SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Unsolved Indiana Dunes Disappearances | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

The Indiana Dunes disappearance is one. of the lesserk known cases in American. true crime. One day in July 1966, three. women went for a day at the beach along. Lake Michigan in northwest Indiana, not. too far from Chicago. They vanished that. day and no trace of them has turned up. since. It's one of our sadder true crime. episodes because not only are the women. presumed dead, their families never got. even a hint of resolution. Listen to. this one and see what you think. happened.

[Music]. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a. production of iHeart Radio's How Stuff. Works. >> Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm. Josh Clark. There's Charles W. Chuck. Bryant. There's Josh Te producing away. over there. Uh, and that makes this. stuff You should know super duper. mysterious mystery edition. That's. right. This is a super mysterious one. Super.

duper, you could say. >> This is a good one. I never heard of it. >> I hadn't either. >> Well, maybe we should have a spin-off. show. just about mysteries and missing. persons. >> I've long thought that. >> Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. >> But then everyone's like, "No, just put. them on stuff you should know.". >> Yeah. Every once in a while it got to. spin it out, >> right? >> Spin it off. What do they say? >> The Cleveland Show. >> Oh, man. I never watched that. Was it. good? >> I never watched it either. >> You weren't a Family Guy fan, though,

were you? >> I mean, it's fine, but no, I wasn't a. fan. >> Yeah. >> Um, all right. What about Leverne and. Shirley? What is this? Leverne and. Shirley, >> a spin-off from Happy Days, right? >> That's right, Chuck. Let's do this. >> And Morg and Mindy spun off, too. >> Mhm. Uh, what is this? Too Close for. Comfort. >> Was that a spin-off? >> You got this, man. >> Too Close for Comfort. He wasn't. No, I. don't know. What was it? >> Oh, no. I'm sorry. >> I was about to say I don't think that's.

right. >> What? What is this? The Ropers. >> Oh, well, sure. Freeze Company. >> Okay. >> What is this? Aftermatch, >> right? I thought um I thought Too Close. for Comfort was a spin-off. I think it. might be. >> Well, my first guess was it was might. have been Ted uh Knight's character from. the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Man, that was. such a. >> But that's not true because in Too Close. for Comfort, he was a cartoonist. >> That's right. >> Remember? >> Yeah. >> And the only thing I remember Well, I. remember a lot about that show because I. loved it.

>> I was in love with those daughters, man. >> I don't remember them. >> I mean, that was the whole setup is that. their daughters lived in the same house. >> or next door or something. >> Caused trouble. >> Uh yeah, you know, they were just couple. of. >> Hellraisers. >> Hellraising beauties. And uh who was the. guy uh that was so great? I think you're. talking about Charles in charge. >> No, I'm thinking of too close for. comfort. But he was a cartoonist and he. would wear college sweatshirts. >> Yeah. >> As part of his character and he wore a. Georgia Bulldog sweatshirt one time and.

I was I thought it was the coolest thing. ever. It's like how did they know that. that's a thing? >> All right. You're like I'm basically on. TV right now. >> That's what it felt like. >> Oh man. All right. >> Monroe. That was him. The the Monroe. character. Jim J Bulock. >> Ted Knight. >> Yeah. No, Ted Knight was the the lead, >> the main guy. Jim J. Bulock, man. What. was he? Hollywood Squares. >> Oh, sure. Among other things like Too. Close for Comfort. >> Does uh does this count as a tangent if. we haven't actually gotten started?

>> No, this is a preamble. >> Okay. Preamble. Nicely done, Chuck. >> Yeah, this is a good one. And you put. this together. Um, where'd you get most. of this stuff? >> Wrote it myself. Oh, well, >> there's one part that I was like, here, this is just easier if I copy and paste. uh from a Chicago Tribune article from. 1987. >> I read that one. >> It's very good. There's that's one of. the things about this case is as anyone. who kind of gets involved in this will. see, there is not a lot of information. out there. >> Yeah. And funny enough, one of the.

biggest mysteries of this whole thing is. what kind of boat that was, >> which we'll get to. >> That was my bad. >> Well, no, man. I saw in a couple of. other articles that called this boat a a. triaran which is. >> very much a a catamaran, >> right? They made the same the same uh. >> so they were just mistake I did. Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Because it was the same thing. I. saw a try hold. I was like, "Oh, it's a. triat which is a sailboat." And that's. what I thought it was. No, there's a. trihold speedboat called the Runabout. that was kind of big in the 60s.

