True crime podcast investigates Florence Okpealuk’s missing persons case
On February 16, the true crime podcast “Up and Vanished” dropped its first episode of a new season, focusing on the disappearance of Florence Okpealuk.
“No Place Like Nome”, the first episode, clocks in at around an hour and introduces Okpealuk’s case to “Up and Vanished’s” listeners.
It describes creator and host Payne Lindsey’s discovery of Okpealuk’s missing persons case, journeying though Lindsey’s multiple Google searches on the story and eventual correspondence with Deilah Johnson, a friend of Okpealuk’s. All this contributed to his growing interest in the case and his eventual resolve to visit Nome.
Set to ominous background music typical to a true crime podcast, the episode goes on to detail the circumstances around Okpealuk’s disappearance, interview family and friends of Okpealuk, introduce listeners to Nome as a remote, disquieting town, and begin speculating about what may have happened on August 31 2020, when Florence Okpealuk went missing.
While elements of the podcast are obviously made to appeal to the typical true crime fan who is unfamiliar with the Nome community, Lindsey and the rest of the team behind “Up and Vanished” made an effort to include local input in their production, grounding the podcast in a search for answers.
“I was contacted via email by one of Florence’s friends named Deilah Johnson,” said Lindsey in an email to the Nugget. “She had been a listener of “Up and Vanished” and asked if we could cover Flo’s case in the next season. Since then, we have over 40 interviews and have met many other family members, friends and locals in the community who have done an absolutely incredible job of keeping Florence’s story alive. The consensus of these conversations is ‘that in order to solve this case and bring justice to those closest to Florence, this case needs to be pushed into the national spotlight. Connecting with Flo’s sister Blaire, the team here at Tenderfoot has committed a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her disappearance.”
Lindsey went on to explain how he has spent time in Nome for his investigation and learning about the case from Okpealuk’ family and community members. “The first step I took in this case was simply listening. I prioritize hearing from the family and the community at large,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey began the “Up and Vanished” podcast in 2016 as an amateur investigator who successfully shed light on a missing person case in Georgia that had been considered cold for 11 years.
Now, as an award-winning documentary filmmaker, Lindsey hopes to do the same for Okpealuk’s case.
“After learning more information about Florence’s disappearance, I feel there are some significant leads that should be followed up on,” Lindsey said. “MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) is a crisis in America and it deserves more national attention. My hope is that by bringing awareness to these tragic cases like hers, we can properly engage law enforcement and bring an end to these occurrences. Our ultimate goal with this case is to find Flo and bring justice to her friends, family and the community at large.”
“Up and Vanished” will continue to release episodes of the new season every Friday. The podcast is available on all typical podcast streaming platforms.