Darwin Vest // 505

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Darwin Vest" – Episode 505 of Going West: True Crime

Release Date: May 27, 2025

---

Introduction

In episode 505 titled "Darwin Vest," hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman revisit one of their most compelling and enigmatic cases. Despite having previously covered Darwin's disappearance within their first hundred episodes, the hosts felt compelled to retell and re-examine the story, especially since the original episode is no longer available in their catalog.

Notable Quote:

"If the title of this episode, the name of the man we're going to talk about today, sounds familiar, it is, because we covered this case like within the first year of starting Going West."
— Darwin Vest, [01:38]

---

Background of Darwin Vest

Early Life and Career: Darwin Vest, often referred to as "Dar," was born on April 22, 1951, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Margaret and Waldo Vest. Growing up alongside his sister Rebecca and brother David, Darwin developed a deep passion for science, particularly entomology—the study of insects. Despite not holding a formal degree, his self-taught expertise made significant contributions to the field, notably in the classification and study of the hobo spider.

Family and Personal Life: Darwin's upbringing was influenced by his Mormon faith, though he later identified as agnostic. He co-owned and managed Eagle Rock Research with his sister Rebecca, further cementing his dedication to scientific inquiry. Beyond his professional pursuits, Darwin enjoyed social activities like trivia nights and cherished solitary walks by the Snake River.

Notable Quote:

"Darwin was a fascinating guy in a doomed F. Scott Fitzgerald sort of way. A quiet, soft-spoken intellectual with a neatly trimmed beard..."
— Teeth, [07:13]

---

The 1996 Assault

Three years prior to his disappearance, on March 5, 1996, Darwin was brutally assaulted while walking home from a local restaurant in Idaho Falls. The incident left him severely beaten but alive, with minimal memory of the event. The assailants, identified as Don Ellingford and Randy Walker, had a history of criminal activity, including drug charges and theft. Don, particularly resentful, had vowed revenge on Darwin, culminating in a death sentence of three years in prison.

Impact of the Assault: The attack scared Darwin, impacting his sense of safety in his own community. However, he remained resilient, continuing his scientific endeavors and even securing significant business deals, such as the invention of a hobo spider trap sold to Fred Meyer.

Notable Quote:

"This feels like a trend, though, of, you know, guys like him, because I feel like we're always talking about how perpetrators blame the victim."
— Daphne, [16:26]

---

Darwin's Return to Idaho Falls and New Opportunities

By 1999, Darwin had returned to Idaho Falls, living with his mother in her basement following his father's death. His dedication paid off when Fred Meyer expressed interest in his hobo spider trap, positioning him for potential financial success. Additionally, another company sought his invention, marking a promising period in Darwin's career.

---

The Night of June 2, 1999 – The Disappearance

On a rainy evening, June 2, 1999, Darwin decided to celebrate his recent business successes at the Frosty Gator, a popular local bar. Accompanied by his friend Eric Seneff, Darwin enjoyed an evening of trivia and socializing. Despite Eric offering him a ride home due to the weather, Darwin opted to walk the familiar 12-block route back to his mother's house.

Key Events:

• Meeting Lee Curtis: At the Frosty Gator, Darwin and Eric encountered James Curtis, known as Lee. Despite not being close friends, Lee offered to stay with Darwin as Eric departed.
• Journey to Golden Crown: Post-midnight, Darwin and Lee continued their evening at the Golden Crown, another local bar. Around 1 AM, Darwin decided to make the approximately 15-minute walk home.

Notable Quote:

"I'm your host, Daphne, and you're listening to Going West."
— Daphne, [01:38]

---

Investigation and Suspects

Initial Response: Darwin's absence was quickly noticed by his family when he failed to return home. Margaret Vest reported him missing, prompting a police investigation. Given Darwin's previous assault, authorities initially considered it a crime of opportunity.

Suspects:

1. Lee Curtis: As one of the last individuals to see Darwin, Lee became a person of interest. However, inconsistencies in his alibi and lost evidence (a blood-like substance from his car) complicated the investigation.
2. Don Ellingford: Although incarcerated at the time of Darwin's disappearance, Don's prior threats raised suspicions. Additionally, reports surfaced about Don's nephew, Michael, who had a criminal background and was active in Idaho Falls during the time of Darwin's disappearance.

Evidence and Leads:

• A witness reported seeing a man resembling Darwin floating in the Snake River, but discrepancies in clothing and lack of physical evidence rendered this claim unreliable.
• Police found no substantial evidence linking Lee beyond the lost sample potentially containing Darwin's blood.
• Reddit discussions and personal accounts hinted at possible involvement of Don's nephew, Michael, adding another layer of complexity but still lacking concrete proof.

Notable Quote:

"So Don, of course, wasn't happy about this. And once he was officially found guilty of the crimes against Darwin Vest, he was sentenced to three years in prison."
— Teeth, [15:07]

---

Theories and Speculations

With minimal evidence and multiple potential suspects, several theories emerged:

• Foul Play by Lee Curtis: Given his proximity and prior threats, some believe Lee had the motive and opportunity to harm Darwin.
• Involvement of Michael Ellingford: Dubious activities and criminal behavior paint Michael as a possible accomplice or direct perpetrator.
• Accidental Death via Snake River: Despite discrepancies in the witness account, the possibility of Darwin accidentally falling into the river cannot be entirely dismissed.

The lost evidence and lack of a body further muddy the waters, leading to lingering questions without definitive answers.

Notable Quote:

"It would have been out of the way to walk along the river, and it would not have led to his mother's house... he grew up in Idaho Falls. He made this very walk countless times."
— Teeth, [33:23]

---

Aftermath

Five years post-disappearance, in March 2004, Darwin's family legally declared him dead. The lack of closure remained painful, especially with the passing of Darwin's mother, Margaret, in 2011, and Lee Curtis in 2015. The case remains unsolved, with Darwin's family still yearning for answers and the community left to ponder the mysterious circumstances surrounding his vanishing.

Continued Efforts:

• The Idaho Falls Police Department remains open to tips and hopes for new evidence.
• The podcast hosts advocate for renewed public interest and assistance in solving the case.

Notable Quote:

"None of those close to him believe that he could have or would have fallen into the Snake River."
— Daphne, [35:06]

---

Conclusion

"Darwin Vest" stands out as one of the most perplexing and heartfelt cases discussed on Going West: True Crime. The combination of Darwin's intriguing personality, his significant contributions to science, and the baffling nature of his disappearance makes this story particularly compelling. Hosts Daphne and Heath urge listeners to keep Darwin’s memory alive by sharing his story and contributing any information that could shed light on his fate.

Final Thoughts:

"I really hope this doesn't go cold forever because like you're saying he was such an amazing man."
— Heath Merryman, [47:18]

---

Call to Action

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Darwin Vest, please contact the Idaho Falls Police Department at 208-529-1200. Your assistance could be pivotal in bringing closure to a devastated family and solving a lingering mystery.

---

Thank you for tuning into this episode of Going West: True Crime. Stay connected for more riveting true crime stories every Tuesday and Friday.

Transcript

[Teeth]

I just heard that FX has a.

[Daphne]

New original comedy series coming out called Adults. Adults is a comedy that'll feel relatable if you ever find humor in the struggles of being an adult in 2025. You know, like remembering your full Social Security number or to drink water or perhaps having your third existential crisis of the month.

[Teeth]

Best part is that all episodes will.

[Daphne]

Be ready for your next weekend binge.

[Teeth]

Watch FX's Adults May 28 on FX.

[Daphne]

All episodes streaming on Hulu.

[Teeth]

Real businesses rely on Spectrum Business.

[Daphne]

Get the fastest, most reliable Internet starting at $40 a month when bundled and.

[Teeth]

Backed by the Spectrum commitment.

[Daphne]

Find a plan that's made for your [e-mail] business restrictions apply.

[Teeth]

Services not available in all areas at Carl's Jr. Lake birds get the bag.

[Daphne]

Build your own bag after 8pm for 5.99. Get a Cali classic single fries plus chicken stars or get a spicy chicken sandwich onion rings plus chicken stars.

[Teeth]

This deal is stacked. Don the sack.

[Daphne]

Hit the drive thru. Build your own bag. Just $5.99 only at Carl's Jr. You build it, you eat it.

[Teeth]

Order your bag on the app and unlock even more burgers.

[Daphne]

Insides available for a limited time at participating restaurants. Tax not included. Price may vary. Not valid within the offer discount or combo. See up for details. What is going on? True crime fans? I'm your host, Teeth.

[Teeth]

And I'm your host, Daphne, and you're.

[Daphne]

Listening to Going West.

[Teeth]

Hello everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in today. If the title of this episode, the name of the man we're going to talk about Today, sounds familiar, it is, because we covered this case like within the first year of starting Going West. But this is one that has really stuck with us over the years. And we felt like because that episode is not in our catalog anymore, like our first hundred episodes are gone, it felt like we just really needed to retell this story and re research it.

[Daphne]

And it is such a mysterious case. For any of you guys who listen to the original episode, you'll know what we're talking about. It is strange.

[Teeth]

Well, without further ado, let's dive back into this case.

[Daphne]

All right, guys, this is episode 506 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Teeth]

Sam In June of 1999, a brilliant entomologist vanished into the night after walking home in Idaho Falls. And when police looked into his vanishing, they found many suspicious angles in a strangely familiar situation. Three years earlier, he was assaulted while walking home from a bar and the last person to see him before he went missing Left town that same night with a troubling discovery in his car. Coming up in police's search. So what happened to this man that everyone admired? This is the story of Darwin Vest. Darwin Vest, who often went by Dar, was born on April 22, 1951 in Idaho to Margaret and Waldo Vest. And he had a sister named Rebecca and a brother named David. Darwin and his siblings grew up in Idaho Falls, which is located in eastern Idaho along the massive and gorgeous Snake river and Idaho Falls. I mean, really, it's chock full with national parks and hiking trails and a massive waterfall, obviously hence its name Idaho Falls. And because of this, it is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the state. In 1999, when today's story takes place, Idaho Falls had a population of about 49,000 people. So it's a pretty small city while also being the fourth largest in all of Idaho. During his upbringing, Darwin's mother, Margaret, worked as a licensed cosmetologist, but she also ventured to work in real estate sales and was very much into photography. Darwin's father, Waldo, had fought in World War II alongside his brother Darwin, who was actually killed in the military, but not in a way that you may be imagining. He actually died in a freak accident when he fell off a Navy truck and fractured his skull in 1943. So Waldo decided to name his son, who was born about eight years later, after his beloved brother Darwin. So there was a lot of love for Darwin since the moment he was born. There was also religion in the household as Darwin and his siblings were raised Mormon. But he later left the church and considered himself more of an agnostic. I mean, he was very much a man of science, and he built his passions and career around science, specifically entomology, which is the study of insects. This was a major love of Darwin's.

[Daphne]

I think it's pretty interesting that his family was kind of religious, but I don't know, just making that connection to Darwin, you know what I mean?

[Teeth]

I wonder if his uncle was named after Charles Darwin or where that name really comes from.

[Daphne]

Well, either way, Darwin was a pioneer in the field of entomology, mostly due to his work with the hobo spider, which he helped classify and also name. Hobo spiders are brown aggressive house spiders, not to be confused with the brown recluse spider, which is actually very deadly. And Darwin helped study exactly how dangerous they really are. He was fascinated by these creatures, and after spending much of his time studying their toxicology, he determined that their bites can cause irreversible tissue damage. Darwin was self taught in his field, but he really knew a lot about the subject after spending many years learning everything he could, Particularly about spiders, snakes and even poisonous plants. I mean, his work was so impressive that he would sometimes help the FBI and the CIA with relevant questions and tests and sometimes testify about poisonous bites whenever relevant. He also appeared on the Discovery channel a few times.

[Teeth]

So I'm sure that made him proud to do that.

[Daphne]

Yeah, it's a really interesting little fun fact there. And he also went on to own and run a lab called Eagle Rock Research with his sister Rebecca right there in Idaho Falls.

[Teeth]

And I know she helped him a lot with like his research and studies in general. So this was a shared passion of theirs for sure.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And they were super close. But not to confuse you guys, I'm gonna go back in time for a sec before they started their business. Back to when Darwin was in his early twenties. Now in the late 1970s, Darwin moved an eight hour drive away to Moscow, Idaho, which is right on the Idaho Washington border, on the complete opposite side of the state from where he grew up in Idaho Falls. And while living there, he was close to Washington State University in Pullman, the Cougars, which was where he could read textbooks regarding different venomous creatures. And it's also where he did his own research and studying regarding entomology. This is when he really started to learn a ton. And like I mentioned before, he did all of this on his own. Like he didn't receive a degree or even attend wsu, but he was able to work alongside the other research scientists for his own studies. So it's kind of interesting. Like he didn't even go to this college. He would just go to the library and like sit there and study on his own.

[Teeth]

But like what a self motivated guy. Like you're not going to the college, but you are. And you're probably studying a lot more than the people who actually go there. Just you can learn about a very specific interest of yours so that you can explore it professionally. Like that's really cool.

[Daphne]

I mean he probably deserved a scholarship. I don't know why he didn't get one. Well, he lived in Moscow for about 10 years and during his time there he was also working as a projectionist at a small movie theater called Micro Movie House. Because not only was he a genius when it came to insects, but he was also a mechanical whiz as well.

[Teeth]

I love Darwin. I mean, he just seemed like such a passionate and wonderful guy. Like he seemed so wholesome and smart and I hate that something so mysterious happened to him because clearly he was this awesome human.

[Daphne]

Oh, yeah, definitely. Very, very intelligent. Seemed like he really cared about knowledge and learning.

[Teeth]

Great head on his shoulder. So Darwin worked at the cinema to help support his living while he studied independently at the university. And people who came to the theater knew him as Spider Man. Like, that's what they called him. And they would sometimes bring different spiders to him.

[Daphne]

There was.

[Teeth]

Or like, if they got bitten, they would ask him for some advice because they're like, darwin's a spider man. He knows his shit.

[Daphne]

That's such a strange thing to do. I'm gonna.

[Teeth]

It's so cute, though.

[Daphne]

No, I. No, I know it is. But like, I'm gonna bring some spiders to the movie theater for you to look at.

[Teeth]

I can't imagine that many people did that.

[Daphne]

Yeah, probably not.

[Teeth]

You know, this is like Idaho and Washington, so lots of Pacific Northwest scenery. I'm sure there are many instances where you could come across a spider. But he. It seemed like he was getting other people into insects as well. And I actually read this whole write up by a screenwriter named stephen bingen on worldcinemaparadise.com regarding the magic of this particular theater that Darwin worked at, because Steven himself was also employed there while he was attending the university. So in his article, he discussed not only the theater, but also how Darwin was like this maestro in the projection booth and so much more. And here is an excerpt that I really want to read. It's about Darwin. He said, quote, darwin was a fascinating guy in a doomed F. Scott Fitzgerald sort of way. A quiet, soft spoken intellectual with a neatly trimmed beard and an air of always being three steps ahead of everyone else, but of being too polite to let on. He once invited me out for drinks after, or maybe it was before a shared shift at the micro. All I wanted to speak about was movies. Usually he was fine with this, but on this night, he seemed to want to talk to me about some mysterious, impenetrable research that he was engaged in on campus. I was still obsessing about the Herzog film our projectors had been mauling that week. But to be polite, I finally asked him what exactly it was he had been doing behind locked doors in the chemistry building every day. He took a drink and then looked around as if spies might be lurking behind the potted ferns. Cancer, he finally whispered. You've got it. I've cured it. He then told me exactly what it was that he had been working on. Something venom related, surely, which had somehow led to his mysterious Kitchen sink, cancer cure. But I could follow what he told me no more than I could repeat any of it today. All I can recall is that he said that in every test he had performed, the cancer cells had retreated. Darwin said it needs a lot more work. Years of work maybe, but someday.

[Daphne]

So obviously, as you guys can tell, we're not just hyping up Darwin for no reason. I mean, this guy is incredibly smart. He's sitting there trying to cure cancer in a chemistry lab and he thinks he's onto something. And many people said that they didn't know a single person who didn't like him. He was very devoted to his work and he was reportedly asexual. So he wasn't really focused on romance or relationships. He was just concentrated on his work. He did have a girlfriend in the past that was pretty serious. But after they split up, he didn't really do any dating and just mostly focused on himself and his community. At Darwin's core, he just really loved science and he also loved a good drink. So when he wasn't working, you could usually find him at a local watering hole having a beer or possibly a few. He would sometimes go with friends, but usually he walked to the bar alone. Cause he really enjoyed walking. So that's another thing about Darwin. And he would often take strolls by the Snake river nightly, especially after he moved back to Idaho falls in the 1980s. But horrifically, in 1996, he was actually assaulted during one of his walks home. On the Evening of Tuesday, March 5, 1996, 44 year old Darwin walked to a local restaurant for a late night solo dinner. As he sometimes would do, minding his own business. After he ate, he relaxed with a couple alcoholic beverages and enjoyed his quiet time alone. Now, the rest of the night's events are a little bit foggy in Darwin's memory, but what he does know is that after leaving this restaurant after 1am Two men got out of a car and mugged and assaulted him before leaving him for dead. A little while later, Darwin was discovered beaten yet alive and laying on the side of the road by local Idaho Falls police with hardly any memory as to what exactly happened to him. The officer helped Darwin get back home and tried to uncover the story of what happened to him. But he only remembered bits and pieces and really wasn't able to recall even those small details until the following day after he rested. Now, like we've mentioned, Darwin wasn't known to have any enemies. So it kind of bewildered police why someone would physically assault him so viciously but at that point, they just kind of felt like maybe it was a crime of opportunity. Since Darwin's wallet was missing, police were able to track his bank purchases to try and find the assailants. And they discovered that Darwin's card was used at a local motel and his name was used on the reservation. The card was also used the next day at a restaurant in Idaho Falls and then at a gas station.

[Teeth]

So these guys are very much leaving a trail behind them. Which is why with further investigation, police were quickly able to determine that the men behind Darwin's assault were 31 year old Don Ellingford and another guy named Randy Walker. Don at this point had a pretty extensive criminal record, mostly regarding drug charges and theft. And he had been in and out of prison much of his adult life. So Idaho Falls police charged him with assault and robbery. And Darwin told police that he wanted to follow through with the charges to put Don in prison where he belonged. I mean, rightfully so. Darwin did not want to let these guys slide. But Don, of course, wasn't happy about this. And once he was officially found guilty of the crimes against Darwin Vest, he was sentenced to three years in prison. So in court for all to hear, Don told Darwin that he was going to get him. And remember that this happened in 1996 and today's story takes place in 1999, three years later. And by the way, Don had just gotten out of prison too, so he was pissed that he had to go back, even though it was obviously of his own doing.

[Daphne]

Yeah, that's your fault, you idiot.

[Teeth]

This feels like a trend, though, of, you know, guys like him, because I feel like we're always talking about how perpetrators blame the victim. But this really was kind of a chilling thing for this guy to say, especially with what was to come now in early 1999. So about three years after Darwin's assault, things were looking up. Darwin had invented a hobo spider trap. And since that particular kind of spider is popular in the Pacific Northwest. And he pitched to Fred Meyer, which is a big PNW supermarket, in hopes of selling it there.

[Daphne]

Ah, good old Freddy's.

[Teeth]

And in the spring of 1999, they had actually expressed interest in selling his invention to help people trap these dangerous creatures. So he not only is helping figure out, he named it this spider. He helped figure out what makes it so dangerous and what it does. And now he's helping people catch them in their homes so that they don't get bitten by them. And because Fred Meyer is such a major store, this was a Big deal. Deal for Darwin and his sister Rebecca, especially since Darwin had done so much work in this particular field and he hadn't really made very much money from it at all. And now he finally had this chance at success in something he was really passionate in. But not only this, there was another deal on the table from a different company who wanted this same spider trap that Darwin signed the very day he went missing. So that night, which was June 2, 1999, Darwin decided that he would celebrate.

[Daphne]

And let me paint a little picture of that night for you guys. So it was a brisk late spring evening in Idaho Falls and it was raining. But the rain didn't stop Darwin from walking to the bar with the fear from his assault three years prior dissipated by then. Now at this time, newly 48 year old Darwin was living at his mother's house in her basement, which was fairly close to downtown where he spent most of his social time. This living situation was mostly due to the fact that his father, waldo had died eight months earlier at the age of 72. So Darwin just kind of being the kind hearted man that he was, wanted to help take care of his mother while he also worked on his inventions from his basement room. So that night around 8pm, he made the 12 block trek from his home to a popular Idaho Falls sports pub and eatery called the Frosty Gator, where he met his friend Eric Seneff for trivia night. I mean, of course, of course Darwin is gonna be at trivia night.

[Teeth]

Oh yeah, he loves trivia.

[Daphne]

Well, after a few pictures of beer and an evening of trivia, Eric was just ready to call it a night. Eric had driven himself downtown that evening. So he offered Darwin a ride home since again, it was a pretty rainy night. But Darwin declined and stated that he would walk home as he always did. So with that, Eric went on his way. But Darwin, he would mysteriously vanish after this, never to be seen again.

[Teeth]

We all have that piece. You know the one, the thing that's so you. You've basically become known for it. And if you don't have yours yet, you'll find it on ebay. Let me put you on fashionistas. Ebay is where you'll find those. One of a kind. Can't stop researching. Stay up dreaming about pieces. I'm talking that Miu Miu off the Runway red leather bomber, the Cousto Barcelona top with the cowboy on it. Or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway. All these finds are on ebay and they even offer millions of main character pieces backed by authenticity guarantee. Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion eBay things people love Ever since switching to T Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines. Oh, right this way. Who me? I can see stream shows at 30,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band. It's not just you. With T Mobile everyone can get VIP status. That means access to exclusive events and experiences just for being a customer. At T Mobile, VIP means y ou Check out the VIP treatment at T mobile.com benefits what if I told you that right now millions of people are living with a debilitating condition that's so misunderstood many of them don't even know that they have it. That condition is Obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD. I'm Dr. Patrick McGrath, the Chief Clinical Officer of NOCD and in the 25 years I've been treating OCD, I've met so many people who are suffering from the condition in silence, unaware of just what it was. OCD can create overwhelming anxiety and fear around what you value most, make you question your identity, beliefs and morals, and.

[Daphne]

Drive you to perform mentally and physically.

[Teeth]

Draining compulsions or rituals. Over my career, I've seen just how.

[Daphne]

Devastating OCD can be when it's left untreated.

[Teeth]

But help is available.

[Daphne]

That's where NOCD comes in. NOCD is the world's largest virtual therapy provider for obsessive compulsive disorder.

[Teeth]

Our licensed therapists are trained in exposure and Response Prevention Therapy, a specialized treatment proven to be incredibly effective for OCD. So visit nocd.com to schedule a free 15 minute call with our team. That's nocd.com building a business may feel like a big jump, but On Deck small business loans can help keep you afloat with lines of credit up to $100,000 and term loans up to 250,000. OnDeck lets you choose the loan that's.

[Daphne]

Right for your business.

[Teeth]

As a top rated online small business lender, OnDeck's team of loan advisors can help you find the right business loan to fit your needs. Visit ondeck.com for more information. Information Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by On Deck or Celtic Bank. On Deck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amount subject to lender approval.

[Daphne]

Work Management Platforms ugh. Endless onboarding IT bottlenecks admin requests but what if things were different? Monday.com is different. No lengthy onboarding, beautiful reports in minutes, Custom custom workflows you can build on your own easy to use prompt free AI huh. Turns out you can love a work management platform. Monday.com the first work platform you'll love to use.

[Teeth]

McCormack knows unbeatable flavor starts with the right spices. It's why we created Flavor Sealed. So anytime you peel back the seal of McCormick herbs and spices, you can be confident they will pack the same amount of flavor as the day they were packed. The kind of flavor that brings out the best of your favorite recipes and keeps everyone coming back for seconds or maybe even thirds. McCormick flavor sealed for Unbeatable Flavor.

[Daphne]

While.

[Teeth]

Darwin and Eric were at the bar that night, again June 2, 1999, they ran into a 45 year old man named James Curtis who went by Lee, and Lee was their casual acquaintance and fellow Idaho Falls native. Now, Darwin and Lee were not close. Basically, Darwin tolerated Lee. He wasn't a huge fan of him, but he didn't make a problem of it. But when Eric left for the evening around 11.40pm, Lee told Eric that he would take care of Darwin because at this point Darwin was pretty intoxicated. So he's kind of like, you go ahead Eric, I'll stick back with Darwin. I'll make sure he's good. Now, it being a Wednesday, the Frosty Gator reportedly closed at midnight. So Darwin and Lee actually left within just 20 minutes of Eric. But they decided to keep the night going and they headed over to another bar to continue drinking and hanging out. About two blocks away was a dive bar called the Golden Crown, which was located in a basement in downtown Idaho Falls. So after midnight they sat at the bar and had a beer. But shortly afterwards Lee left by himself and Darwin stayed behind for a little while longer until around 1am when he decided to make the 15 minute ish walk home. So Lee left, Darwin left after him. But weirdly enough, around 15 to 30 minutes after Darwin left, Lee Curtis returned to the Golden Crown and asked the bartender where Darwin was, but they told him that he had left. Now I read from one report that Darwin went to the bathroom and when he came back out, Lee was gone. So then Darwin left. So it was like maybe they had just kind of missed each other in that way.

[Daphne]

Kind of like the perfect timing, I guess.

[Teeth]

Yeah, exactly. And so either way, they both left the bar. But then it's just kind of weird that Lee did come back looking for him. But anyway, the night passed and morning came and Darwin's mother awoke and couldn't find Darwin in the house. And she also hadn't heard him come home the night Prior. So she called around to various people asking if anybody had seen him, but nobody had. Obviously, Darwin is a grown man of almost 50, but this was very unlike him still, because even if he had stayed out, whether it was after he met a woman, even though, remember, he was asexual, or, you know, he was out having fun with a buddy, he would have let his mother know that he wasn't going to be home so that she wouldn't worry. And as far as she knew, he just went to Trivia with his buddy Eric. But also, he really wasn't known to stay out all night and not return. So his mother, Margaret, called the Idaho Falls police and reported him missing. And I just imagine, like, in her mind, she was thinking back to three years earlier when Darwin had been attacked while walking home in their small city of under 50,000 people. So I feel like that coupled with it being unusual that he didn't come home, she wasn't about to waste any time.

[Daphne]

Yeah, it definitely makes sense. She's also an elderly woman, and she knows that he's there to take care of her, so it just doesn't make any sense to her.

[Teeth]

Yeah, exactly. Well, on top of police, Margaret had also called Eric that morning to see if he knew where Darwin was. But Eric had been out of town all day with his family. And this is reportedly a credible, a very credible alibi. So he didn't even find out until that night that Darwin was missing. Like, Eric woke up that morning, went out with his family, and then came back home later and was like, wait, Darwin's missing? What? The last I saw of him, he was at the bar with Lee. And then Eric went right out and looked for Darwin. He has been such an advocate in finding his friend. And although Eric was not the last person to see Darwin, he was one of the last. So he was brought down to the station as soon as police reached him just to give a report of what happened the night before and really just how uneventful it was. You know, they had some beers together before Eric left without him. But he did provide something helpful to police, that Lee Curtis was one of the last people to see Darwin.

