14 | The Alibi

Summary

Up and Vanished - Episode 14: "The Alibi"

Release Date: September 13, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 14 of Up and Vanished, titled "The Alibi," host Payne Lindsey delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of Joseph Balderas from Nome, Alaska. This episode meticulously unpacks the inconsistencies surrounding Joseph's last known movements, with a particular focus on his roommate, Jake, who emerges as a person of interest due to questionable alibis and suspicious behavior.

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Timeline of Joseph's Disappearance

The episode begins by establishing the timeline of Joseph's last known whereabouts. On Sunday, September 26th, Joseph was reportedly last seen around 1:00 PM. However, conflicting accounts begin to surface, casting doubt on the official narrative.

• Initial Sightings:
  • Jake, Joseph's coworker, claims to have seen Joseph at his house around 1:30 PM on Sunday. (07:41)
  • Contrarily, a caller mentions seeing Joseph exiting his truck before heading to camp, the last time Joseph was seen five to six years prior. (04:36)

Payne Lindsey emphasizes the confusion:

“Trying to connect the dots of every single thing that happened that weekend is like putting together IKEA furniture. Meaning next to impossible.” (04:36)

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Inconsistencies in Jake's Alibi

Jake's statements begin to unravel as more details emerge. Initially, he suggests that on Saturday night, he was bridge jumping with friends and returned around 1:00 AM. However, this alibi falls apart under scrutiny.

• Text Message Contradictions:
  • Jake texted friends Emery and Tyler, stating they took a drive to Solomon at 8:00 PM and returned at 1:00 AM on the night before Joseph disappeared. (17:04)
  • Friends Emery and Tyler deny these claims, stating they were bridge jumping and returned around 9:00 PM. (18:14)

“So they knew at this point Jake had lied twice.” (18:14)

The investigative team discovers that Jake's account doesn't align with witness testimonies, leading to heightened suspicions.

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Interviews and Witness Testimonies

Payne Lindsey conducts multiple interviews to piece together the truth behind Joseph's disappearance.

• Interview with Jim West:

  • Jim West, involved in the search and rescue efforts, provides initial timelines that conflict with Jake's statements. (06:34)

• Private Investigator Andy Clamser's Findings:

  • Andy uncovers that Jake attempted to fabricate an alibi, texting friends to lie about his whereabouts. (14:10)
  • During an interview, Tyler admits that Jake wasn't truthful about his activities, further discrediting his alibi. (22:00)

“I feel pretty strongly that the most likely explanation for Joseph's disappearance is that someone has done something to him.” (12:01)

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The Mythical and Supernatural Angle

As the investigation deepens, local folklore and supernatural theories begin to intertwine with the factual narrative.

• Ishagaks Legend:
  • Jake, under the influence, mentions the Ishagaks—mythical creatures from Alaska Native folklore—as possible perpetrators of Joseph's disappearance. (36:24)

“Maybe he chose the wrong door and he's never coming back again. That maybe Joseph had crossed into some other world.” (36:28)

• Alice Kinnick Glenn's Insights:
  • Alice, an Alaska Native, provides context on traditional storytelling and the significance of these legends, highlighting their role in shaping local beliefs. (37:04)

“I never discount any story as being 100% untrue because there are always lessons to be found.” (37:25)

Despite these eerie narratives, Payne Lindsey remains focused on uncovering concrete evidence, questioning why such supernatural theories are gaining traction over tangible leads.

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Breakthrough and New Evidence

The episode takes a pivotal turn when a crucial piece of evidence surfaces—a Snapchat video timestamped at 12:38 AM on the night of Joseph's disappearance, capturing Jake at a party.

• Victoria's Testimony:
  • Victoria, a close friend, recounts her encounter with Jake at a late-night party, where he was seen interacting intimately with another individual. (40:16)

“Why would he lie about this too?” (40:33)

• Video Proof:
  • A time-stamped video directly contradicts Jake's fabricated alibi, placing him at the party instead of at home playing video games as he claimed. (40:52)

This revelation significantly undermines Jake's credibility and strengthens suspicions around his involvement in Joseph's disappearance.

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Conclusion and Ongoing Investigation

As the episode wraps up, Payne Lindsey reflects on the tangled web of lies, folklore, and unresolved questions that surround the case. While Jake's suspicious behavior and inconsistent alibis present a compelling lead, the mystery remains unresolved, urging listeners to ponder the true circumstances of Joseph Balderas's disappearance.

“What did Jake know? What do you think he's hiding?” (35:00)

The episode concludes by inviting listeners to engage further through the show's Discord and social media platforms, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in unraveling such complex cases.

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Notable Quotes

• Payne Lindsey:
  “Trying to connect the dots of every single thing that happened that weekend is like putting together IKEA furniture. Meaning next to impossible.” (04:36)

• Investigator:
  “I feel pretty strongly that the most likely explanation for Joseph's disappearance is that someone has done something to him.” (12:01)

• Jake:
  “I think the Ishagaks got him. Do you know the Ishagog's pain?” (36:24)

• Alice Kinnick Glenn:
  “I never discount any story as being 100% untrue because there are always lessons to be found.” (37:25)

• Victoria:
  “Why would he lie about this too?” (40:33)

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Final Thoughts

Episode 14 of Up and Vanished masterfully combines investigative journalism with local lore, painting a comprehensive picture of Joseph Balderas's disappearance. Through diligent analysis of testimonies, uncovering of inconsistencies, and exposure of concealed truths, Payne Lindsey invites listeners to engage critically with the evidence, striving to bring clarity to a haunting cold case.

Transcript

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[Payne Lindsay]

Up and Vanished in the Midnight sun is released every Thursday and brought to you absolutely free. But for ad, free listening and exclusive bonuses, subscribe to Tenderfoot plus at tenderfootplus.com or on Apple Podcasts. Up and Vanished in the Midnight sun is intended for mature audiences and may include topics that can be upsetting, such as emotional, physical and sexual violence, rape, and murder. The names of survivors have been changed for anonymity purposes. Testimony shared by guests of the show is their own and does not reflect the views of Tenderfoot TV or Odyssey. Thank you so much for listening.

[Caller]

Fighting. Joseph? Hello? Hello? This is Finding Joseph Hotline. Is anybody there? Hello? Hi. Hello? Who are you trying to call? Nobody. We were just seeing if the phone number will work for the 5E. Joseph? Yeah, yeah, this is the phone number. What were you guys calling for? We were just trying to call a missing guy. A missing guy? We were just trying to call. Okay. Did you know something about a missing person? So my friend says he's seen him out at Council. What did he know? I've seen him the last time before he started hiking. Okay, when? Like five, six years ago. I saw him before he was leaving his truck, but then I went to camp and then a week later I didn't see him anymore. And then what? I saw him, but then I got to camp and then the day I came back, I didn't see him. Okay, where did you see him? Getting out of his truck? I don't Remember, I'm sorry for calling. Bye.

[Investigator]

The voice you heard on the other end of the call was computer generated for their own protection. But it was an actual child who made that phone call. We also chose to take out a few small details for now, details that we believe may be crucial to the investigation, which, as I speak, is very much active. If you're tired of hearing the play by play events of the weekend Joseph went missing, trust me, I am too. But it's something I found myself coming back to over and over again because it just doesn't make any fucking sense. And it's so very important in every case. There's always inconsistencies. But at what point do you say there are too many inconsistencies? Trying to connect the dots of every single thing that happened that weekend is like putting together IKEA furniture. Meaning next to impossible. So impossible that in the nights that I've lost sleep about this, I've sat there pondering why. It's almost as if it was meant to be confusing. I truly try to stay as consciously objective as possible. But no matter how many angles I've looked at this, there are some major flaws and red flags in what people are claiming to have happened the weekend Joseph went missing. But it wasn't until recently that things started to click. I found some tape from an interview the first PI conducted. He's speaking to a man named Jim West. He's one of the guys who helped spearhead the search and rescue efforts for Joseph right after he went missing. He's also the guy who ultimately towed Joseph's truck for police to examine, which we know they didn't. The PI starts the conversation with Jim laying out the days and dates just like you've heard a million times before. Because even eight years ago, he sensed that something didn't make sense. And I'm ready to break this down for you.

[Friend]

Friday night, the 24th. The 25th would have been Saturday, the 26th would have been Sunday, and the 27th would have been Monday.

[Investigator]

Which he didn't show up to work, right?

[Trooper]

Well, there was a wedding Sunday. Sunday. Guys coming back for the wedding early in the morning, they spot the truck coming back in.

[Friend]

Our family friend was getting married that day, so we were coming back in early Sunday, the 26th. The reason it stood out, I mean.

[Witness]

He was right on the edge of the road.

[Friend]

When you're gonna go park off the.

[Investigator]

Road and go do something, you pull off hasty parking job.

[Friend]

Dan, you believe it's between 1040 and 1045 or 1040 and 1050, 1040, 1045.

[Trooper]

Sunday morning. Now Trooper Cross went to his camping council on Sunday.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Trooper Sergeant Cross saw the truck at 1:00.

[Investigator]

A trooper sees his truck the same place at 1pm but then the PI Andy Clamser talked to one of Joseph's coworkers and learned this.

[Jake]

I texted, hi Jake. Search and rescue needs to double check. What day and time did you last see him? Jake responded, it was about 1:00pm on Sunday when I saw him leave.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Sunday, Sunday.

[Jake]

I texted back immediately. Positive Sunday, he says, positive Sunday at 1pm.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Jake said he saw Joseph alive and well in the hallway of the home around 1:30pm on Sunday. Sunday, Sunday morning after Joseph had stopped responding to anyone, which would be a.

[Investigator]

Little out of his character.

[Trooper Sergeant]

And then he was never heard from again.

[Investigator]

But then Jake's story completely contradicts this. So Andy talked to Jake's mother, Bonnie.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Do you recall seeing him at any point during the weekend that he disappeared?

[Caller]

Sunday we were at camp. I'd seen his vehicle drive by. We were outside working on the addition at camp and I remember saying, I mean he didn't stop.

[Trooper Sergeant]

About what time was that?

[Caller]

Three or four in the afternoon.

[Investigator]

Probably one more sighting. But this time Joseph's truck is moving, driving. Where was he heading?

[Trooper Sergeant]

So did Jake mention to you seeing Joseph at the house Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon?

[Caller]

So when I had called Jake and asked him, he said it had to be around one and it was just in passing.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Remember anything else?

[Caller]

He said, well, do you remember what he was wearing? He said no. I mean, we didn't really even talk that much. I mean the age gap was is, Jake's still a young kid.

[Investigator]

Was, is, was. Call me an over analyzer, but recalling what your roommate was wearing the day that they went missing has nothing to do with how well you knew each other. If these accounts are true, then Joseph's just moving around all strange, completely ignoring the love of his life. But as I dug deeper, I found another interview that honestly gave me goosebumps.

[Trooper]

We had one of the last DE briefings and trying to go over different areas or what they covered, you know, and the question is, when was he last seen? In one of the briefings that we had, Bonnie stated very adamant that he was with Christine 1:30 to 3 on the beach Sunday, Sunday or Saturday? I asked her point blank, was it Sunday? And she says yes.

[Friend]

So Bonnie states that she saw him on the beach Sunday.

[Trooper]

Very abrasive about that. She swears that positive was Sunday. So we're getting conflicting information Right from the get go. So I'm sitting there scratching my head again.

[Investigator]

I said okay.

[Trooper]

And then about that time, the family came in. And then she quieted up. Jake said that he seen him Sunday morning. So it doesn't make sense for the truck to be out there and him in town. And I can't. I can't figure it out. Why would the truck be out there and him in town? She was very adamant. Very adamant. That was a Sunday.

[Friend]

Bonnie.

[Trooper]

Bonnie. That he was with Christine on the beach Sunday.

[Friend]

And then she. She started to back off that when family came around. Did that strike you as odd?

[Trooper]

He filed it in the back of my head. I don't know. It seems awful suspicious.

[Friend]

If you were me, what would you want to do? Knowing everything that's been done, where would you want to pick up?

[Trooper]

I'd go back and I'd re interview a roommate.

[Investigator]

Jake.

[Trooper]

I'd lean heavy on him. Selena had noticed a bunch of scratches and stuff. Rosy mark on his cheek. Find out who the hell he was with. Seems awful strange.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Jake continues to say that he observed Joseph coming out of his bedroom about 1:30pm on Sunday and leaving the house. So I called Jake a bunch of times, like 11 times. And he always had his phone set to not accept calls. You know, I feel pretty strongly that the most likely explanation for Joseph's disappearance is that someone has done something to him.

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[Investigator]

Long before this season came out, I was actively trying to contact pretty much every single person in this case, Jake being one of them. My first attempt to contact him was on December 6, 2023. I got his phone number and I texted him. I said, hey, Jake, this is Payne Lindsay. Jake responds, who is this? Why are you trying to contact me? So I said, again, my name is Payne Lindsay. I hope all is well. I'm an investigative journalist. I tried to add you on Facebook recently. Jake replied, yeah, why? I don't know who you are, dude, I've told you who I was twice already. I responded saying, yeah, we've never met. I'm investigating the disappearance of Joseph. I'd love to grab a few minutes of your time. I think it's crucial to closing this case out. Jake's response was, no, thanks. Alrighty then. I said, why is that? I'm trying to help. At this point, my imessages were turning green, so we obviously know what happened there. He blocked me. It's at this point that it all starts to unravel. Alaska state troopers went to Jake's residence. It was partially recorded and I say partially because it seems like some of it's missing. Maybe there was an error. They discovered on his phone after a forensic analysis that Jake had texted his friends Emery and Tyler, trying to create an alibi. I don't have all these texts, but I do have some of them. He texted his friend saying, I had to use you in a story for the state trooper. Friend responded, what did you say? Jake responded, quote, that us three took a drive to Solomon at 8:00pm and got back at 1:00am this is supposed to be the Saturday night the day before he went missing. He asked what I did Saturday and if I saw him and whatnot. Obviously, to the troopers, it looked like Jake was trying to set up an alibi. So they talked to his friends Emery and Tyler, and they have no recollection of this trip, at least in the location that Jake's referring to in Nome, Alaska. As a young adult, a popular thing to do is bridge jumping. Jumping off bridges with your friends into the rivers outside the city. This is what Jake alleged she was doing. But he felt the need to tell his friends that it happened in a place that it didn't and during a period of time that is incorrect, when the troopers talked to Emery and Jake, they found out he lied about where he was going. Where Jake initially claimed he was out by Solomon is hours away from where his friends say they were. So for whatever reason, Jake felt the need to lie about that. This is where we all got to start paying attention in some of this tape you've heard, but I'm about to play you the rest of it.

[Friend]

Jake, originally you told me that you went out for a drive. And then I talked to your buddies and they said that didn't happen. You told me that you specifically went for a drive that way. And then they told me that they weren't with you or that didn't happen. And then I talked to you and I learned that you were out bridge jumping, which is, you know, which is what Tyler had told me. But my issue is when confronted with, hey, what did you do last week? And you know, I wouldn't say I went for a drive someplace I wasn't. To me it seems like either you're lying now because you're covering it, covering it for something that you don't want to tell us about four hour period, or you were lying then, you know, when you told me that you weren't went in a completely different direction with two guys that you weren't with. And either way, it doesn't sound like you're being 100% truthful with me.

[Investigator]

In Jake's alibi text to his friend, he told them to say they got back from bridge jumping at 1am.

[Friend]

But.

[Investigator]

When the troopers talked to his friend Tyler, they learned a different timeframe. So now he's lied twice.

[Friend]

So what time was it that Tyler said that they got back? Tyler said they got back here around 2100. Yeah. So 8 o'clock. So that's the timeframe that, you know, when you guys got dropped off. And you originally told me that you got back here September at 1:30. And I can even say, you know, 12:30 is pretty damn close to 1:30, but it's still not, that's not close to 8:00. So again, we're still back in that we got four or five hours in the evening that I'd love to know what you did. I mean, because I can remember what I did two weeks ago, you know, for you to go, I just don't remember when you remember right up to that point what happened from bridge jumping to 12:30. We're talking about, we got a four, five hour, four or five hour gap.

