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Amid the public life that made him a household name, the conservative activist’s most treasured role was found in the quiet, everyday moments with his wife and two young children.
In a devastating and unexpected tragedy, Charlie Kirk, the firebrand conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, has died, leaving behind a heartbroken wife, two small children, and a nation reeling from the loss of one of its most outspoken voices.
His wife, the radiant and fiercely devoted Erika Kirk, and their two young children were reportedly at the scene of the crime but were unharmed.
Charlie Kirk speaks on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 15, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
BBC confirmed that no one else was injured at the event or on the surrounding campus. Just hours before the assasination, Erika had shared a Bible verse on social media — an eerie moment of faith before fate intervened.
A Family Man First
Those who knew and loved Charlie Kirk knew him for his unwavering devotion to his wife and children. Matt Lamb, a longtime colleague and close friend, revealed the depth of Charlie’s heart in an emotional statement to People:
“I certainly feel for his family. I’m praying for them. … He loved his wife and loved his kids. […] Certainly, he has a more important legacy than Turning Point in his wife and his two kids.”
Charlie and Erika’s love story began in 2018 and led to a fairytale wedding in 2021. Their daughter arrived in August 2022, followed by a son in May 2024 — a growing family built on faith, love, and a shared calling.
Beauty Queen, Entrepreneur, Minister, Mother: Who Is Erika?
Erika, now a widow at just 35, has worn many crowns, literally and figuratively. Crowned Miss Arizona USA in 2012, she used her platform to launch a decade-long career spanning ministry, entrepreneurship, and public speaking.
She founded BIBLEin365, a daily scripture program, and launched PROCLAIM, a faith-inspired clothing line. Her popular devotional series “Midweek Rise Up” drew thousands each week seeking spiritual clarity.
As a former NCAA women’s basketball athlete, Erika’s competitive spirit was evident even before she stepped into the limelight. She once told Arizona Foothills Magazine that her passion had always been about serving others.
When she founded her nonprofit, she made it clear, saying, “I did not want to focus only on children or animals. Instead, I wanted to make it all-encompassing, offering help to everyone in a unified way.”
On her personal website, Erika describes herself as “a driven social entrepreneur, passionate ministry leader, and woman of deep faith.”
Charlie and Erika’s Extraordinary Bond
Over the years, Erika’s posts about Charlie painted a picture of a marriage rooted in purpose, laughter, and unconditional love. In one poignant Father’s Day message, she described him as the “love of her life,” writing, “Happy Father’s Day to the love of my life. Thank you for being the most intentional husband and daddy.”
And in June 2025, she sang her husband’s praises with breathtaking admiration, “My husband Charlie Kirk is a force. He is bold when the world demands silence, he is fearless where others flinch, and he has taken on the battle of the next generation, changing these hearts and minds.”
But Charlie was never one toexploit his personal life for public consumption. In an interview with Allie Beth Stuckey, he said, “So, we have a girl and a boy. And it’s no one’s business what their names are, right? Or their faces.”
Still, the couple did share precious glimpses into family milestones. When their daughter was born, Erika penned:
“It took God 9 months to knit you together in my womb. And it’ll take a lifetime to discover all the precious miracles He’s placed within you. You’re so loved GK— welcome to this crazy, but beautiful, world baby girl [sic]. 🤍 8.23.2022.”
A Proud Father to the Very End
On their daughter’s third birthday, on August 3, 2025, Charliewrotewhat would become one of his final public tributes, “Happy birthday to our incredible daughter. Teaching her to know God, alongside @mrserikakirk, is the greatest privilege.”
When their son was born in 2024, the new father could hardly contain his joy. He took to his social media page and announced, “Glory be to God for the birth of our Son! Erika did so amazing, I am so proud of her! ‘Children are a gift from the Lord’ Psalm 127:3 [sic].”
The devoted wife and mother added her own tear-jerking sentiment, “They kept saying, ‘your heart expands’…I didn’t believe them…until it did. And now with my heart over-pouring, I see and feel, in real time […] Welcome to the world our precious son. Daddy and I love you so much [sic].”
In July 2025, Charlie summed up his life’s greatest joy in a moving Instagram post, “Marriage is the greatest gift from God. I am blessed with the most amazing wife, mom to our children, and friend. Happy Sunday.”
And on their fourth wedding anniversary, he posted with pride, “Today marks 4 years of being married to @mrserikakirk. Second to accepting Jesus, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. She is bold, smart, loyal, and beautiful.”
Erika’s Most Emotional Tributes
Perhaps the most gut-wrenching message came on July 8, 2025, as Erikareflected on the special relationship between her husband and their daughter, “She saw him. never as the speaker, but instead her best friend […] Thank you for being our everything [sic].” Charlie responded powerfully, “Having an amazing wife makes it all the better. Love you.”
Erika had echoed that sentiment many times, never holding back her admiration. In 2020, when the pair got engaged, she wrote, “…when God writes your love story, you get to marry your best friend.”
Reflecting on their wedding, she shared, “Three years ago today I said ‘yes to the dress.’ Our wedding was very intimate…no bridesmaids, no groomsman […] It’s one day; yes it marks a new chapter of life. Yes, it symbolizes a special covenant between you, your husband and the Lord. But remember it’s the days afterward that matter more [sic].”
