Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"Some areas of this place are so narrow that divers have to wear their air tanks like sideways just to like squeeze through. I'm sorry. People do this for fun. Some people, I mean, this is like, this is these adrenaline junkies." — Britt (Describing the dangerous conditions of the underwater cave system.)
"The audit shows that Kenneth had written numerous checks to himself from January 1969, right up through October of 1971, the very month that he went missing. Now the checks varied in amount, but in total, there was $65,162 missing." — Ashley Flowers (Highlighting the significant financial discrepancy in Kenneth Plessed's case.)
"But if the money's all sitting there, though, I think it's like a completely different than what, but then why would you take money to just let it sit there? Right. Something is up." — Britt (Questioning the logic behind Kenneth Plessed's alleged financial actions.)
The episode presents two deeply unsettling missing persons cases. The first details the disappearance of Ben McDaniel at Vortex Spring in Florida. Ben, an avid scuba diver, was last seen entering a dangerous underwater cave system despite lacking the proper certification. Evidence found, including decompression tanks with his name, presents conflicting information about his whereabouts and fate. Experts like Ed Sorensen, a renowned cave rescue diver, found no trace of Ben in the cave, leading to theories of staged events or voluntary disappearance, particularly given Ben's significant financial debts. Despite extensive searches and the family's persistent efforts, including a substantial reward, Ben's case remains unsolved.
The second case involves Kenneth Plessed, an attorney and executive secretary for a fur farm organization, who vanished in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1971. His car was found abandoned with its contents disturbed, suggesting a possible struggle or hurried departure. While initially treated as a potential abduction, police later suggested he may have left voluntarily due to a lack of evidence of foul play. However, an audit of a family trust managed by Kenneth revealed he had systematically taken over $65,000, a substantial sum, leading to charges of theft and abandonment. Despite extensive searches and fugitive warrants, Kenneth has never been found, with theories ranging from evasion of law enforcement to more sinister possibilities, leaving his family without closure.
Both cases are characterized by a lack of definitive evidence, conflicting clues, and profound impacts on the families involved. The Ben McDaniel case highlights the extreme dangers of specialized environments and the difficulty of finding definitive answers. The Kenneth Plessed case points to the intersection of financial misconduct and disappearance, leaving investigators to grapple with whether he was a victim or perpetrator of his own vanishing. The episode concludes with a segment highlighting listener stories, including one of overcoming domestic violence with the help of the show's content.