Our True Crime Podcast: February 2026

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

348: The Missing Six & The Monster of Malherbe Street

Thank you, Petra, for the episode suggestion.

In 1990, a teenage girl escaped from a house in Pretoria, South Africa, narrowly avoiding an unimaginable fate. Her story revealed that she was not the first of several young girls taken under suspicious circumstances.

Evidence suggested the girls were being held and moved, possibly for a wider trafficking network that spanned beyond the city. Despite investigations, no remains were ever recovered, and the true scope of what happened remains unknown.

Almost 40 years later, the disappearances remain unsolved, leaving a shadow over the city and haunting questions about the children who were never found.

Join Jen & Cam as they discuss The Missing Six & The Monster of Melherbe Street.

A huge Thank You to our team:

Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen

Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

Netflix movie I am All GirlsGruesome: The crimes & criminals that shook South Africa By De Wet Potgieter kindle

Blood On Her Hands By Tanya Farber audible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzLQXmzyy44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM3GDULe6BY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRYVBeO8MP0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4IRGkDVqr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsa4OrbyvK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgDiTmMHD3o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzM-tTNUPQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUKkS-Kdv6M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ph8T-uRU0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzM-tTNUPQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIT9VT1BCh4&t=509s-gerhard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt5Nqvm0EGY crimes uncut tracy-lee

https://youtu.be/wddz6V756Bw?si=YlT9BtdS0igRg4kQ

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RNU2s3AmkNY&si=r8L8IqCdyOAWmjdq-woman with birds

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Van_Rooyen-3619

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/netflix-i-am-all-girls-trafficking-south-africa/

Netflix movie

https://taylawrites.wordpress.com/2021/05/26/gert-van-rooyen-the-missing-six/ wordpress

https://www.news24.com/mom-too-scared-to-hope-20070408 Joan Horn mom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gert_van_Rooyen

https://murderpedia.org/male.V/v/van-rooyen-gert.htm

https://www.magzter.com/stories/Entertainment/YOU-South-Africa/She-Was-My-EverythingMy-Baby Tracy-lee mom

https://dailynews.co.za/news/2017-06-14-police-dig-up-beach-for-gert-van-rooyens-victims/ Blythedale Beach

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2016-12-23-a-sister-murdered-by-a-notorious-serial-killer-couple-a-brother-who-died-before-his-first-birthday-lion-man-scott-crossleys-tragedy-haunted-past/ Mark Crossley wanted

https://kerushunpillay.wixsite.com/mysite/post/gert-van-rooyen-cold-case-were-more-girls-snatched Don Chandler

https://www.josha-journal.org/system/articles/merged_pdfs/000/000/881/original/tmp_pdf_hybristophilia-and-heaven-the-ballad-of-gert-and-joey.pdf?1684152867

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2007-04-14-van-rooyen-letter-that-said-im-alive/ fabric store

https://maroelamedia.co.za/nuus/sa-nuus/gert-van-rooyen-ontvoerings-net-die-here-weet/ don chandler

https://journalism.co.za/bad-joke-or-brilliant-journalism/ Carte Blanche doc

https://web.archive.org/web/20210225024831/http://janiallan.com/2017/01/18/finding-tracy/ Tracy’s mom

https://witness.co.za/news/2019/01/24/its-not-fiona-20190123/ Fiona Sloane

https://www.news24.com/you/news/mom-of-victim-of-paedophile-gert-van-rooyen-speaks-out-20190215#google_vignette Joan Horn mom

https://mg.co.za/article/1998-10-14-parents-request-hypnotism-for-paedophiles-son/ Flippie

https://iol.co.za/news/2013-03-09-link-to-long-lost-van-rooyeen-girls/ green dress

https://www.sapeople.com/eish-south-african-stuff/brokenhearted-father-of-missing-girl-passes-away-without-answers/ Odette’s dad

https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/287064/seun-van-gert-van-rooyen-wil-saak-heropen/

Gerhard van Rooyen did not commit suicide

https://websleuths.com/threads/gert-van-rooyen-joey-haarhoff-and-the-missing-girls-south-africa.575716/

https://www.scribd.com/document/94536334/Local-Investigation-Gert-Van-Rooyen Marie Claire

https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/7714432 Smart wiki

https://dailynews.co.za/news/south-africa/2008-12-28-ghost-of-paedophile-haunts-swartruggens/ Beach dig because of ghost sighting

https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/news-headlines/2025/01/14/van-rooyen-haarhoff-raaisels-steeds-onder-soeklig-2/ Pieter van Zyl

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2007-08-05-crime-solving-gadget-on-the-way/ Danie gadget

https://www.news24.com/happy-sparks-hope-20030522 Horn quotes lovely blue eyes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_in_South_Africa

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/2019-01-12-they-have-to-be-somewhere-fresh-bid-to-find-gert-van-rooyens-victims/ New investigation officer petition

https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2019-01-27-im-a-missing-gert-van-rooyen-girl/ woman claiming to be Fiona

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-02-03-joey-haarhoffs-son-convicted-in-new-zealand-on-paedophilia-charge/-Braam

https://ra-watch.livejournal.com/38784.html-Flippie

https://www.news24.com/mom-too-scared-to-hope-20070408-Joan Horn’s mom

https://iol.co.za/dailynews/news/2019-11-13-search-for--paedophile-gert-van-rooyens-missing-victims-hones-in-on-durban/-chandler links to Durban

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2005-09-29-chisales-killer-inherently-good-court-hears/ Mark Scott-Crossley

https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2016-12-23-the-life-of-mark-scott-crossley-the-man-who-was-involved-in-a-horrific-crime-in-which-nelson-chisale-was-thrown-into-a-lions-den/

Mark Scott-Crossley

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/29/southafrica.andrewmeldrum mark

https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/scott-crossley-sentenced-to-eight-years-for-attempted-murder/ Mark sentence for attempted murder

https://www.litnet.co.za/gert-joey-nuwe-lig-op-n-raaisel-van-dertig-jaar-n-onderhoud-met-pieter-van-zyl/ interview author Gert & Joey

https://www.jacarandafm.com/shows/scenic-drive-rian/i-saw-gert-van-rooyen-shooting-himself-and-joey-haarhoff-police-officer-gert-van-rooyen-missing-girls-case/ radio interview with Chandler

https://newcastillian.com/2019/01/31/have-one-of-gert-van-rooyens-victims-been-found/

Chandler Woman claiming to be Fiona

https://witness.co.za/news/2019/02/12/fiona-harvey-woman-is-an-impostor-20190211/

Fiona imposter

https://witness.co.za/news/2019/11/13/missing-girls-search-renewed-20191112/# Chandler Durban

https://mg.co.za/article/2007-11-14-bones-unearthed-next-door-to-van-rooyens-house/

Bones house next door

https://witnesskzn.wixsite.com/fionafiles fiona files

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2007-04-14-van-rooyen-letter-that-said-im-alive/

Im alive letter

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2007-04-02-cop-refuses-to-just-give-up-on-mystery-girl/ mystery girl

https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2007-08-05-crime-solving-gadget-on-the-way/

Crime-solving gadget

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/29/southafrica.andrewmeldrum#:~:text=in%20South%20Africa-,This%20article%20is%20more%20than%2020%20years%20old,swept%20for%20explosive%20devices%20yesterday.

Mark Crossley guilty lions

https://www.citizen.co.za/south-coast-herald/news-headlines/2021/04/15/gert-van-rooyen-case-newspaper-looking-for-former-durban-woman-who-can-perhaps-help-in-the-cold-case/ woman said she was taken by Tim

https://www.netwerk24.com/huisgenoot/Nuus/gert-van-rooyen-slagoffer-verbreek-stilte-na-39-jaar-20170528 original article about Tim

https://www.citizen.co.za/south-coast-herald/news-headlines/2015/02/02/my-escape-from-gert-van-rooyen/ another account of potential victim

Monday, February 23, 2026

Unsolved: Mysterious Death of Brent Brand with Hopper from Final Trace

In this month’s special, Cam and Jen talk with Hopper from Final Trace.⁠

In the summer of 1986, 18-year-old Brent Brand went to a party in Vincennes, Indiana, and never made it home.

Eight days later, across state lines, Brent’s body was found face down in a drainage ditch. No injuries. No clear cause of death.

What began as a missing-person case soon spiraled into something bigger: accusations, rumors, and more than 30 witnesses — including police officers — drawn into the investigation.

Listen as Hopper returns to his hometown to revisit a mystery still shadowed by unanswered questions and a silence that refuses to fade.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Hopper’s podcast,⁠ Final Trace⁠. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Music by Nico Fyffe-Vettese

Editing by Jesse Fyffe-Vettese

Check them out ⁠, The Inky Paw Print⁠

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

347. The Cruelest Betrayal: Ashley Kline

On a bitterly cold night just before New Year’s Eve, 23-year-old Ashley Kline disappeared from her home in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, after walking to a friend’s house just four blocks away. She was never seen alive again. When Ashley vanished, her family and community were left searching for answers, clinging to hope that she would return. But as investigators traced her final movements, they uncovered a devastating truth and a brutal betrayal.

Join Cam and Jen of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled “The Cruelest Betrayal: Ashley Kline.’

Listener Discretion by @octoberpodVHS

Music is by our EP @theinkypawprint

Sources:

⁠https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/two-pennsylvania-men-get-life-in-prison-in-murder-of-disabled-woman-idUSKBN0JM2HX/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/ashleyklinelaw/⁠

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/family-to-charged-killers-i-just-dont-want-them-to-ever-be-able-to-hurt/article_03564a38-6ff6-11e4-82b6-37d915877836.html

⁠https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/194741/woman-raped-stabbed-burned-alive-friends-she-left-home-new-year-s-eve⁠

https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/family-reacts-to-death-penalty-for-accused-killers-of-ashley-kline/article_4fb044ec-1ad9-5456-abbc-bb3dabbc9e30.html

https://lancasteronline.com/news/woman-found-in-wildlife-area-idd-as-ashley-lynn-kline/article_9b0912f8-8934-53f4-8a8e-bc2a6df4b862.html

https://6abc.com/archive/9395586/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM14Hin5ktM

⁠https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28616008/⁠

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/world-news/woman-told-family-going-nye-33145175

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/victims-father-was-ashley-klines-killer-upset-over-rejection/article_6a1b59b4-7edf-11e4-8759-17ebcd4c9538.html

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

346. Charmed: Margie's Story

In the middle of a spring night in 1988, Margie slipped from her bed, which she shared with her husband, and slowly crept into the other room where he kept his briefcase with all his important documents. There was no doubt that her husband’s behavior had changed since their wedding day just seven weeks ago.

Some things that he said just didn’t make sense. Things didn’t line up. His temper was shorter, and his intensity was stronger. And sometimes she just felt overwhelmingly afraid of him.

She retrieved his briefcase from the closet and realized that he’d locked it. Luckily, she’d been paying attention and remembered the combination. The briefcase popped open, and she slowly took each document out and photographed it, all the while listening for him to wake up. Then she put each document back in the briefcase and returned the numbers to their exact locations. Maybe this was all part of that witness relocation program that he’d told her about?

But what if it wasn’t?