logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2017
50m 17s

The Trail Went Cold - Episode 45 - Frede...

Robin Warder
About this episode

October 21, 1978. Cape Otway, Australia. After leaving on a seemingly routine training flight in a Cessna 182 aircraft, 20-year old pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes without explanation over Bass Strait. During a radio transmission, Valentich describes seeing an unidentified flying object and his final words are: “It’s hovering and it’s not an aircraft”. When eyewitnesses report seeing strange things in the sky that night, speculation mounts that Valentich’s disappearance might have been the result of an alien encounter. For our final Halloween-themed episode of “The Trail Went Cold” this month, we will be covering our very first story involving potential UFO involvement and explore whether this caused a pilot to vanish forever. Special thanks to Cambo, host of the True Crime Island podcast for providing the voice of Frederick Valentich in this episode.

Additional Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Frederick_Valentich

https://unsolved.com/gallery/ufo-disappearance/

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/truth-was-out-there-after-all/news-story/2973bd131c27da0a31f4a7b8eba643fe

http://www.mufon.com/valentich-disappearance—1978.html

Thanks to Winc for supporting our podcast. Get $22 and free shipping on your first order of wine at http://trywinc.com/cold.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

Up next
Jul 9
The Trail Went Cold - Episode 439 - Sandy Drummond
June 24, 1991. Boarhills, Scotland. The body of 33-year old Sandy Drummond is found on a farm track across the road from his cottage and it is determined that he was choked to death with what is described as a “ju-jitsu stranglehold”. In the days prior to his death, Sandy had sud ... Show More
45m 44s
Jul 2
The Trail Went Cold - Episode 438 - Mike Hearon and Barbara Bolick
August 23, 2008. Blount County, Tennessee. After leaving his condo in Maryville, 51-year old Mike Hearon drives to his rural farm with plans to mow the lawn and some neighbours see him driving away from his residence on his ATV. Mike vanishes without a trace and the abandoned ATV ... Show More
51m 5s
Jun 25
The Trail Went Cold - Episode 437 - Jessica Sadler
October 19, 2001. Leverett’s Chapel, Texas. After leaving her house to go for a walk on a nearby trail, 15-year old Jessica Sadler never returns home and her body is discovered underneath a trash pile at a dumpsite in a wooded area four days later. Jessica’s cause of death is det ... Show More
48m 32s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
Episode 60: UFO on the River (feat. Cassidy Liston)
Stories in this episode: - UFO on the River, by Rhett - Restaurant Kitchen Encounter, by Auston - I Think Something is Attached to Me, by Stevie - Haunted Drill Hall, by Jared - The Time I Saw Myself Die, by Tina - My Psychic Circle Story, by Biza Submissions: stories@oddtrails.c ... Show More
54m 22s
Mar 2022
Relaxed Fit: The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich
On this Relaxed Fit episode, we’re heading "down under" to discuss the mysterious disappearance of Frederick Valentich, an "amateur pilot" from Australia who, in 1978, went missing in the midst of a mid-air UFO experience. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to list ... Show More
56m 26s
Jul 2024
Ten Thousand Feet in the Air
On the afternoon of June 23rd, 1972, Martin McNally walked into the St. Louis airport with a wig, a sawed-off rifle, and a plan. Special thanks to Danny Wicentowski. Learn more at the Riverfront Times: “The Final Flight of Martin McNally.” This episode was originally released in ... Show More
34m 53s
Oct 2018
Ten Thousand Feet in the Air
On the afternoon of June 23rd, 1972, Martin McNally walked into the St. Louis airport with a wig, a sawed-off rifle, and a plan. Say hello on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter, The Accomplice. Follow the show and review us on Apple Pod ... Show More
35m 1s
Feb 2021
The Bodies In The Car / Elaine Forsyth & Patricia Morrison
It was the middle of summer — Sunday, July 22, 1990. At 11.30 pm, a musician, Gordon Wilson, was walking back from a late-night recording session on Holloway Road in London. He noticed the women and presumed they were just in a deep sleep. He was in a rush, and the last train was ... Show More
59m 18s
Mar 2018
Casper, Wyoming
David Dovala has lived in Casper, Wyoming since he was 19. He’s worked all kinds of cases, first as a detective and later as sheriff, but a 1973 murder stays with him. This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault and may not be suitable for everyone. For more information, ... Show More
21m 12s
Feb 2023
The Feather Lady
On October 4, 1960, Eastern Airlines Flight 375 took off from Boston’s Logan airport, and then, two minutes later, it crashed. 62 people died. Investigators couldn't figure out what had happened, and they decided to ask a scientist working at the Smithsonian for help. Roxie Laybo ... Show More
42m 8s