Her words on May 24, 2025, now echo with heartbreaking resonance. She wrote, “…when you get to raise your children with your best friend you see God’s double portion of grace in technicolor. I love you @charliekirk1776 — so blessed to do life with you babe [sic].”
Charlie’s death leaves a gaping hole in life created with his wife Erika and their two small children, who must now navigate the unimaginable pain of a life cut short and a future forever changed.
Charlie’s most enduring impact lives on in the quiet, sacred spaces of family — where his love, faith, and fierce devotion will never be forgotten.
Groban explained that the melody came to him in a rush of emotion. “I couldn’t sleep,” he confessed. “The moment I heard, I sat down at the piano, and the song poured out of me. It wasn’t just music — it was Charlie speaking through me.”
The piece, titled “Silent Hero,” was built on soaring chords and whispered lyrics that painted Kirk not as a politician, but as a father, a friend, and a man of uncompromising truth. As Groban began the first verse, his voice cracked — and then Bocelli’s warm, resonant tenor joined in, lifting the hymn into something almost otherworldly.
“Charlie’s fight was for faith, for freedom, for family,” Bocelli declared before the second chorus. “Tonight, we return that gift with music — the only language strong enough to carry him home.”
Inside the church, tears streamed down faces in every pew. Kirk’s children clutched each other, whispering that the song felt like their father’s last embrace. Even hardened political rivals stood in silence, their eyes wet, unable to deny the raw force of the moment.
Those who attended claimed that when the final note faded, there was a silence so deep, it felt as if the world itself was listening. Then, suddenly, a wave of applause broke the stillness — not loud, but steady, reverent, like a heartbeat echoing through eternity.
The funeral of Charlie Kirk was filled with sorrow, but it was the unexpected gift of Josh Groban’s last-minute creation — sung alongside Andrea Bocelli — that turned mourning into something eternal.
A song born in 15 minutes of grief has now become a timeless anthem of remembrance. And as the candles flickered against the coffin, one haunting question lingered among all who heard it:
Was this simply music… or was it Charlie Kirk’s own voice, finding one last way to speak?
Barbra Streisand has shared a deeply moving statement following the death of Hollywood icon Robert Redford. Their unforgettable collaboration in The Way We Were remains one of the greatest love stories in cinema, and now Streisand has opened her heart with touching words about her friend and co-star.
In her tribute, Streisand recalled the joy and intensity of working with Redford:
“Every day on the set of The Way We Were was exciting, intense and pure joy. We were such opposites: he was from the world of horses; I was allergic to them! Yet, we kept trying to find out more about each other, just like the characters in the movie.”
She went on to describe Redford as “charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting— and one of the finest actors ever.”
Their connection lasted long after the cameras stopped rolling. Streisand shared that the last time she saw Redford, they had lunch together and spoke about art, deciding to exchange their very first drawings with one another.
“He was one of a kind and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him,” she wrote, closing her message with love and gratitude.
A Legacy That Will Never Fade
Robert Redford was more than an actor. He was a filmmaker, a pioneer, and the founder of the Sundance Film Festival. His career spanned decades, leaving behind performances in classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Out of Africa, and All the President’s Men.
For Barbra Streisand, his loss is personal — a reminder of the magic they created together and the bond they shared off-screen.
Fans around the world continue to honor both Redford’s work and the special connection between him and Streisand, proving that some legacies are truly timeless.
What was meant to be another electric night at Caesars Palace took an unforgettable turn — not because of a song, but because of a spontaneous moment shared between husband and wife.
A Surprise No One Expected: Nicole Kidman Joins Keith Urban On Stage
As Keith Urban wrapped up his extended Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the final show took an intimate and heartwarming turn. The surprise? A candid on-stage appearance by none other than Nicole Kidman, Urban’s wife of 16 years.
The moment occurred Saturday night, just before Urban’s last performance of the residency. As fans erupted into cheers, Nicole casually strolled on stage mid-set, catching Urban — and the crowd — completely off guard.
With a playful grin, Urban greeted her: “What’s your name? Where are you from?” “Nicole Urban,” she answered with a giggle, instantly winning over the audience.
But she wasn’t there to interrupt — she had a mission: “I wanna get your jacket, you put it on the floor,” she said sweetly into the mic.
They walked across the stage together in search of the black coat, which had been moved by a crew member. Urban joked that it had been “stolen,” causing more laughter before helping Kidman into it — a moment straight out of a romantic movie.
Keith Urban’s Vegas Residency Ends On a High Note
Originally extended after Adele’s sudden cancellation left an opening in Caesars Palace’s schedule, Urban’s residency quickly turned into one of the most talked-about runs in Vegas this year.
“We got a panicked call one night asking if we could fill in a bunch of shows — and it worked out perfectly,” Urban said in an interview with PEOPLE TV.
Sunday night’s performance marked the official end of the residency, but not the end of the road. Urban is now gearing up for a nationwide U.S. summer tour, reigniting his signature blend of high-energy country performances.
“I feel like a caged animal kicking at the gate to be let out,” he shared in a recent press release.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban: Hollywood’s Real Love Story
In a CBS Mornings interview, Kidman called her husband “the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” adding that meeting him later in life made their bond even more special.
