Something Else Took Joan Gay Croft

She survived the tornado that destroyed her home — but something else took Joan Gay Croft.

On April 9th, 1947, the Woodward Hospital was one of the few structures still standing after a massive tornado tore through the Oklahoma plains. Survivors crowded into its basement—injured, frightened, and searching for loved ones.

Gerri and Joan

Among them were two young sisters: four‑year‑old Joan Gay and her older sister, Geri. They had been pulled from the wreckage of their home after the storm ripped it apart.

Their mother, Cleta Mae Croft, had been killed in the tornado.

Their biological father, Edwin Ernest Ralls, was not in Woodward that night. He and Cleta had divorced years earlier, and the girls had been living under the last name of their stepfather, Hutchinson Olin Croft.

Olin survived the storm but was critically injured and taken to another hospital, separated from the girls in the chaos.

The sisters were alone.

In the dim basement light, Joan clutched a doll someone had handed her. The storm had passed, but the confusion had not. Nurses moved from patient to patient. Families cried out names, hoping for answers. And in the middle of that chaos, two unidentified men walked into the room.

They asked for Joan by name.

They said they were taking her to another hospital for treatment.

No one questioned them.

No one stopped them.

And from that moment on, Joan was gone.

For nearly eight decades, her disappearance has remained one of Oklahoma’s most haunting mysteries.

Before the Storm

Before understanding how Joan vanished, we have to understand the world she lived in — and the storm that tore it apart.

Woodward was a quiet plains town where spring storms were familiar, but nothing prepared residents for what struck on April 9th, 1947.

The storm formed in the Texas Panhandle and intensified rapidly, feeding on warm, humid air sweeping north. By the time it reached Woodward, it had become a monster—nearly a mile wide, roaring like a freight train tearing through the night.

Witnesses described the sky turning a bruised green. Lightning flickered inside the funnel like a lantern trapped in a bottle. Animals grew restless. Radios crackled with static. And then the wind began to scream.

When the tornado hit, it didn’t just damage the town—it erased parts of it. Homes were lifted from their foundations. Cars were tossed like toys. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to splinters in seconds.

In the aftermath, the streets were unrecognizable. Fires burned where gas lines ruptured. Families wandered through the wreckage calling out names, hoping someone would answer.

And in the middle of this devastation were two little girls who had just lost their mother.

Joan was small for her age, with soft blonde curls and wide blue eyes. She was a bashful child — gentle, quiet, observant. She adored her older sister and carried a doll nearly everywhere she went.

It was this child — shy, sweet, and inseparable from her sister — who was swept into the chaos of the storm’s aftermath.

The Night Everything Broke

Inside the hospital, the storm’s violence still echoed. Windows had shattered. Dust drifted through the air like snow. The basement—normally a storage area—had become a refuge for dozens of injured survivors.

Joan sat on a cot with her legs dangling, her dress torn, her hair tangled with debris. A long splinter of wood had pierced her leg during the tornado, and nurses had carefully removed it, wrapping the wound in makeshift bandages. Even injured, she held herself with that small, careful posture — shoulders rounded, hands tucked close to her chest. When someone placed a doll in her arms, she clung to it as if it were the only familiar thing left in the world.

Family accounts say Joan repeatedly asked for her mother.

She didn’t know Cleta had died in the storm.

Nurses moved quickly. People whispered prayers. Others cried openly. The air smelled of wet earth and antiseptic.

It was in this atmosphere—raw, chaotic, and disorienting—that the two men appeared.

They asked for Joan by name.

Not “the little girl.”

Not “the child in the dress.”

They asked for Joan.

They said they were moving her to another facility.

They did not take her sister.

They did not show identification.

They were not wearing uniforms.

They carried no medical equipment.

They walked out with her on foot.

Geri, injured and unable to follow, watched her sister walk away with the men. She later recalled Joan glancing back at her — a small, confused look over her shoulder.

It was the last time anyone in the family saw her.

The Search in the Rubble

The tornado didn’t just complicate the investigation—it made it nearly impossible.

Records were destroyed.

Communication lines were down.

Roads were blocked.

Hospitals were overwhelmed.

And the storm struck during a nationwide telephone operator strike. With lines severed and operators scarce, communication across Oklahoma slowed to a crawl. Calls couldn’t be routed. Hospitals couldn’t confirm transfers. Families couldn’t reach one another.

If the phones had been working, Woodward might have received a warning about the tornado. Meteorologists in Amarillo had tracked the storm, but with operators on strike, the alerts never reached the town.

No sirens.

No calls.

No chance for families like the Crofts to take shelter.

In that silence, Joan’s trail went cold even faster.

Many children were separated from their families. Some were transported to makeshift shelters without proper documentation. Volunteers moved freely through the hospital, some in uniform, others in plain clothes.

In that environment, it wasn’t unusual for strangers to carry injured people to different locations. The chaos created the perfect conditions for Joan’s disappearance to go unnoticed until it was too late.

Investigators faced enormous challenges:

Conflicting witness descriptions

No documentation of a transfer

No confirmed sightings

A disaster zone with thousands displaced

The case grew colder with each passing decade.

The Children Without Names

As debris was cleared, workers found the bodies of several unidentified children. With no surviving relatives to claim them and no records left intact, they were buried quietly in Woodward — small graves for small lives.

Joan’s aunt personally examined two of the unidentified children to make sure neither was Joan.

Neither was.

Some have suggested that one of the unidentified children might have been her. But the Croft family never believed that.

Those children were found in the wreckage.

Joan walked out of the hospital alive.

That difference is everything.

What Could Have Happened

With so few confirmed facts, only possibilities remain:

Mistaken Identity

Abduction by Someone Connected to the Family

Adoption Under a False Identity

Human Trafficking (Historical Context)

Death During the Chaos

Each theory explains something — but none explain everything.

The men asked for Joan by name.

They ignored her sister.

They carried no equipment.

They left no trail.

The truth remains elusive.

The Family Left Behind

For the Croft and Ralls families, the loss was devastating. Cleta was gone. Joan was gone. And Geri, who witnessed the moment her sister was taken, carried the memory for the rest of her life.

Their stepfather, Olin, searched for answers. Their biological father, Edwin Ralls, lived into the 1970s, long after the tornado, but never saw his daughters again.

The family fractured not by choice, but by disaster.

Still No Answers

Despite renewed interest over the years, the disappearance of Joan Gay Croft remains unsolved.

No confirmed sightings.

No verified identity matches.

No remains.

No definitive explanation.

The case endures because it sits at the intersection of disaster, confusion, and human vulnerability.

The Echo That Never Fades

Some mysteries fade with time.

Joan’s never did.

She survived the storm that destroyed her home — the storm that took her mother, the storm that left her and her sister alone in a basement full of strangers.

But the tornado wasn’t what took her.

Something else did.

And as the days that followed were swallowed by broken phone lines, a nationwide operator strike, and a town cut off from the outside world, the silence around Joan’s disappearance only deepened.

Decades later, the question still hangs over the town like a shadow that refuses to lift:

If the storm didn’t take Joan Gay Croft…

then who did.

Where the Desert Keeps Its Secrets: The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson

 

Where the Desert Keeps Its Secrets: The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson

By Robin Swan

Opening Reflection

The desert remembers everything — except the people it takes.

On a blistering June morning in 2021, a young geologist named Daniel Robinson drove away from his worksite and vanished into the vast, sun‑struck silence of the Sonoran Desert. Nearly a month later, his Jeep was found overturned in a ravine, his belongings still inside, but Daniel himself was gone.

No footprints.

No blood.

No trace.

Just a wrecked vehicle, a sealed phone, and a mystery the desert refuses to give back.

[Daniel Robinson, missing since June 23, 2021. His Jeep was found — but he was not.]

A Young Man Drawn to the Desert

Daniel Robinson was born on January 14, 1997, in South Carolina. He entered the world without his lower right arm, but those who knew him describe a young man who refused to be limited by anything.

Friends remember him as gentle, curious, and quietly determined.

“Daniel was the kind of person who would drop everything to help you,” one friend said. “He was loyal to the core.”

[Daniel standing at the edge of a canyon — drawn to the desert’s quiet power.]

Daniel Robinson: A Portrait

Daniel pursued geology because it challenged him — long days in the field, rugged terrain, physical demands that would have discouraged many others. He adapted to everything with quiet resilience.

He also had an artistic side. He played the French horn, an instrument that matched his steady, thoughtful nature.

Coworkers described him as soft‑spoken, intelligent, and deeply observant.

“He noticed things other people missed,” a former classmate said. “He saw beauty in places most people overlooked.”

He was 24 years old — young, hopeful, and building a life he was proud of.

A life he never got the chance to finish.

[Daniel Robinson — geologist, musician, and son. A quiet presence with a determined heart.]

Physical Description

Daniel Robinson is a young Black man with a medium complexion, slender build, and athletic frame. He was born without his lower right arm, a detail that makes him immediately recognizable. He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. Daniel keeps his hair short and typically wears practical clothing suited for fieldwork in the desert. His expressive eyes and warm smile reflect both his gentle personality and quiet resilience — a young man who moved through the world with determination and grace.

[Daniel exploring the outdoors — resilient, curious, and always seeking what lies beneath the surface.]

The Last Morning

On June 23, 2021, Daniel arrived at a remote job site near Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road. He was there to conduct a hydrology survey — routine work for him.

But that morning, something felt different.

A coworker later said Daniel seemed unusually quiet and distracted.

“He wasn’t himself,” the coworker recalled. “He seemed distant, like something was weighing on him.”

Around 9 a.m., Daniel got into his blue Jeep Renegade and drove away — without explanation.

“It was strange,” the coworker said. “He just got in his Jeep and left.”

He was never seen again.

When His Family Realized Something Was Wrong

Daniel’s father received a call that evening saying Daniel hadn’t returned home.

“When I got that call, I knew something was wrong,” David Robinson said. “My son always checked in.”

Daniel’s sister went to his apartment that night. His car wasn’t there. His lights were off. Nothing was disturbed.

By the next morning, the family knew something was wrong.

The Days Before: A Message and a Misunderstanding

In the week before his disappearance, Daniel had been communicating with a young woman named Katelyn, whom he met while delivering Instacart groceries. Daniel believed they were in a relationship. She told police they were not.

On June 22, Daniel sent her a final text message — the last confirmed words we have from him:

“The world can get better, but I’ll have to take all the time I can or we can, whatever to name it.”

The Last Conversation With His Father

The night before Daniel disappeared, he spoke with his father on the phone. It was warm, easy, and reassuring.

“He sounded good. Normal,” David said. “There was nothing in his voice that made me think something was wrong.”

And importantly, Daniel had no history of mental illness.

