The Vanished Podcast

Marissa Jones has been covering missing persons cases since 2016, and The Vanished Podcast now has over 540 episodes dedicated to people who have disappeared. Each week, the show focuses on a different missing person, going well beyond the standard news coverage to include exclusive interviews with family members, friends, law enforcement, and relevant experts. Jones does the legwork of tracking down people connected to each case and letting them tell their stories in their own words. The result is a podcast that functions almost as advocacy journalism -- many families have said the show gave their loved ones visibility that traditional media never provided. The Vanished holds a 4.5-star rating from over 14,500 reviews on Apple Podcasts and is now produced through Wondery. Episodes run 45 to 60 minutes on average, giving each case room to breathe. The longer format means you get context about the missing person as a real human being, not just a set of facts and dates. Jones is respectful with the families she interviews, and that care comes through in the final product. The show is particularly valuable for cases that have received little attention elsewhere, turning its microphone toward the overlooked and forgotten. An ad-free version is available through the Wondery+ subscription.