Married since 2006, the couple continues to thrive despite demanding careers. They share two daughters — Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret — and consistently prioritize time together. Earlier this year, Urban flew overnight from Vegas just to walk the Oscars red carpet with Kidman.
“Whatever it takes,” she said with a smile. “He landed at 1:00 a.m. — just to be here.”
A Moment That Went Beyond the Music
While Keith Urban’s Las Vegas residency ended with roaring applause, it was Nicole Kidman’s unscripted walk on stage that created the night’s most memorable moment.
From laughter to genuine affection, the couple reminded everyone that some of the most magical moments in music come from love — not lyrics.
What began as a night of roaring guitars and country anthems in Alberta took an unexpected, soul-crushing turn. Halfway through his set, Keith Urban stopped playing, lowering his guitar as the crowd fell into a hush. His eyes, glassy under the stage lights, searched the audience as if looking for the right words.
Finally, he spoke. “I don’t usually do this… but tonight, I can’t just keep singing like nothing happened. This one is for Charlie Kirk — for his wife, for his kids, for everyone hurting tonight. I can’t imagine the pain. But maybe we can feel it together.”
With that, he strummed the first aching chords of “Tonight I Wanna Cry.” The song, usually about heartbreak, took on a haunting new weight. Each lyric poured like a confession, his voice cracking as he lingered on the line: “There’s nothing left to say, I’ve done everything I could.”
The arena went silent. Fans swayed with hands over their mouths, tears streaking down cheeks. A woman in the front row broke down completely, clutching her chest. By the second verse, Keith’s voice faltered — he paused, stepping back from the mic, his hand covering his face. The crowd didn’t rush him; they waited, breathing with him, grieving with him.
“I Had A Premonition That Something Bad Was Coming… But I Didn’t Expect It To Take You Away.” — The Choked Words Of Charlie Kirk’s Wife Sent The Nation Into Silence. In The Days Leading Up To The Tragedy, Erika Lane Felt Ominous Warnings: Sleepless Nights, Rushed Hugs, Her Husband’s Eyes Seeming To Say What Words Couldn’t……
**“‘I Haven’t Told Them Yet… How Do You Tell Babies Their Daddy Isn’t Coming Home?’ — Erika Frantzve’s Voice Trembled As She Spoke About The Death Of Her Husband, 31-Year-Old Charlie Kirk. In A Viral Interview That Has Left Millions Shattered, She Recalled Their Final Call That Morning — ‘He Was Laughing, Full Of Love… I Never Knew It Would Be The Last Time I Heard His Voice.’
When he finally returned to the microphone, his voice was raw and trembling: “Charlie… this is for you, mate. Rest easy.” The crowd responded with a wave of applause that quickly collapsed into sobs.
As the final note rang out, Keith let his guitar fall silent and simply stood there, staring at the ground. He whispered, barely audible: “I wish songs could bring him back.”
The audience rose as one, a thunderous standing ovation not of celebration but of solidarity. For a few minutes, the massive arena felt smaller — like a candlelit vigil shared by strangers turned family.
Within hours, clips of the tribute stormed the internet. Fans flooded social media with comments like “I’ve never heard Keith Urban sound so broken — it ripped me apart,” and “That wasn’t just a performance. That was a prayer.”
Keith Urban’s show in Alberta will not be remembered for the hits he played or the encores he gave. It will be remembered for the moment a superstar set aside the spotlight, let his tears fall, and transformed a concert into a communal cry of grief, honoring a life cut short.
eonardo DiCaprio has paid a heartfelt tribute to Robert Redford following the legendary actor’s passing. Known not only as a Hollywood icon but also as a lifelong environmentalist and philanthropist, Redford’s death marks the end of an era in film and activism.
DiCaprio, who has often spoken about the influence Redford had on his own career and his environmental work, took to Instagram to honor the late star. In his statement, he described Redford as “an actor, activist, passionate environmentalist, and champion of the arts.”
A Hollywood Legend Remembered
Robert Redford’s career spanned over six decades, with unforgettable roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All the President’s Men, and Out of Africa. Beyond acting, he directed critically acclaimed films such as Ordinary People, which won him an Academy Award.
But for DiCaprio and countless others, Redford’s legacy extends far beyond Hollywood. His creation of the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival provided a platform for generations of filmmakers to share their stories.
DiCaprio’s tribute focused on Redford’s dedication to the environment and social causes. He praised Redford’s work in protecting our planet, supporting Indigenous rights, and advocating for climate action long before these causes became mainstream.
“His unwavering commitment to protecting our planet and inspiring change was as monumental as his talent on screen,” DiCaprio emphasized.
Throughout his career, DiCaprio has followed a similar path, using his fame to advocate for climate change awareness and conservation. In Robert Redford, he found not only a role model but a partner in the fight for a sustainable future.
Redford’s passing is more than a loss to cinema—it is a loss to the global movement for environmental justice. DiCaprio’s tribute highlights how deeply Redford’s values shaped Hollywood and the world.
Groban explained that the melody came to him in a rush of emotion. “I couldn’t sleep,” he confessed. “The moment I heard, I sat down at the piano, and the song poured out of me. It wasn’t just music — it was Charlie speaking through me.”
The piece, titled “Silent Hero,” was built on soaring chords and whispered lyrics that painted Kirk not as a politician, but as a father, a friend, and a man of uncompromising truth. As Groban began the first verse, his voice cracked — and then Bocelli’s warm, resonant tenor joined in, lifting the hymn into something almost otherworldly.
“Charlie’s fight was for faith, for freedom, for family,” Bocelli declared before the second chorus. “Tonight, we return that gift with music — the only language strong enough to carry him home.”
Inside the church, tears streamed down faces in every pew. Kirk’s children clutched each other, whispering that the song felt like their father’s last embrace. Even hardened political rivals stood in silence, their eyes wet, unable to deny the raw force of the moment.
Those who attended claimed that when the final note faded, there was a silence so deep, it felt as if the world itself was listening. Then, suddenly, a wave of applause broke the stillness — not loud, but steady, reverent, like a heartbeat echoing through eternity.
The funeral of Charlie Kirk was filled with sorrow, but it was the unexpected gift of Josh Groban’s last-minute creation — sung alongside Andrea Bocelli — that turned mourning into something eternal.
A song born in 15 minutes of grief has now become a timeless anthem of remembrance. And as the candles flickered against the coffin, one haunting question lingered among all who heard it:
Was this simply music… or was it Charlie Kirk’s own voice, finding one last way to speak?
In the USA alone, over 600,000 people go missing each year. Often, these individuals are found alive and well. Rarely will they have suffered a terrible accident or been the victim of a fatality.
Even more uncommon is for someone to simply vanish off the face of the earth forever, with no trace of them left behind.
Still, it happens.
Here are seven individuals who disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
We have no clue what happened to them, where they went, or where they may be, though each case offers a trail of intriguing evidence that leads to a frustrating dead end.
Jennifer Kesse
24-year-old Jennifer Kesse lived in Orlando, Florida. She had a comfortable life working as a finance manager, was in a steady relationship, and had a loving family who doted on her.
So, on January 24, 2006, when she suddenly vanished without a trace, it seemed improbable she disappeared willingly.
Photographs of Jennifer Kesse via Fox.
The morning she vanished, her boyfriend was expecting a call from her, as he often did as she drove to work. The call wouldn’t arrive. When Jennifer’s boyfriend tried calling her, it went straight to voicemail.
A few hours passed, and Jennifer’s workplace had also been trying to get in touch with her all morning. It wasn’t like her not to show up to work.
Eventually, Jennifer’s parents were informed that she was uncontactable, and they knew straight away something untoward had happened. The Kesse parents made their way from Tampa to Orlando to look for their daughter.
Upon arriving at her condo, everything looked normal. Her car was absent, though, suggesting she’d headed out for work that morning as usual. But she hadn’t arrived.
Two days later, her Chevy was found parked outside a random apartment complex. It yielded no clues.
Months passed with no word from Jennifer or clues about where she may have gone. Jennifer had not used her phone or bank accounts since she vanished. Her cell phone and personal items, such as her purse, have never been recovered.
There was one small clue: grainy CCTV footage of a person of interest dropping off Jennifer’s Chevy outside the apartment complex.
However, the camera that captured the person wasn’t a live video camera. Instead, it took pictures every three seconds.
The time slots it snapped the images of the person of interest weren’t ideal: their face was obscured by a gate post each time.
Investigators could, though, determine that the individual was between 5 foot 3 and 5 foot 5 inches, though they couldn’t use the footage to confirm whether the person was male or female.
There was little in the way of tangible evidence to go off. All that was left for investigators to do was speak to the people who knew Jennifer to see if any of them stood out as a possible suspect.
Her boyfriend was quickly ruled out, as was her brother. Her ex-love interest fell on the radar for a short while, but he was cleared, too.
Another possible piece of evidence was Jennifer mentioning to her family that local construction workers would cat-call her. Had something untoward happened with one of the workers that morning?
Investigators followed this trail but couldn’t find any clues.
Years passed, and the Kesse family wasn’t prepared to let Jennifer’s case go cold. They filed a suit against the Orlando Police Department, so they would have to release the records they had on the case.
There were over 16,000 records, and there was one telling part of the investigation: the police had, in fact, found DNA evidence in Jennifer’s car after originally saying they didn’t. However, it was deemed too small to test.
Photos were included as part of the records. Some of them were images of Jennifer’s car, showing dust and dents on the hood.
The Kesse family was unaware that her vehicle was in this state before seeing the images. Perhaps, her family thought, a struggle had taken place on the hood of the car before Jennifer was abducted.
Jennifer’s dad thinks she’s a victim of human trafficking. He feels the Orlando police force has failed his daughter by not thoroughly investigating her disappearance.
In November 2022, the case was passed over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The Kesse family remains hopeful they will find Jennifer or uncover what really happened to her almost 20 years after she vanished.
Lars Mittank
German-born Lars Mittank embarked on a holiday with friends in June 2014. The group went to Varna, Bulgaria, known for its vibrant nightlife and warm climate.
A week later, all of the group arrived home safe and sound, except for Lars. He remained in Varna and, seemingly, would never make it back to Germany.
Nobody knows where he went or what happened to him.
Photograph of Lars Mittank via Reddit.
