Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Human Wreckage, the podcast where we
explore the darkest, mosthaunting true crime cases,
stories of lives torn apart,mysteries that refuse to fade
and the human toll behind everytragedy.
Today we delve deep into theinvestigation of one of
Montana's most perplexing coldcases the disappearance of
four-year-old Nyleen K Marshall.
We'll be right back.
(00:54):
It was June 25th 1983, a summerday filled with laughter and
family, when Nyleen vanishednear Warm Springs Creek in the
rugged landscape of the ElkhornMountains.
Since then, decades of searches, cryptic letters, anonymous
phone calls and unconfirmedsightings have marked this case,
but no resolution.
This episode will take youthrough every twist and turn of
(01:16):
the investigation, revealing thetireless efforts of law
enforcement, the challenges theyfaced and the lingering
questions that remain.
Picture this a warm Montanaafternoon, june 25, 1983.
The sun filters through thetall pines surrounding Warm
Springs Creek.
Families gathered, childrenrunning free near the water's
(01:36):
edge.
Nyleen K Marshall, a livelyfour-year-old with bright blue
eyes and a small mole just aboveher left eyebrow, was playing
near the creek, splashing by thebeaver dams.
Suddenly, in the blink of aneye, she was gone.
When her family looked back,nyleen was nowhere to be found.
The panic that followed wasimmediate.
The Jefferson County Sheriff'sOffice was called and a search
(01:58):
began without delay.
Ground teams scoured the denseforest, wading through brush,
creek beds and rugged terrain.
Local volunteers, deputies andfamily members joined forces,
driven by fear and hope.
Tracking dogs were brought into pick up any trace of Nylene's
scent, but the chaos of thepicnic and the natural
environment hampered theirefforts.
(02:18):
Helicopters joined the search,scanning from above, but the
thick canopy obscured much ofthe ground.
Despite the urgency, as hoursstretched into days, no clues
emerged no clothing, nobelongings, no sign of the
little girl.
Then there was the man.
Eyewitnesses at the picnicreported seeing a man in a
jogging suit speaking to Nyleenjust moments before she vanished
(02:41):
.
He was described as Caucasian,perhaps in his 30s or 40s,
wearing a simple jogging suit.
But what chills the spine iswhat witnesses say.
He told Nyleen follow theshadow.
That strange phrase follow theshadow became a haunting echo.
Investigators quickly zeroed inon this man, the last person
seen with Nyleen.
(03:02):
Yet despite canvassing thecommunity, checking records and
spreading his description farand wide, no one could identify
him.
He simply vanished like a ghost, with no immediate leads.
The case grew increasinglycomplex.
Montana State Police stepped into support local authorities
Soon after the FBI becameinvolved.
This was no longer just a localmatter.
(03:24):
There was a real fear thatNyleen might have been taken
across state lines, possiblyeven out of the country.
The FBI brought in theirprofiling experts, combed
through national databases andcoordinated with multiple
agencies.
Yet the man in the jogging suitremained a mystery, a shadow in
the investigation itself.
Then, two years later, somethingunexpected Letters.
(03:45):
Between 1985 and 1986, severaltyped letters arrived at
organizations like the NationalCenter for Missing and Exploited
Children and Child Find ofAmerica.
Written by an anonymous man,the letters claimed he had
abducted Nyleen and was raisingher as his own daughter.
He called her Kay, describingintimate details about her
(04:05):
personality and appearance.
He wrote about travelingextensively across the United
States, canada and even theUnited Kingdom, supposedly
homeschooling her and protectingher.
But there was a darker side.
The man alluded to sexual abuse.
These letters were chilling,adding a disturbing new layer to
the investigation.
The letter to Nyleen's parentsread in part I picked Kay up on
(04:27):
the road in the Elkhorn Parkarea between Helena and Boulder.
She was crying and frightenedand as I held her she was
shaking and I decided that Iwould keep her and love her.
I took her home with me.
I have a nice investment incomeand I can work at home, so I
care for her myself all the time.
I teach her at home and shelikes to go with me when I
travel.
(04:47):
She would gladly recount to youtrips to San Francisco, new
York, oklahoma City, new Orleans, nashville, chicago, puerto
Rico and Canada.
We were even in Britain for amonth last year and she loved it
.
Nobody questions passports.
Her hair is short and curly nowand she has really grown.
She is about 45 inches andaround 50 pounds.
(05:08):
She has all four of herpermanent upper and two of her
lower incisors at this time.
She takes a bath and brushesher teeth every day.
I give her medicine from thebathroom every morning.
