Locating the Lost

About Locating the Lost

Mysteries of the missing, the unsolved and the paranormal Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/locatingthelost/support (https://anchor.fm/locatingthelost/support)

Publisher

Travis hartford

Category

true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

12 Jul 2020

Latest episode

23 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

131 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Oct 2026

   What Happened to Elgon Partin Jr?

   In late July 2022, the 29-year-old walked away from a home in the Cranks Creek area of Harlan County, Kentucky, promising his mother he would text her when he arrived to meet a friend. He was never seen again.In this emotional episode of Locating the Lost, we sit down with Elgon’s mother, Penny Ledford, and his sister to uncover who Elgon was, the heartbreaking reality of his sudden silence, and why the Kentucky State Police strongly suspect foul play. From the rugged mountain searches to the painful community rumors, his family lays bare the reality of fighting for answers in a case that law enforcement refuses to let go cold.Case Timeline• Late July 2022: Elgon leaves a residence on foot in Cranks Creek, KY, stating he is headed to Wallins to meet a friend.• Late July 2022 (Shortly after leaving): All cell phone communication and contact with his family abruptly stops.• August 25, 2022: After weeks of silence and growing alarm, Elgon's family officially files a missing person report.• 2022 – Present: Multiple community grid searches of the dense Harlan County terrain turn up zero physical evidence, clothing, or clues, prompting police to treat the case as a criminal investigation involving suspected foul play.Call to Action 📢Someone in Harlan County knows exactly what happened to Elgon Partin Jr. We need your help to break the silence and bring him home to his family.• Have a Tip? If you have any information, rumors, or saw anything unusual in the Cranks Creek, Totz, or Wallins areas in late July 2022, please contact Kentucky State Police Post 10 at (606) 573-3131. Tips can remain completely anonymous.• Immediate Sightings: If you believe you see Elgon, please call 911 immediately.• Support the Show: Please rate, review, and share this episode. Every share pushes Elgon's face back into the public eye and closer to the person who holds the missing piece of the puzzle.Vital Statistics• Name: Elgon Partin Jr.• Age at Disappearance: 29 years old• Physical Description: 5'9", 143 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes.• Distinguishing Marks: "Monster symbol" tattoo on his chest; "Family First" tattoo on his collarbone.#ElgonPartinJr (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/elgonpartinjr) #LocatingTheLost (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/locatingthelost) #MissingInKentucky (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/missinginkentucky) #Harlan (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/harlan) County #TrueCrimePodcast (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/truecrimepodcast) #MissingPerson (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/missingperson) #KentuckyStatePolice (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/kentuckystatepolice) #ColdCase (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/coldcase) #BringHimHome (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/bringhimhome) #FoulPlaySuspected (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/foulplaysuspected) #PennyLedford (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/pennyledford) #JusticeForElgon (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/justiceforelgon) #TrueCrimeCommunity (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/truecrimecommunity) #MissingButNotForgotten (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/missingbutnotforgotten)

2. 

   11 Oct 2026

   ***LIVE*** THE FRONCZAK FILES -DECODING THE DNA

   In this episode of Locating the Lost, we sit down with Jack Fronczak and Tracey Hastings, co-hosts of The Fronczak Files, for an incredible conversation about identity, survival, and the pursuit of truth in one of the most unique missing persons cases in American history. Raised as Paul Joseph Fronczak after being discovered as an abandoned toddler in 1965, Jack spent decades living an identity that wasn't his. It wasn't until a 2012 DNA test shattered everything he believed that his true journey began—a search to uncover who he really was, who left him behind, and what happened to his twin sister who vanished without a trace. The 1964 Kidnapping &amp; Identity Mix-Up: In April 1964, newborn Paul Joseph Fronczak was abducted from a Chicago hospital. In July 1965, a toddler was found abandoned in a stroller outside a department store in Newark, New Jersey. Lacking modern DNA technology, law enforcement mistakenly declared the toddler to be the stolen Chicago baby based on physical features and ear shape, handing him over to be raised as Paul Fronczak. The 2012 DNA Revelation: Having felt out of place for years, "Paul" secretly took a DNA test in 2012. The results proved he was not biologically related to the Fronczak family, reopening both the original 1964 kidnapping case and launching an investigation into the abandoned toddler's true origins. Uncovering the Rosenthal Roots: In 2015, with the help of forensic genealogist CeCe Moore, Jack unlocked his true identity: he was born Jack Rosenthal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to parents Gilbert and Marie Rosenthal. The Vanished Twin Sister: Along with his name came a tragic discovery—Jack was born a twin. His twin sister, Jill Lynn Rosenthal, was born on October 27, 1963. While Jack was abandoned in Newark in July 1965, Jill vanished entirely around the same time. No photos of Jill exist, and her fate remains unknown. The Ongoing Mission: Today, going by Paul Jack Fronczak, he and co-host Tracey Hastings run The Fronczak Files podcast and advocate through the Jack and Jill Rosenthal Foundation (JJRF). Together, they combine investigative research, forensic genealogy, public tips, and cold case advocacy to search for missing twin Jill Rosenthal and help others seeking identity and closure. Living a Borrowed Identity: Jack discusses the emotional reality of growing up under a misidentified name and the pivotal moment he decided to uncover the truth.Unraveling the Past: How genetic genealogy exposed decades of buried secrets and tied his past back to Atlantic City. The Hunt for Jill Lynn Rosenthal: Jack and Tracey break down active investigative leads, forensic age-progressed imagery created by NCMEC, and the ongoing efforts to bring Jill home. Reclaiming the Narrative: Why Jack and Tracey launched The Fronczak Files to tell the unfiltered story straight from the source and advocate for missing children. Call to ActionDo You Have Information About Jill Lynn Rosenthal?Jill Lynn Rosenthal was born on October 27, 1963, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and was last seen around July 1965. If you or anyone you know lived in Atlantic City or Newark in the mid-1960s, knew the Rosenthal family, or have any information regarding Jill, please reach out. Submit Tips &amp; Case Information: Visit The Fronczak Files or the Jack and Jill Rosenthal Foundation. Report to NCMEC: Contact the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST).Share This Episode: Every share helps put age-progressed imagery and case details in front of people who might hold the key to solving this mystery.Support Locating the Lost#LocatingTheLost (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/locatingthelost) #TheFronczakFiles (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/thefronczakfiles) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/jackfronczak" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer...