“He wasn’t in crisis,” his father said. “He wasn’t that kind of kid.”

It was the last time he ever heard his son’s voice.

[Daniel’s smile — warm, steady, unforgettable. His absence leaves a silence that echoes.]

The Jeep in the Ravine

For nearly a month, there was nothing.

Then, on July 19, 2021, a rancher found Daniel’s Jeep overturned in a ravine about four miles from the worksite.

Inside the Jeep were Daniel’s wallet, phone, and keys.

But there was no blood.

No footprints.

No sign that anyone had walked away.

The rancher later said:

“It didn’t look like someone had just wrecked and walked off. It looked like it had been sitting there.”

Investigators found several of Daniel’s clothes scattered near the Jeep. Even more unsettling, one of his boots was discovered underneath the overturned vehicle.

[Daniel’s Jeep as it was discovered: overturned, intact, and impossibly clean. No blood. No footprints. No sign of escape.

The Unopened Water + Clothing Mystery

Daniel had an unopened case of water inside the Jeep.

“Nobody walks into that desert without water,” a search volunteer said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Equally baffling was the clothing left behind. Why would Daniel strip down in the desert, leaving his shirt, pants, and even one of his boots behind?

Nothing about the environment, the weather, or Daniel’s known behavior explains why he would abandon both water and clothing — two things no one willingly parts with in the Sonoran Desert.

The Search That Found Nothing

Helicopters swept over ravines, washes, and open desert.

Teams on foot combed through the rugged terrain.

“We covered that ravine,” one volunteer said. “The Jeep wasn’t there.”

Despite extensive efforts, nothing was found — not a footprint, not a trail, not a single sign of Daniel.

Forensic analysis of the Jeep revealed:

no blood

no touch DNA

no biological evidence at all

“For a crash that violent, you’d expect something,” an investigator said. “But there was nothing.”

[Search teams investigating a desert structure near Buckeye, Arizona. The terrain hides more than it reveals.]

A Ravine Already Searched

Search teams had already covered the ravine where the Jeep was eventually found.

Yet nothing was discovered there during earlier searches.

The fact that the Jeep appeared in a location that had supposedly been cleared only deepened the questions surrounding when — and how — it actually arrived in that ravine.

Bodies Found in the Desert — But None Were Daniel

As searches expanded, investigators and volunteers made grim discoveries: multiple sets of human remains, none of which belonged to Daniel.

The Sonoran Desert is a place where the missing are often found by accident — migrants, victims of violent crime, and people who vanished without a trace.

Search teams described the landscape as unforgiving, a place that hides more than it reveals.

A Region Riddled With Cartel Activity

The area where Daniel disappeared is also known for something darker. Locals, ranchers, and even law enforcement have acknowledged that the remote stretches west of Buckeye are active corridors for cartel trafficking — routes used for drugs, weapons, and human smuggling.

It is a region where criminal activity often unfolds far from public view, where vehicles appear and disappear without explanation, and where violence leaves few witnesses.

While there is no confirmed connection between Daniel’s disappearance and cartel operations, the environment itself adds a chilling layer of context.

In a desert where so many bodies have been found, the fact that none of them were Daniel’s only deepens the mystery.

The Black Box: A Mechanical Witness

The Jeep’s Event Data Recorder revealed something startling:

The Jeep had accelerated before plunging into the ravine.

There was no braking.

No swerving.

No attempt to avoid the crash.

Crash Data Findings: The Most Haunting Contradiction

Crash data showed that the Jeep’s airbag deployed during a prior impact — and after the airbag deployed, the vehicle was driven an additional 11 miles.

“That’s not normal,” a private investigator said. “Someone drove that Jeep after the crash event.”

The data also showed multiple attempts to restart the engine after the crash.

But the most chilling detail:

The person who drove those 11 miles left no trace behind.

The Cellphone Left Behind

Daniel’s phone was found inside the Jeep, intact and untouched.

Private investigators later found irregularities in the phone’s activity log — signs that someone may have attempted to access it after the Jeep was already in the ravine.

There were also irregularities on Daniel’s computer, suggesting access or attempted access after he went missing.

“Someone interacted with his digital life after he was gone,” a PI said. “That’s deeply concerning.”

Two Clues, Two Stories

The Jeep’s black box and Daniel’s cellphone tell two different stories:

The black box suggests motion, force, and intent.

The digital activity suggests interruption, removal, or someone else stepping in.

Together, they form the central contradiction of the case:

The Jeep was driven into the ravine with purpose — but the person who should have been driving it left no trace.

The Evidence Returned

Months after Daniel vanished, police returned several pieces of evidence from the Jeep directly to his father.

“It felt like they were closing the case around me,” David said. “I’m not ready to accept that.”

He keeps the evidence sealed, untouched, stored in his shed — preserved like relics of a story that still refuses to resolve.

David has also spoken about concerns regarding Daniel’s apartment — items out of place, digital traces that didn’t match Daniel’s routines, and timing that didn’t align with the disappearance.

A Father Who Refuses to Stop Searching

No one has fought harder for answers than Daniel’s father.

“No father should have to search alone,” he said. “But I’ll keep going until I bring my son home.”

A retired Army veteran, he moved to Arizona and began organizing his own searches when official efforts slowed. He has walked miles of desert terrain, hired private investigators, and kept his son’s name alive long after media attention faded.

Timeline of Events

June 22, 2021 — Daniel sends his final text message.

June 23, 2021 (morning) — Arrives at worksite; coworker notes unusual behavior.