It is actually a spoonful of mysemen.
It doesn't affect herphysically.
I have never molested her inany other way.
She is a sweet little girl andit is because of how much I have
(05:30):
grown to love her that Irealize how much her family must
miss her.
But she has adjusted and seemshappy.
She trusts me and isn't afraid.
We play sick a lot and shelaughs when we clown around.
She smiles and acts coy when Itease her.
She giggles when we snuggle andhugs me, sometimes for no
apparent reason.
I love her and I have her.
I just can't let her go.
(05:52):
Accompanying the letters wereseveral phone calls traced to
Edgerton, wisconsin.
Investigators listenedcarefully to these calls, trying
to glean any identifyinginformation, but the man spoke
in a disguised voice, refusingto reveal his identity.
Despite surveillance andefforts to locate him, he
slipped away.
Again another ghost.
Why has this case been sodifficult to solve?
(06:13):
For one, the environment itselfposed huge obstacles.
The rugged Montana wilderness,dense forests, waterways and
changing weather all conspiredto erase clues.
Then there was the time delay.
The first hours after a childgoes missing are critical.
Even a short delay in reportingcan be devastating to any
search effort.
In Nyleen's case, althoughsearch efforts began quickly,
(06:37):
the difficult terrain andmultiple people in the area made
tracking her scent or movementsextremely difficult.
Another hurdle was technology.
In 1983, forensic DNA analysiswas barely in its infancy, far
from the powerful tool it wouldbecome.
Without physical evidence ofbody, clothing or personal
belongings, investigators hadvery little to analyze
(06:58):
scientifically.
Letters were examined forhandwriting, typing and
linguistic clues, but noconclusive evidence came from
those efforts.
The 1990s brought renewed hopewith reported sightings.
In 1997, a nurse in New Orleansreported encountering a young
woman named Helena who claimedto have a mysterious past and a
connection to Nyleen.
(07:18):
The woman was accompanied by anolder man and left abruptly.
When questioned further, thelead fizzled, but investigators
never ruled out the possibility.
Other tips trickled in over theyears possible sightings in
other states, claims of peoplewho knew or saw Kay None were
confirmed.
Today, advances in technologyoffer new tools.
(07:38):
Age-progressed images of Nyleenhave been created, depicting
what she might look like now, 19years after her disappearance
and into adulthood.
These images have beencirculated widely with hopes
someone might recognize her.
Modern forensic genealogy hasrevolutionized cold cases,
cracking decades-old mysteries.
Law enforcement remainsprepared to use these methods if
(08:00):
new DNA evidence ever emergesthese methods if new DNA
evidence ever emerges.
Sheriff Craig Doolittle ofJefferson County has publicly
stated the case remains open andany new tip, no matter how
small, could break it wide open.
We keep the case alive becauseevery day that passes without
answers is another day ofsuffering for the family.
We encourage anyone withinformation to come forward.
(08:21):
Public awareness remains vital.
Shows like Unsolved Mysteriesand social media campaigns help
keep Nyleen's story alive.
Behind every detail, every lead, every cold case statistic,
there are real people, familiesshattered by uncertainty.
Nyleen's family continues tolive with the void her
disappearance left, never givingup hope for answers.
(08:42):
The community of Warm SpringsCreek, montana, remembers that
summer day as one marked by loss.
To this day, nobody still knowswhat truly happened to Nyleen.
Did she get lost or was sheabducted?
All evidence points towards thelatter.
The unidentified jogger spottedtalking to Nyleen moments
before she vanished was neveridentified, and neither was the
(09:03):
anonymous letter writer andcaller.
Many speculate that these twoare the same person.
Tragically, nancy Marshall wasraped and murdered while in
Mexico in 1995.
She went to the grave notknowing the fate of her daughter
.
The investigation into thedisappearance of Nyleen K
Marshall is a testament to thechallenges law enforcement faces
in missing children cases,especially in the pre-digital
(09:26):
age.
It's a story of urgency andfrustration, shadows and silence
, but also hope and relentlessdetermination.
If you have any informationabout Nyleen or recognize the
man in the jogging suit, pleasereach out to the Jefferson
County Sheriff's Office or theNational Center for Missing and
Exploited Children, becauseevery clue, every whisper could
be the key to finally bringingthis case out of the shadows.
(09:48):
Thank you for joining us onHuman Wreckage.
Please subscribe and share thisepisode.
Together we can keep thestories alive and maybe, just
maybe, help find answers wherethere were none before.
Stay safe, stay vigilant andremember every missing person
has a name.
Every story deserves to be told.
Until next time.