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   THE CAPE BRETON BOYS ON THE TRACKS

   A Shattered Scene. A Rushed Judgment. A Half-Century Fight for the Truth.In this gripping episode of Locating the Lost, Jeff and I sit down with Richard Novak to dissect one of the most baffling and heartbreaking mysteries in Maine’s history: the deaths of the Cape Breton 3. On the morning of July 10, 1970, a freight train barreling through the remote wilderness of Smyrna Mills struck and killed three young men from Nova Scotia: Richard's brother, Kenny Novak (15), David Burrows (17), and Terry Burt (20).Almost instantly, the tragedy was labeled a bizarre accident, with authorities claiming the boys simply fell asleep on the tracks. But when you look closer, the official narrative completely falls apart. Richard walks us through the shocking failure of local law enforcement to follow standard investigative protocols. Instead of securing a potential crime scene and calling in forensics, train personnel were left to clean up the site. Evidence was disregarded, autopsies were bypassed, and foul play was officially ruled out before a proper investigation could even begin. How do three young men sleep through the deafening roar and ground-shaking vibration of an approaching freight train? Why were their pockets entirely empty of identification?We are not letting this go. Along with thousands of advocates, we started a Change.org petition and it is currently circulating to pressure Maine authorities to finally reopen this 1970 Aroostook County case. It is time for accountability, and it is time for answers.Timeline of the Tragedy: July 1970Early July 1970: Best friends Kenny, David, and Terry leave their home in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, crossing the border into the U.S. in search of summer adventure.July 10, 1970 (Pre-Dawn): The three boys are inexplicably lying motionless on the Bangor and Aroostook Railway tracks in Smyrna Mills, Maine, miles from the main road.July 10, 1970 (7:00 AM): A freight train conductor spots what looks like debris ahead. Despite slamming on the brakes, the train cannot stop in time and strikes the boys.The Immediate Aftermath (7:30 AM - Onward): A catastrophic failure of protocol begins. Local authorities quickly declare the deaths accidental. No crime scene perimeter is established.The Cleanup: In a shocking deviation from standard procedure, railway workers—not forensic experts—are left to clean up the site and move the bodies, destroying any potential evidence.The Closure: The case is swiftly closed without thorough autopsies, leaving families with missing belongings, uninvestigated timelines, and 50 years of devastating unanswered questions.Call to ActionThe families of Kenny, Terry, and David were robbed of a proper investigation in 1970, but we have the power to demand one today. We need your voice to break the silence.Sign and Share the Petition: https://www.change.org/p/maine-state-... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUZZTVljRXBWemZVTnRyRTFpeE5Zcm5kTnBManxBTl9pYzRjS2JKTkZzTXRNbG1xeUJGeUx4LWVRVE5tTEk5aGhkVHlQenVkaGlkOGVjYjRNWWdzQ09HLW1Ucm5NT25faW5iQTduX0tyakF5cUFlVWVJbFRqQ0Z3djN2SjgwQ3Vf&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.change.org%2Fp%2Fmaine-state-police-agency-re-open-the-investigation-into-the-cape-breton-boys-found-deceased-on-the-tracks&amp;v=xEjCFG_6LdA)Speak Up: If you or your family lived near Smyrna Mills in 1970 and have any memories of that week, reach out to us at Locating the Lost.Spread the Word: Share this episode far and wide. The more eyes on this case, the harder it is for the state to ignore it.#LocatingTheLost (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/locatingthelost) #CapeBreton3 (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/capebreton3) #JusticeForKennyTerryDavid (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/justiceforkennyterrydavid) <a...

Who has been a guest on Locating the Lost

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jessica Jean
• Shyla
• Dannielle Hartford
• Ayla Reynolds
• Justin DiPietro

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

77,648

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

85

Engagement

82

Contact Locating the Lost

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Locating the Lost