Box in the Basement
"Box in the Basement" is a compelling new podcast created by Arlene, a woman whose life was forever changed by a family tragedy. The unsolved murder of her Uncle Leon Laurales serves as the catalyst for this investigative series. Disturbed by the lackluster investigation and the mystery that still surrounds his case, Arlene dives deep into the details of her uncle's story, uncovering the many problems that plagued the investigation. Her journey doesn't stop there, as she expands her focus to other unsolved cases in Central Texas. Each episode of "Box in the Basement" promises to shed light on the overlooked and forgotten mysteries in her local community, hoping to find answers and justice for those who have been silenced.
Episodes
77 episodes
Attacked on Camera, Missing Without a Trace - Her Body Discovered 70 Miles Away: The Case of Tiera Strand
Tiera Strand, a 25-year-old mother from Austin, Texas, vanished on April 16, 2023, after a night out on Sixth Street with friends. As she worked to complete her GED, Tiera dreamed of joining the Navy to forge a better future for herself and her...
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Episode 77
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24:35
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Texas’s Oldest Unsolved Family Massacre: What Really Happened to the Arellanos?
In 1968, five members of the Arellano family were slaughtered outside a remote Texas farmhouse, after two blown out tires in the middle of nowhere. Like out of a horror movie, the whole family was found shot, stabbed and beaten to death, with o...
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Episode 76
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34:07
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7-Year-Old Cortney Clayton Disappeared in Broad Daylight… Then Her Body Was Found 15 Miles Away
Seven-year-old Cortney Clayton vanished while walking home from a corner store in tiny Stamford, Texas. It was 1988—a time when kids still rode bikes until dark, and trust lingered in small towns. But what followed shattered that trust: Cortney...
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Episode 75
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30:10
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He Vanished After a Party—Three Years Later, His Bones Were Found on a Hillside: The Case of
On a cold February night in 1999, 25-year-old Wil Hendrick vanished after leaving a party near Moscow, Idaho. His friends thought he had walked home. He never made it. Months later, his abandoned car was found—muddied, keys gone, and ominously ...
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Episode 74
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24:31
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They Were in Love. He Was Watching. Then He Opened Fire.
In the spring of 1988, two women set out for peace, adventure, and freedom on the Appalachian Trail. But only one would make it home. Rebecca Wight and Claudia Brenner were hiking through Pennsylvania’s Michaux State Forest when their journey t...
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Episode 73
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29:59
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Utah’s Dark LGBT History—Who Murdered Anthony Adams?
In 1978, 27-year-old Anthony Adams, a gay man living in Salt Lake City, was found brutally murdered in his home. His killing was both savage and personal—signs of a struggle and a life cut short. Four decades later, no arrests have been made, a...
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Episode 72
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39:56
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Trans, Two-Spirit, Missing & Murdered: Aubrey Dameron
In the early morning of March 9, 2019, 25-year-old Aubrey Dameron left her home in Grove, Oklahoma, and disappeared. As a transgender, two-spirit woman, Aubrey’s identity placed her at greater risk in a community already grappling with systemic...
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Episode 71
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33:32
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The Unsolved Murder of Leon Laureles: Crying For Justice
In this powerful episode of Box in the Basement, Arlene is joined by her life partner, Leah, and podcast producer Bree to discuss the latest developments in the unsolved 1996 murder of Leon Laureles in Brownwood, Texas.💔 A...
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40:38
Justice for Leon part 3: The Day of the Murder
In this gripping continuation of Box in the Basement, host Arlene shares what happened in the days leading up to and the night of her uncle Leon Laureles unsolved murder on May 10th, 1996, outside Brownwood, Texas....
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33:57
Justice for Leon part 2: Examining a Victim's Life
This episode tells the emotional life story of Leon Laureles—a beloved uncle, caregiver, and community member—who was murdered on May 10, 1996, outside Brownwood, Texas. Nearly three decades later, his case remains unsolved, and justic...
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Episode 68
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29:39
Justice for Leon part 1: Arlene’s Journey of Heartbreak & Headaches
This month, Box in the Basement returns to where it all began—the story of Leon Laureles, a beloved 30-year-old man who was murdered execution-style outside of Brownwood, Texas, on May 10, 1996. His case remains unsolved and is suspect...
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Episode 67
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32:11
A Pregnant Woman’s Final Call: Why Was D’Lisa Kelley Ignored?
In March 2014, 24-year-old D’Lisa Kelley—pregnant and full of life—left her Dallas home to attend a funeral. She never came back. Hours later, she was heard on a phone call screaming for help. Her family pleaded with police to track her phone, ...
