Crime Junkie Episode Summary: MISSING: Trevaline Evans (October 20, 2025)

Podcast: Crime Junkie

Episode Theme: The baffling and enduring disappearance of Trevaline Evans, who vanished from her small North Wales town in 1990, and the new, never-before-shared details and theories that may finally shed light on her fate.

OVERVIEW

In this episode, Ashley Flowers and Britt Prawat dive into the unsolved disappearance of Trevaline Evans, a 52-year-old antiques dealer in Llangollen, North Wales, who vanished without a trace in June 1990. The episode explores the exhaustive investigation, strange sightings involving a “smartly dressed man,” family dynamics, and shocking new evidence uncovered in 2019. Listeners are taken through competing theories, mysterious photographs, police suspicions, and a case still haunted by unanswered questions.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Disappearance and Immediate Investigation

• Trevaline’s Last Day
  • Trevaline was last seen on June 16, 1990, running her antiques shop.
  • Husband Richard, returning from work in Rutland, reports her missing after finding her shop locked (“back in 2 minutes” note), her purse, jacket, keys, and makeup still inside. ([03:09])
• Early Police Response
  • Her disappearance at first appears routine but becomes far more sinister as extensive searches (canals, caves, door-to-door, hundreds of statements, 500+ hotel guests contacted) reveal nothing. ([06:32])

2. Timeline and Sightings

• Key Witnesses
  • Multiple confirmed sightings of Trevaline with an unidentified, middle-aged, well-dressed “smartly dressed man” carrying a briefcase, both the day before and the day she disappeared.
    • “She’s seen with this man all over town, at various times: store, Market Street, Oak Street, even at Gale’s Wine Bar with him.” ([09:26]–[11:41])
  • Saturday, June 16: Trevaline was last firmly sighted locking up her shop around 12:40 pm, heading into town and later near her home, alone. ([14:08]–[17:58])
• No-Show for Dinner
  • When Richard returns, Trevaline never shows. Her car remains parked nearby, reinforcing concerns.

3. Unconfirmed Sightings & Theories

• Smartly Dressed Man
  • Composite sketches circulated, but the man is never identified or comes forward, despite national coverage.
  • Later, a witness from a documentary claims the sketch is actually of Trevaline’s brother, Phil, adding another layer of confusion. ([33:24]–[34:35])
• Possibility of Voluntary Disappearance
  • Rumors of an affair and an inheritance from a former lover complicate the theory that she left willingly.
    • “Statistically, it’s just so unlikely to vanish without a word and leave everything behind.” ([31:24])
• Suspicion on Richard (Husband)
  • In 2001, police quietly arrest and question Richard, then release him with no charges; motive unclear, possibly spurred by testimony from Phil’s ex-girlfriend. ([39:33])

4. The 2019 Breakthrough: Mysterious Body Under the Golf Club

• Tip-Off and Discovery
  • Two local brothers, Lee and Andrew Sutton, investigating an old tip, use a fiber optic camera under the floor of Rutland Golf Club and discover what appears to be a human skeleton. ([47:12]–[57:24])
    • “Within 20 seconds, we’re looking at a … dead body right in front of us. There she is. I could see a face staring at me...with what appeared to be a hole in the side of the skull.” —Ashley Flowers & Britt ([03:09])
• Police Involvement and Controversy
  • Police investigate, let the brothers inspect again, but the body is suddenly gone. Officers claim “there was never a skeleton,” causing the Suttons to theorize a cover-up, possibly involving the golf club or police themselves.
    • “The brothers are written off as looney randos. Who imagined this whole thing while I’m over here, like, but did they?” —Ashley ([66:14])

