September 16, 2025 • 36 mins
Midday Missing - Edna Thorne & Lonene Rogers
Join us for Midday Missing
We will explore the disappearances of individuals whose cases remain unsolved:
💔 Edna Thorne – a 15-year-old from Philadelphia, vanished on June 24, 1975, after visiting her new pony at a nearby stable. Though initially considered a runaway, her case was later reclassified as a non-family abduction and suspected homicide, and she remains missing nearly five decades later.
💔 Lonene Rogers – a 29-year-old deaf mother of two, vanished from her home in Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania during a snowstorm on January 7, 1981, after an argument with her estranged husband, Clinton “Bud” Rogers. Despite suspicious circumstances—including her personal belongings left behind and a missing blanket—no arrests have been made, and her case remains open over four decades later.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-and-wine-time--5796058/support.
Join us for Midday Missing
We will explore the disappearances of individuals whose cases remain unsolved:
💔 Edna Thorne – a 15-year-old from Philadelphia, vanished on June 24, 1975, after visiting her new pony at a nearby stable. Though initially considered a runaway, her case was later reclassified as a non-family abduction and suspected homicide, and she remains missing nearly five decades later.
💔 Lonene Rogers – a 29-year-old deaf mother of two, vanished from her home in Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania during a snowstorm on January 7, 1981, after an argument with her estranged husband, Clinton “Bud” Rogers. Despite suspicious circumstances—including her personal belongings left behind and a missing blanket—no arrests have been made, and her case remains open over four decades later.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-and-wine-time--5796058/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Hello, lovely, this long time no see for some of you. Welcome,
and guys, it is Wednesday, and I'm going to tell
you I am I'm kind of glad this week's almost over.
If you're new here, I am Terry True Crime and
welcome to Midday Missing, where we highlight current missing person
(01:09):
cases that need more attention. We do these live shows
every Monday and Wednesday at noon Central time. Unless there
is court going on over on couch Court with Lama,
then we kind of move things around. Now. If you
are here from couch Court with Wama, do not worry.
(01:30):
I promise you you will not miss anything. I will
end before that comes back so that you can see everything. Hello,
everybody in chat. For those of you that just joined,
I was over helping out Lama on couch Court and
they were all so great and welcoming to me, even
(01:54):
though I know they were rolling their eyes, going, oh
my god, Terry has so many opinions, whereas Ola. I
know that's what they were thinking. And it's okay because
I have a lot to say sometime. But welcome, Hi Buffy.
It looks like ladies here, dope's here, motion Angie, y'all
are all here. Thank you. I am so glad you're here.
(02:18):
Now this first case, we're going to go back a
little ways, okay, And what I want you to stop
and think about is where you would be in what
you would be feeling like if this had happened to
your family. Okay. Because on a warm summer day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
(02:42):
fifteen year old Edna Christine Thorne left her family home
on North Front Street with a very simple plan. She
was going to visit the pony she had just gotten
at a stable over on Tayoga Street. I mean, yeah,
I want to go play with a pony. Now. It
(03:02):
was June twenty fourth, nineteen seventy five. She had recently
graduated from Stetson Junior High School and was beginning to
enjoy a sense of independence, often spending her free time
around animals and guys. They said this was something she
dearly loved. She was an animal person, kind of like me. Now,
(03:23):
Edna wasn't particularly outgoing, but she had a kind spirit
and a quiet presence. Okay. She had brown eyes, brown hair.
Her hair was often dyed blonde. Okay. She stood about
five feet tall and weighed one hundred and five pounds
at the time of her disappearance. Now, that day, she
wore a striped shirt bell bottomed jeans, which was a
(03:46):
typical outfit for a teen in the mid seventies. Now,
she didn't take a purse or money with her, just
a pack of cigarettes. Okay, I'm not shaming anyone, but
I was only five in nineteen seventy five. Could someone
tell me why a fifteen year old was smoking cigarettes?
And I know it was a seventy Was that something
(04:09):
that was common? I mean, my parents smoked like lots
of cigarettes. But did fourteen year old smoke cigarettes? And
was it? Okay? Was it? I mean I don't know
anything about that. I mean I guess that I was five,
So to me, I was like, holy macaroni and cheese,
(04:31):
that's young. Okay, I'm glad it's a law. Now. I
see some of you saying that was common. I mean,
I had candy cigarettes that you pretended to smoke. But yeah,
I'm glad that now you've got to be eighteen and
that we've learned our lessons about that and that fourteen
year old should not be smoking now. According to her family,
(04:54):
Edna had asked her sister to join her that day
but her sister declined, so Edna made the trip to
the stable alone. Guys, it was a last time anyone
would see her. Now. She made the trip alone, and
she was seen leaving the house that morning, and it
was confirmed she arrived at the stable where her pony
(05:17):
was being kept. But what happened after she left the
stable is a complete mystery, Guys. She never returned home.
She was never cited again, nothing, Okay. Her family reported
her missing soon after. Now, Initially law enforcement suspected she
(05:38):
had maybe run away, which, guys, it was a more
common assumption back then when teens go missing that they
were runaways. Still happens occasionally today, but I hope it's less. Sorry, guys,
my notice assision. But those who knew Edna didn't believe
she would have left voluntarily, okay. Fight spending some time
(06:01):
in foster care in the past due to some family issues,
she had reconnected with her family and was beginning to
settle back into a more stable environment. Now I have
to say, can you imagine the guilt her sister has
lived with because she said no and didn't go with
(06:22):
her to the stables. Guys, I want to remind you
before we continue with the story. When someone goes missing,
it's not just the person who's impacted, Okay, it's their family. Okay.
Soon after her disappearance, Edna's sister began receiving disturbing anonymous
(06:43):
phone calls. The caller described in detail the clothes Edna
had been wearing and claimed to know where her body
could be found, specifically in Penny Pack Park. Now, the
caller never identified themselves and hung up each time. Guys,
these calls, I mean they unsettled the family. This is
(07:07):
retraumatizing the family. But the leads never developed into anything
that was confirmed evidence. And we've got to remember, guys,
back in nineteen seventy five, you could not do call
tracing and all the fancy stuff we do today. Now,
as the years went by, Edna's case was reclassified as
(07:31):
a non family abduction. Why it took years, I don't know.
And then eventually they have said a suspected homice side. Now,
despite this, her remains have never been found. No one
has ever been charged in connection with her disappearance. Okay,
(07:52):
some theories that emerge, including disturbing suggestions from within the family.
At one point, a relative a lie that Edna may
have been sexually abused by her brother in law and
possibly pregnant at the time she vanished. Guys, these allegations
have never been substantiated by police, but it did raise
(08:15):
some flags and questions about whether Edna's disappearance may have
been an attempt to silence her or or cover something up. Now,
I am that firm believer that in every rumor there
could be a piece of truth, even if the only truth,
(08:37):
say the rumor is Harry went out got drunk on Tuesday.
Maybe I went out and got drunk, but it wasn't
on a Tuesday, So there always can be a little
bit of information that is true. Now, Edna's case was
(08:57):
entered into multiple national database in hopes of a breakthrough.
An age progressed image of Edna was developed by NCMC
to show what she might look like as an adult.
DNA and dental records are on file, making identification possible
if she or remains are ever found. But Guys, despite
(09:22):
these efforts, the trail remains cold. To this day. Edna's
family and advocates continue to seek answers. Though the initial
investigations suffered from the limitations of the nineteen seventies. I mean,
their missing person protocols were a lot different than what
they are now, so especially for teens presumed to be runaways,
(09:45):
her case has remained open now. Organizations like the Charlie
Project and Doe Network have worked to keep Edna's story
in the public eye. Post about her case continue to
circulate online, especially among missing person advocates, amateur sluice, and
(10:07):
the true crime communities like ours. The family's pain, however, remains.
Decades have passed with no resolution, and Edna's story has
become a symbol of how quickly a young life can
disappear without answers, and how hard families must fight to
keep these memories alive. Guys, that's heartbreaking. Okay, Edna has
(10:33):
been missing for over forty nine years. Can you imagine?
I can't. I can't even put myself on their shoes.
I can't wrap my mind around what that must be
like now. Her mother sadly passed away without ever knowing
what happened to her daughter. Guys, that's horrific. In a
(10:56):
recent Facebook post, her sister posted, no update, haven't had
any in years. I still can't believe we have nothing,
no answers. My poor mother would say a prayer every
night and every morning for answers. She passed seven years
ago at the age of ninety six and always prayed
(11:19):
for answers on her daughter, which she never got. Guys,
time does not make the pain go away for the family.
They do not forget, stop and think. They go to
bed every night wondering was she tortured, was it a
fast death? Was she taken? And has she been held captive?
(11:41):
What happened? Okay, every night and wake up every day.
I want you to think about that. That is torture
day after day. So I want to ask if you
know anything, please call the Philadelphia please at two one
five six eight six eight four seven seven. Guys, it's
(12:05):
never too late to give the family answers. I'm not
going to say closure, but answers because every family has
a different look of what closure would mean for them. Kelly,
I agree. If she is deceased, I hope they were
(12:28):
reunited in heaven as well because as a mom, as
a person, I can't imagine. Okay. Also, guys, if you
know of a case of a missing person, or if
you have a loved one that's missing and you want
us to feature their story on an upcoming episode. Please
(12:48):
reach out to us. We would love to cover their story. Okay,
And if you're close to this person or a family
member and want to come on for an interview, contact us. Okay.
You can contact Amy, our assistant producer, at her email
Amy at tcwtmedia dot com or me at Terry at
(13:08):
tcwtmedia dot com. Our guys send us DM on our
Facebook page or any of our social media pages. Okay. Now,
this next case is a little bit closer to my heart,
and I'll tell you why. But before I do that,
I'm going to ask you all to go hit that
(13:29):
like button because it helps the families find these stories,
learn about these stories, and it helps those algorithm gods. Okay,
don't ask me what algorithm goods are. I just hear
they're out there. Now. The reason I wanted to talk
about this case is I went with GT, my former
(13:51):
co host, to a podcast festival a year and a
half ago. I actually met Allison and you're going to
hear about her as we get into this story. Okay.
On a snowy night in January nineteen eighty one, a
young mother vanished from her home in Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania,
(14:15):
leaving behind a mystery that has haunted her family for
over four decades and continues to haunt them today. Loneine
Rainn Rogers, known affectionately as Lonnie, was just twenty nine
years old when she disappeared without a trace. Lonnie was
(14:35):
born on October eighteenth, nineteen fifty one, in Ohio, Okay.
Her parents were Maxine and Ray, and she had two
younger sisters, Glenn and Maya. She was profoundly deaf but
fiercely independent. Guys. She was raised in a family that
refused to isolate her from the world. She attended public
(14:59):
schoo learned to lip read and signed fluently. Guys. That
is a family who loved and accepted her for the
way she was and helped her to have the best
life she can have. Okay. Her loved ones described her
as joyful, expressive, and full of white warmth. It can't
(15:21):
even talk. Lonnie had a vibrant spirit, Guys. She loved
to dance, even though she couldn't hear the music. She
felt the rhythm through vibrations and dance. Guys, she probably
has better rhythm than me. Okay. It was at the
Eerie Silent Club that Lonnie met Clinton Bud Rogers, a
(15:44):
fellow member of the deaf community, but it was quite
and seemed eager to fit in with her family, though
Maxine said something felt off about him, so Lonnie followed
her heart okay. The two married and had two children,
Allison and Aaron. Now the couple moved frequently before settling
(16:09):
into a second floor duplex in Little Corners, Hayfield Township.
The location was ideal Lonnie's parents and grandparents lived just
across the way. But guys, the dream did not last. Sorry, Laney, no,
(16:31):
we are now talking about Lonnie Rogers. I will come
back and answer your question when I finish now. By
the late eighties, the marriage began to crack under Bud's
repeated arrest and theft okay, and mounting tensions in the marriage,
the couple separated. Bud moved out to live with his
(16:55):
parents forty minutes away. Still, for the children's sake, helped
him to stay during the holidays with her. After New
Year's when Bud was supposed to leave, he refused. Okay.
On January sixth, nineteen ninety, nineteen eighty one, Lonnie told
her father she planned to ask Bud to move out.
(17:17):
Her father gave her sixty dollars to help her out. Okay.
The next day, she went to work her regular housekeeping
shift at the meat Thill Inn. After work, she picked
up her children and she returned home. Everything normal. That night,
a heavy snowstorm blanketed the area. Now, on the night
(17:38):
of January seventh, nineteen eighty one, that I mean the
snowstorm they say was furious, and it swept across the
county and inside the duplex, tensions were boiling. Okay, it
was getting hot, Lonnie and Bud argued again. He refused
to leave, Guys. She was like, this is my place.
(18:00):
I let you stay here with the kids for the holidays.
It's time to get the hell out, dude. That's me
what I would say of her. Okay. Now, according to Bud,
he said he went to bed after their argument, which
was sometime between one and three am. So he claimed,
Wannie simply vanished, guys, But what she left behind tells
(18:24):
a different story. Okay, her hearing aids, her glasses, her purse,
her medication, her car, keys, and her mustang. Okay, we're
left behind now. A pink king sized blanket was missing
from the bed, but everything else was left behind. Hmm. Now,
(18:46):
Bud woke up the kids the next morning and drove
them fifteen minutes through the snow to a babysitter's house. Now,
the babysitter later recalled how sweaty and anxious Bud appeared
hed Lonnie had left him for another man and he
had to go find her. Bullshit, I'm calling bullshit. Okay, Bud, bullshit.
(19:09):
Now what he did for the next four hours is unknown. Okay. Now,
at seven am, he showed up to work on time
and stayed the entire shift. Okay, guys, I am going
to try not to rant. But you refuse to leave
her house. You say, you go to bed, she comes
(19:30):
up missing, You take the kids to a babysitter. Okay,
that goes on. Then you go to work and act
like nothing's wrong. Even me, who didn't get along with
my ex, I wouldn't have let him stay in my house.
I'll let him come for Christmas, and I don't him
stand in my house. I still would not have gone
to work if my kid's father was missing. Why because
(19:53):
it was my kid's father. Okay, So I bullshit, Oh
savage Cashew, I agree. Who leaves behind the Mustang and
there was a snow storm. Did she just go for
a walk in the snow? Okay? Now, the babysitter concerned
(20:15):
called Lonnie's father. The babysitter rock star. Okay. Her dad
immediately went over to her house and found the doors locked,
and after knocking with no answer, he kicked down the door. Guys,
good job. Okay. Inside was a meticulously clean home and
(20:35):
Lonnie was not there. Her dad Ray called nine one one.
He said the house was eerily spotless. Police arrived shortly
before Bud returned. Why is he returning to a home
that is not his? I don't know, but red flag
to me? Okay. An argument broke out between Ray and Pud.
(20:56):
You think I have to tell you if that would
have been my dad, my dad would have gone to
jail because Bud would have had some bruises on him.
Not saying I condone violence, I'm just telling you what
my dad would have done. Now. Ray also noticed that
Bud had sixty dollars on him, matching the exact amount
(21:17):
he had given Lonnie the night before. Okay, now, but
claims she gave him the money to pay a bill. Really,
who thinks that? Who thinks she has sixty dollars or
dad gave her, and she gave it to the man.
She wants to get the hell out of her house.
(21:39):
I could see. Okay, you walk outside to leave, I'll
give you the sixty dollars, slam the door and lock it.
That's just me. Now. Police brought Bud in for questioning,
but when they realized they couldn't communicate effectively with him,
they abandoned the interview. Guys, why didn't they have someone
(22:00):
who could sign on staff? Why couldn't they write the
words down? I have a lot of questions about that,
but anyway, but simply walked out because no interpreter was provided. Guys,
no follow ups have been documented that we know of.
But it was never arrested or named a suspect by
(22:20):
law enforcement. I am saying law enforcement for a specific reason. Okay. Now,
life after Lannie's disappearance was marked by instability and the
heartbreak for Alison and Aaron. They were passed between relatives.
Now on her brother's birthday, Bud demanded Alison ride in
the bed of his truck. Guys, set upset and freezing,
(22:44):
She protested loudly, Okay, guys, I am so Frustrated, he
pulled into a police station and told her to lie,
to say she was bad and that he wasn't taking
her back now. A patrol officer tried to stop him,
but Bad left anyway. Alison, in that moment of despair,
(23:08):
remembered the scrap of paper her school guidance counselor had
given her earlier that day. She handed it to the officer.
That phone call changed her life. It was the beginning
of her escape and the start of a lifelong mission. Guys.
By the time Allison turned fourteen, Bud had abandoned her altogether.
(23:29):
It is said Allison never saw her father again. Now,
years later, haunted by the silence surrounding her mother's disappearance,
Alison began her own investigation, digging through what police record
she could get, speaking with family, and reconstructing the timeline.
She refused to let the world forget Lonnie. Guys. She
(23:52):
wrote a memoir, and she became the face of her
mother's case. When I met her, I'm getting goosebumps. She
is so passionate about getting the truth. Okay, she believes
the truth lies with Bud and Allison. I agree with you, Okay,
(24:13):
I agree with you. She also believes others in the
deaf community who may know more than they've shared. Okay,
but Alison has not spoken to Bud since the night
he abandoned her. Guys, Allison has also become a passionate
advocate for cold case families. She proposed legislation known as
Lonnie's Law, which would give families access to investigate case
(24:38):
files after a case has remained unsolved for twenty years. Guys,
I think we talked about it way long ago on
a TCWT episode when it was still going around. I
signed it, we asked people to sign it. The bill
has drawn attention across Pennsylvania as more families demand transparency
(24:59):
and account of and long term missing person cases. Guys,
I agree with her. I think if the state hasn't
found the person, I say, fifteen years, ten, fifteen years,
they should open up the case files, either to family
(25:21):
private investigators. They should ask for help. And if the
family wants to help, especially when it's the child and
the child's now an adult, and this child believes it
was their dad because he's suss is all get out, okay,
(25:41):
you should okay today. Loneine, who also called Lonnie's Case
remains open with the Pennsylvania State Please. It is classified
as an active missing person investigation, though no new leads
have been publicly reported in years. Advocacy groups, including Season
(26:03):
of Justice and Light the Way Missing, have supported her
family search for answers by funding awareness campaigns and billboards. Guys,
if you've never checked out either of those advocacy groups,
I'm going to ask you to do that, okay, because
they are amazing organizations. Some of the families that we've
(26:26):
had come on Midday missing, We've referred them to these groups.
They have helped them. They are amazing. If you want
to donate or you're in a position, please They do
the hard work and the good work. Okay. They don't
care if they are not perfect victims. And I like
(26:48):
that because I agree there is no such thing as
a perfect victim. Now, justice for Lonnie now lives through
her daughter's voice, through the community's calls for answers, and
in every missing poster, missing person poster that bears her name. Okay,
she was a mother, a sister, a friend. Guys. She
(27:11):
did not just vanish and leave behind her children, her car,
her hearing aid, and her stuff. Okay, she did not
someone knows what happened to Loneing Rogers, but your family,
somebody come forward, okay, And until that truth is spoken,
(27:32):
her family is not gonna stop. So but if you
think they're gonna go away, if anybody who knows thinks
they're gonna go away, I can tell you Allison is
one determined woman. She ain't going anywhere, Okay. So if
you know anything about the disappearance of Loneing Ray Rogers
(27:52):
known as Lonnie, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police at
eight one four three three two six. You can also
head over to FBI Gov. Oh, looks like they put
in the link for you. You can also go and do
that because let me tell you, guys, I agree with
(28:16):
Alison after reading the book and the memoir of our mom.
But but even without reading the police report, I am
gonna make a statement. I think he was involved or
he knows something. Okay. Also, they're missing poster poster flyers
(28:37):
will be on our Midday Missing Facebook page. Please go
and share them. Okay. It's not a lot, but guys,
it just takes getting the word out for somebody to
come forward and say, you know what, it's been enough time.
I'm gonna go say something. Okay. Now, I do have
(28:58):
some tips for you. I have some back to school tips.
I know school has started different times, but all these
kids should be back in the school by this week. Okay.
But guys, it's an exciting time and for parents have
got little ones, it's also a time to be able
to breathe and not have the tornado in your house
(29:19):
all day long because they're at school. But it's also
a good time to brush up on safety. Okay. You
want to make sure your kids know the route that
they are walking, biking, riding the buck Okay, practice that
route with your child so they feel confident. Okay. Also,
(29:43):
please remind your kids to never accept rise gifts or
help from a stranger. I say that if a law
enforcement officer pulls up in a police car, that is
not a stranger. Okay, if they come up and playing
clothes and they got a badge in their hand, and
tell them to get a squad car there. Okay. Also
(30:06):
have a safe word, okay, one that only you and
your child know, so that way, if you do need
someone else to pick them up, you can give them
that word. Okay. Guys, here in the Austin area, this
has happened already this school year. Teach your kids to
say seated on the bus. If there are seat belts,
(30:30):
please use them. There was just recently a major bus crash.
Kids were not wearing their seat belt. It was a problem. Okay.
Also tell your kids to cross ten feet in front
of the bus so the driver can see them. Okay.
Oh bye Dave, Bye Dave. Also, I've talked about this
(30:54):
for digital safety. Back to school means more online activity
doing work searches. Please remind kids teenagers not to share
your personal info, locations, or passwords, even with your friends. Guys,
that's not just kids, that's all of us. Okay. Also
encourage the buddy system where you can. There is safety
(31:16):
in numbers. It is harder to abduct to people. Okay.
Tell them to scream, kick, yell, whatever they need to do. Guys.
Also make sure your school has up to date phone
numbers so they can contact you. Also, guys, your child
(31:38):
needs to know a couple of phone numbers by heart.
Even me, gotten so used to having my cell phone
and just pressing my favorites, I don't remember numbers, but
I do know three numbers that I can call in
case of an emergency, do the same thing with your kids. Also,
(31:58):
make sure they know their home address. Okay. Also make
sure they know your parents' names and your grandparents' names.
My grandson still thinks my name is Mama, okay, and
I have to remind him it's Terry and yeah. So Also, guys,
it's a good time to start teaching your kids at
(32:20):
any age to trust their instincts. Kids have instincts too, okay,
And tell them it's okay to say no or to
walk away, even if it's adults, okay. Tell them if
it feels weird, if you just get you know, goose bumps,
you just feel weird, it's okay to walk away, okay.
(32:44):
Also healthy boundaries. Remind them it's okay to have personal space,
and if someone's making them uncomfortable, speak up. Okay, savage. Sadly,
we do have to say that, do not try to
record tiktoks while you're driving. Do not text while you're
driving unless you're using voice to text in a car.
(33:06):
Do not film tiktoks unless you're the passenger. Yell it.
And also, guys, because I play Pokemon Go, do not
play Pokemon Go when you're driving unless you have an
auto cutcher. Let's just don't okay, let's just be smart.
I mean, yeah, but hey, guys, that's all of my tips.
But I want all of the littles to have great
(33:29):
school years and for them to be kids. Let's let
them be kids, but let's also teach them things to
be safe. We don't have to tell them all of
the bad things that can happen, but we can help
them be safer. Okay. Now, I want to thank you
all for joining me today. I'll look forward to seeing
you again Monday for our next episode of Monday Monday Missing. Lord,
(33:55):
I've been on camera too long. I don't know how
long it does it all day on Midday Missing, guys,
please go join our Facebook group for Midday Missing. That's
where we share all our missing person posters as well
as share other posters that we verified. Guys also follow
us on all social media if you're on social media,
(34:16):
because believe it or not, Terry true Crime does post
some crazy stuff just posted today about the missing rabbit
in my house that if you want to know about
the missing rabbit my house, you're going to have to
go and read it on my Terry True Crime page.
Because it's a story in itself. Okay. Also, guys, remember
(34:38):
True Crime and Wind Time airs every Thursday, seven pm Central.