June 23, 2021 (9 a.m.) — Daniel drives away from the job site.

June 23 (evening) — Family notified he has not returned home.

June 23 (night) — Sister checks his apartment; he is not there.

June 24–July 18 — No sightings, no evidence, no activity.

July 19, 2021 — Jeep found overturned in ravine; belongings inside.

July 2021–2025 — Ongoing searches, private investigations, digital anomalies discovered, evidence returned to father.

Major Theories

1. Voluntary Walk‑Away

Doesn’t fit: phone left behind, no footprints, violent crash, no mental health history.

2. Accident + Disorientation

Doesn’t fit: no blood, no tracks, acceleration before impact.

3. Foul Play

Fits some evidence: acceleration, no trace of Daniel.

Unproven: no confirmed third party.

4. Staged Crash

Fits: lack of evidence at scene.

Speculative: no official confirmation.

5. Heat‑Related Fatality

Doesn’t fit: no remains found despite extensive searches.

Inconsistencies

Jeep accelerated before impact.

Airbag deployed during a prior impact, yet the Jeep was driven 11 more miles.

Crash data shows no braking, no swerving, no evasive action.

Multiple engine‑restart attempts recorded after the crash.

No biological evidence in a violent crash.

No blood found anywhere in or around the Jeep.

No touch DNA recovered from the Jeep’s interior.

No footprints or drag marks.

Phone, wallet, keys left behind.

Clothes found at the scene.

One of Daniel’s boots found under the Jeep.

Unopened case of water left behind.

Why would he strip down in the desert?

Helicopter and ground searches found nothing.

Ravine had been searched before the Jeep appeared.

Evidence returned to family.

26‑day gap with no trace.

Unexplained phone activity after the crash.

Irregular access to Daniel’s computer after he went missing.

Signs someone may have entered his apartment afterward.

Jeep damage inconsistent with the ravine crash site.

No history of mental illness.

Bodies found in the desert — but none were Daniel’s.

Key Unanswered Questions

Why did Daniel leave work so abruptly

Why did the Jeep accelerate into the ravine

Did Daniel ever reach the crash site

Was the Jeep staged

Why was evidence returned

What happened in the 26‑day gap

Why has no trace of Daniel been found

Who attempted to access Daniel’s phone after the crash

Who accessed his computer after he disappeared

Who, if anyone, entered his apartment after he went missing

Where did the Jeep actually crash

How did a boot end up under the Jeep

Why was there no blood or touch DNA in a violent rollover

Why did earlier searches miss the ravine entirely

Why would Daniel abandon water and clothing in the desert

Who drove the Jeep 11 miles after the airbag deployed

What We Still Don’t Know

Despite searches, private investigators, digital forensics, and national attention, the case remains suspended in uncertainty.

The desert is vast.

But the silence around this case is even larger.

Somewhere within those miles of sun‑struck emptiness lies the truth of what happened to Daniel Robinson — a truth that has not yet chosen to surface.

Author’s Note

By Robin Swan

I wrote this piece because Daniel’s story deserves more than silence. Cases like his often slip out of the public eye long before the truth is found, and families are left to carry the weight alone. My hope is that by telling his story with care, clarity, and respect, we keep the light on a young man who should never be forgotten.

If this story moved you, please share it.

Awareness is sometimes the only tool we have to push a stalled mystery forward.

Missing Frame — The Jean Spangler Story

Hollywood has always been good at vanishing acts. Stardom flickers into obscurity. Names are etched in sidewalk stars, then stepped over. But in October 1949, one woman didn’t just fade from the spotlight—she disappeared entirely.

Los Angeles, 1949. The city was a furnace with diamond teeth. 

“You want a name in lights? First, they’ll carve it in shadows. I learned that fast.”

The air smelled like exhaust and gardenia. Jean Elizabeth Spangler—5’6”, striking, 26 years old—had the kind of face directors remembered. Long dark hair, curled soft at the edges. Green-hazel eyes full of dare. Lips curled into a half-smile like she already knew your secret.

She wasn’t famous. Not yet. But she lived on the fringes of fame—the chorus line, the party crowd, the second glance on a studio lot. A dancer at Florentine Gardens. Extra work in Technicolor dreams: *When My Baby Smiles at Me*. *Young Man with a Horn*. You might’ve seen her. One blink in a wide shot. She moved like liquid joy.

Her life wasn’t some starlit fantasy. Behind the makeup and pasted-on grins, she was a single mother to five-year-old Christine. Divorced from Dexter Benner—a man who didn’t take losing custody lightly. Jean had clawed her way to independence: living with her mother Florence and sister-in-law Sophie, dodging bills, sewing hope into every hemline.

But she made space for fun. Friends said she was flirtatious, warm, quick with a laugh. Lipstick that left ghosts on coffee cups. Fast talk and louder laughter.

“People remember me smiling, and that’s fair. But I had grit, too. You don’t survive in this town on charm alone.”

**October 7, 1949 — The Last Known Day**

That afternoon, Jean slipped out of her Park La Brea apartment. Told Sophie she was meeting her ex-husband about child support, then off to a night shoot. Winked as she left, like she knew something the rest of us didn’t.

She phoned later to say she’d be working late.

But the Screen Extras Guild confirmed—Jean wasn’t scheduled to work that night.

She simply vanished.

**Griffith Park, October 9, 1949**

 “They say the city never sleeps, but the park does. It dreams in silence. That’s where they found my purse—like a whisper left behind.”

