104: The Disappearance of Diane Van Reeth and the Woman in His Wallet with guest reader Taylor Blackwell

In August 1995, Diane Van Reeth left her Tucson home for work and never arrived. Two days later, her minivan was found abandoned with the keys still inside. Her husband soon became the focus of the investigation. Detectives discovered he was living under an alias and was a fugitive with a violent history — including a prior manslaughter conviction and an attempted murder charge in Massachusetts. By 1999, he had pleaded no contest to Diane’s murder, but her remains have never been found. Years later, his name surfaced again — this time in connection with a woman once known only as Pima County Jane Doe. When police arrested him for Diane’s disappearance, they found a photograph of a young woman in his wallet. In 2015, DNA confirmed what many had long suspected: that woman was Brenda Gerow, missing from New Hampshire since 1980. This episode tells the intertwined stories of Diane Van Reeth and Brenda Gerow — two women whose lives ended in violence, but whose names and stories now endure. 📖 Featuring an original poem written in her honor, read by Taylor Blackwell. Taylor is an actor, musician, visual artist, writer, director, and creator of The Infinite Possibilities Oracle Deck. Taylor is a member of bubblegum punk band "the tenth", which they co-founded with actress Harley Quinn Smith.  In addition Taylor released their own solo album, "In Memory of Haroldine”. ➡️ Help bring attention to stories like Diane’s and Brenda’s—subscribe and share this episode. 📍 Find us on Instagram & Facebook. 📚 Get Aimee’s book, Doe, now available via University of Akron Press, Bookshop.org, and Amazon. 📰 For more women-centered true crime content, subscribe to Aimee’s newsletter, GIRLHUNT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices