaumont-children-grandfather-was-involved-in-disappearance-says-grandson-20180201-p5w63x.html https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-10/beaumont-children-search-at-former-castalloy-factory-site/104917216 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-01/dig-for-beaumont-childrens-remains-concludes/104997388 “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

May 24, 2012. Dickinson, North Dakota. After making a 100-mile commute to a worksite alongside a construction crew from Cofell’s Plumbing & Heating, 30-year old Eric Haider disappears in the middle of his shift and his crew returns back home without him. Nearly three years later, Eric’s remains are found buried at the former construction site in Dickinson inside a trench where he had last been seen working on a pipeline during his final shift. While it is suspected that Eric’s co-workers buried him alive and orchestrated a cover-up, the authorities do not believe they have the necessary evidence to file charges against anyone, so Eric’s death remains shrouded in mystery. At the direct request of the victim’s family, this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” will explore the suspicious death of Eric Haider. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Dickinson Police Department at (701) 456-7759. Additional Reading: https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/family-demands-answers-2012-death-eric-haider-whose-body-was-n1269124 https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Disappearance-of-Eric-Haider-Family-searches-for-answers-402765666.html https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/4-years-after-man-disappeared-his-family-still-seeks-closure https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/crime/2016/01/26/case-man-killed-at-work/32644489007/ https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Disappearance-of-Eric-Haider-A-workplace-mystery-402538096.html https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/body-found-confirmed-as-haider-private-investigators-helped-find-man-who-went-missing-may-2012-in-dickinson https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/body-found-at-dickinson-construction-site-confirmed-as-man-missing-more-than-three-years https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/family-friends-protest-closing-of-case-on-eric-haider https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/search-continues-in-dickinson-for-missing-bismarck-man https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/still-no-sign-of-bismarck-man-missing-near-dickinson https://hot975fm.com/north-dakota-where-is-the-justice-for-eric-haider/ https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/no-new-leads-in-eric-haider-disappearance/article_7919fd8e-ab66-11e1-914e-001a4bcf887a.html https://www.newspapers.com/image/1187401719/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1153874733/ “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

August 1, 1989. Prince George, British Columbia. After meeting an unidentified bearded man at a local pub, 26-year old Ronnie Jack is supposedly offered a temporary job at a remote logging camp located about 40 kilometres away. Later that night, Ronnie, his 26-year old spouse Doreen Jack, and their two children – nine-year old Russell and four-year old Ryan – are seen climbing into this man’s pick-up truck, but after they drive away, the family is never heard from again. Over the years, investigators explore some leads, including an anonymous phone tip about the victims’ remains being buried on a ranch, but no trace of the Jack family is ever found. To commemorate Canada Day, this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” explores the unsolved disappearance of an Indigenous family, which is considered to be one of the most baffling mysteries in the history of the country. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Prince George detachment of the RCMP at (250) 561-3300 or Northern B.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Additional Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_family_disappearance https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/mystery-remains-around-disappearance-of-jack-family-3737801 https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/missing-jack-family-age-progressed-photos-1.5702888 https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/tragic-and-haunting-memory-bc-family-has-been-missing-for-30-years/ https://globalnews.ca/news/2326515/old-wounds-open-as-missing-women-inquiry-looms/ https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/deleted-emails-on-b-c-s-highway-of-tears-reopen-old-wounds/article_832715e1-e3d5-5c0b-ac3d-0f71fc336a76.html https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20170926_MMIWG_Smithers_M._Jack_Statement_Vol_9_Public-15.pdf https://www.newspapers.com/image/502873677/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/503323920/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/905432716/ http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgc:1989-09-07/-/Prince%20George%20Citizen%20-%20September%2007,%201989 http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgc:1995-04-18/-/Prince%20George%20Citizen%20-%20April%2018,%201995 http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgfp:1999-08-29-05 https://www.newspapers.com/image/324125839/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/899196080/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/899191299/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/904801053/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/904785136/ “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

June 28, 2004. Newberry Springs, California. After experiencing a rough six months living in California, 30-year old April Pitzer makes plans to return to her home state of Arkansas to live with her mother, but before she can make the trip, she vanishes without explanation. Shortly before she went missing, April had crossed paths with the wife of a man who had gone to prison years earlier after she testified as an informant in a federal drug case, leading April to fear that her life might be in danger. A year-and-a-half later, some of April’s personal belongings are found scattered in a remote mining area of the Mojave Desert, but even though a number of abandoned mine shafts are searched and some sketchy local residents are looked at as potential suspects, no trace of April is ever found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the tragic story of April Pitzer, who went missing after finding herself trapped in a dangerous situation. If you have any information about this case, please contact the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department at (760) 256-4838. Additional Reading: https://charleyproject.org/case/april-beth-pitzer https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/april-beth-pitzer https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/family-still-struggles-10-years-after-disappearance-of-daughter/91-287109683 https://www.4029tv.com/article/clarksville-april-pitzer-missing/28234648 https://disappearedblog.com/april-pitzer/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/749698824/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/750159395/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/1234363678/ https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/unfoundpodcast/episodes/2017-07-21T10_43_21-07_00 “The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/. “The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. All music is composed by Vince Nitro.