Two days later, a groundskeeper named Henry Angu spotted her handbag at the Fern Dell entrance of Griffith Park. The strap was torn—violently, or suddenly. Inside were her ID, compact, lipstick… and one note.

 “Kirk: Can’t wait any longer. Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way while mother is away,”

It ended with a comma. As if she’d meant to come back to it. As if someone—or something—cut her off.

Police ruled out robbery—her sister-in-law said Jean hadn’t left with any money. More than 100 volunteers and 60 officers combed the 4,000-acre park.

They found nothing.

Well—nothing but a denim jail uniform, half-buried in the soil. Unrelated, they said.

But eerie.

 “They said I liked to flirt with danger. Maybe I did. But I never thought it would flirt back.”

Jean had been seen with two men before she vanished: **Davy “Little Davy” Ogul** and **Frank Niccoli**. Enforcers in Mickey Cohen’s crime syndicate. Both under indictment. Both dangerous.

And both—gone.

Ogul vanished on October 9, two days after Jean.  

Niccoli had disappeared earlier—his car keys found in a sewer.

People said they saw Jean with them in Palm Springs. In Vegas. One El Paso hotel clerk swore she checked in with the two men. Border agents thought she crossed into Mexico.

But there was no paper trail. No receipts. Just traces. Just shadows.

“They said I got around. Maybe I did. But I wasn’t careless. I was curious. There’s a difference.”

That note—"Kirk… Dr. Scott…" It echoed louder than any scream. It was Jean’s handwriting. It was unfinished.

Police interviewed every Dr. Scott in Los Angeles. No one admitted to knowing her. Not officially.

But L.A. has always had two maps. One you read. One you whisper.

In 1949, abortion was illegal—and terrifying. Women turned to backroom clinics. Retired med students. Strangers with dirty instruments.

Jean’s friends said she was three months pregnant. She hadn’t named the father. But she had said: “I’m going to take care of it.”

There were rumors. A man called “Doc” who worked the Sunset Strip. A fixer in the shadows.

But no one ever found him. Maybe he vanished when Jean did.

 “I wasn’t reckless. I was careful. But when you’re a woman in 1949 with a secret, your choices shrink fast.”

#### 🔪 *Botched Procedure*

She died during the abortion. The doctor panicked. Disposed of her body and planted the purse as a distraction.

#### 🎭 *Staged Disappearance*

Was the note a red herring? A final act? But why write it in her own purse—unless she meant for it to be found?

#### 💣 *Mob Involvement*

If Jean was pregnant by someone powerful—someone connected—was it all arranged? And when it went wrong… was silence the only outcome?

Despite the leads, "Dr. Scott" was never found. No one charged. Nothing confirmed.

Jean's mother, Florence, said a man named “Kirk” had picked her up before. Always stayed in the car.

The city moved on. But Christine waited.

 “They kept looking for me. In diners. In border towns. In the faces of strangers. I became a rumor with lipstick.”

The years that followed weren’t silent—they *rattled*. Sightings, whispers, near misses.

 A gas station attendant in Central California saw a distressed woman mouth:  

 “Have the police follow this car.”  

  The man drove off. The police never found them.

In El Paso, a customs agent swore Jean checked in with Ogul. Hotel staff confirmed her likeness. But there were no names in the ledger.

A 13-year-old girl in North Hollywood said she saw Jean in a car with an older man.  

 “She looked nervous,” she said.  

  The tip went cold.

 “I became a face in the fog. A name whispered in diners. A question no one could answer.”

 “It’s funny. They try to solve me like a puzzle, but I was never the kind with edges that fit.”

Even now—75 years later—these are the dominant theories:

#### 🧬 1. *The Secret Pregnancy*

The botched abortion theory remains the strongest. But there’s no body. And no “Dr. Scott.” 

However, there was Kirk. Jean had recently worked as an extra on the film Young Man with a Horn, alongside rising star Kirk Douglas. He later claimed he barely knew her. But the tabloids had questions. Was "Kirk" in the note him?

#### 🕴️ 2. *Mob Retaliation or Escape*

She fled—or was silenced. Ogul vanished too. The connection runs deep.

#### 👔 3. *The Ex-Husband*

Jean told her family she was meeting **Dexter Benner** that night. He denied it. His wife backed him.  

Benner had motive. He hated losing custody. After Jean disappeared, he got their daughter—and fled the state.

Just... plausibility.

#### 🧠 4. *The Black Dahlia Echo*

Two young starlets. Two unsolved disappearances. Both in Hollywood’s orbit.  

Coincidence? Or something colder?

#### 🧤 5. *Voluntary Disappearance*

Could she have staged it? Started over?

She had no funds. No passport. No one heard from her again. And she loved Christine fiercely.

 “If I ran, it wasn’t away—it was toward something.  

If I stayed, it wasn’t willingly.”

### 🎬 *A Cold Case Still Warm*

Jean Spangler’s case remains officially **open** in Los Angeles. No remains. No suspects. No closure.

 “Maybe I wasn’t meant to be solved,” she might’ve said.  

 “Just… remembered.”

Day Four in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: Next Witness Is Sarena Sharp.

 

Adam Cox, Lori’s brother and a professional pickleball coach, testified about his concerns regarding Lori’s unusual beliefs, her increasingly close and "odd" relationship with Alex, his suspicions of her affair with Chad Daybell, plans for an intervention with Charles to address her behavior, and his conviction that Lori and Alex conspired to kill Charles, reflecting on strained family dynamics throughout his testimony. Darkmatter: Day Four in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: Lori's Brother Adam Cox Is The Next Witness.

Sarena Sharp, a resident of Queen Creek, Arizona, testified in court about her experiences from 2018-2019 when she lived in Connecticut before relocating to Arizona prior to the COVID pandemic. Sarena, who identifies as LDS and considers herself spiritual, attended two "Preparing a People" conferences focused on emergency preparedness and preparing for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

In November 2018, she attended a conference in Arizona where she had known Melanie Gibb and Jason Mow through prior phone conversations. Both offered to host her during her visit. Melanie picked Sarena up from the airport and instead of staying at her own home, took Sarena to her friend Lori Vallow's house. This was Sarena’s first meeting with Lori. Sarena also met Chad Daybell at Lori’s house that weekend. She later encountered Chad again at a February 2019 conference in Idaho. Contemplating a move to Idaho, Sarena met with Chad and explored housing options in Rexburg with a realtor.

In March 2019, Sarena was invited back to Arizona for a girl’s weekend at Zulema’s house. She believes she first met Zulema at the November 2018 conference in Arizona. Participants in the girl’s weekend included Lori, Melanie Gibb, Zulema, Christina, Nicole, and Sarena—all members of the LDS Church. During the weekend, Lori shared beliefs that went against the teachings of the LDS Church, including the claim that repentance was no longer necessary. Lori cited Bible verses to support her view, but Sarena doesn’t recall if Lori applied it to herself or the entire group. Sarena later told police in April 2021 that Lori tried to convince everyone of this belief, which deeply shocked and concerned her.

Sarena also recalled Lori discussing "light and dark levels" and changes both physical and spiritual. Lori introduced the concept of "casting," or casting out evil, which Sarena remembers being mentioned on multiple occasions. During the March 2019 girl’s weekend, Lori claimed her husband Charles was possessed by an evil spirit named "Ned." Lori even described this possession as being related to the term "zombie," which stood out to Sarena as a shocking and unusual belief. Sarena stated that she initially thought of zombies as a Hollywood concept, but Lori explained them in terms of evil spirits inhabiting a person.

During the group casting, Lori requested the women’s help to cast out the spirit from Charles, asking everyone to take turns. Sarena noted that this practice was entirely new to her and something she had never done or heard of in a group setting. Sarena recalled that this casting occurred only once during the weekend. She raised questions about Lori’s claims and discussed her concerns with the other women, which seemed to change the dynamics within the group.

Later, after Charles’ death in July 2019, Zulema organized a girl’s lunch that Lori attended with her brother Alex. During the lunch, Lori invited the women to her house to talk. Sarena attended and noted Lori’s stoic demeanor, observing no signs of mourning or crying despite her recent loss. Multiple women, including Melanie Gibb, were present at Lori’s home. Sarena found Lori’s behavior concerning, given the circumstances, and sent her a few texts afterward expressing her worries, though they had little contact after that. Sarena never saw Lori again following that meeting.

During Lori’s questioning in court, she asked Sarena for specifics about the use of the term "zombie." Lori asked if Sarena was certain Lori had used the term at the girls’ weekend in 2019. Sarena responded to the best of her recollection, explaining it was six years ago, and she didn’t remember verbatim. Sarena acknowledged it was possible someone else had used the term "zombie" instead, but this stood out to her in connection to Lori’s descriptions.

Lori questioned Sarena about the girl’s weekend, asking why she stayed if she felt uncomfortable with some topics. Sarena explained that she had flown across the country to be with friends, which made it difficult to leave. Lori confirmed with Sarena that she was a grown woman with her own opinions, and Sarena agreed. Lori also asked if it was fair to say they had a fun weekend, which Sarena acknowledged was true. Lori suggested that Sarena may have since changed her perspective about the weekend.

Lori asked about Sarena’s communications with others, including Christina Atwood, Zulema, Kay Woodcock, and Melanie Gibb. Sarena shared that she communicated "many" times with Christina, sometimes weekly or daily, though she wasn’t sure how to quantify it. She confirmed occasional contact with Melanie but stated she didn’t know Kay Woodcock. Lori also inquired about Sarena’s recollection of Lori’s statements on repentance, asking what exactly was said. Sarena explained she couldn’t remember verbatim but recalled Lori saying something to the effect of not needing to repent.

Lori asked how many times Sarena had been interviewed by police. Sarena said she had been interviewed a couple of times, with the first occurring in spring 2020 by Nate Moffatt, though she didn’t recall how long the interview lasted. Lori further questioned what Sarena could contribute in meeting with police for 90 minutes about someone she had only met a few times. Treena objected to this line of questioning as speculative, and the judge sustained the objection. Lori asked what Sarena told police during the interviews but was again met with objections to the broadness of the question, which the judge sustained. Lori asked if Sarena had anything to offer today in relation to the crime Lori is charged with, prompting another sustained objection for relevance. Lori asked if Sarena ever saw or heard anything about Lori conspiring with her brother to murder her husband, to which Sarena replied "No."

Treena returned for re-direct questioning, asking Sarena if being "translated" is something unusual to her. Sarena said she has read about it in religious books but doesn’t know anyone who has been translated. Treena also asked about prayers during the girls’ weekend. Sarena acknowledged the group said other prayers, such as over food, but stated the casting prayer felt very different. Treena inquired whether Sarena had gotten together with other women from the group to fabricate a story about Charles being possessed, which Sarena denied. Treena confirmed with Sarena that everything she testified to was to the best of her knowledge and noted that six years had passed since the events. Sarena’s testimony concluded.

