“Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed- no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters in your skull.”
― George Orwell, 1984
In 1949 author George Orwell envisioned a world where we were always being watched, continuous surveillance where it is seemingly impossible to escape the all-seeing eyes of “Big Brother”. Picturing this dystopian future as taking place in 1984 may have missed the mark by a decade or two but the current reality isn’t so far removed.
Of course, Winston Smith knew he was being watched. Do you?
Maybe you're one of the many who stick a piece of tape over your laptop’s camera out of fear that somebody somewhere may be peeking. Does that make you feel safer? Well,let’s go higher up then, shall we?
It’s predicted that the number of closed-circuit television surveillance cameras in London will reach 642,000 in two years. As you read this, there’s about 1 camera for every 14 people. Want another shocker? In 2014 the number of mobile devices exceeded the number of people on the planet. As evident by much of the 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, most of those devices have –you guessed it—a camera and we humans love using them to record anything and everything.
Our cell phones can also be used to track us, giving off pings that can help pinpoint where you are or where you were. Then again, that might not even be needed if you’re popping a pic onto your Instagram account, sharing a live video on your Facebook feed or hashtagging the resort you’re vacationing at in a tweet. These days our whereabouts are hardly a secret because we can't keeping from telling people where we are!
We’re also snapping a lot of photos of, well, ourselves. 1,000 selfies are posted on Instagram every 10 seconds with reports stating that an average millennial will selfie it up about 25,700 times during their lifetime. That’s close to one a day.
All of that, our social output, the inordinate amount of images taken in mirrors while making a duck face, and our continuous need to document where we are, what we are doing and who we are doing it with, if anything, shows that we kind of just want to prove that we exist. We’re here, alive in the moment and we want to share those moments .
Today there are more ways to do just that than any other point in human history. Seriously, try sending a text with a rotary your crazy Millennials and, while you're at it get off my lawn.
When you pair that with the eyes in the sky at your local shopping mall, school, airport or subway station, those tracking systems in our phones and cars alongside how easy it is to update our friends and loved ones with only a couple of taps and a well-placed emoji, I have to wonder:
How do people still up and disappear?
I pose this question to Marissa Jones, creator and host of The Vanished, a podcast centred around missing people. Having now examined over 100 cases, she admits that the fact that somebody can seemingly disappear without a trace does surprise her however she does offer some viable explanations.
“Often, camera footage isn't obtained quickly enough and then it is gone. I think that is one area that could be improved upon,” explains Jones, adding that many cases aren’t taken seriously at first thus losing valuable time locating the missing.
“There is an assumption that the person will return. Later, it becomes apparent that something bad must have happened but evidence is lost. I have also seen the privacy laws in some states cause problems obtaining cell phone records. If there is no evidence of a crime, the police can't get the records. It's not a crime to walk away from your life. That is incredibly frustrating for families.”
The truth of it is that there are still an alarming number of people that seemingly drop off the face of the Earth each year. In 2015, police revealed 71,000 reports of missing persons here in Canada, 45,000 of them children. In the UK, the estimated number of those who go missing each year is 250,000. In the United States, it’s 2,300 a day!
By that statistic, if Jones were to post a new podcast every minute of every day she’d only cover a few ticks above half of these cases. While growing up watching shows like Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted first got her interested in true crime, it was one particular story, told not on TV but at family gatherings, that shifted her focus onto the vanished.
“My great grandfather disappeared from Philadelphia in 1928. It's a bit of a family mystery,” Jones tells me. Her drive to find answers in that disappearance lead to a genuine want to help others tell their own unsolved mysteries. As mentioned, it wasn’t like she would lack cases to choose from.
What surprised the former paralegal was that soon after recording the first episode of The Vanished those cases would be looking for her. As the podcast attracted more followers, Jones started to get contacted by friends and family of the lost as well as law enforcement asking to use the show to spread a wider awareness.
With more and more people reaching out to her, The Vanished would become Jones’ full time job. Balancing the show, work and time with her family was exhausting her to the point of burnout. She would often be found editing the show while holding her newborn baby on her lap. Something had to give and she wanted to ensure she had ample time to properly research and tell these stories, some that often get buried under red tape or are simply filed away to gather dust.
Through often heartbreaking interviews, Jones' approach is one has those connected to the lost relaying the facts, assumptions and personal details in their own words. The Vanished serves to humanize the statistics, acting as a better outlet than stapling a poster to a telephone pole because we get to know those involved and, through their accounts, connect to the missing. The desperation in their voices, the search for any glimmer of hope that those they have lost will be found, makes each show exceptionally emotional, something its host says does have an impact on her.
“It's hard for me to go from an interview back to what I was working on before. I usually try to go do something with my kids after.”
In the third of this five-part series on true crime podcasts, I chat more with Marissa on other ways the show has changed her and her family’s lives.