[Daphne]

Well, since Lee had also gone out of town that day, he wasn't able to be questioned by police immediately. But his family explained to police on his behalf that Lee had been dropped off at home that morning around 1am by a taxi, which was confirmed. But the members of his family reported that he had gotten home at different times. So it's pretty hard to confirm exactly when he walked through the door that evening, Especially when you add the fact that he had allegedly returned to the bar in search of darwin after darwin himself had left. So it was just all very convoluted. After about a week, Police finally got in touch with lee, who had already heard that Darwin had gone missing, but hadn't gone to the police on his own with his account on the night. And basically, to explain this, he said that he had to get back to Utah For a military event of sorts, which was supposed to explain his sudden departure back home. Though police still found this very strange, Especially considering the fact that. That lee left that same night to utah, which is where he lived. He was only in idaho falls Visiting family, Meaning that he had been out drinking and then left to go to a different state that very night.

[Teeth]

That's just kind of weird. Like, if he was there visiting family, and you know that you have to leave that night to go back home to a different state. Which, to be fair, Salt lake city is only like, three hours away from idaho falls. But state still, you go out drinking until 1 in the morning, and then you. You take a taxi home instead of driving, because you've probably had some drinks, but you're able to drive hours back home to Utah. That's just so weird to me.

[Daphne]

It is pretty strange. I mean, I wonder if, like, maybe he slept it off for, like, an hour or two and then ended up driving three hours. But.

[Teeth]

But still, why, like, why do. Why not just go back to Utah?

[Daphne]

Yeah. I don't know. Well, Lee explained to police that on the night that Darwin disappeared, Darwin was very drunk. According to lee, he tried to get Darwin to drink coffee, but instead, he ordered another beer, which he did not finish. During the 15, 30 minutes that Lee was gone, he was allegedly at a local atm, Getting some cash. But when the ATM wasn't working, he returned to the bar to find Darwin. And when darwin wasn't at the bar anymore, Lee called a cab and he just simply went home. But there was a lot of complications with his story because lee said that he just couldn't remember much else.

[Teeth]

Yeah, like, a week had passed. He had been at another bar that night, Obviously, with darwin, so he couldn't really remember the event other than that. But it was definitely feeling a little bit fishy. And according to police reports, they thought of lee as a potential suspect Enough to search his car. And when they did, they found traces of a substance that appeared to be blood. Obviously, just because it appears to be blood does not mean that it is, but it was weird enough to them that they collected the evidence for processing. But that particular evidence got lost and never ended up getting tested. Which, it's obviously so frustrating when this happens in cases anyway. But, like, this is literally the only potential piece of evidence we have, and.

[Daphne]

You lost it and it's gone. I really don't understand how this happens. It happens in so many fucking cases.

[Teeth]

Like, you would think if this is connected to a missing. If there's a piece of evidence from a missing person's case, you're gonna be more careful with it. Especially because they never tested it. So why? I don't know. It's so infuriating and it's so important because this very much could have not been blood. It could have been ketchup. It could have been a stain of some other kind. But now we just don't know. Well, nothing else was found in Lee's home or his car that pointed to him having anything to do with Darwin's disappearance. And they didn't have a body. So police still weren't even sure if foul play was a viable option. And this is where the Snake river comes into play, because Lee told police that he wondered if Darwin had simply fallen in on his way home. Which makes you wonder if this is like, a helpful suggestion or an attempt at throwing suspicion in the other direction. So you guys know the Snake river is about three blocks away from the area that Darwin was bar hopping in that night. But to go home, he would not have passed by this river. It would have been out of the way to walk along the river, and it would not have led to his mother's house. And although he was drunk, it's very unlikely that he would have taken a detour or gotten lost because it was raining. He already had a 15 minute or so walk ahead of him. And as we know, he grew up in Idaho Falls. He made this very walk countless times.

[Daphne]

Yeah, And I'm sure he made that walk countless times drunk as well. It's like one of those things where you just kind of like you're not. No matter how drunk you get, you know your way back home from the bar that you often go to.

[Teeth]

Yeah, it's like you're on autopilot.

[Daphne]

Yeah.

[Teeth]

But still, police started to consider, of course, at least consider the possibility that he fell into the Snake river anyway, also. So you guys know the Snake river is one of the major rivers in the Pacific Northwest and the ninth largest in the whole United States. It goes from Washington partially into Oregon, all across Idaho, and then into Wyoming. So it is very Large and creepily enough. The day after Darwin's disappearance, a woman called the police stating that she believed she saw the body of a man floating down the Snake river that morning, which would have been probably over 24 hours after Darwin went missing because he disappeared again on the early morning hours of June 2nd and she called police on June 3rd. So it's hard because this report has not been released to the public. So we don't know if she's talking about the morning of June 2nd or the morning of June 3rd. But either way, this woman lived just south of Idaho Falls. And this could make sense because the river runs south. So if Darwin had either fallen into the river or been killed and thrown into the river, his body would have gone south down the river. Meaning this woman's sighting could be correct from these facts alone. But by the time police got to this area, they didn't find anything.

[Daphne]

See, I kind of want a little more detail on this witness sighting or this account because, I mean, it's a river, it's June, people float the river all the time.