Welcome back to Human Wreckage, the podcast where we
explore the darkest, mosthaunting true crime cases,
stories of lives torn apart,mysteries that refuse to fade
and the human toll behind everytragedy.
Today we delve deep into theinvestigation of one of
Montana's most perplexing coldcases the disappearance of
four-year-old Nyleen K Marshall.
We'll be right back.
(00:54):
It was June 25th 1983, a summerday filled with laughter and
family, when Nyleen vanishednear Warm Springs Creek in the
rugged landscape of the ElkhornMountains.
Since then, decades of searches, cryptic letters, anonymous
phone calls and unconfirmedsightings have marked this case,
but no resolution.
This episode will take youthrough every twist and turn of
(01:16):
the investigation, revealing thetireless efforts of law
enforcement, the challenges theyfaced and the lingering
questions that remain.
Picture this a warm Montanaafternoon, june 25, 1983.
The sun filters through thetall pines surrounding Warm
Springs Creek.
Families gathered, childrenrunning free near the water's
(01:36):
edge.
Nyleen K Marshall, a livelyfour-year-old with bright blue
eyes and a small mole just aboveher left eyebrow, was playing
near the creek, splashing by thebeaver dams.
Suddenly, in the blink of aneye, she was gone.
When her family looked back,nyleen was nowhere to be found.
The panic that followed wasimmediate.
The Jefferson County Sheriff'sOffice was called and a search
(01:58):
began without delay.
Ground teams scoured the denseforest, wading through brush,
creek beds and rugged terrain.
Local volunteers, deputies andfamily members joined forces,
driven by fear and hope.
Tracking dogs were brought into pick up any trace of Nylene's
scent, but the chaos of thepicnic and the natural
environment hampered theirefforts.
(02:18):
Helicopters joined the search,scanning from above, but the
thick canopy obscured much ofthe ground.
Despite the urgency, as hoursstretched into days, no clues
emerged no clothing, nobelongings, no sign of the
little girl.
Then there was the man.
Eyewitnesses at the picnicreported seeing a man in a
jogging suit speaking to Nyleenjust moments before she vanished
(02:41):
.
He was described as Caucasian,perhaps in his 30s or 40s,
wearing a simple jogging suit.
But what chills the spine iswhat witnesses say.
He told Nyleen follow theshadow.
That strange phrase follow theshadow became a haunting echo.
Investigators quickly zeroed inon this man, the last person
seen with Nyleen.
(03:02):
Yet despite canvassing thecommunity, checking records and
spreading his description farand wide, no one could identify
him.
He simply vanished like a ghost, with no immediate leads.
The case grew increasinglycomplex.
Montana State Police stepped into support local authorities
Soon after the FBI becameinvolved.
This was no longer just a localmatter.
(03:24):
There was a real fear thatNyleen might have been taken
across state lines, possiblyeven out of the country.
The FBI brought in theirprofiling experts, combed
through national databases andcoordinated with multiple
agencies.
Yet the man in the jogging suitremained a mystery, a shadow in
the investigation itself.
Then, two years later, somethingunexpected Letters.
(03:45):
Between 1985 and 1986, severaltyped letters arrived at
organizations like the NationalCenter for Missing and Exploited
Children and Child Find ofAmerica.
Written by an anonymous man,the letters claimed he had
abducted Nyleen and was raisingher as his own daughter.
He called her Kay, describingintimate details about her
(04:05):
personality and appearance.
He wrote about travelingextensively across the United
States, canada and even theUnited Kingdom, supposedly
homeschooling her and protectingher.
But there was a darker side.
The man alluded to sexual abuse.
These letters were chilling,adding a disturbing new layer to
the investigation.
The letter to Nyleen's parentsread in part I picked Kay up on
(04:27):
the road in the Elkhorn Parkarea between Helena and Boulder.
She was crying and frightenedand as I held her she was
shaking and I decided that Iwould keep her and love her.
I took her home with me.
I have a nice investment incomeand I can work at home, so I
care for her myself all the time.
I teach her at home and shelikes to go with me when I
travel.
(04:47):
She would gladly recount to youtrips to San Francisco, new
York, oklahoma City, new Orleans, nashville, chicago, puerto
Rico and Canada.
We were even in Britain for amonth last year and she loved it
.
Nobody questions passports.
Her hair is short and curly nowand she has really grown.
She is about 45 inches andaround 50 pounds.
(05:08):
She has all four of herpermanent upper and two of her
lower incisors at this time.
She takes a bath and brushesher teeth every day.
I give her medicine from thebathroom every morning.
