She Left Work That Night… and Disappeared #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts #crimejunkies #podcast | Forensic Files

Stephanie did have a secret, though, that she had been keeping from her parents. Detectives learned that
Stephanie had been seeing and actually gotten pretty serious with a 22-year-old serviceman named John. And was she
keeping it a secret because of his age? >> No, she was keeping it a secret because
John was black. And while she had met John's family and they seemed to openly accept her, she apparently was afraid of
her parents' reaction. Sneaking around with John is probably one of the reasons Stephanie had been out of the house more
recently. So, her dad said that it wasn't unusual that summer for her to spend a few days at a friend's house.
That's one of the reasons that they hadn't called to report her missing sooner. They'd seen her around the house
on Sunday, July 6th. Unbeknownst to them, John had dropped her off at home at like 4:00 in the morning that day
after a party the night before. And when police talked to John, he says that's the last time he saw her. Now, we
know she left her parents' house sometime on the 6th between 5:15 and 5:30. This is Sunday evening. [music]
And John was supposed to pick her up from work when her shift ended around 12:30 a.m. But apparently he'd fallen
[music] asleep. Co-workers said that Stephanie was mad about it. I would have been mad if my
boyfriend fell asleep and forgot to pick me up. And so, the last they knew is she
walked out the front door of the restaurant with her brown leather purse slung over her shoulder, maybe headed to
catch a bus. But that is truly the last anyone saw her.

Before she disappeared in July 1969, 17-year-old Stephanie Casberg had been keeping a secret from her family—she was in a relationship with a 22-year-old serviceman named John.

On July 6, John dropped her off at home in the early morning hours after a party. Later that evening, Stephanie left for work. John was supposed to pick her up after her shift, but he fell asleep and never arrived. Co-workers said she was upset and left the restaurant alone, possibly heading to catch a bus.

That moment—walking out with her purse over her shoulder—is the last confirmed sighting of Stephanie alive.

Watch The Full Case Tagged Below. -------- Follow Crime Junkie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimejunkiepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeJunkiePodcast/ Crime Junkie is created and hosted by Ashley Flowers.

Text Ashley to chat this episode and more: https://my.community.com/ashleyflowers?t=Hi%20Ashley%21

About Ashley Flowers Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of Audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.

Follow Ashley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie

Purchase Ashley’s highly anticipated second novel, The Missing Half now! | https://ashleyflowers.com/books

Brief Summary

Stephanie's secret relationship with John leads to her mysterious disappearance after a night out.

Key points

Stephanie's Secret Relationship. Stephanie was secretly dating a 22-year-old serviceman named John, which she hid from her parents.
The Last Time She Was Seen. The last confirmed sighting of Stephanie was as she left her workplace after a missed pickup.

Episode highlights

Stephanie's Secret RelationshipStephanie was secretly dating a 22-year-old serviceman named John, which she hid from her parents.“She was keeping it a secret because John was black.”0:16Apr 25, 2026

Episode quotes

Stephanie did have a secret, though.

WatchApr 25, 2026

More from Crime Junkie

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.