For the first five or so days of the trip, the group of young men enjoyed the free-flowing beer, the sunshine, and the various pubs offering football on the big screen.
However, two days before the group was due to fly home, Lars got into an altercation with a fellow football fan who supported the opposing team.
After the brief disagreement, Lars’ group headed to get some food. Lars decided he wasn’t hungry and told his friends he’d meet them back at the hotel. He wouldn’t make it back until the following morning.
When he arrived the next day, Lars had a shocking story for his friends: he’d been beaten up as he made his way back to the hotel. It seemed he was telling the truth.
Lars looked disheveled, and it was clear he was in pain. So much so that he visited the doctor, who confirmed he had a jaw injury and a ruptured eardrum.
He was given an antibiotic and was advised against flying home since the pressure could damage his ear further.
The doctor also urged Lars to go to the hospital, but he declined. It was apparent Lars couldn’t fly home with the rest of his group; he needed to give his injury time to heal. So, he stayed in Bulgaria alone, despite one of his friends offering to stay with him.
Finding a new hotel proved difficult. They were either too expensive or in a rundown area. Lars eventually found Hotel Color, though it was in an unfamiliar area.
The pickings were slim, and he chose the best hotel he could afford. He was now alone in a new, strange place, which would make Lars’ behavior increasingly erratic.
He called his mother, Sandra, and asked her to block his credit card since he believed the details had been copied upon checking into Hotel Color.
Lars had several strange phone calls with his mother thereafter, at one point telling her he was being followed by four men. Other calls saw him whisper while speaking for fear of others listening in.
Then, Lars would become paranoid about the antibiotics he’d been prescribed. He was unsure of the ingredients and what purpose they served. He specifically told his mother he didn’t feel safe in the hotel.
CCTV footage can somewhat verify this; Lars is seen wandering up and down the hallways, looking behind him, and clearly hiding from unknown assailants.
He left the hotel for an hour before returning, and it’s unknown where he went during that time frame.
The next day, despite the doctor’s orders, Lars decided to fly home. Since his card was blocked, he asked his mother for money, which she transferred over. He’d never withdraw it.
Lars went to the airport and decided to check in with the doctor. It was apparent Lars was nervous and jumpy.
During the consultation, a construction worker mistakenly made his way into the doctor’s office, spooking Lars to the point he cried, “I don’t want to die here. I have to get out of here,” before racing out of the office.
CCTV captured Lars fleeing through the airport, clearly in a state of frenzy and panic. It also caught him once he was outside the airport.
Lars Mittank captured on CCTV running out of Varna airport.
He scaled a fence and disappeared in a field of high sunflowers, so high that you couldn’t see which way Lars went; the flowers towered over him. He hasn’t been seen since.
The theories about his vanishing have persisted since 2014. Some suggest he had an adverse reaction to his antibiotics and began hallucinating.
Others propose that Lars must have had undiagnosed mental health problems that caused him to enter a state of psychosis.
However, Lars had never exhibited signs of mental health issues. Some suggest Lars was right to be paranoid, and he was, in fact, abducted by the people following him.
His mother, Sandra, believes her son will return home one day.
Brian Shaffer
In the early hours of April 1, 2006, Brian Shaffer walked into a bar. Seemingly, he would never walk back out.
Medical student Brian, who was studying at Ohio State University, was out drinking with his friends on March 31. He made a late-night call to his girlfriend to tell her he loved her. It would be the last time they spoke.
Photograph of Brian Shaffer and his final moments that were captured on CCTV.
Brian and his friend were drinking in a bar called the Ugly Tuna before heading to another bar. However, the pair decided to head back to the Ugly Tuna just after 1 a.m. on April 1.
CCTV footage picks up Brian talking to a couple of women outside at 2 a.m. before he heads back into the bar. He would never be seen again.
His mother, father, and girlfriend all tried to contact him that weekend. Brian wouldn’t return their calls. When he missed a flight he was supposed to take the following Monday, the family knew something serious had happened. They contacted the police.
Despite opening a missing persons report, the police had no clues to go off. It was as if Brian had simply vanished inside the bar.
Days passed with no leads, which turned into weeks, though the Shaffer family was intent on ensuring the case didn’t go cold by keeping Brian’s name in the press, hoping someone would come forward with clues.
One did, suggesting Brian had been shot in the Ugly Tuna. It turned out to be a sick hoax. Then, there was another alleged sighting in Atlanta, which proved to be wrong.
Meanwhile, one of Brian’s female friends, whom he was last seen with, was asked to take a polygraph test. She passed. The male friend he was with that night was also asked to take a polygraph but refused to do so.
One interesting clue was that Brian’s phone “pinged” at a cell tower in Hilliard, 14 miles outside of Columbus. Still, nothing came of this.
The only evidence investigators had to go off was the CCTV footage from the Ugly Tuna. There was one main entrance and exit. There was another rarely used exit that led to a construction site.
Two theories have arisen: Brian changed his clothes while inside the bar and exited covertly from the front main entrance, or he left via the construction site exit. Why he would want to do this remains unanswered.
His bank accounts remained untouched, and his phone has not been used since his disappearance.
There was hope of a breakthrough in 2020 when a picture of a homeless man in Mexico went viral because he looked just like Brian. Further investigation revealed it wasn’t him.
Amy Lynn Bradley
The Bradley family were enjoying a cruise in March 1998. The close-knit family had been enjoying a Mardi Gras-themed disco, particularly Amy and her brother Brad. Certainly, photos of that night depict 23-year-old Amy as having a fun-filled evening.
By the next morning, she’d be gone, no trace of her left behind.
Photograph of Amy Lynn Bradley via Reddit.
At the disco, Amy was spotted dancing with a member of the live band, among other partygoers. By the early hours, Brad had had enough and returned to the family suite. He was logged as entering the room just after 3:30 a.m., and Amy wasn’t far behind him.
By then, Amy wasn’t too tired, so she headed to the balcony to smoke. As Brad fell asleep, he could see his sister sitting outside. The sibling’s father, Ron Bradley, awoke hours later to find Amy asleep on the balcony with the door closed.
He left his daughter where she was and went back to sleep. When he woke up at 6 a.m., she was gone. The balcony door, though, was now open.
The Bradleys began a panicked search for Amy and pleaded with the cruise management to announce Amy’s vanishing on the tannoy.
They didn’t, not right away anyway. By the time they did, many passengers had already exited the ship.
This would be the beginning of what the Bradley family thinks is a mishandling of Amy’s case. The family believes Royal Caribbean, the cruise line, has refused to cooperate with them in the ongoing investigation of Amy’s disappearance.
The FBI quickly got involved and even used cadaver dogs on the ship to determine if Amy had died aboard. The surrounding water was also searched for a body. Neither search brought back any conclusive evidence.
However, the Bradley family refuses to believe Amy took her own life and is certain that something sinister had happened to her. Specifically, they believe she has been used for trafficking.
In late 1998, two tourists alleged they spotted Amy on a Curacao beach.
The woman they spotted had many of the same tattoos as Amy, some of which were unique: a Tasmanian devil on her shoulder, a gecko around her belly button, a Chinese symbol above her ankle, and a sun on her lower back. Whoever the woman was, she looked uncomfortable.
The unknown woman was being guided by two men.
Then, the following year, a Navy officer claimed he had a conversation with Amy in a Curacao pleasure house. He knew it was Amy because she specifically said, “My name is Amy Bradley. Please help me.”
The officer advised her to head toward the docks where she could leave, but the distressed woman told him he didn’t understand: she was Amy Bradley and needed help.
The man wouldn’t get help out of fear of getting into trouble with his superiors for being at the brothel. He did, however, come forward to Amy’s parents and tell them where she was. By this point, years had passed, and the officer had since retired. Nothing came of this lead.
Another alleged sighting came in 2005 when a woman went to the police saying she’d spotted Amy in Barbados with three men flanking her.
Again, nothing came of this, and the case of Amy Bradley remains unsolved.
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was born in 1897 in Kansas. She would go on to be one of the most famous figures in aviation history, particularly since she was a female pilot, a rarity in the 1920s.
Even her own family would discourage her from pursuing an aviation career, but daredevil Amelia would shrug off their concerns and save up $500 for 12 hours of flying lessons. In 1920, $500 was no measly sum, either.
Photograph of Amelia Earhart by her plane via Wikipedia.
She took to flying easily, basking in the exhilaration and excitement of soaring through the air.
By the 1930s, Amelia was dubbed the “Queen of the Air” and had achieved a small celebrity status for her flying abilities. As the years passed, she would become the first female pilot to complete a solo trip across the Atlantic Ocean successfully.
However, in 1937, she vanished without a trace.
Amelia and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from California. The pair made it 22,000 miles to New Guinea, after which they were due to arrive at Howland Island, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, to refuel the twin-engine Lockheed Electra plane. It seems the pair would never get there.
Poor weather, problems with the radio transmitter, and lack of fuel may have all contributed to the pair never getting to Howland.
It quickly became apparent that Amelia and Fred needed help, and efforts were made to find their plane. A thorough search of areas near Howland Island proved unsuccessful.
The Navy was soon called to join the search, but they could also not find any remnants of the plane, let alone any promising clues that would lead them to Amelia and Fred.
Amelia reportedly sent emergency transmissions in the days after her disappearance, though these were later discovered to have been hoaxes.
Sadly, due to a lack of evidence to the contrary, Amelia Earhart was declared legally dead on January 5, 1939.
Theories about what happened to Amelia and Fred have swirled over the years. Some theorists suggest their plane ran out of fuel and crashed. Others have proposed that Amelia was a secret agent who was taken prisoner by the Japanese.
A conspiracy also suggests that Amelia and Fred reached an uninhabited island where they remained undiscovered.
While there is no chance that Amelia is alive today, the question still remains: did she die on that fateful day in 1937?
Maura Murray
On the evening of February 9, 2004, police were called about a car accident on Route 112 in Woodsville, New Hampshire. A black car with a woman at the wheel was stuck in a ditch.
Maura Murray and her missing person poster.
Shortly after the first call to 911, the police received a second call from a bus driver. The caller reported the crash and noted that the driver, a young woman, appeared to be shaken over the incident.
The helpful bus driver went to see the panicked young woman and offered to call someone to tow her vehicle. However, she claimed she’d already called roadside assistance.
When police arrived at the scene minutes later, the driver, who was quickly discovered to be Maura Murray, was gone.