[Teeth]

True.

[Daphne]

So is it possible that somebody was just floating the river or was she close enough to go, hey, that person is fully clothed and they're floating down the river and it looks like a body?

[Teeth]

That's so true. That is what can be so dangerous about sightings like this. As we've talked about across many other cases, sometimes people report seeing a particular person that's in the news or they've seen a missing poster and they say, hey, I saw that girl this morning. And then it turns out that she, you know, when they find her body, she was dead before that person made the sighting. So it's like, is what this woman's saying even true? Was it a dead body? Was it Darwin? But it's so hard because when you mention something like this in a case like this, a lot of people automatically will write it off and say, oh, well, that was probably just him. But without way more details, we really don't know.

[Daphne]

And the sad thing here is that police themselves admitted that the search that they did of that river was not very thorough. Since rivers flow at different speeds depending on various factors, we're not sure how fast the river runs past Idaho Falls. And the same thing goes for the depth. You know, that varies as well depending on where you are. So we can't really be sure about this either. But we do know that there's a large dam there and the river appears to be very wide and likely pretty deep as well. In Idaho Falls, east And parallel to the bar's downtown. Water temperatures around this time of year were usually around 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 degrees Celsius. But since there was still snow runoff from the colder months, it definitely could have been a lot colder. And just so you guys know, at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius, you can freeze to death within an hour. So did Darwin walk down to the river for a relaxing walk home? Did someone put him in the river? Or is this phone call completely unrelated to Darwin's disappearance? And those close to Darwin do not believe that he would have fallen into the river even if he was drunk. Not only does this area along the river not really give anybody an easy opportunity to simply fall in, but they feel that he was too cautious for this to occur. And again, it really wouldn't have made that much sense for him to be walking by the river at all that night. Also, Darwin went missing wearing Levi's, 501 jeans and a black leather jacket. But the apparent man in the river had a complete, completely different outfit on. Though police haven't publicly reported exactly what the woman claimed he was wearing. But it was different enough to cast some major doubt in their minds.

[Teeth]

Well, other than Lee, Someone that should come to mind in Darwin's disappearance is Don Ellington, the man who had assaulted him on the streets of Idaho falls three years earlier. But at the time Darwin went missing, Don was still incarcerated for his crimes against Darwin. And this was confirmed by prison officials. The night that Darwin went missing again, June 2, 1999, there were apparently three bed checks done that confirmed Don's presence. And since his sentence was almost complete, it does kinda seem silly that he would risk more jail time anyway by essentially putting a hit on Darwin. He was so mad that he had to go back for those three years as it was. Even though it is definitely possible that he had someone, you know, like, get rid of Darwin for him to keep his word from court. Because, remember, he told Darwin that he would get him, but of course, there.

[Daphne]

Was just no evidence that anything like this happened.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And also him saying, I'm going to get you could have just been the heat of the moment upset thing. That doesn't necessarily mean he had a plan.

[Daphne]

Sure.

[Teeth]

But it's very interesting. Now, we do know that don had a 27 year old nephew who lived in this area in the Idaho Falls area, and his name is Michael. And the day after Darwin went missing, Police were called to a home in Idaho falls After neighbors reported hearing the sound of windows being broken. Police reported to the scene and upon arrival heard what seemed to be the sound of a shotgun being pumped. That's when they found an intoxicated Michael Ellingford inside and they arrested him since they had multiple warrants out for his arrest. So all that to say Don's nephew Michael was in Idaho Falls and had been committing other crimes. So it is possible that he could have had some kind of involvement after being directed by his Uncle Don. But again, we don't have any hard evidence to support these claims. Now I did find something on Reddit that I found interesting. Obviously Reddit is an open forum, so take this with a grain of salt, but a commenter named Cody said on a Darwin Vest thread, quote, my mom was married to Don's nephew Mike. So Michael in the early 2000s, Mike was the kind of guy who would sell people Sheetrock when they'd screw him over on drug deals and beat up gay people at the Front Fruit Loop, which was a gay meetup spot.

[Daphne]

So he's just a piece of shit.

[Teeth]

Yeah, very much so. He continues saying, I posted a few years ago on Idaho Cold Cases that I remember my ex stepdad talking about Darwin Vest and I remember asking him if he did murder him. He purposefully made himself look suspicious, but it didn't seem genuine. The SWAT team was called to Mike's house because he was intoxicated on a certain upper drug and shot out the window of his house. Like next day or very shortly after the disappearance. IFPD believe that he could have been a suspect as well. They even came and excavated the backyard to see if Darwin was buried there. Someone messaged me related to Darwin Vest and asked me to help give more information, but I have nothing concrete that he murdered Darwin Vest. My mom seems to recall that Don, Mike and some other guy beat up Darwin sometime before before the disappearance. Maybe the same as referenced in the original poster story, which is how the Ellingfords are related to this. My mom thinks they should find out who that third person was, but other than that, she'd have turned him over in a heartbeat had she known that he really did murder someone. So yeah, obviously what he's talking about there is the incident that I just relayed and it seems like he and his mom don't know that that third guy was named or I guess the second guy in the attack on Darwin in 1996. But it has not been publicly released. What police have to say about the other guy, Ricky, and if it seems like he was involved or what really.

[Daphne]

Happened there Yeah, I mean, there's a few other key players that were free men when Darwin went missing.

[Teeth]

Well, this is the end of that guy's comment. He said, quote, don apparently was murdered at the end of December in a trailer and reary, though Mike lives in Nevada now, so. Yeah. Don Ellingford was killed at age 56 by a gunshot wound in December of 2020. And the shot that killed him was fired from outside of his camper trailer. And his killer still hasn't been identified. So that's pretty wild.