We offer weekly deep dives Rants look into shocking cases
that we pair perfectly with wine or something to take
the edge off. This week is part three of the
Aton Paates case, and guys, if you have a y
(35:00):
which the first two, you're gonna want to go watch
them before tomorrow night. And you also want to be
ready for Lama. I think is gonna blow me out
of the water with rants. I think she is going
to one up me on the rants. Okay, now, guys,
I am not going to be able to portal you
(35:21):
back over to couch Court with Lama, but I will
go and start couch court for Lama so that it
is ready in waiting when she gets there, So I
will see you over there. If you're not joining us there,
please stay safe, stay aware. If you see something, say something.
(35:44):
And guys, let's do what we can to help their
families bring their loved ones home, because I have to
tell you the thought of going forty nine years without
knowing what happened to your loved one sounds like pure
hell to me, and no one should have to experience that,
(36:05):
so please do what you can. Bye guys, see you soon.
Hello, lovely, this long time no see for some of you. Welcome,
and guys, it is Wednesday, and I'm going to tell
you I am I'm kind of glad this week's almost over.
If you're new here, I am Terry True Crime and
welcome to Midday Missing, where we highlight current missing person
(01:09):
cases that need more attention. We do these live shows
every Monday and Wednesday at noon Central time. Unless there
is court going on over on couch Court with Lama,
then we kind of move things around. Now. If you
are here from couch Court with Wama, do not worry.
(01:30):
I promise you you will not miss anything. I will
end before that comes back so that you can see everything. Hello,
everybody in chat. For those of you that just joined,
I was over helping out Lama on couch Court and
they were all so great and welcoming to me, even
(01:54):
though I know they were rolling their eyes, going, oh
my god, Terry has so many opinions, whereas Ola. I
know that's what they were thinking. And it's okay because
I have a lot to say sometime. But welcome, Hi Buffy.
It looks like ladies here, dope's here, motion Angie, y'all
are all here. Thank you. I am so glad you're here.
(02:18):
Now this first case, we're going to go back a
little ways, okay, And what I want you to stop
and think about is where you would be in what
you would be feeling like if this had happened to
your family. Okay. Because on a warm summer day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
(02:42):
fifteen year old Edna Christine Thorne left her family home
on North Front Street with a very simple plan. She
was going to visit the pony she had just gotten
at a stable over on Tayoga Street. I mean, yeah,
I want to go play with a pony. Now. It
(03:02):
was June twenty fourth, nineteen seventy five. She had recently
graduated from Stetson Junior High School and was beginning to
enjoy a sense of independence, often spending her free time
around animals and guys. They said this was something she
dearly loved. She was an animal person, kind of like me. Now,
(03:23):
Edna wasn't particularly outgoing, but she had a kind spirit
and a quiet presence. Okay. She had brown eyes, brown hair.
Her hair was often dyed blonde. Okay. She stood about
five feet tall and weighed one hundred and five pounds
at the time of her disappearance. Now, that day, she
wore a striped shirt bell bottomed jeans, which was a
(03:46):
typical outfit for a teen in the mid seventies. Now,
she didn't take a purse or money with her, just
a pack of cigarettes. Okay, I'm not shaming anyone, but
I was only five in nineteen seventy five. Could someone
tell me why a fifteen year old was smoking cigarettes?
And I know it was a seventy Was that something
(04:09):
that was common? I mean, my parents smoked like lots
of cigarettes. But did fourteen year old smoke cigarettes? And
was it? Okay? Was it? I mean I don't know
anything about that. I mean I guess that I was five,
So to me, I was like, holy macaroni and cheese,
(04:31):
that's young. Okay, I'm glad it's a law. Now. I
see some of you saying that was common. I mean,
I had candy cigarettes that you pretended to smoke. But yeah,
I'm glad that now you've got to be eighteen and
that we've learned our lessons about that and that fourteen
year old should not be smoking now. According to her family,
(04:54):
Edna had asked her sister to join her that day
but her sister declined, so Edna made the trip to
the stable alone. Guys, it was a last time anyone
would see her. Now. She made the trip alone, and
she was seen leaving the house that morning, and it
was confirmed she arrived at the stable where her pony
(05:17):
was being kept. But what happened after she left the
stable is a complete mystery, Guys. She never returned home.
She was never cited again, nothing, Okay. Her family reported
her missing soon after. Now, Initially law enforcement suspected she
(05:38):
had maybe run away, which, guys, it was a more
common assumption back then when teens go missing that they
were runaways. Still happens occasionally today, but I hope it's less. Sorry, guys,
my notice assision. But those who knew Edna didn't believe
she would have left voluntarily, okay. Fight spending some time
(06:01):
in foster care in the past due to some family issues,
she had reconnected with her family and was beginning to
settle back into a more stable environment. Now I have
to say, can you imagine the guilt her sister has
lived with because she said no and didn't go with
(06:22):
her to the stables. Guys, I want to remind you
before we continue with the story. When someone goes missing,
it's not just the person who's impacted, Okay, it's their family. Okay.
Soon after her disappearance, Edna's sister began receiving disturbing anonymous
(06:43):
phone calls. The caller described in detail the clothes Edna
had been wearing and claimed to know where her body
could be found, specifically in Penny Pack Park. Now, the
caller never identified themselves and hung up each time. Guys,
these calls, I mean they unsettled the family. This is
(07:07):
retraumatizing the family. But the leads never developed into anything
that was confirmed evidence. And we've got to remember, guys,
back in nineteen seventy five, you could not do call
tracing and all the fancy stuff we do today. Now,
as the years went by, Edna's case was reclassified as
(07:31):
a non family abduction. Why it took years, I don't know.
And then eventually they have said a suspected homice side. Now,
despite this, her remains have never been found. No one
has ever been charged in connection with her disappearance. Okay,
(07:52):
some theories that emerge, including disturbing suggestions from within the family.
At one point, a relative a lie that Edna may
have been sexually abused by her brother in law and
possibly pregnant at the time she vanished. Guys, these allegations
have never been substantiated by police, but it did raise
(08:15):
some flags and questions about whether Edna's disappearance may have
been an attempt to silence her or or cover something up. Now,
I am that firm believer that in every rumor there
could be a piece of truth, even if the only truth,
(08:37):
say the rumor is Harry went out got drunk on Tuesday.