[Investigator]

In the evening four hour time gap where no one knows where Jake was. The concern about the time gap from 8pm to 12:30am they couldn't make sense of it either. But they knew at this point Jake had lied twice. But their third concern was where Jake was after midnight.

[Friend]

You came back here at 12:30, but what happened after you guys went and Tyler dropped you off? That's the question.

[Investigator]

Who?

[Friend]

Do you remember who you were with?

[Trooper]

I honestly don't.

[Friend]

I really cannot remember. So when you guys came back, where did you go? Did Tyler drop you off somewhere? He dropped you off here, he dropped you off here. He dropped you and Emery off together, or just you did? He dropped Emery off at his house? Jake, what I'm trying to understand is if he dropped you off at midnight 30, he dropped you off and then you say you made it home, midnight 30. So what was the rest of it, brother? What'd you do the rest of the night? I honestly can't remember. It's been so long. Were you drinking that night? Were you drunk when you came back? Or is there any other reason? Is there any reason why you don't remember? I don't.

[Investigator]

So whatever timeline you want to believe here, or whoever's memories messed up, there's still the huge question of where was Jake and what was he doing after midnight? The troopers then go back to Jake's claim that he saw Joseph at his house on Sunday. See, at 1:30 you see Joseph kind of walk.

[Friend]

Is it 1:30 in the morning or 1:30 in the afternoon? In the afternoon. In the afternoon.

[Investigator]

Okay.

[Witness]

My guess is he probably didn't sleep.

[Investigator]

13 hours if he came home at 12. Or is that typical on the weekend.

[Friend]

For you to sleep that long? I might have stayed up later. Two, three. Okay. Just hanging out here, or do you.

[Witness]

Think he might have gotten up okay?

[Investigator]

13 hours of sleep? Really? On a Saturday night in the summer? Maybe, but unlikely you got dropped off and then.

[Friend]

Honestly, somebody's just been playing video games. Okay.

[Investigator]

Finally Jake speaks. Regardless of what happened during the day, which is still an absolute mess and full of lies and contradictory statements, Jake does say that when his friend Tyler dropped him off, he stayed at his house by himself and played video games for the rest of the night, the second private investigator, Andy Clamser, was on a mission. He found Jake's friend Tyler, the one he had texted about making an alibi for Saturday. And the last story that Jake settled on was that he was dropped off by Tyler at his house that night. And from about midnight onward, he stayed at his house by himself and played video games.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Hey Tyler. Hello. I'm Andy Clamser. Nice to meet you. Let's go upstairs to the conference room. I'm a private investigator. I'm a retired cop and I've been doing this for about 20 years. Probably 95% of what I do is just interview people. Seems very odd that they didn't find anything out there. That was a major surge. It's the 1st of October, 2016, 12:58pm and we're at the Aurora Inn conference room in Nome. Recording of an interview with Tyler Ide. So Jake had difficulty remembering events from Saturday or Saturday night. Was he messed up that day? Was he like drinking or.

[Witness]

I don't think he was drinking. Like I said, we went out bridge jumping every weekend. So I mean summertime, it's nice. We saw him jump in the water off the bridge.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Right. So there's this whole issue with the text messages that Jake had sent. Do you still have any of those on your phone?

[Witness]

I don't know. I don't think so.

[Friend]

Do you have your phone with you?

[Narrator]

Could you check real quick all the way back there?

[Witness]

No, I can't do that.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Even if you just check Jakes, there's.

[Witness]

That many, it'd take hours probably. Me and him were best friends. We talk every day, we text every day.

[Trooper Sergeant]

So I mean, did you think it was unusual that Jake was trying to get people to say they were with him Saturday night?

[Witness]

Oh, he wasn't doing that.

[Trooper Sergeant]

He wasn't doing that. What was going on there?

[Witness]

Going on where?

[Trooper Sergeant]

Where he was trying.

[Witness]

Oh, the way he, the, his story went. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told the trooper. Jake didn't know what he was doing, being stupid and he had to come up with a story or something because I don't know, I guess he just wanted the trooper out of his way or something. And like I said, I told Tim Smith the truth. What? I didn't. I just told you. I told you the truth. I'm not gonna lie to you guys. This is somebody's life and I'm not going to lie about that.