>> Well, more specifically, it's a tryhold. runabout. A runabout doesn't necessarily. mean it has three holes. Okay. But. >> those are my favorite boats in the world. are these 50s and 60s fiberglass. runabouts. >> This is the amazing 50s and 60s runabout. of all time. >> Yeah. >> With three holes. >> Uhhuh. >> You thought one was crazy. Just get. ready for three. >> So. yeah, the boat will come up and I had to. mark out TriCat in just about 75 places.

>> I'm very sorry. That was again my bad. So, what we're talking about here. finally now is uh the disappearance of. three young women uh in suburban Chicago. >> in the mid 1960s at Indiana Dunes State. Park on Lake Michigan. >> Yeah. Now it's Indiana Dunes National. Seashore, National Lakes Shore. >> National Lake Shore. >> Um but at the time it was a state park. And this is Saturday, July 2nd, 1966.

>> That's right. Uh the three women, there. was a 21-year-old named Patricia Blau. >> Yeah, I think so. >> Um she went uh she got in her car, which. was uh a 11-year-old at this point, Buick sedan, >> 1955 Buick. >> Went to pick up her friends uh Anne. Miller at her house. She lived with her. folks. And then to her other friend, Renee Brule, who was the only one who. was married, uh went to pick her up at. her house. They were 19 and 20 and they.

were like. >> 19 and 21. >> I think one of them was 22 at least. 20. 19 20 and 21 is. >> Oh, is that right? Okay. >> But those are nitpicky details. >> Sure. >> They were all late teens, early 20s. And. uh. >> wait a minute. Did you just call me. nitpicky? >> No, no, no, no. >> I think you did. >> No. >> Okay. >> Um, >> did you just call me a liar on national. TV? >> TV? >> I think you just did. >> Uh, Ann and Patricia were friends. Uh. they were horse riders and they were. friends from these horse stables.

>> U but they were all three buddies not. since grade school but for the last. couple years it seems like. >> Right. Yeah. And um they all lived. around Chicago and that's where they. were traveling about 60 miles 80 miles. I've seen both to Indiana Dune State. Park to just basically go hang out on on. the beach that day. Again it was. Saturday. It was the July 4th weekend. It was. >> crowded. Yeah. >> Super crowded. They were just going to. the beach to have some fun as most. people think. Um, they got to the beach. by 10:00 a.m., parked the Buick, hiked. over the dunes on the kind of rickety.

boardwalk over to the beach and set up. camp I think about a 100 yards from. shore. That's a pretty substantial. beach. >> Wow. >> Either there or they hiked a hundred. yards and set up near the beach. It. might be the latter of the two. >> That sounds more right. And on this. weekend, again, because it was July 4th. weekend, the beach was just absolutely. packed. And this is Lake Michigan, which. is a pretty pretty big lake. And this. beach itself, or this park itself, I. think it's like 26 miles of shoreline or. something like that. But even still,

there's like 9,000 people on the beach. that weekend. >> Yeah, I saw 9 to 10,000 people, four to. 5,000 cars in the parking lots, and four. to 6,000 boats in the water. So. >> packed. >> Just packed. It's like uh Jaws or. something up in there, >> right? >> Amity Island Fourth of July. >> Um so the uh the the Renee and and Patty. set up shop, put down their beach. blanket uh just kind of close by to this. teenage couple um who are like their.

beach neighbors, you know. >> I imagine everyone was pretty close. >> Sure. Kind of. >> with that many people. >> She elbow to jowl. Isn't that what. that's called? >> Sure. >> Okay. Um, and this this teenage couple kind of. factor in big time, but just kind of. note their presence for now. >> That's right. >> So, about noon, Chuck. Um, well, actually, the teenage couple factor in. now. They noticed that, um, the three. women were waiting into the water about. noon. So, I guess for about two hours,

they were just kind of hanging out in. the sun. They got hot enough to go into. the water about noon. >> That's right. And uh that was the last. time that this couple saw them. Maybe. >> perhaps um the day went on, they never. came back. Uh this teenage couple said. their stuff still laying here. >> Um you know, they may be off partying. somewhere. So, you know, they didn't. think like these three young ladies are. missing. >> and perhaps murdered.

>> I think they were worried that their. stuff might get stolen. >> Yeah, I think it was as innocent as. that. Yeah. The teenage couple, they. were about to leave and they didn't want. to just leave it there. They felt kind. of somehow responsible for it like you. will. >> Yeah. Which is what you did in 1966. >> or today still if you're a decent. person. >> That's right. Uh so they went to a. ranger and they said, "Hey, these uh. young women were here. They left their. stuff. Um the ranger thought the same. thing. He's like, "Well, let me just. take care of the stuff and collect it. >> uh and so it doesn't get stolen. They're. probably off partying." But that was the.

last that anyone saw these three young. women. Um, no one to this day knows what. happened. They vanished literally. without a trace. >> Yeah. There's never been any evidence of. what happened to them. No trace of them. No, nothing. Nothing from that point on. >> I think we should take an earlier break. because of that dumb long preamble. >> Okay. >> And this is a great little spot for a. cliffhanger. >> Okay. >> So, we'll be right back.

[Music]. [Applause]. [Music]. Okay, Chuck. So, um, about 18 hours. after that park ranger collected their. things at, I'd say around dusk, um, a.

call came in to Indiana Dune State Park. Ranger Station, >> and it was from Harold Blah, um, or. Blau, Patty's father, and he wanted to. know if the rangers had seen his. daughter because she had been reported. missing by her family. >> back in Chicago, like, you know, a few. hours before. >> Yeah. So, they went through her stuff. The rangers did. They found a set of car. keys that um had a little um miniature.

Illinois license plate. >> that matched a license plate in the. parking lot. >> Yeah. >> Either a great coincidence or you could. get those custom made at some little. beach shop, >> right? >> Which is probably what happened. So, they find her car. They found her Buick. there uh in the parking lot. Indiana. State Police say, "We're going to take. over here because it's pretty clear that. this is a missing person's case.". >> Yeah. And so they it it was obvious that. they had they had never left the park or. at least they hadn't left, you know,

>> in the car, >> right? And they left their car, they. left their stuff. That's suddenly very. highly suspicious. The idea that they. were just off partying is suddenly kind. of a tenuous theory, you know. >> Yeah. Like left all their stuff like. purses and personal stuff. We should we. should talk a little bit about that. They left Yeah. money in their wallets. They left their transistor radio. They. left their magazines open. They left. their suntan lotion. They It seemed like. the way they left their stuff that they.

were planning on just getting into the. water and then coming back from the. water and then that was that, right? >> There didn't seem to be any kind of um. forethought to their stuff, right? And. then the fact that their car was still. there and this was a full day after they. had last been seen, it was suspicious. So the. >> like if they were going to party, they. would have said at least like, "Oh, let. me grab my purse.". >> Right by now. a night had come and gone and the next. day it was already, you know, halfway.

done and they there there was nothing. That that'd be a hell of a party. >> Yes. So, um, people started to get kind. of worried and they started to search. the park and they couldn't find them. anywhere. And that's when the police. became involved when it was obvious that. they were no longer in this park even. though they didn't seem to have left, which means they just kind of vanished. >> Yeah. And they had a pretty big search. party. Um, they had soldiers. volunteering from a missile base. They. had uh obviously the sheriff. They had.

the Civil Air Patrol get involved. I. think Patty's dad was a Was he a pilot? He was a colonel. >> He's a colonel in the Civil Air Patrol. >> Uh Coast Guard gets involved, dive. teams, um airplanes, helicopters, >> sheriff's poss. >> Yeah. Like they had people combing this. area. >> They went back to the 19th century to. get people to search. >> Uh they searched about 250 cabins in the. area. Uh they had a dune buggy trolling. the seashore at night, seeing if bodies.

were washing or the lake shore, seeing. if bodies were washing the shore. like. it was it was a land, sea, and air. search of this area and it was a pretty. extensive area. Um, but it was a really. extensive search. The big criticism. that's leveled today against the whole. thing is that there two full days passed. before the search was mounted. This was. July 5th, >> the first 48. >> First 48. Anybody who's ever seen that. show knows like those are the most. critical moments or the most critical.

hours in trying to solve a case because. it gets colder and colder with every. hour that passes. >> Yeah. >> So, that was a big thing. And one of the. one of the most startling things about. this case is that search turned up. nothing. >> Yeah. >> No evidence of what happened to them at. all. >> Yeah. The first little clue that they. found um wasn't something they found. while searching, but uh inside Renee. Brule's purse uh that she had left. behind. There was a letter that she had.

written to her husband that was kind of. like, "I've had it with you. All you do. is work on your hot rods and party with. your friends. And I'm kind of done. hinting that she wanted to leave the. marriage." Uh the cop, you know, obviously that's going to be a. suspicious kind of thing to find. go to the husband. >> And they interviewed the husband and the. family and everyone seemed to agree. like, >> "Hey, things aren't perfect, but she. probably wrote that letter when she was. really upset. She didn't give it to me. >> Um, you know, I might work on my hot.

