MISSING: The Mishawaka Girls

Summary

Summary of Crime Junkie Episode: "MISSING: The Mishawaka Girls"

Introduction

In the May 6, 2025 episode of Crime Junkie, titled "MISSING: The Mishawaka Girls," hosts Ashley Flowers and Britt Prawat delve into a seemingly compelling true crime narrative. At first glance, the episode appears to follow the traditional Crime Junkie format, exploring the mysterious disappearances of two young women from Mishawaka, Indiana. However, as the episode unfolds, it takes an unexpected turn, revealing a promotional twist for Ashley's new mystery thriller novel, The Missing Half.

The Disappearance of Jules Connor and Casey Monroe

The episode begins with Ashley Flowers introducing the case of Jules Connor and Casey Monroe, two sisters from Mishawaka with strikingly similar disappearances.

• Jules Connor's Disappearance (00:00 - 03:24):

  On August 4, 2012, at 3 a.m., Jenna Connor wakes up to find her sister Jules missing from their shared home in Osceola, Indiana. Jules, who works late at Harry's Dive Bar in South Bend, typically returns home by one or two in the morning. Jenna's initial concern leads her to search for Jules, discovering her sister's car abandoned on the side of the road with the driver's side door open and personal belongings scattered inside. Despite her efforts, Jules remains missing (Ashley Flowers, 00:04).

• Casey Monroe's Disappearance (03:24 - 04:57):

  Just two weeks later, on August 17th, 2012, another young woman, 19-year-old Casey Monroe, vanishes under eerily similar circumstances. Casey's car is found abandoned in Grand Rapids, Michigan, mirroring the scene of Jules' disappearance with the driver's side door open and personal items left behind. Unlike Jules, Casey had no apparent reason to be in Grand Rapids, deepening the mystery (Ashley Flowers, 03:31).

Investigation and Unresolved Questions

The podcast highlights the lack of connection between the two cases, despite their geographical and circumstantial similarities.

• Separate Investigations:

  Law enforcement agencies treat the cases independently, unable to find any link beyond their shared hometown. This separation impedes any progress in identifying a common perpetrator or motive (Ashley Flowers, 05:03).

• Families' Resignation:

  Years pass without resolution, leading Jules and Casey's families to accept the grim possibility that their loved ones are dead and the culprits have evaded justice (Ashley Flowers, 05:03).

Jenna Connor's Determination

Jenna Connor remains unsatisfied with the lack of progress, believing that there is a missing link that could solve both cases. Her quest leads her to seek out her younger sister, Nick, in hopes of uncovering new evidence that could reveal the truth behind Jules and Casey's disappearances (Ashley Flowers, 05:03).

The Twist: A Promotional Reveal

As the narrative builds tension, the episode takes an unexpected turn at 06:04.

• Introduction of a Fictional Element:

  Ashley Flowers reveals that the story of Jules and Casey is not a true case but the foundation for her upcoming mystery thriller novel, The Missing Half. This revelation shifts the episode from a true crime discussion to a promotional segment for her book (Ashley Flowers, 06:04).

• Host's Promotion:

  Both Ashley and Britt express excitement about the novel. Britt humorously acknowledges the surprise twist, saying, "Cue crime junkies Immediately hating you, I know" (Britt, 06:07), while Ashley assures listeners that The Missing Half offers "hours more content" and promises that fans will love the book as much as they enjoy the podcast (Ashley Flowers, 06:07).

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a heartfelt endorsement of The Missing Half, encouraging listeners to purchase the novel to solve the mystery alongside the protagonist. Ashley expresses her anticipation for her audience to engage with the book, emphasizing its release on May 6, 2025, and availability in bookstores and online (Ashley Flowers, 06:30).

Notable Quotes

• Ashley Flowers (00:04): "This is the story of Jules Connor and Casey Monroe."
• Ashley Flowers (03:31): "They grew up in Mishawaka, right in the middle of the two."
• Ashley Flowers (05:03): "Jules and Casey were probably dead, and whoever killed them probably got away with murder."
• Britt (06:07): "Only for a minute, I hope, because what I just gave you, you guys, is not a real case."
• Ashley Flowers (06:30): "The Missing Half has officially hit stores as of May 6th."

Final Thoughts

"MISSING: The Mishawaka Girls" serves a dual purpose: it engages listeners with a seemingly true crime story while cleverly introducing Ashley Flowers' new novel. This episode exemplifies the hosts' ability to blend narrative storytelling with promotional content, maintaining listener interest through an unexpected and creative twist.

Transcript

[Ashley Flowers]

Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers.

[Britt]

And I'm Britt.