[Friend]

Right.

[Trooper Sergeant]

And what did Jake say to you later about that whole thing? Cuz it was a little weird.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Trooper Sergeant]

And about the trooper involvement there.

[Witness]

After Tim told me what Jake said the next day when I went and saw Jake, I said, what the are you thinking? Like don't just make something up. Fucking tell them the truth. Even if you don't, if you don't remember what happened that day, just tell Them. Hey, I don't remember what I did because like I said, it's somebody's life we're dealing with.

[Friend]

Right.

[Trooper Sergeant]

What did Jake say?

[Witness]

He said he's like, all right. Yeah, you're right. Next time, I don't know what I was thinking. So I was like, yeah, next time they come and talk to you, you better tell the freaking truth.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Did you pick up Jake and Emery on Saturday.

[Witness]

To go bridge jumping?

[Trooper Sergeant]

Yeah.

[Witness]

I think so.

[Trooper Sergeant]

So about what time did you guys get out to the bridge on Saturday? And about how long did you stay?

[Witness]

Oh, we've stayed all day. Like I said, it was an all day trip and we met other people out there. We probably left about 3 o'clock, 3 or 4, and then got back, said 10:30.

[Trooper Sergeant]

So what did you do after getting back to Nome on Saturday night? Like about 10:30?

[Witness]

Hung out at Jake's.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Pardon? Hung out at.

[Witness]

Yeah, played some games.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Did you think you went back to Jake's that night?

[Witness]

Yeah, that's why I said we went there and played video games.

[Trooper Sergeant]

How long do you think you were at Drake Saturday night?

[Witness]

I don't know, I. My timer on.

[Friend]

Good.

[Witness]

A lot of these questions are. I don't know why you're asking them.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Saturday night is like a critical thing here with Joseph. And so I'm kind of leading up to asking some other questions about him. One of which is on Saturday night. Do you remember seeing him at all?

[Witness]

No. Like I said, I only seen him once. Once or twice. And that was long before. That was about a month, month and a half before he went missing. Like I said, he was always in his room, door closed. If we're in Jake's room, door was closed. Never saw a guy.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Any idea what time you left Jake's on Saturday night?

[Witness]

No. Probably late at night when we start playing video games. We stay, we play for a couple hours or so. Probably even more than that. So.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Have you ever seen or used Jake's.308 rifle that his dad gave him the summer of 2015?

[Witness]

I think his uncle gave it to him.

[Trooper Sergeant]

You ever shot it or used it?

[Witness]

When I went moose hunting.

[Trooper Sergeant]

What was that?

[Witness]

When did moose hunting open? It opened last month.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Until after this guy went missing?

[Witness]

Oh yeah, definitely. It was September when it went something.

[Trooper Sergeant]

Do you have any suggestions for people I should talk to about his disappearance?

[Witness]

I don't know. You're definitely not talking to the right people though.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Trooper Sergeant]

People associate with Jake.

[Witness]

Well, Jake, myself, whoever. We're wasting your time, you're wasting our time. And we got no beneficial stuff for you. If I had beneficial stuff for you, I'd definitely let you know. Like I said, this is somebody's life. Nothing more I can tell you about it. You watched the movie the Fourth Kind?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Witness]

Well, maybe that's true.

[Investigator]

The movie the Fourth Kind. We've heard this before. Deila mentioned it jokingly in regards to Florence Ocpialik's case. Recapping Tyler's interview with Andy, there's now even more discrepancies. Tyler says on Saturday the bridge jumping was an all day event and there were other people out there. Witnesses, apparently, ones that he couldn't name, though he also said they got back around 10:30pm which contradicts the time that it was once 8pm and the time that it was 12:30am Enough for me to say, what the hell's going on here? It seems like Tyler thinks the boogeyman got him. Now, I'm sure most of us are sitting here shaking our heads and rolling our eyes, which I am too. But that statement alone isn't incriminating per se. But as I've found more information, odd things like this just keep connecting. And my secret friend from Nome, Alaska had a new message for me, unprompted by me knowing this knowledge at all.