rods a little too much, but I didn't. kill my wife and our marriage is is. fine, >> right? >> Overall, and then the cops believed it.". >> Her f Well, her family backed that up, too. They're like, "Yeah, we don't have. marital troubles. This seems like. something Renee would have done, right?". and then just forgotten she even had the. note. So, the cops cleared her husband. of being involved in any wrongdoing. But. it raised a long-standing theory that's. still around today that we'll talk about. theories later that um possibly Renee.

ran off. And if Renee ran off to kind of. start a new life or whatever, maybe the. other women had too. >> Maybe. >> Maybe. >> So, another interesting thing they. learned uh Ann Miller was uh by all. accounts about 3 months pregnant. >> Mhm. and had talked to her friends. >> by some accounts, not all. >> Yeah. >> Like like her closest friends had had. said there. >> she said she was pregnant. Right. But I. don't think they had like physical. evidence of like a pregnancy test. Right. >> Right. >> So um they said that she had friends. said that she had talked about having to.

go live in a home for unwed mothers. >> She was sort of up against the wall with. this. Uh obviously in the mid60s it was. not a great thing to be an unwed mother. Mhm. >> Um, and it possibly, we don't know this. either for sure, but she was dating a. married man. >> and it could have been his baby, which. would have been problematic as well. >> Right. Another good reason to ru nftt. >> That's right. >> Okay. So, now two of them have a motive.

to to run off and start a new life. >> Yeah. And and we should also mention too. that Patty was also dating a married man. supposedly. Um, and they both were. buddies from this horse stable. >> And it turns out there was a real. scumbag. >> Mhm. >> I looked into this guy more. This Silus. Jane. >> Mhm. >> He uh was a rapist. He was linked to the. murder of three boys. He was linked to. the murder of two the Grime sisters.

>> He was looked into for the disappearance. of some Aerys in Chicago. >> He had a hit put out on his brother. He. had a firebomb planted in this other. woman's car. Yeah. Like this is a bad. bad dude. >> Yeah. >> And he had an affiliation with this. horse stable. >> Yeah. He his brother I believe owned the. horse stable. >> Yeah. >> And Sai was like the organized crime. boss running the the criminal ring out. of the horse stable. And this was the. stable that an and Patty Yeah. rode.

their horses at. I think Anne was. actually she had a job as a horse. exerciser at these stables. So they were. like really involved in like. just rubbing elbows with these this. organized crime ring. Um and so cops. were like, "Well, wait a minute. This is. this is kind of huge." Like, you know, there's as far as looking into their. backgrounds, this was the biggest red. flag the cops had turned up. >> for sure. >> that they were they were known not not.

that they were like criminals. themselves, but just that they were like. they came in close contact with a really. dangerous violent criminal and his gang. >> Yeah. And one of the later theories was. that they witnessed the uh the rigging. of the firebomb on this car of this. woman. >> Yeah. And you know, they had to be taken. care of. >> Yep. >> But we'll get to the theories later. >> Sure. So, um, as they, uh, as they start, these were. like the leads that the investigation.

turned up, but the cops also very wisely. involved the media, right, >> pretty early on. >> And, um, so other leads started to come. in. And you know, there's the usual. like, I saw them in Pontiac, Michigan. getting off of a bus or they were all in. my drugstore alive and well, you know, last week, >> um, even though they've been missing for. three weeks, that kind of thing. >> But there were some solid leads that. came in. And one of the big ones was a. call from a couple from Indianapolis. who'd been on the beach that day. And I.

think this is the problem with this. There's so little writing about this. >> that you kind of have to piece together. Yeah, >> I'm pretty sure that this is the same. teenage couple that were their beach. neighbors. >> Okay, >> I'm pretty sure they said that they saw. them go into the water at noon and while. they were hanging out in the water, a a. man probably in his early 20s with dark. wavy hair, well tanned, >> came up in a trihold runabout skiboat, which is just stop and look up tryhole.

runabout 1960s and some will come up. They're really cool looking. >> Like it looks like a boat that Frank. Sinatra would drive around on a lake. >> Totally. >> Um and it's the kind of lake that you. would if you were like an early 20s guy. pick up like girls at the lake in. It's. just like a fun cool zippy boat. >> Yes. And side note, uh if you are turned. on by those boats like I am, you can uh. find these things and buy them for like. 1,200 bucks. >> Yes. >> These old fiberglass boats.

>> and engage in mechilia. You can you can't buy the old wooden. boats. >> You can, but not for 1,200 bucks. >> Okay. >> Those are really expensive. >> But the fiberglass ones you can get for. fairly cheap. >> Yeah. >> Well, that's what this guy's supposed to. do. >> And like restore it and you know. >> Sure. >> It's pretty cool. >> Yeah. Are you going Are you saying that. this is what you're going to do now? >> Uh, no. I'm not saying that, but I'm. just I've looked into it because they're. just so like stylish and cool. They are. >> And they had like this one was turquoise. interior. They all have those like.