Maybe I went out and got drunk, but it wasn't
on a Tuesday, So there always can be a little
bit of information that is true. Now, Edna's case was
(08:57):
entered into multiple national database in hopes of a breakthrough.
An age progressed image of Edna was developed by NCMC
to show what she might look like as an adult.
DNA and dental records are on file, making identification possible
if she or remains are ever found. But Guys, despite
(09:22):
these efforts, the trail remains cold. To this day. Edna's
family and advocates continue to seek answers. Though the initial
investigations suffered from the limitations of the nineteen seventies. I mean,
their missing person protocols were a lot different than what
they are now, so especially for teens presumed to be runaways,
(09:45):
her case has remained open now. Organizations like the Charlie
Project and Doe Network have worked to keep Edna's story
in the public eye. Post about her case continue to
circulate online, especially among missing person advocates, amateur sluice, and
(10:07):
the true crime communities like ours. The family's pain, however, remains.
Decades have passed with no resolution, and Edna's story has
become a symbol of how quickly a young life can
disappear without answers, and how hard families must fight to
keep these memories alive. Guys, that's heartbreaking. Okay, Edna has
(10:33):
been missing for over forty nine years. Can you imagine?
I can't. I can't even put myself on their shoes.
I can't wrap my mind around what that must be
like now. Her mother sadly passed away without ever knowing
what happened to her daughter. Guys, that's horrific. In a
(10:56):
recent Facebook post, her sister posted, no update, haven't had
any in years. I still can't believe we have nothing,
no answers. My poor mother would say a prayer every
night and every morning for answers. She passed seven years
ago at the age of ninety six and always prayed
(11:19):
for answers on her daughter, which she never got. Guys,
time does not make the pain go away for the family.
They do not forget, stop and think. They go to
bed every night wondering was she tortured, was it a
fast death? Was she taken? And has she been held captive?
(11:41):
What happened? Okay, every night and wake up every day.
I want you to think about that. That is torture
day after day. So I want to ask if you
know anything, please call the Philadelphia please at two one
five six eight six eight four seven seven. Guys, it's
(12:05):
never too late to give the family answers. I'm not
going to say closure, but answers because every family has
a different look of what closure would mean for them. Kelly,
I agree. If she is deceased, I hope they were
(12:28):
reunited in heaven as well because as a mom, as
a person, I can't imagine. Okay. Also, guys, if you
know of a case of a missing person, or if
you have a loved one that's missing and you want
us to feature their story on an upcoming episode. Please
(12:48):
reach out to us. We would love to cover their story. Okay,
And if you're close to this person or a family
member and want to come on for an interview, contact us. Okay.
You can contact Amy, our assistant producer, at her email
Amy at tcwtmedia dot com or me at Terry at
(13:08):
tcwtmedia dot com. Our guys send us DM on our
Facebook page or any of our social media pages. Okay. Now,
this next case is a little bit closer to my heart,
and I'll tell you why. But before I do that,
I'm going to ask you all to go hit that
(13:29):
like button because it helps the families find these stories,
learn about these stories, and it helps those algorithm gods. Okay,
don't ask me what algorithm goods are. I just hear
they're out there. Now. The reason I wanted to talk
about this case is I went with GT, my former
(13:51):
co host, to a podcast festival a year and a
half ago. I actually met Allison and you're going to
hear about her as we get into this story. Okay.
On a snowy night in January nineteen eighty one, a
young mother vanished from her home in Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania,
(14:15):
leaving behind a mystery that has haunted her family for
over four decades and continues to haunt them today. Loneine
Rainn Rogers, known affectionately as Lonnie, was just twenty nine
years old when she disappeared without a trace. Lonnie was
(14:35):
born on October eighteenth, nineteen fifty one, in Ohio, Okay.
Her parents were Maxine and Ray, and she had two
younger sisters, Glenn and Maya. She was profoundly deaf but
fiercely independent. Guys. She was raised in a family that
refused to isolate her from the world. She attended public
(14:59):
schoo learned to lip read and signed fluently. Guys. That
is a family who loved and accepted her for the
way she was and helped her to have the best
life she can have. Okay. Her loved ones described her
as joyful, expressive, and full of white warmth. It can't
(15:21):
even talk. Lonnie had a vibrant spirit, Guys. She loved
to dance, even though she couldn't hear the music. She
felt the rhythm through vibrations and dance. Guys, she probably
has better rhythm than me. Okay. It was at the
Eerie Silent Club that Lonnie met Clinton Bud Rogers, a
(15:44):
fellow member of the deaf community, but it was quite
and seemed eager to fit in with her family, though
Maxine said something felt off about him, so Lonnie followed
her heart okay. The two married and had two children,
Allison and Aaron. Now the couple moved frequently before settling
(16:09):
into a second floor duplex in Little Corners, Hayfield Township.
The location was ideal Lonnie's parents and grandparents lived just
across the way. But guys, the dream did not last. Sorry, Laney, no,
(16:31):
we are now talking about Lonnie Rogers. I will come
back and answer your question when I finish now. By
the late eighties, the marriage began to crack under Bud's
repeated arrest and theft okay, and mounting tensions in the marriage,
the couple separated. Bud moved out to live with his
(16:55):
parents forty minutes away. Still, for the children's sake, helped
him to stay during the holidays with her. After New
Year's when Bud was supposed to leave, he refused. Okay.
On January sixth, nineteen ninety, nineteen eighty one, Lonnie told
her father she planned to ask Bud to move out.
(17:17):
Her father gave her sixty dollars to help her out. Okay.
The next day, she went to work her regular housekeeping
shift at the meat Thill Inn. After work, she picked
up her children and she returned home. Everything normal. That night,
a heavy snowstorm blanketed the area. Now, on the night
(17:38):
of January seventh, nineteen eighty one, that I mean the
snowstorm they say was furious, and it swept across the
county and inside the duplex, tensions were boiling. Okay, it
was getting hot, Lonnie and Bud argued again. He refused
to leave, Guys. She was like, this is my place.
(18:00):
I let you stay here with the kids for the holidays.