It is actually a spoonful of mysemen.
It doesn't affect herphysically.
I have never molested her inany other way.
She is a sweet little girl andit is because of how much I have
(05:30):
grown to love her that Irealize how much her family must
miss her.
But she has adjusted and seemshappy.
She trusts me and isn't afraid.
We play sick a lot and shelaughs when we clown around.
She smiles and acts coy when Itease her.
She giggles when we snuggle andhugs me, sometimes for no
apparent reason.
I love her and I have her.
I just can't let her go.
(05:52):
Accompanying the letters wereseveral phone calls traced to
Edgerton, wisconsin.
Investigators listenedcarefully to these calls, trying
to glean any identifyinginformation, but the man spoke
in a disguised voice, refusingto reveal his identity.
Despite surveillance andefforts to locate him, he
slipped away.
Again another ghost.
Why has this case been sodifficult to solve?
(06:13):
For one, the environment itselfposed huge obstacles.
The rugged Montana wilderness,dense forests, waterways and
changing weather all conspiredto erase clues.
Then there was the time delay.
The first hours after a childgoes missing are critical.
Even a short delay in reportingcan be devastating to any
search effort.
In Nyleen's case, althoughsearch efforts began quickly,
(06:37):
the difficult terrain andmultiple people in the area made
tracking her scent or movementsextremely difficult.
Another hurdle was technology.
In 1983, forensic DNA analysiswas barely in its infancy, far
from the powerful tool it wouldbecome.
Without physical evidence ofbody, clothing or personal
belongings, investigators hadvery little to analyze
(06:58):
scientifically.
Letters were examined forhandwriting, typing and
linguistic clues, but noconclusive evidence came from
those efforts.
The 1990s brought renewed hopewith reported sightings.
In 1997, a nurse in New Orleansreported encountering a young
woman named Helena who claimedto have a mysterious past and a
connection to Nyleen.
(07:18):
The woman was accompanied by anolder man and left abruptly.
When questioned further, thelead fizzled, but investigators
never ruled out the possibility.
Other tips trickled in over theyears possible sightings in
other states, claims of peoplewho knew or saw Kay None were
confirmed.
Today, advances in technologyoffer new tools.
(07:38):
Age-progressed images of Nyleenhave been created, depicting
what she might look like now, 19years after her disappearance
and into adulthood.
These images have beencirculated widely with hopes
someone might recognize her.
Modern forensic genealogy hasrevolutionized cold cases,
cracking decades-old mysteries.
Law enforcement remainsprepared to use these methods if
(08:00):
new DNA evidence ever emergesthese methods if new DNA
evidence ever emerges.
Sheriff Craig Doolittle ofJefferson County has publicly
stated the case remains open andany new tip, no matter how
small, could break it wide open.
We keep the case alive becauseevery day that passes without
answers is another day ofsuffering for the family.
We encourage anyone withinformation to come forward.
(08:21):
Public awareness remains vital.
Shows like Unsolved Mysteriesand social media campaigns help
keep Nyleen's story alive.
Behind every detail, every lead, every cold case statistic,
there are real people, familiesshattered by uncertainty.
Nyleen's family continues tolive with the void her
disappearance left, never givingup hope for answers.
(08:42):
The community of Warm SpringsCreek, montana, remembers that
summer day as one marked by loss.
To this day, nobody still knowswhat truly happened to Nyleen.
Did she get lost or was sheabducted?
All evidence points towards thelatter.
The unidentified jogger spottedtalking to Nyleen moments
before she vanished was neveridentified, and neither was the
(09:03):
anonymous letter writer andcaller.
Many speculate that these twoare the same person.
Tragically, nancy Marshall wasraped and murdered while in
Mexico in 1995.
She went to the grave notknowing the fate of her daughter
.
The investigation into thedisappearance of Nyleen K
Marshall is a testament to thechallenges law enforcement faces
in missing children cases,especially in the pre-digital
(09:26):
age.
It's a story of urgency andfrustration, shadows and silence
, but also hope and relentlessdetermination.
If you have any informationabout Nyleen or recognize the
man in the jogging suit, pleasereach out to the Jefferson
County Sheriff's Office or theNational Center for Missing and
Exploited Children, becauseevery clue, every whisper could
be the key to finally bringingthis case out of the shadows.
(09:48):
Thank you for joining us onHuman Wreckage.
Please subscribe and share thisepisode.
Together we can keep thestories alive and maybe, just
maybe, help find answers wherethere were none before.
Stay safe, stay vigilant andremember every missing person
has a name.
Every story deserves to be told.
Until next time.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.