>> I like the red one. >> 60s sort of colors and. >> diamond dusted upholstery. >> Yeah. Yeah, they're pretty sweet. >> Yeah. So, yeah, this is a white trihole. runabout with turquoise interior and um. that this couple from Indianapolis who. called in later said that they saw these. the the three women get on the boat with. this guy. >> and drive off. >> Yeah. So, that's a big one. >> Huge. They also get another report from. witnesses who said.

these girls came back at some point, got. something to eat, and were hanging out. on the beach. And then a third lead that. came in and said they actually got on. another boat, this big cabin cruiser, >> right? >> Uh, and this was about 300 p.m. with. three dudes, >> and the boat didn't have a name on it. that we could discern. >> So, in that first week, they get some. boat wreckage. Mhm. >> Uh it washes a ashore some styrofoam, some seats, an oil can. Looked probably. like a busted or wrecked boat. Uh but.

the police said, "Listen, we got two. boats we're targeting here and none of. the stuff from this wreckage or. potential wreckage is from those boats.". >> Yeah. They didn't they didn't think so. at least. Yeah. Right. So, um but the. weird thing about that boat wreckage is. that no boat was reported wrecked that. weekend on Lake Michigan. Certainly not. in the area around Indiana Dune State. Park. >> That's right. >> That's a big one. And then secondly, like you said, it doesn't seem to match. any any of the boats that they were.

looking for. So, if you step back and. take these leads all together, a. timeline, a possible timeline emerges. where um Patty and and Renee wait out. into the water around noon, go on like a little pleasure cruise on. the little trihole runabout. >> uh shortly after, come back to shore, go. get something to eat, hang out, and then. at 3 go out on another boat, a bigger. boat, which is possibly also manned by. the same guy who is in the trihole.

about with a couple of his friends. >> and that boat definitely had the name. sanded off of it which was a huge red. flag. >> Exactly. It's very fishy. >> They found sandpaper. >> Mhm. >> and red paint on the beach, >> right? >> That had been sanded off. So, the cabin. cruiser seems to have been largely. disincluded from suspicion by the cops. because from what I saw, the cops talked. to some guys, three guys in a cabin. cruiser who were there that day. >> who said, "We um.

>> tried to pick up some girls. >> and they they wouldn't go." One of them. said, "I'm married. I can't go." And. none of them did. Could have been them, >> maybe. >> Um the other thing that really kind of. seemed to have disincluded the cabin. cruiser was that someone was actually. filming. This is 1966. They were filming. home movies on the beach that day. >> Yeah, that was inevitable, I think. >> You think so? >> Yeah, sure. >> I found it astounding. >> Oh, really? Yeah. >> No, man. That's where all those old. great color Super Eight films. >> Mhm. >> I bet there were 10 of those cameras on.

the beach that day. >> Yeah, you're probably right now. >> And they were, this guy was, you know, because he was filming the day, he was. doing a lot of panning back and forth, which was very fortuitous because it. kind of proved out some of this stuff. they saw. And of course, this is old. film and it wasn't like zoomed in or. anything, >> but they did see what looked like uh. these three women on this little. runabout. Uh just like everyone said, so. that was like a pretty good find. >> Yeah. Uh the cabin cruiser, they were. like, "It looks like there's three women.

on there and they could be similar, but. maybe they don't think so." So the cops. seem to have zeroed in on. >> that the um the three women waited out. into the water around noon. The guy came. up in the trihole runabout shortly. after. They got on the tryhole runabout. and that was the last time anyone saw. them. >> Yeah. And apparently too, it wouldn't. have been the weirdest thing in 1966. like to go off with a stranger on his. boat. >> They the thing I read said that. >> dudes are always pulling up on their. boat and like, "Hey ladies, you know,

let's take a ride.". >> That sounds like fourth of July. Fun. It's fun. >> Sounds like the 70s. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Maybe. >> Sure. >> Or the 80s, >> right? What about the No, not the 90s. Not the '90s. >> No, >> people were not voting in the '90s. >> Yeah. >> Um, should we take another break? >> Oh, sure. >> All right, let's take another break. >> Okay. >> We'll talk about the further. investigations right after this. [Music].

[Applause]. [Music]. So, Chuck, one more thing about the boat. that we should say is despite having. eyewitnesses, >> despite having film. >> seemingly show them in this boat, nothing ever came of it.

>> Yeah. And the cops even put out the. word. They were like, "Surely someone. knows this boat or this boat owner. >> It's a trihole turquoise interior." Not. a crazy boat, but not the most common. thing in the world, >> right? But they they never found it. It. just kind of vanished along with the. women. >> Yeah. >> So, um, >> should write mystery novels. That's. pretty good. >> Do you think so? >> Yeah. Thanks. Um, so the weeks and. months wore on and as it did, like there. were fewer and fewer people actively. looking for them. as it happens.

>> It just happens that way. But sadly, Harold um Blau um kept this vigil. basically for the rest of his life. >> Yeah. >> He just kept. >> that stuff is always just heartbreaking. >> Yeah. I don't know if he was if he kept. actively searching, but I know um he did. some traveling even later on in life to. go check out leads that he'd heard. about. He kept in contact with cops and. reporters who were working the case. Um, and even afterward, after other groups. stopped searching, he chartered his own.

plane so that he could fly. reconnaissance flights looking for. evidence. >> Yeah. >> All to nothing. Um, he he never found. any any trace of his daughter or what. happened. And he he was convinced that. all of them were dead or be they were. being held against their will. >> Right. He was he was like, "My daughter, you know, he said, we're not overbearing. parents." He's like, "She's got all the. freedom in the world to do what she. wants. She wouldn't have to run away.". >> Mhm. >> Um because like we're the coolest,

>> basically. Um there was a a psychic uh. that got in touch and this is pretty. interesting. >> A psychic said, "I visualize a cabin on. Lake Michigan, not too far from the. beach blanket with dark colored sand, a. rickety rickety wooden stairs up from. the beach. Uh the cabin's on a bluff, and it has a lawn chair outside with its. bottom out. Mhm. >> Uh, one of the cops investigated, drove as far as he could drive, then did. some hiking and found a cabin that met.

this exact description right down to the. chair with the bottom rotted out. >> And this was 9 years later. >> Yeah. I mean, you hear stuff like that, you're like, man, you know, I don't. believe in psychics calling the cops. with clues being super accurate, but it. turns out there was no body there. because she said to dig, right? And they. dug for three days and found nothing. But unless it was a prank, it was a. weirdly eerily accurate description. >> Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, if you have an. old abandoned.

cottage, >> is there like a 50-50 chance there's. going to be a lawn chair with the bottom. >> Exactly. >> rusted out. >> That's my theory. >> Maybe. It could be coincidence. >> I'm with you, though. It is pretty. interesting at the very least. So the the case remains open and and. again not a hint, not a trace, nothing. has ever surfaced. metaphorically or literally that. suggests what happened to those three. women. And so theories have been allowed.

to to kind of grow and and take. different shape and be argued over. And. there's like um a handful. Most of them. are fairly sensible actually. Some are. kind of pedestrian, some are kind of. sensational, but because no evidence has. ever come forward, um the like each. one's just about as likely as the other. >> Yeah. And well, um. I think we should mention before we do. that that that drowning Miller and Blau.

were both really good swimmers. >> Yeah. Like super good. >> Yeah. And I think that's supposed to be. 20 to 30 minutes, right? Surely not. miles. >> I saw miles. >> Really? >> Yeah. Let me Let me look. You do some. tap dancing. >> That's like serious. elite athlete endurance swimming. >> Yeah. I'm pretty sure it was miles. >> Okay. >> I'm I'm looking. I'm looking. I don't. want to get too nitpicky, but. >> Well, if they were swimming 30 miles and. they were international champion. athletes. >> Okay. >> So, regardless, they probably did not. drown. Uh it is possible that the boat.

crashed and they did drown and washed up. somewhere because you know Lake Michigan. is huge. Uh 1640 mi of shoreline. Um it. is the deadliest of the Great Lakes. But. it's uh it's possible that they washed. up somewhere and didn't, you know, weren't ever found. >> Yeah. Because remember that that search. didn't start for two full days after. they were um noticed to be missing. >> Right. So that's one of the more mundane. theories. It gets a little more.

sensational when you look at Dick Wley's. theory, >> right? Dick Wy was a crime reporter who. um basically. he I guess he reported on the case. almost from the outset and really stuck. with it for years and years and years. And he developed a theory that Anne. Miller being pregnant, it was Annne who. was pregnant, right? >> Yeah. uh that Ann Miller had gone out. there with her girlfriends that day. because she was she planned on getting.

an illegal underground abortion. Um. >> it sounds very not believable to me. >> So yeah, a lot of a lot of people don't. believe it, but because so little has. been written about this case and this. guy is one of the kind of authorities on. it. Yeah. >> There's there is some credence to it. Not that she would have gone to get an. underground abortion, but that that. would be performed on a boat. >> That's the big huge one of the huge. flaws in that. It. >> just seems weird.

