Crime Junkie — MISSING: Dawn Mozino

Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Ashley Flowers
Co-host: Brit Prawat
Case: The mysterious disappearance of Dawn Mozino, 23, from southeastern Pennsylvania in May 1989.

Overview

In this detailed episode, Ashley and Brit dig into the baffling unsolved disappearance of Dawn Mozino. While law enforcement has long focused on a convicted killer in her orbit, new evidence from Dawn’s own diary suggests that two concurrent love triangles could point to entirely different suspects—and perhaps the real answer behind the case.

The episode blends narrative storytelling with primary-source insights (including excerpts from Dawn’s diary, read by her sister, Kath), interviews with family, and the hosts’ signature theorizing. This is a must-listen for those who love cold cases, shifting police theories, and the personal voices that drive true crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Disappearance: Timeline & Witness Accounts

• Dawn disappears on May 22, 1989 after leaving her food service job at Bryn Mawr Hospital, scheduled to return home and then head to her boyfriend Dan’s apartment for Special Olympics practice.

• Witness account: Kathy, a local woman, remembers seeing Dawn at a bus stop near the hospital, talking to a Black man in his 30s (04:44).

  "She specifically remembers seeing Dawn in that group of young women. But Dawn wasn't talking to the other women. She was talking to a man standing nearby." (04:44 – Britt)

• The witness is uncertain about the exact date but reports this sighting to police, narrowing it to “around” May 22.

The Early Investigation: Spotlight on Thomas Hawkins, Jr.

• Police quickly focus on Thomas Hawkins, Jr., a twice-convicted murderer (05:52).

  “Now, his full name was Thomas Hawkins, Jr. And Thomas Hawkins, Jr. is a convicted murderer. Nine years before, he sexually assaulted, stabbed, and strangled a 15 year old girl... He only served six years for that.” (05:52 – Britt)

• Connection: Dawn and Hawkins had worked together previously; Hawkins had bullied her at work.

• Hawkins lies: He tells police Dawn tried to help him get a hospital job and that he missed an interview, but the hospital says no such interview was ever scheduled (07:37-08:12).

  "They came to learn that that story was BS. The hospital had no record of an interview even being scheduled..." (08:12 – Britt)

• Photo ID: Kathy identifies Hawkins as the man seen with Dawn at the bus stop.

Escalation: Hawkins Murders Again

• Days after initial questioning in Dawn’s case, Hawkins murders his niece, Andrea Thomas, in a brutal attack (09:15).

  “Hawkins sexually assaulted, strangled, and stabbed his niece, Andrea Thomas, with a meat fork and staged the scene to look like a burglary.” (09:15 – Britt)

• He’s later convicted and sentenced to death for this murder.

Family & Police: Still Focused on Hawkins

• Dawn’s family is convinced Hawkins is responsible, noting her learning difficulties—a highly structured life, always kept family informed of her whereabouts (09:51-10:14).

• Detective “Lucky” Layton wants a confession and even offers to take death penalty off the table for information about Dawn—Hawkins never budges (13:11).

  “But he says he has no information to give because he had nothing to do with Dawn’s disappearance. He’s sticking to that.” (13:11 – Britt)

• Crucial difference: Unlike Hawkins’s other victims—both killed in their homes and found quickly—Dawn has never been found and her home showed no evidence of a crime (14:24-15:17).

Alternate Suspects: Unraveling New Leads

Gerald Bennett’s False Confession

• In 2001, a different convicted killer (Gerald Bennett) sends a letter confessing to Dawn’s murder (18:22).

  "A guy in prison named Gerald Bennett had written a letter to the paper confessing to Dawn’s murder...but he can't really even give them any verifiable information..." (18:22, 20:17 – Britt)

• Investigation finds Bennett was in another state when Dawn disappeared; he likely lied hoping for leniency in his own case (20:47-21:11).

The Secret Diary: Love Triangles and “Nick”

• Police had Dawn’s diary from the start; it never once mentions Hawkins or Bennett, but focuses intensely on romantic struggles (21:16).

• Excerpts reveal that Dawn was cheating on her boyfriend Dan with Nick Katona, an unreliable man who often stood her up and took her to hotels for sex (22:31-25:29).

  “He stole my heart and now I want it back. If he’s going to keep on doing this…” (24:19 – Kath, reading Dawn’s diary)

• Police minimally investigated Nick, only interviewing him once (25:53), specifics unknown.

• Dan is quickly cleared: solid alibi, corroborated voicemails, attendance at Special Olympics, and—touchingly—still calls Dawn’s mom every night to this day (26:39-27:19).