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Episode 66
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27:09
She Vanished on the 4th of July—Who Took Dannarriah Finley?
In the early hours of July 4th, 2002, four-year-old Dannarriah Finley disappeared from her home in Orange, Texas. Days later, her body was discovered in a neighboring county, sparking one of Southeast Texas’s most heart-wrenching investigations...
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Episode 65
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30:28
Two Women. Two Holidays. Two Unsolved Murders: The Cases of Kristen Wilson & Terressa Vanegas
On Halloween night in 2006, 16-year-old Terressa Vanegas left her Dickinson, Texas, home and never returned. Her body was found the following day, dumped behind a school—brutally murdered, her shoes missing, her future stolen. Despite multiple ...
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Episode 64
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49:49
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He Walked Into the Desert. She Left Her Apartment. Neither Were Seen Again: The Disappearances of Catherine Hammel and Christopher Saunders
Two Texans. Two timelines. Two lives vanished without a trace.In 2017, Chris Sanders walked away from his RV in Monahans, Texas, into thin air. With no ID, phone, or confirmed sightings, the 40-year-old father disappeared. Despite public...
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Episode 63
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41:21
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He Disappeared on Super Bowl Sunday… 1,600 Miles Away, a Body Appeared
On Super Bowl Sunday, 1993, Amarillo attorney David Glenn Lewis vanished without a trace. His family returned home to find his glasses and keys still inside, the TV on, and food half-eaten. Days later, a man matching David’s description was fou...
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Episode 62
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37:29
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Luxury Home, Triple Deaths, No Answers—What Really Happened in Anaqua Springs?
In January 2019, Nichol Olsen and her two young daughters were found shot to death inside a luxury home in the Anaqua Springs Ranch community near San Antonio, Texas. Authorities quickly ruled it a murder-suicide, claiming Nichol shot her daugh...
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Episode 61
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32:34
No Forced Entry, No Arrests—A Texas Cold Case That Won’t Rest
On a quiet evening in 1981, Karen Lynn Douglas—a devoted mother from Harris County, Texas—was brutally stabbed to death in her own home. With no signs of forced entry, investigators believed she may have known her killer. But despite an extensi...
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Episode 60
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24:56
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A Feud, A Fire, and A Murder—The Twisted Case of Ira Tobolowsky
On May 13, 2016, prominent Dallas attorney Ira Tobolowsky was found burned to death inside his home. What first appeared to be a tragic accident quickly unraveled into something far more sinister. Investigators determined the fire had been deli...
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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33:50
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She Went Jogging and Never Came Home—What Happened to Rachel Cooke?
On the morning of January 10, 2002, 19-year-old Rachel Cooke went for a run in her quiet Georgetown, Texas neighborhood. She was home from college for the holidays, enjoying the break with family. She never returned.Rachel was last seen ...
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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32:16
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Caught on Camera: The Chilling Church Murder of Missy Bevers
On April 18, 2016, 45-year-old fitness instructor Missy Bevers arrived early at Creekside Church in Midlothian, Texas, to set up for a boot camp class. Less than an hour later, she was found brutally murdered inside. Surveillance footage captur...
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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41:21
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Slashed Tires, Shaky Alibis: The Vanishing of Tara Breckenridge
On a warm July night in 1992, 23-year-old Tara Breckenridge finished her shift at The Men’s Club, an upscale Houston nightclub, and walked out into the night. She never made it home. A promising young woman with dreams of photography, Tara vani...
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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26:53
No Shoes, No Money, No Goodbye—What Happened to Monica Carrasco?
On the night of October 2, 2003, 16-year-old Monica Carrasco seemingly vanished into thin air from her relatives' home in Balmorhea, Texas. She had recently moved in with her aunt and uncle after her mother suffered a stroke, and though she was...
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Episode 55
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31:34
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A Killer Set Free? The Frustrating Unsolved Murder of Brittany McGlone
In the early morning hours of July 2007, 19-year-old Brittany McGlone clocked out from her overnight shift at a local store in Wood County, Texas. She was tired but eager to get home and rest. By the afternoon, she was dead—brutally murdered in...
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39:45
A Christmas Eve Tragedy: The 2015 Unsolved Murder of Henry Gutierrez
Henry Gutierrez Jr., a 71-year-old prominent businessman from Schertz, Texas, was known for his charisma, generosity, and success as a real estate mogul and former nightclub owner. Described as hardworking and deeply connected to his community,...
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25:16
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