The Vanished Host: Marissa Jones # of Episodes: 131 Favourite Episodes: Episode 124 - Dona Mae Bayerl Part 1: Lost in the Night / Episode 108 - Zacharay Kennedy / Episode 77 - Chip Campbell How you can help: Support the show’s sponsors like Quip, founded to prove that good design could have a bigger impact on oral health than quick fix gimmicks! Vanished listeners can get a free $10 refill credit by visiting getquip.com/vanished.
While many true crime podcasts focus on a variety of topics, you opted to use yours to discuss missing persons. Why?
I have always had an interest in missing cases and no one else had a show focused solely on that topic. I thought it was a niche that could use the coverage. Missing cases also offer a little bit of hope that there could be a positive outcome. When I started The Vanished, there weren't many true crime podcasts. I kept requesting that other shows cover some of these lesser known missing cases and no one seemed interested. One day, I just decided to do it myself. I had no experience (I am a paralegal) but I decided to just figure it out!
Were you surprised when people started reaching out to you to help them find their missing loved ones? Do you feel that add any extra weight or stress upon you?
I was surprised. The only stress that I feel is to get to everyone as quickly as I can. I want to help but I can only work so fast.
Was there a particular show you’ve done thus far that has really shifted the way you look at the world?
I wouldn't say a particular show but I see a theme throughout many of the episodes. We always envision this stranger lurking but, in most cases, it is someone known to the victim who is responsible. I think the media often focuses on those "stranger abduction" cases which is why we may have a skewed view on how common they actually are. That has led me to examine those close to me and my children.
Along those lines, have you altered anything in your life to ensure you don’t become a missing person yourself?
I have gotten a security system for my home. I also try to do little things like just telling someone when I am going somewhere. When you listen to the show, the cases that start off with no direction to even look can be tough and precious time is wasted. I talk to many parents of the missing and I don't know how I could survive that myself.
Has anyone ever written you to tell you that somebody you covered was actually found?
Yes, I have had a few cases end with a positive outcome. That is so amazing and gives me some fuel to keep on going. I have had more cases where remains have been found and that is always a blow. It comes out of nowhere and blindsides me.
The show has turned into your life into more than 40 hour a week job. Why do you invest so much time into The Vanished and how do you balance your family life with that of the show?
Yes, in the beginning of 2017, I was able to leave my job and work on the show full time. That has allowed me to improve the show because I spend more time on each episode. I was also heading for a burnout. I schedule one day off each week and one day where I only have an interview. Sometimes that doesn't work out and I end up working more but I try! I also schedule weeks off throughout the year to spend with my family. With the kids home for the summer, I took a week off each month to travel. I did not do that in 2016 or 2017 and ended up regretting it.
What is your average week like as it relates to interviewing, recording and editing the show?
I usually work five 12-13 hour days and one shorter day with just an interview. I do take breaks throughout the day though. I had a baby last summer and he is here so I take breaks to spend time with him. Sometimes, I'm editing with him on my lap. It's juggling but working from home means I'm always here if anyone needs me.
In researching this interview, I listened to your first few shows and zipped to the recent ones. How would you say your process and storytelling skills have evolved over time?
When I started, I was writing in a way that was similar to how I would write for my job. I had to learn how to write for audio and that is very different. The show also evolved to being not just about the facts of the case but also the emotional toll that it takes on the family and friends. That aspect is very important to me. I spend so much more time on episodes now because I have refined my process. I transcribe all of my interviews and then start building an episode. When I talk to people, they are speaking about something that has been traumatic for them. Often, interviews aren't linear. They may remember something they meant to say a half hour ago. I try rearranging clips to make it easier for the listener to understand.
What are some future plans / cases for The Vanished?
There are some things in the works for The Vanished possibly expanding to other platforms. For now, I just have tons of episodes in the works from all over the country. I have been getting more requests from law enforcement to cover cases and I do like working with when they are willing to speak with me.
You mentioned you have children. I wonder, how has the show changed how you talk to them about safety and things like “stranger danger”?
My older boys are 12 and 9. They are very used to hearing about the subject by now. What I try to do is throw out scenarios and ask them how they would handle them. What would you do if someone asked you to help them find a puppy? Their answers usually surprise me. It gets them thinking. When you constantly lecture, they tend to tune you out. I don't want to be a helicopter parent. I think that some freedom is important to develop skills that will be important later in life. I want them to be able to go ride bikes or walk down to a friend's home. I did get them these watch phones that they can call me from in the event that there is an emergency. So many cases that I've covered, it appears that the "friends" were responsible. As they get older, I do plan to have talks with them about being careful in regards to who they surround themselves with.
Dealing with cases that are unresolved with people still out there, is there a concern that the people behind these crimes will ever try to get in touch with you?
It has happened. Usually, those who are suspected don't want to talk but I will get the occasional comment on my website. When I release a new episode, I brace myself for the unknown.