[Ashley Flowers]

Now listen, there is not a lot of information that has been shared yet in the story I'm about to tell you, which is why it's gonna be so brief. But what we do have points to a perpetrator's bizarre and unsettling MO And I think I know exactly where we can find answers. This is the story of Jules Connor and Casey Monroe. It's 3am On August 4, 2012, when Jenna Connor wakes up alone at the home she shares with her sister Jules. Now, when she went to get a glass of water, she was surprised to see the door to Jules room open and an empty bed inside. Because even though Jules worked a late shift at the dive bar, this place called Harry's over in South Bend, Indiana, that night, like she would normally be home by like one or two in the morning. So it's weird that it's three and she's not. And at first Jenna tried just calling her a few times, like she knew that Jules's car was pretty unreliable though, you know, she would have thought that if something had happened, like she would have expected to see a missed call from Jules at some point, like if she got stranded, you know, but you just never know. So she's trying to call her. When call after call went unanswered, anxiety began to build in Jenna until she physically just couldn't sit still and wait anymore. Like she had to go looking for her sister. Now she tried Harry's, but it was long past close. There weren't even any cars in the lot when she got there. Which at first brought a little bit of relief, like maybe she was being a dramatic older sister. Like if Jules left in her car, maybe she had just gone over to a friend's or who knows, and she felt better. But there was still something sitting in the back of her mind. A like what if? What if she was on the side of the road somewhere? Jenna hadn't passed her car anywhere on the road as she had driven two Harry's from their place. But she knew that there was more than one way to get there. So to quiet that last little whisper in her mind, she told herself she would just go home. One other route that she knew her sister might sometimes take. She wasn't going to find anything, right? Like that's what she's telling herself, but it would help her sleep. She hoped she wouldn't find anything. But as the couple of shopping strips faded into cornfields and tree lines and the street lights disappeared. Her headlights hit on something that made all of her fear come roaring back till it was like ringing in her ears. It was Jewel's car on the side of the road with the driver's side door open. And when she gets a closer look, she sees her sister's phone, wallet, money, everything is sitting on the passenger seat. But Jules is is nowhere to be found.

[Britt]

And you said this was a road she probably would have taken before.

[Ashley Flowers]

Yeah, this is a pretty common route between where the bar was in South Bend and their house in Osceola. And like, they grew up in Mishawaka, right in the middle of the two.

[Britt]

Yeah, I can, like, close my eyes and picture the road you're talking about. Like, it's the kind of road that you know like the back of your head if you grew up there.

[Ashley Flowers]

Right. Now, even though Jenna goes to police, and even though the circumstances are fishy as hell, her sister's disappearance doesn't quite get the urgency she knows it deserves. Even the media won't really pick up Jewels story, but everyone takes notice when just two weeks later, another young woman from Mishawaka goes missing. And there are eerie parallels to when Jules disappeared. So this is on August 17th. 19 year old Casey Monroe's car is found abandoned by a family who are on a road trip. And. And her car is found exactly the same way as Jewel's driver, side door open, all her personal belongings on the passenger seat. The only difference is her car is found up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And her family says she didn't really know anyone up there. She didn't have any reason to be going up there the day that she went missing. And when the media picks up on this second disappearance, like, they're quick to connect the cases, dubbing them the missing Mishawaka girls, since both were from Mishawaka. And even though police have that same inclination, the thing is, they can't find any connection between the two young women other than where they grew up as kids and then how they disappeared. There doesn't seem to be any overlap. So the cases end up getting worked separately by two different agencies. They're not working together. And so years end up going by without them ever identifying a suspect in either case, much less proving that they're connected.

[Britt]

And in that time, no other cases like this, like, cropped up. Like, it's just these two.

[Ashley Flowers]

As far as the police departments are concerned, yes. So maybe whoever took them died or got caught for something else and was in jail or prison, whatever. And by 2019, each family had resigned themselves to a bitter truth. Jules and Casey were probably dead, and whoever killed them probably got away with murder. But that wasn't an ending that Jenna could accept. She believed in her heart of hearts that there had to be a thread that police had missed, something that connected Jules and Casey, and if only she could find that, she could find who killed them. Now she knew that no one knew Jules like her. Which meant that she needed to get to the one person who knew Casey better than anyone else in the world. Her younger sister, Nick. And what they uncover together sets off a chain of events that completely changes their lives forever. The thing is, I can't tell you what they found here.

[Britt]

Cue crime junkies Immediately hating you, I know.

[Ashley Flowers]

Only for a minute, I hope, because what I just gave you, you guys, is not a real case, but the start of the plot to my new mystery thriller novel, the Missing Half, which, after the longest wait of my life, is now available wherever books are sold. So please don't hate me. You now have hours more content coming your way. I promise.

[Britt]

I finished the Advanced Reader last fall in like one sitting. Dare I say, Ashley, it's better than all good people here.

[Ashley Flowers]

I honestly think it might be. I really think crime junkies are going to love this book again. The Missing Half has officially hit stores as of May 6th. You can be the first to solve the mystery by shopping at your local bookstore or at the link in the show notes, and you can also read the full description there, so please go check it out. I cannot wait for you to read this one. Enjoy. Crime Junkies.