It's time to get the hell out, dude. That's me
what I would say of her. Okay. Now, according to Bud,
he said he went to bed after their argument, which
was sometime between one and three am. So he claimed,
Wannie simply vanished, guys, But what she left behind tells
(18:24):
a different story. Okay, her hearing aids, her glasses, her purse,
her medication, her car, keys, and her mustang. Okay, we're
left behind now. A pink king sized blanket was missing
from the bed, but everything else was left behind. Hmm. Now,
(18:46):
Bud woke up the kids the next morning and drove
them fifteen minutes through the snow to a babysitter's house. Now,
the babysitter later recalled how sweaty and anxious Bud appeared
hed Lonnie had left him for another man and he
had to go find her. Bullshit, I'm calling bullshit. Okay, Bud, bullshit.
(19:09):
Now what he did for the next four hours is unknown. Okay. Now,
at seven am, he showed up to work on time
and stayed the entire shift. Okay, guys, I am going
to try not to rant. But you refuse to leave
her house. You say, you go to bed, she comes
(19:30):
up missing, You take the kids to a babysitter. Okay,
that goes on. Then you go to work and act
like nothing's wrong. Even me, who didn't get along with
my ex, I wouldn't have let him stay in my house.
I'll let him come for Christmas, and I don't him
stand in my house. I still would not have gone
to work if my kid's father was missing. Why because
(19:53):
it was my kid's father. Okay, So I bullshit, Oh
savage Cashew, I agree. Who leaves behind the Mustang and
there was a snow storm. Did she just go for
a walk in the snow? Okay? Now, the babysitter concerned
(20:15):
called Lonnie's father. The babysitter rock star. Okay. Her dad
immediately went over to her house and found the doors locked,
and after knocking with no answer, he kicked down the door. Guys,
good job. Okay. Inside was a meticulously clean home and
(20:35):
Lonnie was not there. Her dad Ray called nine one one.
He said the house was eerily spotless. Police arrived shortly
before Bud returned. Why is he returning to a home
that is not his? I don't know, but red flag
to me? Okay. An argument broke out between Ray and Pud.
(20:56):
You think I have to tell you if that would
have been my dad, my dad would have gone to
jail because Bud would have had some bruises on him.
Not saying I condone violence, I'm just telling you what
my dad would have done. Now. Ray also noticed that
Bud had sixty dollars on him, matching the exact amount
(21:17):
he had given Lonnie the night before. Okay, now, but
claims she gave him the money to pay a bill. Really,
who thinks that? Who thinks she has sixty dollars or
dad gave her, and she gave it to the man.
She wants to get the hell out of her house.
(21:39):
I could see. Okay, you walk outside to leave, I'll
give you the sixty dollars, slam the door and lock it.
That's just me. Now. Police brought Bud in for questioning,
but when they realized they couldn't communicate effectively with him,
they abandoned the interview. Guys, why didn't they have someone
(22:00):
who could sign on staff? Why couldn't they write the
words down? I have a lot of questions about that,
but anyway, but simply walked out because no interpreter was provided. Guys,
no follow ups have been documented that we know of.
But it was never arrested or named a suspect by
(22:20):
law enforcement. I am saying law enforcement for a specific reason. Okay. Now,
life after Lannie's disappearance was marked by instability and the
heartbreak for Alison and Aaron. They were passed between relatives.
Now on her brother's birthday, Bud demanded Alison ride in
the bed of his truck. Guys, set upset and freezing,
(22:44):
She protested loudly, Okay, guys, I am so Frustrated, he
pulled into a police station and told her to lie,
to say she was bad and that he wasn't taking
her back now. A patrol officer tried to stop him,
but Bad left anyway. Alison, in that moment of despair,
(23:08):
remembered the scrap of paper her school guidance counselor had
given her earlier that day. She handed it to the officer.
That phone call changed her life. It was the beginning
of her escape and the start of a lifelong mission. Guys.
By the time Allison turned fourteen, Bud had abandoned her altogether.
(23:29):
It is said Allison never saw her father again. Now,
years later, haunted by the silence surrounding her mother's disappearance,
Alison began her own investigation, digging through what police record
she could get, speaking with family, and reconstructing the timeline.
She refused to let the world forget Lonnie. Guys. She
(23:52):
wrote a memoir, and she became the face of her
mother's case. When I met her, I'm getting goosebumps. She
is so passionate about getting the truth. Okay, she believes
the truth lies with Bud and Allison. I agree with you, Okay,
(24:13):
I agree with you. She also believes others in the
deaf community who may know more than they've shared. Okay,
but Alison has not spoken to Bud since the night
he abandoned her. Guys, Allison has also become a passionate
advocate for cold case families. She proposed legislation known as
Lonnie's Law, which would give families access to investigate case
(24:38):
files after a case has remained unsolved for twenty years. Guys,
I think we talked about it way long ago on
a TCWT episode when it was still going around. I
signed it, we asked people to sign it. The bill
has drawn attention across Pennsylvania as more families demand transparency
(24:59):
and account of and long term missing person cases. Guys,
I agree with her. I think if the state hasn't
found the person, I say, fifteen years, ten, fifteen years,
they should open up the case files, either to family
(25:21):
private investigators. They should ask for help. And if the
family wants to help, especially when it's the child and
the child's now an adult, and this child believes it
was their dad because he's suss is all get out, okay,
(25:41):
you should okay today. Loneine, who also called Lonnie's Case
remains open with the Pennsylvania State Please. It is classified
as an active missing person investigation, though no new leads
have been publicly reported in years. Advocacy groups, including Season
(26:03):
of Justice and Light the Way Missing, have supported her
family search for answers by funding awareness campaigns and billboards. Guys,
if you've never checked out either of those advocacy groups,
I'm going to ask you to do that, okay, because
they are amazing organizations. Some of the families that we've
(26:26):
had come on Midday missing, We've referred them to these groups.