[Narrator]

One night we were all sitting around talking about Joseph's disappearance and the atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating. Kim, who has been deeply affected, often couldn't hold back her emotions. She just burst out to her sister Christine, demanding to know, why the fuck did you kill him? Right to her face, over and over again. It was a regular occurrence at family gatherings and you could tell it was tearing that person apart. His disappearance was baffling to many and it sparked so many rumors. There was one rumor that Joseph might have been involved with the CIA, or maybe he had entered witness protection. It sounded crazy, but at the same time, it wasn't just idle gossip. People were connecting dots that led to some dark places. The judge Joseph worked under had abruptly left town the same weekend Joseph disappeared, fueling suspicions that something within the court system might have played a role. It was like peeling back layers of a rotten onion. The more you uncovered, the worse it smelled. But despite the rumor mill, Jake always remained at the center of the storm. He was the last person to see Joseph, and that fact alone put a target on his back. People kept pointing fingers at him, whispering about his strange behavior. He had started asking people for alibis, which only made him look more suspicious. He wasn't sleeping and the guilt seemed to be eating him alive. But was it guilt because he had something to do with Joseph's disappearance? Or was it the crushing weight of being accused by everyone around him? That's what kept everyone on edge. Nobody knew for sure, but the doubt was like a poison, seeping into everything. It was like a shadow that followed him everywhere, even when he tried to sleep. Jake was suffering from nightmares that Joseph was coming back. Why would he be afraid of his roommate coming back? One night, Jake was really drunk, and I brought up the reward money for Joseph. Jake said, I think the Ishagaks got him. Do you know the Ishagog's pain? The Ishagogs is a mythical creature rooted in Alaska native folklore. A malevolent creature that roams the wilderness of Alaska. A shadowy figure with a form that shifts and changes in the darkness. It is said to have a humanoid appearance. Glowing eyes that pierce through the night. Long, thin limbs that enable it to move quickly and silently through the tundra. And Jake had suggested that this mythical creature may have taken Joseph. Jake said maybe he chose the wrong door and he's never coming back again. That maybe Joseph had crossed into some other world. They sounded like his nightmares. There was a story about a creek that had been raging with water one night, only to be completely dry by morning, despite it raining the entire time. It was as if the land itself had swallowed the water, leaving nothing behind. Others talked about hearing strange noises in the wilderness, things moving in the dark, unseen but undeniably there. One person recounted seeing figures walking through the tundra, Figures that shouldn't have been there. They slammed on their brakes, stared, and were sure they saw something. But by the time they tried to make sense of it, the figures were gone, as if they had never been there at all. The stories lingered in the air, each one adding to the growing sense of unease. No one could shake the feeling that something deeply wrong had happened to Joseph. Something that went beyond the ordinary. But then, just as the conversation seemed to be spiraling into pure fear, it all began to circle back to Jake. He was at the center of it all. Everyone's suspicions, everyone's doubts. Was he guilty? Had he done something terrible? Or was he just another victim caught in the web of everyone else's paranoia and fear? What did Jake know? What do you think he's hiding? Pain.

[Jake]

Izhigak. So the base word of izhigak is is, which means eyes. Many of these weirdo creatures or creepy things, they're always, like, alone. That kind of influences me in a way, to think that being alone is wrong. You can't survive by yourself.

[Investigator]

Here's Alice Kinnick Glenn, an Alaska Native who could tell me more about these mythical creatures and the stories told by their ancestors for generations.

[Jake]

Inupiaq people have lived in our area for thousands of years. We have a long history of oral traditional storytelling. In the past, we didn't have written language. The way that we pass down information and lessons was through storytelling. A lot of us younger folks grew up with our elders, sharing stories. Some of them are wild, some of them are, like, unbelievable. But much of it has these intrinsic lessons weaved through each story. You know, most of our Inuit legends were present more in the past prior to Western contact, because with contact brought religion suppressed. A lot of our stories, our dances, our spirituality. In that way, we don't hear them as much because of religious influence. They're not gone. They're still there, but you have to dig a little bit harder to find them. All of these stories still have specific influence and really shapes who we are and the way that we live and interact with one another in the Arctic. And I never discount any story as being 100% untrue because there are always lessons to be found.

[Investigator]

We've got locals Talking about portals, UFOs, referencing the mythical creatures in Alaska Native folklore as to what may have happened to them. Small towns always have stories, but when someone goes missing and the explanations get this wild, we have to ask, why are so many people in this town more focused on otherworldly rumors than on finding Joseph? Or is it that only certain people are because Joseph's family and myself or not? I don't try to add to rumors. My job, 99% of the time is to listen. I sit across from people, microphone in hand, headphones on, and I just try to simply listen to what they have to say. And having done this podcast since 2016. Wow, that's a while ago. I'd like to say I've learned a few things because I can't arrest anybody, because I can get all the evidence one would ever need and present it in a silver platter to whichever authority it is. I can't make them do anything. But what I can do is share the truth from the people who care and expose the lies for everyone to hear. Jake's whereabouts on Saturday are still a mystery. Well, sorta. My new special friend delivered me a message that, in my opinion, blows this case wide open. It's the truth we're after, right? Not rumor. What does it take to look into this case again? Maybe something like physical Proof.

[Narrator]

During the day on Saturday, June 25, I went bridge jumping, but Jake was not there. Later that Saturday night, I went to a party at a camp outside Nome. The party was late. It probably started around 10 or 11pm and went until 4 or 5 in the morning. It was some sort of wedding celebration or something, and there were a lot of people there. Jake was at this party. I know that for certain because I talked to him face to face for over 30 minutes, just me and him. I was having a drink, standing by a keg at the party, and that's when Jake first approached me. We talked for a while, then eventually we walked off on our own. It's a little fuzzy because I had been drinking, but I remember we had a very long conversation off to the side. And then he kissed me. I was standing by my friend's car, still talking to Jake, and some of my friends came up to us. They wanted to go home. It was pretty late at this point. At least 2am in the morning. I left and went home, but Jake stayed at the party. If everyone's putting pressure on Jake to have an alibi for Saturday night, why didn't he mention this to anyone? There were so many people at this party. So many witnesses saw Jake there. It's sketchy that he would lie about this. Tons of witnesses. And the funny thing is, that summer I kept a journal and I wrote down everything I did every day that entire summer. Would you like to see that pain? But it's not just my journal or the witnesses that prove that Jake was there that night. I have video proof he was there. I have a video. I have a Snapchat video. And in it you clearly see him. Idiot even has the date and time stamp on it. 12:38am in the morning that Saturday night. Why would he lie about this too? Pain.

[Trooper Sergeant]

All right, this will be an interview between Andy Clamser and Jake. Is it Steady Benz?

[Friend]

Yes, sir.

[Trooper Sergeant]

And Today's date is 30th September. So can you tell me how well you knew Joseph?

[Investigator]

If you want to dive in deeper into the conversation of this season, go join our discord. The link to it is in the episode description. You can follow me on Instagram, Annzy and Panished. And for ad free listening of up and Vanished and every other Tenderfoot TV show, subscribe to Tenderfoot plus on Apple Podcasts or just go to tenderfootplus.com there's a $50,000 reward. Come get it.

[Payne Lindsay]

Up and Vanished in the Midnight sun is a production of Tenderfoot TV in association with Odyssey. Your host is Payne Lindsay. The show is written by Payne Lindsay with additional assistance from Mike Rooney. Executive producers are Donald Albright and Payne Lindsey. Lead producer is Mike Rooney along with producers Dylan Harrington and Cooper Skinner. Editing by Mike Rooney and Cooper Skinner with additional editing by Dylan Harrington. Supervising producer is Tracy Kaplan. Additional Production by Victoria McKenzie, Alice Kanique, Glenn and Eric Quintana. Artwork by Rob Sheridan Original music by Makeup and Vanity Set mix and mastered by Cooper Skinner. Thank you to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at uta, Beck Media and Marketing and the Nord Group. Special thanks to all of the families and community members that spoke to the team. Additional information and resources can be found found in our show Notes. For more podcasts like up and Vanished, search Tenderfoot TV on your favorite podcast app or visit us@Tenderfoot TV. Thanks for listening.

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