River City Mystery - Investigating mysteries in southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky · Matt Deig

The Disappearance of Theresa Rideout

December 4, 2021·24 min·2 clips

Host Matt Deig investigates the baffling disappearance of Theresa Rideout, a case with almost no information.

This episode investigates the 1990 disappearance of Theresa Rideout from Chandler, Indiana, following the murder of her fiancé, Jack Barnett. Host Matt Deig, a local researcher, presents this case due to its status as a profound local mystery with scant public information. Deig aims to compile the known facts and explore the unanswered questions surrounding her vanishing. The case is directly connected to the unsolved murder of Jack Barnett, as Rideout was his fiancée and disappeared shortly after his death. Investigators hoped she would attend Barnett's funeral, but she never appeared and has not been contacted since. Deig notes a remarkable lack of available information, with only brief mentions in sources like the Evansville Courier Press's cold case files. The host began researching this case several years ago after encountering it in those files. He emphasizes the challenge of investigating due to the sparse digital footprint and historical records. The episode serves as an attempt to consolidate the known timeline and circumstances. Deig plans to detail the sequence of events linking the two cases. A key insight is that Rideout's disappearance transformed a murder case into a potential double mystery. The timing suggests her vanishing may be directly related to Barnett's homicide. The lack of a clear motive or suspect in either case deepens the enigma. Deig finds it notable that such a significant local disappearance has generated so little sustained media or online discussion. The host implies that community memory and unofficial sources may hold fragments of the story not found in official records. This case represents a deep, unresolved trauma for the local area that has largely faded from public view. The tone is investigative and conversational, driven by the host's personal curiosity as a local historian. The style is narrative, building a timeline from scattered facts while acknowledging large gaps in the story. Listeners interested in obscure, decades-old cold cases from the Midwest will find this episode compelling. Those seeking definitive answers or heavily detailed crime analysis may find the lack of concrete information frustrating.

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