A search of the area yielded nothing. A deeper dive into the nursing student’s life found she had left campus that day after stating a sudden family death meant she needed to go home. Nobody in her family had actually died, though it seemed Maura may have needed a break from her studies and lied to get some breathing space.
Prior to her crash, Maura had been making inquiries about condos and renting rooms in Bartlett, New Hampshire. She also looked into booking a room in Vermont. She didn’t book a room in either place, but she did look up directions to Burlington, Vermont.
Investigators had to retrace Maura’s steps. They found she’d used the campus ATM at around 3 p.m. that day, taking out $280.
She used $40 of that to buy alcohol, including boxed wine and liqueurs. Around 4:30 p.m., she called her own voicemail. This would be the last time she used her cell phone.
She crashed between 7 p.m. and 7:25 p.m. that night, though nobody knows what she’d been doing in the hours in between. By 7:45 p.m., she’d disappeared from the crash site.
Officers who’d arrived on the scene noticed a soda bottle “that contained a red liquid with a strong alcoholic odor.” They also noticed the big box of wine in the back of the car and printed directions to Vermont.
No foul play was detected at this point, but officers scoured the nearby area. There was no sign of Maura.
After a few days with no leads, the police began to question if Maura had been suicidal. Her family scoffed at this notion, telling the press she was in good spirits.
That may be true, but it didn’t take away from the fact she’d been dealing with some struggles: she’d been facing legal problems for credit card fraud, had crashed her father’s car just hours before crashing her own, and was worried about her alcohol-dependent sister’s wellbeing.
Still, some evidence suggests Maura took off from the scene willingly. Her phone and backpack were taken with her when she left, though she would never use her phone again, likewise for her credit cards.
Theories began to surface in the months after Maura’s vanishing. Some suggest she fled the scene to avoid getting in trouble.
After all, she had an open bottle with alcohol in it, plus more stashed in the back of the car. She was already in trouble for fraud, and adding drink driving onto that was something Maura would likely want to avoid.
Others suggest she took herself off to the nearby woods to resume drinking, only to be taken by the extreme temperatures.
Another theory suggests she tried to reach her destination on foot, but the freezing temperatures killed her.
A macabre conspiracy is that Maura was taken from the scene against her will. Her father thinks a “local dirtbag” took his daughter.
Some theorists going down the kidnapped route have suggested the bus driver who called the police may have something to do with it and question why he didn’t stay with Maura after finding her in a state of panic.
Over the years, multiple efforts have been made to find Maura’s remains near where she crashed. In September 2021, human remains were found 25 miles from the area where Maura was last seen. However, these were proven not to be her.
Her case remains open to this day.
Michael Rockefeller
Michael Rockefeller’s final photograph is one of the most unnerving images taken of someone before their unexplained disappearance. In it, he’s standing among a cannibal tribe as they ominously smile at him.
Michael Rockefeller’s final photograph.
He was never heard from again shortly after this 1961 picture was taken.
That year, 23-year-old Michael Rockefeller and Dutch anthropologist René Wassing headed to Asmat in New Guinea to study the Dani tribe. The trip went as planned until seven months into it, when the canoe Michael and René were on capsized, throwing the men into the water.
René clung onto the overturned boat as Michael swam to shore. He was never seen again.
Several theories have come about as to what happened to Michael. The main one is that he made it to shore only to be killed and eaten by the known cannibalistic Asmat tribe.
However, other less well-known theories have also been bandied about over the years, some of them offering compelling evidence that Michael didn’t actually die in the canoeing accident.
Ten years after his disappearance, National Geographic completed a project on the same tribe Michael had studied a decade before. In one of the images their photographer had taken, there’s a snap of a man who looks much like Michael Rockefeller. Notably, he’s the only white man among the tribe rowing a boat.
This has helped peddle the theory that Michael made it to shore and decided to live among the tribe instead of returning to his homeland.
Still, many people point to the fact that the tribe was cannibalistic, and Michael simply being welcomed into their tribe was unlikely. To some, the more realistic turn of events is that the men slaughtered and ate him.
Then, there’s the revenge theory: a number of the village leaders in the area (where Michael would have swam to shore) had been killed by patrolmen three years prior. Still reeling from the murders, the tribe may have taken revenge on Michael due to the color of his skin.
Sadly, we’ll unlikely ever know what truly happened to Michael Rockefeller, though none of the possibilities are promising.
Each of these cases remains unsolved to this day. Only time will tell if we ever find out what truly happened to these missing individuals, though for the sake of their loved ones, it’s important that hope isn’t lost and their stories aren’t forgotten.
As time passes, advances in DNA testing and forensic science may yield important breakthroughs. Then, there’s always the hope that witnesses may come forward with vital clues that lead to the case being cracked.
In certain cases, it’s still possible—however small that probability—that the missing individual is alive and well somewhere in the world.
The CMA Awards in Nashville are always packed with glitz, glamour, and performances destined for headlines. But this year, amid all the star power, one moment eclipsed the rest — and it had nothing to do with trophies or chart-topping singles. It happened when Keith Urban, 57, stunned the audience by inviting Rose Kidman-Urban, Nicole Kidman’s daughter from her previous marriage, onto the stage for a duet no one saw coming.
