#14 The Missing Pieces: Lost in Los Angeles - The Disappearance of Jahnay Bryan

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The haunting case of Jahnay Bryan, a 23-year-old Cornell graduate who vanished from Los Angeles, invites listeners into a deeper exploration of missing persons cases that often go unexamined. As we delve into her story, we uncover the chilling scenarios that surround her disappearance, including alarming premonitions she expressed about her safety. Jaune's case raises critical questions about visibility, societal response, and the emotional toll on families searching for their loved ones. 

In this episode, we break down the circumstances of Jahnay's last known whereabouts, discuss the patterns of communication that raised concern, and reveal the tireless work of community members supporting her family in their quest for answers. The conversation also addresses the issues of media coverage disparities in missing persons cases, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by Black families and their loved ones. 

Join us as we navigate through the layers of this complex case and consider the broader implications for safety and community advocacy. Your insights may matter more than you think—help us keep this vital conversation going and ensure that Jaune’s name remains in the spotlight. Be part of the search and remember to share, leave a review, and connect with us on social media.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
She vanished without a trace.
A brilliant young woman with abright future ahead of her gone.
How does someone disappear froma busy city like Los Angeles,
leaving behind more questionsthan answers?
Welcome back to the MissingPieces, the podcast where we
examine the most perplexingmissing persons cases.
Today we investigate thedisappearance of John A Bryan, a

(00:23):
23-year-old Cornell Universitygraduate, who went missing on
October 16, 2024.
What happened to Jaune?
Was she taken or did she leaveon her own?
And why did she express fearsabout disappearing before she
ever went missing?
Let's piece this together.
Jaune Bryan was last seen in the2000 block of West 8th Street

(00:44):
in Los Angeles.
That day she was reportedlycalm, but sent an unusual email
to a former boyfriend mentioningmarriage and a potential job
opportunity.
This was not like her.
To her family, her wordssounded off as if she wasn't the
one typing them or if she wassomething was seriously wrong.
Her family reported her missingon November 13, 2024, nearly a

(01:09):
month after they last hadcontact with her.
This delay was due to sporadiccommunication patterns and their
assumption that she was simplybusy, but when the silence
stretched on for too long, theyknew something was wrong.
The Los Angeles PoliceDepartment issued an ebony alert
on November 19, 2024, to raiseawareness, hoping someone would

(01:30):
come forward with information.
Unfortunately, leads were fewand far between.
What's particularly chillingabout Janae's case is that she
had previously expressed fearsabout going missing.
She spoke about concernsregarding trafficking and
kidnapping.
She was aware of the dangers inLos Angeles and yet, despite

(01:51):
her cautious nature, shedisappeared.
Was this a tragic coincidence,or did she have reason to
believe she was in danger?
Janaye was a driven andintelligent woman.
She had studied at CornellUniversity and had ambitions of
making an impact in the world.
Those who knew her describedher as independent,
strong-willed and deeplythoughtful.

(02:12):
Her sister, jacque Brian Gooden, has been one of the loudest
voices in the search for answers, tirelessly working to bring
attention to her case.
The family has been vocal abouttheir frustration with the slow
progress of the investigation,urging law enforcement to take
more aggressive action.
Community members, activistsand even former California State

(02:35):
Senator, stephen Bradford, haverallied to bring awareness to
Jaune's case.
In December 2024, the Black andMissing Foundation organized a
large-scale community search andflyer distribution effort.
Still, months later, herwhereabouts remain unknown.
How does a young woman simplydisappear in a city of millions?
Surveillance footage,eyewitness accounts, phone

(02:59):
records—these should all bepieces of the puzzle, yet
nothing concrete has surfaced.
Was there someone in her lifewho knew more than they let on?
Did she willingly go off thegrid, or was she forced into a
situation beyond her control?
There have been cases wheremissing individuals reappear
years later, sometimes asvictims of trafficking or

(03:21):
coercion.
Could Jane have been lured intosomething sinister?
The theories are endless, butwithout more information it's
impossible to know the truth.
Her family has continued toplead with the public for help.
They are desperate for anyinformation, no matter how small
, that might lead to abreakthrough.
Authorities have urged anyonewith details to contact the

(03:44):
LAPD's Missing Persons Unit at213-996-1800, but so far leads
have dried up.
The deeper you dive into thiscase, the more unsettling it
becomes.
Janay was aware of the dangersof going missing.
She was cautious, she wascareful.
So how did she still disappear?
If someone was watching her,waiting for the right moment,

(04:07):
why her?
If she is still out there, whatwould she want her loved ones
to know?
Would she want them to keepsearching, or is there another
truth to this story that no onehas uncovered yet?
The mystery of John A Bryan'sdisappearance remains one of the
most haunting cases in recenthistory.
The psychological toll onmissing persons' families is

(04:29):
unimaginable.
Every passing day brings newtorment.
Should they hold on to hope orbrace themselves for the worst
For John A's loved ones?
The absence of clear answersonly makes the pain sharper.
Could technology offer newbreakthroughs in this case?
Ai, facial recognition, datatracking and advanced

(04:49):
investigative techniques arebecoming more prevalent in
missing persons cases.
If Janae is still out there,could these tools eventually
lead to her being found, or hasshe slipped so far off the grid
that no trace remains?
Another disturbing angle toconsider is the response of law
enforcement.
Many families of missing Blackwomen have spoken about a lack

(05:11):
of urgency in their cases.
This pattern, often referred toas Missing White Woman Syndrome
, highlights disparities inmedia coverage and investigative
resources.
Could Jaune's case have beenhandled differently if she fit a
different profile?
Would more have been donesooner?
John A's last known whereaboutsand digital footprints are key

(05:33):
to understanding what might havehappened.
Were there any banktransactions after October 16th?
Did she use her phone at alland if not, what does that
suggest?
The absence of digital activityis often a red flag in missing
persons cases, as most adultsleave some kind of trace in the
modern world Despite months ofsearching, her story remains

(05:56):
incomplete.
Her family refuses to let hername fade from public memory.
They continue their efforts,spreading awareness, keeping the
pressure on authorities andurging people to come forward
with any information.
The next step in thisinvestigation is crucial.
If any new information emerges,it could change everything.
A single lead, a singlesighting, a single tip Any of

(06:20):
these could be the breakthroughJanae's family desperately needs
.
Until answers come, we willcontinue to follow this case and
keep it in the public eye.
If you have any theories,insights or thoughts we'd love
to hear from you.
Reach out to us on our socialmedia platforms.
That's it for today's episodeof the Missing Pieces.

(06:42):
If you found this episodecompelling, please consider
leaving a review and sharing itwith others who follow true
crime.
And remember, behind everymystery there's a family
searching for answers.
Until next time, stay safe.