In 1926, famed evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished from a California beach, sparking a nationwide search and fears that she had been kidnapped or killed. Weeks later, she reappeared with a dramatic story of abduction, claiming she had escaped from her captors in the desert. In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa Richardson examines the disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson, the investigation into her claims, and the intense public reaction that followed. As authorities began to question her account, conflicting evidence and witness testimony fueled suspicions that the kidnapping may have been staged. The case became a media sensation, blurring the line between crime, scandal, and spectacle, and leaving behind one of the most controversial and debated stories of the early 20th century.

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CRIME: Aimee Semple McPherson