Season 2, Episode 3 — The West Mesa Bone Collector

Albuquerque, New Mexico. 2009.

What began as a routine walk through the desert quickly turned into one of the most disturbing discoveries in modern true crime. Buried beneath the sand on Albuquerque’s West Mesa were the remains of multiple women.

As investigators searched the area, the number grew.

Eleven victims.

All hidden in shallow graves.

Many of the women had been missing for years. Some had been overlooked. Others had never been connected — until now.

The investigation revealed a chilling pattern. The victims were targeted from vulnerable communities, and the killer appeared to know the area well enough to return again and again without being detected.

Despite a large-scale investigation and multiple suspects, no one has ever been charged.

In this episode of Shadows of Crime, we explore the discovery of the West Mesa graves, the victims at the center of the case, and the ongoing search for the person responsible.

Who was the West Mesa Bone Collector?

And how did a serial killer operate for years without being stopped?

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Season 2, Episode 2 — The Boy in the Box

Philadelphia, 1957.

A young boy is found abandoned in a cardboard box in a quiet wooded area. He has no identification, no missing persons report, and no one comes forward to claim him.

For decades, he is known only by a haunting name — The Boy in the Box.

Investigators release his image across the country, hoping someone will recognise him. Thousands of tips are received, but none lead to answers. The case becomes one of the most famous unsolved child murders in American history.

More than sixty years later, a breakthrough in DNA technology finally gives the boy a name: Joseph Augustus Zarelli.

But even with his identity revealed, the most important question remains.

Who killed him?

In this episode of Shadows of Crime, we explore the discovery, the investigation that spanned decades, and the breakthrough that finally identified the child — while the mystery of his death continues.

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Season 2, Episode 1 — The Springfield Three

Springfield, Missouri. June 1992.

After a night celebrating their high school graduation, two friends return home to a quiet suburban house. Inside is one of their mothers. Everything appears normal.

By morning, all three are gone.

No forced entry.

No signs of a struggle.

No clear evidence of what happened.

Suzie Streeter, Stacy McCall, and Sherrill Levitt vanished from inside the same home — leaving behind their purses, keys, and personal belongings. Even the family dog was found unharmed.

As investigators searched for answers, strange details began to emerge. A broken porch light. Mysterious phone calls. Witness reports that led nowhere. And a theory suggesting the women may be buried beneath a parking garage.

More than thirty years later, the disappearance of the Springfield Three remains one of the most baffling unsolved cases in American history.

In this episode of Shadows of Crime, we examine the timeline of that night, the investigation that followed, and the theories that still leave more questions than answers.

How do three people vanish from a home without a trace?

And who could carry out such a crime without being seen?

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