America’s Most Wanted Missing Persons Recap for People Just Don’t Disappear
Originally posted on May 5, 2025 @ 9:35 pm
America’s Most Wanted Missing Persons Recap for People Just Don’t Disappear
America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons on Fox opens with host Harris Faulkner introducing Payne Lindsey, Callahan Walsh and Rodney Harrison, who are on this week’s panel to discuss the cases.
Before we begin, we get an exciting new update from last week. Daniel Robinson’s case is now reopened and police are looking into the case and evidence once more. Gabby Petito’s father Joe is going to help Daniel’s family with the investigation.
CASE 1:
Dane Elkins was a star student, son, brother and friend. His mom thinks he suffered from a mental health break. He has been missing since December 2020 and left his car behind when he vanished.
His mom Deborah and brother Cody talk about his life and how he was a former racquetball champion.
His sister Madison talks about the last time he saw him in December 2020 and how several of his belongings were thrown out. He also left a book behind that inferred he was suffering mentally. From December 16-21, he would travel and sometimes send social media messages. He would last be heard from on the 21st via Snapchat, leaving behind his car, wallet and phone.
His family have been looking for him ever since and there have been sightings in Bakersfield, CA (December 25th, 2020), Mojave CA (February 5th, 2021), Oakdale, CA (July 12th, 2021) and Santa Cruz, CA (April 16th 2022). All of them have been with him on the streets.
The final Snapchat video has him talking about the CIA and disturbing ramblings about how he thought his family is in danger.
A witness said he went by Cody when he was approached.
Callahan thinks that moms will be the ones to find him and bring him home, while Payne and Rodney think that going to local shelters and agencies could help.
True Crime Jackie covered the case on her podcast, with witnesses contacting her and saying he was by a Taco Bell near Bakersfield.CA.
Jackie comes on to talk about the case and tells people to pay attention. She also adds how Deborah contacted her to cover the case.
Dane will now be 26 years old. He is five foot eleven 170 lbs and has brown hair and brown eyes.
If you see him, do not use his name, but be a friendly face.
CASE 2:
Elizabeth Smart is now on hand as a panelist.
Arianna Fitts has been missing from San Franscisco since her mother Nicole was murdered on April 8th, 2016. She was two-years-old at the time.
Callahan travels to the area to talk to Nicole’s sister Tess. He was given the case through the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Tess talks about Nicole and her disappearance. They eventually found her beaten to death in a shallow grave, with Arianna gone.
Tess talks about how Nicole lived in a shelter and met a pastor named Lemasani. She let her live with her but would often violate her privacy.
The two would have a falling out and Nicole and Arianna would go on to move in with her friend Goyette.
Goyette was aware of the situation and she, along with Arianna’s Aunt Claire talk about the situation with Lemasani and how her family members Siolo, Devin and Helena would often watch Arianna.
She goes on to talk about how Nicole left to pick up Arianna and never came back. The last message she got was Nicole saying she was meeting a friend named Sam, whom Goyette never met.
Nicole’s body was found in McLaren Park, close to the B&J’s Burgers where Nicole was to pick up Arianna. A piece of plywood with unusual markings was found by her body.
Tess recalls lots of disturbing messages from Lemasani, who kept demanding she return her baby.
There is a quarter of a million-dollar reward for Arianna’s return.
Elizabeth and Callahan tell people to keep a lookout for girls who look like Arianna while Ron talks about Helena’s criminal past involving the death of her ex.
Callahan goes on the case to look into the backgrounds of Helena, Devin and Siolo. The FBI has spoken to Silio and Helena, but they have since relocated to Las Vegas, so there has been no further information.
There is a chance that Arianna thinks she has a normal life and doesn’t even know she is a missing child.
Callahan, Claire and Tess go to the place where Nicole was last seen and talk about how they hope her killer is brought to justice and that Arianna is brought home safely.
The panelists wonder if someone else was sending text messages and using her social media. The spelling errors and the wrong age of Arianna being mentioned were a huge red flag. They also wonder if Arianna herself could recognize her picture on billboards and begin asking questions.
Elizabeth hopes that someone can be observant enough to call in the tip they need to find her, as was the case in her own rescue.
Arianna is a Black female who would now be eleven years old. She has black hair and brown eyes.
MISSING CHILD ALERT:
Stefanie Damrson has been missing since September 23rd 2024 from New Sweden, Maine. She is fourteen, five feet tall and 130 lbs with ‘striking’ green eyes and red hair.
Stefanie was last seen walking in the woods behind her home.
CASE 3:
James Yoblonski has been missing since June 12th, 2023 from Wisconsin. He was seen leaving his home via his family’s security video carrying several bags to the family van and has not been seen since. The family van was later found abandoned on the highway, but no James.
Bill, James’s father talks to Elizabeth. She also tries to comfort his sister Natasha, who misses her brother terribly.
Bill talks about being a single dad to four kids, with James being the youngest boy. He also talks about how James bought a boat to work on shortly before he went missing.
The van was recovered on Highway 12 shortly after James disappeared. His phone also pinged in this area.
His belongings were found in the woods, but his scent was nowhere else at the scene, as per the canine detectives.
It is also discovered that James went to Bill’s business, where a handgun was discovered missing.
Everything in this case is confusing and no one knows if James went with someone or he was taken.
The video makes it seem like James left on his own, but the other clues make it seem like it is something more sinister.
A Snapchat video posted by James where he is apologizing for letting people down, having no emotions and doing this by his own choice. Bill was left sad and confused….but he also thinks he was forced to say this to throw everyone off the sense.
The bags revealed clothes that belonged to James that he never wore, along with toilet paper, phone chargers, cords and the phone. This makes everything even more confusing.
Bill believes James could have met someone online through one of his gaming sites. He wonders why James left and if there was anything he did that could have made him disappear.
James’s grandma Linda talks about how James was a strong-willed kid and would let someone know if they were doing something wrong.
His family just wants him home and along with Elizabeth, think there is a chance he may still be alive.
The other panelists talk about the dangers of gaming online, while Harris talks about the challenges of parenting teenagers. They believe that James was told one thing about plans to do something, but soon found himself in danger.
Elizabeth talks about while the canine detective dogs could help, they also don’t catch everything.
James has light brown hair, blue eyes, a scar on the back of his neck and would now be fifteen. He is five foot eleven and 120 lbs.