[Daphne]

Yeah, that's a pretty wild, like just kind of offshoot to Darwin's case.

[Teeth]

But it makes you wonder if Don was involved. If I said Ricky before, it's Randy, I don't know why I said Ricky.

[Daphne]

No, it's okay. Yeah, we know what you meant. Randy.

[Teeth]

Randy. I don't know what's up with Randy. I don't know if I'm assuming that Don was killed by somebody because of his other crimes and maybe his involvement in drugs or something like this Feels like it was a hit.

[Daphne]

Well, something really strange about Don is During June of 1999, he was a part of this program at the Idaho Falls Correctional Facility where they let the inmates out during the days to work, but they would have to return at night. As we know, those nighttime bed checks did happen, but that doesn't account for the daytime, leaving many to wonder if dawn had at least planned something that day for Darwin. Because also the following evening, an inmate in that same facility escaped and didn't return that night. And no one noticed for many hours. So many believe that Dawn Allingford could have escaped that night undetected, killed Darwin, and then returned without being noticed.

[Teeth]

Even though that sounds kind of insane.

[Daphne]

Kind of sounds like a movie, doesn't it? Yeah, pretty far fetched. Well, Darwin's family has expressed that they believe that it is a possibility. But that's obviously the problem with this case. You know, there's no evidence and just a lot of different strange things of note that don't concretely steer us towards any conclusion. And then of course, many people wonder if his spider trap business could have been at the epicenter of what happened to him. Like a jealous competitor or someone who wanted the money that he was getting from the new deals that he was landing, though he hadn't even received payouts yet. So this doesn't hold a lot of weight. Well, in March of 2004, just shy of five years after he went missing, Darwin was legally declared dead by his family, who were heartbroken and still at a complete loss as to what happened to him.

[Teeth]

Over the years, many tips have come in regarding Darwin's disappearance, some of which include theories and leads that Darwin was targeted and murdered. But none of these leads have brought police answers. To this day, his family maintains the belief that foul play is involved, and none of those close to him believe that he could have or would have fallen into the Snake River. Of course, that does not mean that that's not what happened, but we really don't have evidence of anything. So at this point, Darwin's case appears to be at a standstill. There are persons of interest in the case that police have kept quiet on, and there are many other details and rabbit holes that they have not shared with the public just in order to keep the integrity of the investigation, especially if he really was met with foul play. No matter what happened to Darwin, his family is desperate for answers. Sadly, his mother Margaret passed away in May of 2011. So 12 years after Darwin went missing. Her obituary reads, quote, margaret was defined by her unfailing optimism, unconditional love and faith in herself, God and her family. She endured the loss of her husband and son with uncompromising grace and dignity.

[Daphne]

As we know, dawn has since passed away from murder, and Lee Curtis died in his home in July of 2015 at the age of 61. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Darwin Vested, please call the Idaho Falls Police Department at 208-529-1200.

[Teeth]

Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Daphne]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I really feel like this is one of the most mysterious cases we've talked about on this show and not just because of the disappearance, but honestly because Darwin was such an interesting person. He's such an interesting character, a highly intelligent man. And I hope that one day we find out what happened to Darwin Vest.

[Teeth]

I know. I really hope this doesn't go cold forever because like you're saying he was. Was such an amazing man. His family wants to know what happened so bad and they must be so frustrated after all this time that there really is no concrete evidence pointing to answer. So please share his story. Thank you guys so much for tuning into this one. Let us know if you want us to, like, recover old episodes because maybe you heard them years ago and you wouldn't mind hearing them again or you weren't around five years ago to hear this when we were originally covered it. So let us know your thoughts. Thank you guys so much and we will see you on Friday.

[Daphne]

All right guys, so for everybody out.

[Teeth]

There in the world, don't be a stranger.

[Daphne]

Ever since switching to T Mobile, something.

[Teeth]

Weird has been happening. I get to cut lines. Oh, right this way. Who me? I can stream shows at 33,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band. It's not just you. With T Mobile, everyone can get VIP status.

[Daphne]

That means access to exclusive events and.

[Teeth]

Experiences just for being a customer. At T Mobile. VIP means Y o u check out the VIP treatment at T mobile.com benefits.

[Daphne]

Work management platforms endless onboarding IT bottlenecks admin requests but what if things were different? Monday.com is different. No lengthy onboarding, beautiful reports in minutes, custom workflows you can build on your own easy to use prompt, free AI. Huh. Turns out you can love a work management platform. Monday.com the first work platform you'll love.

[Teeth]

To use At Strayer University, we help students like you go from Is it possible? To Anything is possible by offering access to up to 10 no cost gen Ed courses so you can reach your goals affordably and fast. Visit Strayer. Edu to learn more. No cost Gen Ed is provided by Strayer University affiliate sophia. Eligibility rules apply. Connect with us for details. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Chev and has many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia. Busy work weeks can leave you feeling drained.

[Daphne]

Prolon's five day nutrition program rejuvenates you.

[Teeth]

At the cellular level with boxes labeled.

[Daphne]

By day so you know exactly what to eat.

[Teeth]

Developed at USC's Longevity Institute, Prolon supports.

[Daphne]

Biological age reduction, metabolism, skin health and.

[Teeth]

Fat loss when combined with proper exercise and Nutrition. Get 15% off plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com PandoraProMo these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

[Daphne]

Products are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease.

[Teeth]

See site for details.