Day Four in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: Lori's Brother Adam Cox Is The Next Witness.

 

Day three of Lori's trial included testimony from veteran officer Daniel Coons supporting the sequence of Charles's shooting, Nancy Jo Hancock's insight into Charles's kind yet strained personality and her shock at his death, and Christina Atwood's account of disturbing beliefs and actions within Lori's relationship. Darkmatter: "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025 Day Three Recap.

Adam Cox, Lori’s brother and a professional pickleball coach, testified as the next witness. He previously worked as a radio morning show host in Wichita and grew up in Southern California. Adam mentioned his four siblings—Stacy, Alex, Lori, and Summer—and noted that Lori and Summer were particularly close. Melanie Boudreaux, Stacy’s daughter, is Adam’s niece. Adam acknowledged that Lori, his sister, was present at the defense table.

In July 2019, Lori was married to Charles, with whom she had been together for over ten years. After Charles’s death, Lori married Chad. Lori had two children, Colby and Tylee, from a prior marriage before marrying Charles. During their time together, Adam’s son Zac lived with Lori and Charles. Charles also had two sons from a prior marriage, who visited occasionally but did not live with them. In 2019, JJ and Tylee resided with Lori and Charles.

Adam confirmed that Lori and Charles didn’t always live in Arizona—they had also lived in Texas and Hawaii. When asked about his relationship with his brother Alex “Al,” Adam described it as somewhat close. He noted that Lori and Alex had a normal sibling relationship but grew closer over 4-5 years, with a brief period when their closeness became “odd.” He said Charles and Alex had a typical brother-in-law relationship. Their family often held big events where everyone came together.

Adam grew up as a member of the LDS Church and is still a member. He noted that Alex was excommunicated twice as an adult but was unsure of the exact dates. When asked about excommunication, Adam explained that it involves the church removing certain privileges and denying access to the temple.

Adam shared that he and Charles communicated through texts and phone calls. Charles had a family cell phone plan, though Adam was unsure about car insurance. Charles worked in insurance, assisting schoolteachers with their financial situations, and traveled frequently for work. Prior to marrying Charles, Lori worked as a hairstylist, but she stopped working after their marriage to focus on caring for the children "for the most part." 

Adam mentioned discussing Lori and Charles’s marital problems with Charles. He revealed that Lori held beliefs outside the teachings of the LDS religion. Lori told Adam she was in the process of transitioning from a mortal to an immortal, celestial state—a concept Adam had not encountered in the LDS faith. She also claimed to have more priesthood authority than the priesthood itself, which Adam found strange, as the priesthood is traditionally held by men in their religion. While Adam did not confront Lori directly, he expressed his disbelief, saying, “I don’t know if you’re crazy but what you’re saying is not real.” After this interaction, Lori stopped speaking to Adam.

Adam tried to inform his family about Lori’s unusual beliefs, but one reaction was that Lori was in a delusion and would eventually come out of it. Adam said, “They basically cut me off,” referring to his family. At the end of June 2019, Adam reviewed an email Charles received about Chad coming to Arizona to write a book about him. Charles, who had played minor league baseball, was not interested in the proposed book. The email was from someone impersonating Charles, which led Adam to suspect that Lori was having an affair with Chad Daybell. Adam and Charles discussed the matter. Adam noted that Charles thought Lori was overboard in her behavior, including attending the temple five times a week. Charles believed that if Lori’s temple recommend were revoked, it might bring her back to normal.

Adam also spoke with Charles about planning an intervention for Lori. Charles was desperate because members of their family refused to speak with him, likely due to Lori’s influence. Charles proposed an intervention to record Lori’s statements, share the recording with the stake president, and attempt to bring Lori back to mainstream LDS beliefs. Adam explained that wards are smaller church groups, and several wards form a stake, which is led by a stake president—a high-ranking figure in the LDS Church. The intervention’s goal was to revoke Lori’s temple recommend. Charles discussed flying Adam to Arizona to assist with the intervention and offered to buy his plane ticket. At the time, Lori, Charles’s parents, Alex, and Summer all lived in Arizona.

Adam reached out to Alex and asked if he could stay with him during his trip to Arizona. Alex agreed initially. Adam flew to Phoenix on July 10 but ultimately did not stay with Alex. Upon landing in Phoenix around lunchtime, Adam texted Alex but received no response, which he found unusual. Adam also tried calling Alex, but Alex did not answer—a behavior Adam considered strange and bizarre. Alex never followed up or contacted Adam. As a result, Adam stayed at his parents’ house instead. Adam did not see Charles or Lori on July 10. His parents picked him up, and they went to lunch and later spent time at the house. Zac, Adam’s son, was living with his grandparents at the time. Charles had planned to pick up JJ and take him to school. Adam noted that Charles and JJ shared a very close relationship.

On July 11, Treena Kay moved to admit text messages from the morning of that day. Lori objected, claiming the texts were a report, not an extraction. The judge overruled the objection, and the texts were displayed in court. Adam knew Charles had reached out to Lori about the fake email from Chad and recalled Charles also reaching out to Tammy Daybell. The texts revealed exchanges between Charles and Adam regarding their travel plans. At 9:11 a.m. on July 9, Charles messaged Adam about how they could all meet without Lori discovering the intervention. Adam responded that he would visit Lori and record her without her knowledge. In the texts, Adam emphasized the importance of being on record to have “proof for Holmes,” the stake president. Another text mentioned Zac and Brandon, who had played basketball with Adam and Holmes. Adam thought Brandon might be able to help with the intervention.

