''Up and Vanished'' is an investigative documentary-style

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

hosted by Payne Lindsey. The series investigates missing persons cold cases by reviewing old leads, interviewing witnesses and townspeople, and on-site investigation. The show is produced by Tenderfoot TV. The first season premiered on August 7, 2016, and investigated the case of

Tara Grinstead Tara may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tara'' (1992 film), an Indian film directed by Bijaya Jena * ''Tara'' (2001 film), an American film, also known as ''Hood Rat'', directed by Leslie Small * ''Tara'' (2010 film), a ...

, a beauty queen and school teacher who disappeared in

Ocilla, Georgia The city of Ocilla is the county seat of Irwin County, Georgia, Irwin County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Its population was 3,498 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Ocilla is part of the Fitzgerald, Georgia, Fitzg ...

. Season 2 aired in August 2018 and focused on the disappearance of Kristal Reisinger in

Crestone, Colorado The Town of Crestone is a Statutory Town in Saguache County, Colorado. According to the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 141. Crestone is located at the foot of the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Range, in the n ...

. The podcast also prompted a television special on Oxygen that premiered on November 18, 2018. The success of ''Up and Vanished'' has led to the creation of many other podcasts from Payne Lindsey, such as '' Atlanta Monster'' and '' Radio Rental''.

History

In 2016, documentary filmmaker Payne Lindsey of Tenderfoot TV studios began researching the Tara Grinstead cold case as a possibility for a new film. Lindsey became aware of Tara Grinstead's case because of its reputation as the largest case file in Georgia state history, but he also soon discovered that his grandmother's friend was one of the last people to see Tara alive. Inspired by the popular NPR podcast Serial, Lindsey recorded his research in a podcast style format detailing the specifics of the case, as well as interviews with key witnesses. The podcast, ''Up and Vanished,'' premiered on Apple Podcasts and the show's website
upandvanished.com
on August 7, 2016. Soon after the podcast's release it made the top charts and began receiving attention and notoriety within the small Ocilla, Georgia community. The podcast is credited with reigniting the discussion on the case after it sat dormant for twelve years. In the statement by the

Georgia Bureau of Investigation The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is the state bureau of investigation of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is an independent, statewide agency that provides assistance to Georgia's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investi ...

announcing the arrest of Ryan Alexander Duke in connection to the murder, the GBI's spokesperson thanked the media for keeping the public interested in the case. In 2018, Up and Vanished began to publish a second season dedicated to the 2016 disappearance of Kristal Reisinger. A young mother, Kristal went missing in

, during a full moon drum circle. Crestone is considered a spiritual center for new age religion. While Saguache County Sheriff's Office opened a missing persons case, as time passes, the case has not publicly announced new leads. Developments in 2017 have led the investigators to believe foul play is involved in the likely death of Kristal Reisinger. In late September 2018, the Reisinger case was handed from Saguache County Sheriff's Office to the

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a division of Colorado Department of Public Safety, is a law enforcement agency of the state of Colorado that performs forensic and laboratory services and criminal investigations at the request of local a ...

. While season 2 of Up and Vanished went on an unannounced hiatus late 2019, host Payne Lindsey has stated that he's continued to investigate the case and has been documenting the whole time. In 2021, Up and Vanished began a third season dedicated to the disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner.

Episodes

Season 1 (2016-7)

Season 2 (2018)

Reception

From its first publication, ''Up and Vanished'' has been met with mixed reactions. Listeners either supported Lindsey's quest for answers, while some believed he was opening up old wounds. Many also attributed the case being solved to the podcast. In 2017, the ''Up and Vanished'' podcast won a

Webby Award The Webby Awards (colloquially referred to as the Webbys) are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over three thousand industry experts a ...

in the Podcasts & Digital Audio category for Documentaries.

Adaptations

Television

In 2018, true crime network

Oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

announced that they would premiere a television special based on the podcast. At just over an hour long, this television special focused on investigating the crime and the two parties that confessed to the crime. Lindsey and his team set out to interview people in the community, which included Tara Grinstead's friends and people in law enforcement. The show mixed actual photos and videos from the investigation and dramatized reenactments to tell the story that the podcast did. A great deal of the show was dedicated to investigating Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. On January 9, 2020, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 15, 2020.

References

External links

* {{Podcasting 2016 podcast debuts Audio podcasts Cadence13 podcasts Crime podcasts Infotainment Investigative journalism Podcasts adapted into television shows 2018 podcast endings American podcasts Documentary podcasts