Rose, 26, has long lived her life outside the spotlight. Unlike her mother, who is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, or Keith, who has become a global country superstar, Rose has kept a private profile, rarely photographed and almost never seen at high-profile events. That’s why jaws dropped across the Bridgestone Arena when Keith suddenly paused his set, turned to the audience, and said: “Family isn’t just who you’re born to — it’s who you choose to love. And tonight, I want to share this stage with someone very special to me.”
The Moment Rose Took the Stage
As the crowd buzzed with confusion, the cameras turned to reveal Rose walking slowly from the wings, her hand nervously clutching the microphone Keith had left waiting for her. Dressed in a simple midnight-blue gown, her hair pulled back softly, Rose looked hesitant, even overwhelmed, as thousands of eyes followed her. But Keith reached out his hand, pulling her close.
Without missing a beat, he began to strum the familiar opening chords of “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” one of his biggest hits. At first, Rose’s voice wavered — raw, untrained, and clearly filled with nerves. But Keith leaned in, gently guiding her, harmonizing on the second line. Something shifted. The two voices blended, and Rose began to sing stronger, more confident, her tone angelic against Keith’s seasoned grit.
The Arena Falls Silent
The effect was immediate. The audience — a room filled with Nashville’s biggest stars, industry executives, and devoted fans — fell completely silent. Nicole Kidman, sitting in the front row, clasped her hands to her mouth, visibly emotional as tears welled in her eyes. Behind her, stars like Kelsea Ballerini and Luke Bryan looked on in awe, whispering to each other at the unexpected sight.
By the chorus, the duet had become more than a performance — it was a declaration. Rose was no longer just Nicole Kidman’s daughter, standing nervously on stage. She was Keith Urban’s family, his choice, his pride. Their voices — fragile yet fierce together — seemed to carry more than lyrics. They carried years of unspoken love, acceptance, and the courage to show it to the world.
Standing Ovation and Tears
As the final note faded, Keith kissed Rose gently on the top of her head. The crowd erupted into a thunderous standing ovation, cheers echoing across the arena. Nicole was on her feet too, wiping away tears and clapping with a mixture of pride and disbelief. The cameras captured her whispering to a seatmate: “That’s my girl.”
Social media exploded within minutes. Clips of the duet spread like wildfire, trending under hashtags like #UrbanAndRose and #CMADuetOfTheYear. Fans flooded comment sections with emotional reactions: “Not a dry eye in the house,” wrote one viewer. “Keith just showed what real fatherhood looks like.” Another posted: “I don’t care if she’s not his by blood. She’s his daughter in every way that matters.”
Rewriting What Family Means
The performance wasn’t about perfection. Rose isn’t a trained singer, and some notes carried the tremor of nerves. But that imperfection became its own kind of beauty. It was proof that music — and family — isn’t about flawless delivery. It’s about connection, vulnerability, and love.
Critics hailed it as the emotional highlight of the night. “In a ceremony built on music, Keith Urban gave us something bigger — a living ballad about love and chosen family,” wrote one Nashville columnist.
More Than an Encore
After the show, Keith was asked backstage why he had chosen to share such a personal moment in front of millions. He smiled softly and answered: “Because she deserves to know she’s loved, not just in private, but in public too.”
Rose, still shy, added only a few words: “I didn’t expect this, but it meant the world.”
In the end, the CMA Awards 2025 may be remembered for many glittering performances, but none will linger quite like this — a father who chose love over tradition, a daughter who found her voice under the brightest lights, and a family that proved, once again, music is the language of the heart.
Under the warm studio lights of 60 Minutes Australia, Tom Jones sat not as the chart-topping icon in a tailored suit, but as a man willing to strip back decades of myth. In this rare and deeply personal conversation, he spoke of relationships that shaped him, moments of heartbreak that tested him, and the resilience it took to keep moving forward when the spotlight dimmed.
Fans watched, riveted, as Tom’s voice softened when he recalled the innocence of first love, the euphoria of great passion, and the pain of letting go. “You learn,” he said quietly, “that love is never the same twice. And that’s a good thing — it means you’ve grown.” Each anecdote felt less like a celebrity confession and more like an old friend sharing wisdom hard-earned over a lifetime.
Behind the cameras, production sources whispered about moments so raw that even seasoned crew members were caught holding their breath. It wasn’t the celebrity they were seeing—it was the man who had weathered storms both public and private, still carrying a certain fire in his eyes.
The impact was immediate. Within minutes of the broadcast, social media became a tapestry of reactions: long-time fans sharing their own stories of love and loss, younger viewers struck by the vulnerability of a legend they’d only known through music. Hashtags like #TomJonesUnfiltered began trending, as snippets of his most poignant lines circulated alongside images of his early career.
But it was one remark—slipped in with the ease of a passing thought—that set the internet ablaze. Insiders won’t repeat it verbatim, but those who heard it say it could alter the way fans view his entire personal journey.
Critics praised the segment as a masterclass in emotional truth-telling, proof that even in an industry built on image, authenticity still resonates. And for Tom, it was more than an interview—it was a reckoning, a reminder that beneath the hits, the tours, and the showbiz polish beats the heart of a man who has loved deeply, lost greatly, and still believes in the power of connection.