Nick Katona’s Later Life

• When Dawn’s sister, Kath, pushes police to look harder at Nick, she learns that Nick died by suicide in 2011—20+ years after Dawn went missing (29:50).
• Nick’s family claims he never mentioned Dawn, not even as a friend, despite her disappearance (31:40).
• Nick’s criminal record includes a DUI (1992) and violence-related charges (1996).

Dawn’s Best Friend Carol, Hampton, and Another Triangle

• Dawn’s diary details her involvement in another love triangle: her best friend Carol is having an affair with a married man, Hampton. Dawn, highly religious, tells Hampton’s wife about the affair (36:14).

• Dawn’s very last diary entry (five days before she vanished):

  “Well, these few days have been hell with Carol and Hamp. They’re getting more in trouble. Plus, his wife is asking for things...” (36:58 – Diary quoted by co-host)

• Carol and Hampton were interviewed by police on multiple occasions; Hampton fits the physical description of the witness’s “black man in his 30s” (37:18).

  “If the witness, Kathy, really did see dawn on the 22nd, and she really was talking to a black man ... could it have been Hampton?” (37:18 – Britt)

Other Theories and Persons of Interest

• Maurice Beal: An acquaintance in Dawn’s social circle with a violent criminal record, including charges for sexual assault—a possible suspect considered recently (41:15-42:42).

The Case Today: New Eyes, Fresh Leads

• After decades of focus on Hawkins, a new detective, Brian Bell, is exploring all possible angles, not just Hawkins (42:47).

  "[He] is also trying to come at this from like a very different angle and explore the unexplored..." (42:47 – Britt)

• The Mozino family continues to seek answers; Kath (Dawn’s sister) remains a determined advocate, urging that every lead be followed.

• Remote viewer/psychic tip (45:01) pointed to a park Dawn commonly used—a location now on Kath’s radar, described as central to her routines and between relevant homes.

The Lasting Toll

• The Mozinos “know nothing more today than the day she stepped out of work and vanished”—after 36 years, Dawn’s fate is still a mystery (42:47).
• Kath’s recurring dream, of seeing and trying to talk to Dawn in their old neighborhood, underscores the family’s heartbreak and relentless hope (45:24).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On early police focus:

  “What are the odds that she knew a now twice convicted killer and he didn’t have anything to do with it? But like, what if they were right and wrong?” (15:37 – Britt, 16:03)

• On Dawn’s learning differences:

  "...even though dawn was 23, she had some learning differences. She actually lived at home with her mom and her sister. Now, she's described as high functioning but developmentally delayed.” (09:51 – Britt)

• On family conviction:

  “The old timers still have their money on Hawkins. And I get why. Because if Kathy’s ID really was right...he is one of the last, if not the last, person to see Don alive." (42:47 – Britt)

• On the cold case detective’s approach:

  “Detective Bell ... is trying to come at this from Like a very different angle and explore the unexplored...” (42:47 – Britt)

• On Kath Mozino’s dream:

  “She’s driving through this neighborhood in Wayne... there, walking up the hill is Dawn. Kath pulls the car over, tells her sister to get in, but for some reason dawn won’t answer. Won’t even, like, look at her. She just keeps walking up the hill. And then Kath wakes up.” (45:24 – Britt)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Dawn’s disappearance & witness sighting: 02:44–04:44
• Thomas Hawkins’s criminal past and connection to Dawn: 05:52–08:12
• Photo lineup and Hawkins’s false alibi: 08:54–09:43
• Hawkins’s second murder, police focus: 09:14–13:11
• Contrast with other Hawkins victims: 14:24–15:17
• Alternate suspect: Gerald Bennett’s confession: 18:22–21:11
• Dawn’s diary, secret relationship with Nick: 21:16–25:29
• Dawn’s best friend Carol, Hampton, and final diary entry: 35:33–37:18
• Other suspects (Maurice Beal): 41:15–42:42
• New detective and current status of the case: 42:47–45:24
• Kath’s dream, contact info for tips: 45:24–47:15

Case Status & Call to Action

• There is still no closure for Dawn's family after 36 years.
• If you have information on the disappearance of Dawn Mozino (May 22, 1989), contact Radnor Township Police: 610-688-5600.

Final Thoughts

This lengthy, engrossing episode highlights how tunnel vision can hobble investigations—and how critical it is to listen to those closest to the missing, as well as following the threads they themselves left behind. Ashley and Brit’s narrative thoughtfully balances empathy for Dawn's family and a rigorous challenge to established theories, suggesting that justice for Dawn Mozino might still be found if every avenue—obvious and overlooked alike—is explored.