Episode 8 (Unsolved Mysteries)

·1 hr 14 min·5 clips

In 1987, wife and mother Christy Nickel vanished from Gothenburg, Nebraska, leaving behind two young children and a husband with a suspiciously calm story.

The episode begins with hosts Ellyn Marsh and Joey Taranto sharing personal updates and promoting their Patreon coverage of a Diddy documentary series. They then introduce the first case: the 1987 disappearance of Christy Nickel in Gothenburg, Nebraska. Christy, a 19-year-old wife and mother, vanished after a night out with her husband Mark. The hosts detail Christy's abusive marriage, her secret visit to a divorce lawyer, and Mark's suspiciously emotionless demeanor. They critique the original Unsolved Mysteries episode for downplaying the abuse and highlight updates from their own research, including police corruption, blood evidence in Mark's car, and the lack of resolution. The second case covers Mark Adams, who at 16 murdered a teenager in a park and was sent to San Quentin. In 1986, he escaped by exploiting his job privileges, remaining free for seven years before being captured in Puerto Rico. After returning to San Quentin, he was shot and killed by a guard during a fight, leading to a wrongful death lawsuit. The third case involves Stephen Cox, who ran a Ponzi scheme in Medford, Oregon, promising 25% returns to investors, including a paralyzed woman and a widow. He fled with $3.5 million in 1984 but was eventually caught after the Unsolved Mysteries episode aired, thanks to a motel manager who found a letter referencing the show. Cox served a short sentence and later reoffended. The hosts wrap up with promotional messages for their Patreon, social media, and weekly true crime rundown.

As heard by us

A divorce-lawyer visit, a police warning, and a custody fight give the episode its edge.

I Think Not! centers this hour on Christy Nichols, and the story gets its force from a few blunt turns: a visit to a divorce lawyer, a confrontation at Mark's parents' home, and the claim that she cannot take her children.

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Why you'd press play

You want a divorce-lawyer detour that turns a missing-person story into a police headache with very bad timing.

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