>> It's what I can't imagine a more. terrible place to perform a delicate. procedure like an abortion on a housebo. >> on Fourth of July in Lake Michigan. >> Well, that's another thing, too, is. okay. So, so what what Wigh's theory is. is that um Ann went out there to get. this abortion and um Patty and Renee. went there as moral support, >> right? >> Um and they went out and met the this. guy who took them to the housebo for the. abortion to be performed. Well, the.

abortion was botched killing an and the. abortionist said, "Well, we've got to. kill you two now as well." And they got. rid of all three bodies and that's what. happened to them. >> That'd make a heck of a movie. a lot of. there are a lot of holes in this theory, including the fact that why would you. perform an abortion on a housebo. Um, but there is some things that kind of. give it a little bit of credence. In. particular, there was a couple named the. Largos. Um, what was it? I always want. to call her Wanda, but it wasn't. Was it.

Helen? >> I don't know. >> Yeah, it is Helen, actually. Um, Frank. and Helen Largo. They actually did have. an underground abortion clinic in um. 1966 in Gary, Indiana, which was very. close Yeah. >> to the state park. And their nephew. Ralph bore a striking resemblance to the. description of the man in his early 20s. who came up in the the trihole runabout. >> Right. And I think Ralph is verified as. being there that day, right, as well.

>> So, and he lived with Frank and Helen. Largo. So the the Wigh's theory that. like this guy came up and got them to. take them to go get the the procedure. done. Um again, why would you do it on a. houseboat when your clinic is 20 miles. away? >> Yeah. >> And then secondly, why would you set up. this kind of il highly illegal procedure. in front of that many witnesses? And. then thirdly, why would they leave their. stuff on the beach the way that they did. if they knew they were going for this.

appointment? >> Yeah. Not. This theory is bonkers to me. >> Okay. So, we'll discard Wigh's theory. >> Yeah. The other one obviously was the uh. uh Silus Jane, the criminal dude from. the stables. People say that they think that they may. have witnessed the car bombing of Cheryl. Lynn Roode, and that he was just getting. rid of them and snuffing them out. Uh. there is every reason to believe that. this guy would have done that. >> Yeah. >> Looking at his history. >> Yeah. if they did possibly witness this.

rigging of a car bomb. >> He also had a an associate who. supposedly bore a resemblance to the man. in the trihole. >> um runabout. >> tan wavy hair. >> Yeah. Early 20s. Um, and I saw this and. I could not verify it elsewhere, but. there is a widespread rumor that uh or. an unsubstantiated claim that that. associate to Sai Jane, Silus Jane, um,

put in an insurance claim for a boat. that had gone down around that time. >> Interesting. >> Which would definitely account for. things. It would also account for why. there was no boat reported missing. You. wouldn't report a boat missing if you. used it to cover up a triple homicide. >> Yeah. Because that's the biggest thing. to me is uh if there were other people. on this boat and it was an accident, someone would have said, "Hey, my. >> darkhaired, wavy-haired son. >> is missing and he has this boat. >> and there were no missing person reports. aside from those three.".

>> Yeah. >> And what's more, even if like that guy. was just a total loner who had no. friends or family, somebody would say a. boat like that probably would have been. towed by car and trailer. Mhm. >> And that car and trailer would have just. been left there over time and somebody. would have noticed that there's this. abandoned car and trailer hanging out in. the parking lot at the the state park. Nothing like that ever turned up. >> Yeah. The other theory in regards to. Silus Jane is that these young women did. witness this car bombing and knew that.

they needed to disappear, right, >> before they were disappeared, right, >> on purpose. >> So this is. >> and they like faked their own. disappearance. >> And that's Patty Blau's brother's. theory. Oh yeah. >> Yeah. He showed up on a a forum called. Web Sleuths. And apparently he's. verified. He's like, "Yes, I'm her. brother." Yeah. >> And he said that he thinks that they did. go to stage this disappearance, but that. the guy who was going to help them was. actually in the employee of Silus Jane, and this helping them disappear actually. turned into this triple murder, and that.

their bodies were disposed of. That's. what her brother thinks. and that the. one um who wasn't one of the stable uh. people. Yeah. That she was just there to. help them disappear and got caught up in. this. >> I don't know. >> cuz like why would she have gone out? >> I I don't I mean bad marriage. Who. knows? >> Maybe. >> it's a little thin, but I I think it. makes sense for his sister. The other. two it doesn't necessarily make as much. sense for. Maybe for an if she saw if. she was in danger as well. I don't know.

I think the most likely thing is it's. like the Peter is it Peter principle? No. >> The AAMS razor. >> AAMS razor. Is it the trolley problem? >> Uh AAM's razor is that they drowned. >> I mean that's possible. >> It didn't wash ashore. >> But here's the thing like lot and lake. Michigan's the deadliest great lake of. all of them. All five. I think it. accounts for out of all five it accounts. for half of the deaths on any given. year. Um but most bodies do turn up.

Most bodies are recovered. So if three. of them or four or however many people. were on that boat. down, >> you'd think some trace of at least one. of them would have eventually turned up. >> You would think so, >> you know. >> Yeah. >> Um. >> it's a true mystery. >> It's also possible that they were taken. away by somebody. They weren't planning. on disappearing. They weren't planning. on leaving. Um they just went on a. pleasure cruise with the wrong person. >> who murdered them. >> Right. Um, if a guy got three women out.

on a boat and got it out into the middle. of nowhere on this enormous lake and. then pulled a gun on them. Um, like you. can you could one person could. conceivably stay in control of three. under a situation like that. Um, and. that's that's a sadly enough that's a. real possibility that that was their. fate. They just went with the wrong. person. >> That seems unlikely to me too that like. a serial killer just picked up three. women. >> Here's the thing. There's one serial. killer in particular that some people. really like for this. His name is.

Richard Speck. >> Oh yeah. >> So Richard Speck is actually not a. serial killer. He's a mass murderer. because he killed eight women at a. nursing college in one night. >> Yeah. >> U which makes him a mass murderer, not a. serial killer. He did that on July 13th, 1966 in Chicago. On July 2nd, 1966, he. was dropped off at a dock about 20 miles. away from Indiana Dunes State Park. >> He was not tan with dark wavy hair,

though. >> That is very true. >> He was a real creep, though. >> He was a super big creep. Um, had a. terrible personality, not a charmer, not. good-look. So, the idea that he could. get three like women into a boat of his. >> is kind of unlikely. Yeah. Also, he was. well known as a very sloppy, opportunistic killer. >> and that this if they were killed by. somebody. This seems to have been. planned. The fact that their bodies. never turned up suggests that who if.

they were killed by somebody, they would. have had to have planned to have killed. them because they would have had to have. brought along all the weights needed and. all that stuff. >> Whatever it is, like any one of those. theories is just as likely as the. others. >> Good stuff. Sad, tragic, but I love a. good mystery. Yep. Uh well, if you want. to know more about um the disappearance. of Patricia Blau, Anne Miller, and Renee. Brule, you can go read the Chicago. Tribune article on it, the Northwest. Indiana Times article, Web Sleuths, and. the Charlie Project. All those are great.

resources on this case. And since I said. that, it's time for listener mail. >> Hey guys, I'm writing to say thank you. Um, you see, I recently divorced and I. spent about half the time I used to uh. spend with my three young kids. She. goes, "Stay with me. I'm not going. anywhere depressing." She said, "The. divorce was the right move and we're uh. co-parenting quite amicably and it's all. good. Uh, I've got a full life and. meaningful relationships and lots to do. 99% of the time, but the quiet of um my.

day at times when it is a kid-free house. is something that's gotten some getting. used to. Uh, I realize without even. thinking about it that have taken to. playing old episodes like Bizarre Ways. to Die. >> That's an oldie. >> That's a real oldie. She's like, "Just. because they make me feel in a totally. well adjusted and not insane way like. I'm in the company of pals." Uh, I've. been a listener for about 5 years. Only. recently have I come to appreciate that. I'm always cheered up and made to feel.

less lonely by hearing you guys talk to. each other and to all of us in podcast. uh listener land. So, thanks for what. you do. Thanks to the team who helps you. like Jerry. Uh you do a good thing for a. lot of people and I appreciate it. Big. hugs uh from Katherine in Chicago. Chicago. >> Chicago. How appropriate. Thanks a lot, Katherine. We really appreciate that. It's good to hear. Keep on keeping on. >> Yeah. >> Keep on trucking. Uh if you want to get. in touch with us like Katherine did to. let us know how you're doing, we want to.

hear that. Uh you can go on to um stuff. you should know.com. Check out our. social links and you can send us an. email to stuffodcast@ iheartradio.com. >> Stuff you should know is a production of. iHeart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more. podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the. iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or. wherever you listen to your favorite. shows. [Music].