At 1:13 p.m. on July 9, Charles informed Adam that his flights were booked and expressed concern that Lori might grow suspicious. Adam noted that when Charles had previously tried to serve Lori with divorce papers, she had disappeared, and no one knew her whereabouts. Charles worried she might flee again, as she was “flighty,” according to Adam. Charles planned to take JJ to school and mentioned using a second recording device to ensure they captured Lori’s statements. Adam described Charles as “desperate,” viewing the intervention as a last-ditch effort to free Lori from the "spell she was under." Despite everything, Charles stated that he still loved Lori. The texts showed ongoing communication between Adam and Charles. Adam did not recall speaking with Charles on July 10, the day before he was shot, and assumed they would meet on July 11 without specific plans. On the morning of July 11, Charles texted Adam, “Al is here. At Lori’s.” This shocked Adam, who responded, “Really...I wonder why he never called me back.”

Adam then texted Charles, “They are planning something.” Adam felt deeply suspicious, especially about Alex being at Lori’s house that morning, which “felt like something was really off.” Adam texted Alex again, but Alex did not respond. At 7:49 a.m., Adam texted Charles to say he planned to play basketball with Zac, noting that Holmes, the stake president, was usually present either playing basketball or conducting interviews. Adam intended to catch Holmes for a conversation, describing him as “an old friend.” Charles never responded. That evening, Adam and Zac played basketball, but Holmes was not there. Adam did not learn of Charles’s shooting on July 11, as no one in his family informed him. On July 12, Adam still heard nothing from Lori, Alex, or any other family members. The following day, Adam visited a friend named Eric in Tucson, taking Zac with him. Adam expressed to Eric how suspicious it was that he had not heard from Charles, saying, “My mind was spinning. I had no clue what was going on.” Adam speculated that Charles might simply have wanted to be with JJ but wondered if other issues were involved. 

Adam eventually asked his family if anyone had heard from Alex, but no one had. Adam had kept the intervention a secret at Charles’s request, fearing that Alex, Mom, Dad, or Summer might try to prevent it. While speaking with Eric, Adam mentioned that something felt off. Eric asked for Charles’s last name, Googled him, and discovered that Charles Vallow had been killed by his brother-in-law. Adam described the moment as “chaos, a knot in my stomach, probably one of the worst feelings I’ve ever felt in my life.” Adam knew Alex regularly went shooting. He never told anyone in the family about the intervention, yet Lori told police she was aware Adam had been planning one. When asked if he had told her about it, Adam responded, “No.”

Treena asks Adam to recount the story of Nephi, a prophet whose brothers attempted to kill him. Nephi was sent to retrieve sacred plates from Jerusalem, making multiple attempts as directed by the Lord. During his final attempt, he encountered King Laban, who was drunk and lying on the ground. Adam explains that Nephi was instructed by the spirit or God to kill Laban, which he did.

The conversation then shifts to Charles’s death. Adam describes the emotional impact of learning about it—shock, grief, and anger. He stuck up for Charles, which created a break in the family and led to a period where they didn't speak for a long time. Since then, communication has resumed. Adam first reached out to Kay to confirm the news, and she had just learned of it herself. He then called his mom, who knew about Charles’s death but acted strangely, challenging Adam to explain the situation. This strained their relationship further, and a tense conversation at her house deepened the rift.

Treena has no further questions, and Lori begins her cross-examination. Lori lists all the cities where Adam worked and notes, “And I was in Texas, Arizona, Hawaii.” She asks if they have not been physically close during the last 20 years, to which Adam agrees. Lori then asks if Adam saw, heard, or personally witnessed her conspiring with Alex Cox to murder Charles Vallow. Adam states, “No.” Lori thanks him and concludes her questioning.

Treena resumes questioning and asks Adam if he has spoken to Lori since Charles’s death. Adam says no; he had cut off all communication after Lori began expressing beliefs about becoming a celestial being and sharing other ideas that conflicted with LDS faith. After Adam challenged her beliefs as untrue, their relationship effectively ended. Treena also asks Adam if he was supposed to be with Alex on the 10th until the 11th, to which Adam responds, “If I would have spent the night with him, yes.” Adam reflects that this stood out to him, as he had made plans with Alex.

Later, Adam testifies about concerns regarding Alex and guns. Adam was aware his brother had guns and was concerned about Alex being at Lori’s house so early. It seemed unusual that Alex brought a loaded gun with extra magazines to a house where JJ was present. Lori objects, claiming this line of questioning is beyond the scope, but the judge overrules. Adam didn’t know at the time that Alex had a gun and extra ammunition at the house, but he now believes it was excessive. Adam told his family afterward that he believed Lori and Alex had conspired to kill Charles. He mentions Lori's claim that Charles’s body was inhabited by a zombie named Ned. Adam firmly states, “No doubt in my mind that they killed him.” Treena has no further questions, and the judge acknowledges that this line of questioning was beyond the scope. Lori is allowed to re-cross on these issues but declines after consulting her advisory attorneys. The judge asks if the jury has any questions; they do not. Adam’s testimony concludes.

Darkmatter: Day Four in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: Next Witness Is Sarena Sharp.