Podcast Summary: Crime House Daily

Episode: True Crime This Week: Disappearances

Host: Vanessa Richardson
Date: October 12, 2025

Brief Overview

This week’s True Crime This Week episode, hosted by Vanessa Richardson, explores two haunting disappearance cases linked by their shared theme: young women vanishing without a trace. The first case examines Mary Shotwell Little, a 25-year-old Atlanta bank secretary who vanished in 1965 under mysterious, still-unsolved circumstances. The second investigates the 2018 disappearance of 16-year-old Carly Lane Gousset from rural California. Both cases highlight the enduring pain of unresolved disappearances and the ripple effects on families and communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case One: Mary Shotwell Little (Atlanta, 1965)

[04:04 - 22:57]

• Background and Disappearance

  • Mary, a well-liked 25-year-old, disappeared on October 14, 1965, after dinner with a friend at Lenox Square Mall, Atlanta. Last seen walking to her car in the parking lot.

• Investigation Begins

  • Mary's punctuality at work led to immediate concern. Her apartment seemed untouched, car still in the parking lot with groceries inside.
  • The car was found with blood stains and her neatly folded clothes, but no sign of Mary.

• Weird Details & Immediate Theories

  • The car’s odometer indicated 40 extra miles unaccounted for.
  • Security guards stated the car hadn’t been in the lot at 9am, implying it was moved and returned later.

• Suspects and Witnesses

  • Husband Roy Little was initially viewed suspiciously due to his aloofness but had an airtight alibi.
  • Multiple women reported encounters with a suspicious man in the parking lot on the night in question:
    • “If you think you're going to get in my car, you're crazy.” – Carolyn Smitherman, witness ([12:59])

• Mystery Callers and Ex-boyfriend Theory

  • Mary received anonymous roses and distressing phone calls shortly before vanishing:
    • “Please leave me alone. I’m a married woman now” ([12:59])
    • The identity of the caller was never established.

• Post-Disappearance Sightings

  • Mary’s credit card was used twice post-disappearance—in Charlotte and Raleigh, NC—both times with Mary appearing distressed, bloodied, and accompanied by unknown men. She appeared alive but under duress.

• Possible Work-Related Motive

  • Rumors of illicit activities at Mary’s workplace. Replacement Diane Shields began to investigate on her own.

• A Chilling Parallel: Diane Shields

  • Diane, Mary’s successor, received anonymous roses and was murdered two years later in 1967.

    • “She told them that it wasn't a crime to send roses and that if somebody wanted to kill her, they'd do it whether she worried about it or not.” ([20:50])

  • Both crimes remain unsolved and are viewed as possibly connected.

2. Case Two: Carly Lane Gousset (California, 2018)

[24:24 - 40:20]

• Background and Events Leading Up to the Disappearance

  • Carly, age 16, from Chalfont Valley, California, was a popular and academically strong high school student.
  • On October 12, 2018, she went to a party, used marijuana, and suffered a panic attack.
  • She called her stepmom, Melissa, for help, and was found running down a road, visibly distraught and paranoid.

• Family Response and Last Known Footage

  • Her father and stepmother recorded an 8:45-minute video of Carly’s panic attack as a ‘teachable moment’.
  • Memorable exchange:
    • “Carly told Melissa she was scared and that she thought Melissa was going to kill her.” ([24:24])
    • “Carly responded that she was thinking, quote, demonic stuff and couldn't help it.” ([24:24])

• Timeline Uncertainties

  • Conflicting accounts from Melissa about whether she stayed in Carly’s room all night.
  • At ~6:30am on October 13, neighbors saw Carly walking in pajamas, waving a piece of paper. By 7:15am, she was missing.

• Search and Investigation

  • Community and police launched a widespread search; scent dogs tracked Carly to Highway 6 where the trail ended, suggesting she may have entered a vehicle.

• Social Media and Public Interest Backlash

  • The case drew national attention as Carly’s family appeared on news shows and social media, leading to scrutiny of Melissa’s conflicting accounts and online harassment.
  • Carly’s biological mother publicly suggested there was “evil in the Gooset's house.”
  • Law enforcement urged online sleuths to stop harassing the family.

• A Possible Lead

  • In March 2021, a tipster claimed to have seen Carly at a party in Tonopah, Nevada, shortly after her disappearance.
  • Authorities located the implicated vehicle and began DNA testing; as of 2023, there were no public breakthroughs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Subject of Vanishing:

  • “Both show how easy it can be to vanish into thin air, that even in a world where everything has a camera, there are always blind spots and sometimes people just fall off the grid and never return.” – Vanessa Richardson ([02:50])

• On the Legacy of Disappearance:

  • “Looking back at this week in crime history, we can see the void that's created when someone disappears…It's a reminder of how many lives each one of us touches and who will come looking for us if we fall off the map.” – Vanessa Richardson ([39:42])

• Chilling Premonition:

  • “If somebody wanted to kill her, they'd do it whether she worried about it or not.” – Diane Shields, relayed by a co-worker ([20:50])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Mary Shotwell Little case begins: [04:04]

  • Background, investigation, and clues: [04:04 - 11:59]
  • Witness accounts & theories: [12:59 - 22:57]

• Diane Shields parallel case: [19:55 - 22:57]

• Carly Lane Gousset case begins: [24:24]

  • The party and panic attack: [24:24 - 28:00]
  • Disappearance and search: [28:00 - 34:00]
  • Public scrutiny, media, and leads: [34:00 - 39:42]

Quote & Moment Highlights

• Carolyn Smitherman’s confrontation in the parking lot: [12:59]
• Mary’s last known whereabouts on video and at gas stations: [14:20 and [16:40]]
• Carly’s last recorded statements reflecting her paranoia: [24:24]
• “Demonic stuff and couldn’t help it” – Carly ([24:24])
• Law enforcement plea for respect amid social media frenzy: [37:30]

Conclusion

Both the disappearance of Mary Shotwell Little and the case of Carly Lane Gousset remain unsolved, casting long shadows over their communities. This episode powerfully illustrates the pain left behind by enforced absence and the complexity of unraveling these mysteries, even in an age of surveillance and instant communication. As Richardson notes, the desperation of those left to search becomes a defining part of the story. The host closes with a call for information in Carly’s case and a sobering reminder of the deep connections and lasting voids left by each vanished person.