They have helped them. They are amazing. If you want
to donate or you're in a position, please They do
the hard work and the good work. Okay. They don't
care if they are not perfect victims. And I like
(26:48):
that because I agree there is no such thing as
a perfect victim. Now, justice for Lonnie now lives through
her daughter's voice, through the community's calls for answers, and
in every missing poster, missing person poster that bears her name. Okay,
she was a mother, a sister, a friend. Guys. She
(27:11):
did not just vanish and leave behind her children, her car,
her hearing aid, and her stuff. Okay, she did not
someone knows what happened to Loneing Rogers, but your family,
somebody come forward, okay, And until that truth is spoken,
(27:32):
her family is not gonna stop. So but if you
think they're gonna go away, if anybody who knows thinks
they're gonna go away, I can tell you Allison is
one determined woman. She ain't going anywhere, Okay. So if
you know anything about the disappearance of Loneing Ray Rogers
(27:52):
known as Lonnie, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police at
eight one four three three two six. You can also
head over to FBI Gov. Oh, looks like they put
in the link for you. You can also go and do
that because let me tell you, guys, I agree with
(28:16):
Alison after reading the book and the memoir of our mom.
But but even without reading the police report, I am
gonna make a statement. I think he was involved or
he knows something. Okay. Also, they're missing poster poster flyers
(28:37):
will be on our Midday Missing Facebook page. Please go
and share them. Okay. It's not a lot, but guys,
it just takes getting the word out for somebody to
come forward and say, you know what, it's been enough time.
I'm gonna go say something. Okay. Now, I do have
(28:58):
some tips for you. I have some back to school tips.
I know school has started different times, but all these
kids should be back in the school by this week. Okay.
But guys, it's an exciting time and for parents have
got little ones, it's also a time to be able
to breathe and not have the tornado in your house
(29:19):
all day long because they're at school. But it's also
a good time to brush up on safety. Okay. You
want to make sure your kids know the route that
they are walking, biking, riding the buck Okay, practice that
route with your child so they feel confident. Okay. Also,
(29:43):
please remind your kids to never accept rise gifts or
help from a stranger. I say that if a law
enforcement officer pulls up in a police car, that is
not a stranger. Okay, if they come up and playing
clothes and they got a badge in their hand, and
tell them to get a squad car there. Okay. Also
(30:06):
have a safe word, okay, one that only you and
your child know, so that way, if you do need
someone else to pick them up, you can give them
that word. Okay. Guys, here in the Austin area, this
has happened already this school year. Teach your kids to
say seated on the bus. If there are seat belts,
(30:30):
please use them. There was just recently a major bus crash.
Kids were not wearing their seat belt. It was a problem. Okay.
Also tell your kids to cross ten feet in front
of the bus so the driver can see them. Okay.
Oh bye Dave, Bye Dave. Also, I've talked about this
(30:54):
for digital safety. Back to school means more online activity
doing work searches. Please remind kids teenagers not to share
your personal info, locations, or passwords, even with your friends. Guys,
that's not just kids, that's all of us. Okay. Also
encourage the buddy system where you can. There is safety
(31:16):
in numbers. It is harder to abduct to people. Okay.
Tell them to scream, kick, yell, whatever they need to do. Guys.
Also make sure your school has up to date phone
numbers so they can contact you. Also, guys, your child
(31:38):
needs to know a couple of phone numbers by heart.
Even me, gotten so used to having my cell phone
and just pressing my favorites, I don't remember numbers, but
I do know three numbers that I can call in
case of an emergency, do the same thing with your kids. Also,
(31:58):
make sure they know their home address. Okay. Also make
sure they know your parents' names and your grandparents' names.
My grandson still thinks my name is Mama, okay, and
I have to remind him it's Terry and yeah. So Also, guys,
it's a good time to start teaching your kids at
(32:20):
any age to trust their instincts. Kids have instincts too, okay,
And tell them it's okay to say no or to
walk away, even if it's adults, okay. Tell them if
it feels weird, if you just get you know, goose bumps,
you just feel weird, it's okay to walk away, okay.
(32:44):
Also healthy boundaries. Remind them it's okay to have personal space,
and if someone's making them uncomfortable, speak up. Okay, savage. Sadly,
we do have to say that, do not try to
record tiktoks while you're driving. Do not text while you're
driving unless you're using voice to text in a car.
(33:06):
Do not film tiktoks unless you're the passenger. Yell it.
And also, guys, because I play Pokemon Go, do not
play Pokemon Go when you're driving unless you have an
auto cutcher. Let's just don't okay, let's just be smart.
I mean, yeah, but hey, guys, that's all of my tips.
But I want all of the littles to have great
(33:29):
school years and for them to be kids. Let's let
them be kids, but let's also teach them things to
be safe. We don't have to tell them all of
the bad things that can happen, but we can help
them be safer. Okay. Now, I want to thank you
all for joining me today. I'll look forward to seeing
you again Monday for our next episode of Monday Monday Missing. Lord,
(33:55):
I've been on camera too long. I don't know how
long it does it all day on Midday Missing, guys,
please go join our Facebook group for Midday Missing. That's
where we share all our missing person posters as well
as share other posters that we verified. Guys also follow
us on all social media if you're on social media,
(34:16):
because believe it or not, Terry true Crime does post
some crazy stuff just posted today about the missing rabbit
in my house that if you want to know about
the missing rabbit my house, you're going to have to
go and read it on my Terry True Crime page.
Because it's a story in itself. Okay. Also, guys, remember
(34:38):
True Crime and Wind Time airs every Thursday, seven pm Central.
We offer weekly deep dives Rants look into shocking cases
that we pair perfectly with wine or something to take
the edge off. This week is part three of the
Aton Paates case, and guys, if you have a y
(35:00):
which the first two, you're gonna want to go watch
them before tomorrow night. And you also want to be
ready for Lama. I think is gonna blow me out
of the water with rants. I think she is going
to one up me on the rants. Okay, now, guys,
I am not going to be able to portal you
(35:21):
back over to couch Court with Lama, but I will
go and start couch court for Lama so that it
is ready in waiting when she gets there, So I
will see you over there. If you're not joining us there,
please stay safe, stay aware. If you see something, say something.
(35:44):
And guys, let's do what we can to help their
families bring their loved ones home, because I have to
tell you the thought of going forty nine years without
knowing what happened to your loved one sounds like pure
hell to me, and no one should have to experience that,
(36:05):
so please do what you can. Bye guys, see you soon.
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