5. Lingering Mysteries and Theories Explored

• Who Was the Smartly Dressed Man?
  • Antique world connection? Affair partner? Trevaline’s brother? Theories remain unresolved.
• Was It Foul Play or Voluntary Disappearance?
  • Evidence and family testimony lean heavily toward foul play.
  • Questions linger about Richard’s alibi and potential involvement, particularly regarding suspicious activity with their home’s furniture and carpet after her disappearance. ([43:00]–[43:19])
• Serial Killer Angle
  • Police explored known serial killers in the area but found no tangible link to Trevaline.
• Cryptic Memorial Plaques
  • Strange, anonymous plaques appear near Rutland years later, with scratched inscriptions declaring Trevaline was found and then “removed” at the golf club in 2019. ([70:55])

MEMORABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• On the Surreal Nature of the New Photos:
  • “I feel like skull, eyes, spine, maybe a hole in the skull…What are we doing here, people?” —Ashley ([57:59])
• On the Police Changing Course:
  • “From this, they drop a bombshell. They say the sketch of Mystery man should be ignored. What? They give us nothing as to what happened, why the sketch is wrong. What about it is wrong?” —Ashley ([32:22])
• On the Smartly Dressed Man Possibly Being Phil:
  • "That man, that sketch is without a doubt, her brother Phil." —Linda, ex of Phil ([33:55])
• On Family Conviction:
  • “He (her brother Len) doesn’t see a world where his sister just leaves without a word.” —Ashley ([30:50])
• On the Mysterious Plaques:
  • “A message that reads ‘in memory of Trevaline Evans. Vanished 16, 6, 1990. Found Rudland GC 14, 3, 2019. Removed 19, 3, 2019. RIP.’” ([70:55])
• On Official Police Response:
  • “Case closed on their end. So that’s it. The brothers are written off as looney randos…while I’m over here, like, but did they?” —Ashley ([66:02])

TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• [03:09] – Introduction to the case, shocking new story and photos from 2019.
• [06:25] – Husband’s discovery and police initial investigation.
• [09:26] – [11:41] – Eyewitness timeline and detail of “smartly dressed man.”
• [13:02] – [17:58] – Saturday, June 16: day of disappearance insights and last movements.
• [32:22] – Police announce the mystery man sketch is “inaccurate.”
• [34:03] – [35:54] – Theory: mystery man may be Trevaline’s brother Phil.
• [39:33] – Police arrest and release of Richard, her husband.
• [47:12] – [63:33] – The Sutton brothers’ 2019 search: discovery under the golf club, photos, and bizarre aftermath.
• [70:55] – The appearance of anonymous memorial plaques.

SUMMARY OF THEORIES DISCUSSED

• Foul play by an acquaintance via the “smartly dressed man.”
• Voluntary disappearance due to personal issues/affair (though unlikely given her life context).
• Husband Richard’s involvement – circumstantial suspicions, shifting alibi, but never charged.
• Body under Rutland Golf Club – tip, possible police or club cover-up after 2019.
• Unknown serial killer – considered but not supported by evidence.

TONE & STYLE

The episode maintains the show's signature blend of investigative curiosity, respectful skepticism, and empathy for the victim. Ashley and Britt tackle the intense mystery with both critical analysis and an openness to strange new developments, sharing their own reactions in real time ("I feel like I'm losing it or me..."). Their commentary brings listeners along each twist and turn, asking hard questions and never shying away from the most outlandish or uncomfortable possibilities.

CONCLUSION

The disappearance of Trevaline Evans remains one of Britain’s most confounding cold cases, clouded by elusive eyewitnesses, unconfirmed discoveries, police reversals, and haunting local lore. Despite decades passing, new evidence and voices keep the case from fading — and leave listeners with the unsettling sense that the real story, and its ending, is still just out of reach.

For more information, sources, and to view the episode photos, visit Crime Junkie’s website. If you have tips, email tips@audiochuck.com.

Notable Quotes Index:

• [03:09] – Dead body photo description.
• [32:22] – Police disregard mystery man sketch.
• [33:55] – Mystery man possibly Trevaline’s brother.
• [39:33] – Richard’s brief arrest.
• [57:59] – First look at the 2019 “skeleton” photos.
• [70:55] – Anonymous memorial plaque inscription.