Fans of Up and Vanished followed the true crime podcast from humble beginnings to such wild success even its creator probably didn’t see coming, having now surpassed 150 million downloads and currently in the midst of development for a docu-series with Oxygen.
When the podcast premiered in August 2016, Atlanta filmmaker Payne Lindsay confessed his obsession with hit true crime projects Serial and Making a Murderer. He wanted to make his own, and it all started with a Google search for unsolved cases in Georgia. That’s when he stumbled upon the missing persons case of Tara Grinstead, a Georgia high school teacher and beauty queen who hasn't been seen for 12 years.
Payne described an “urge to solve the puzzle and reveal the truth and this universal satisfaction when we catch the bad guy. We all want an answer. An explanation for the unexplained.”
Fans listened, captive, as that’s exactly what happened as the podcast unfolded. Less than a year into the podcast, two suspects were arrested for Grinstead’s murder. Many questions remain about exactly what happened the night of her death.
The podcast has since gone on a national tour. And a second season of Up and Vanished, exploring a different case, is currently in the works. On December 14, Payne and Donald Albright, who co-founded content creation company Tenderfoot TV, will answer your questions about the Tara Grinstead case live. You can ask your questions now or during the live event on the USA TODAY LIFE Facebook page. Watch on Facebook or at the top of this page.
Payne and Albright will also talk about their latest project, Atlanta Monster, which explores the serial killings that haunted the Atlanta community nearly 40 years ago, known as The Atlanta Child Murders.
Join the Nation's Conversation
To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs