Disappeared: Amber Dubois and Chelsea King

Crime Salad

BLACKCAT | Realm

True Crime

4.4 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 28 June 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of child abduction, sexual violence, and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

In February 2009, 14-year-old Amber Dubois disappeared while walking to school in Escondido, California. Her family searched tirelessly—without answers. A year later, 17-year-old Chelsea King went missing during her routine run in a nearby park.
Was this a total coincidence that two young girls completely vanished? Or was there a serial killer to blame? In this episode, we piece together the facts behind Amber’s disappearance, the shocking investigation into serial offender John Gardner, and how one mother’s heartbreak became a mission to protect others.

Hosted by Ashley and Ricky Plum of Crime Salad.

Thanks to the sponsors for this episode
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Episode Resources & Support Links
If you'd like to support the families affected by today’s case or learn more:
Amber Dubois Memorial Foundation
https://www.amberduboisfoundation.org
Chelsea’s Light Foundation
https://www.chelseaslight.org

If you or someone you know has been impacted by a case like this, here are some organizations offering grief support and victim advocacy:

National Center for Victims of Crime
https://victimsofcrime.org
Parents of Murdered Children (POMC)
https://pomc.org
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
https://www.rainn.org | 24/7 Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
The Dougy Center—Grief Support for Children & Families
https://www.dougy.org
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 (free, 24/7 crisis support)

Have a Case You Want Us to Cover?
If there's a case you'd like to hear us cover, please reach out—we’re always listening!
Follow us on our most active platforms:
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Facebook (we check it too, just not as often)

Transcript

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0:59.9	Before we begin, we want our listeners to know that today's episode includes discussions
1:04.4	of child abduction, sexual violence, and murder.
1:08.6	Some of the details are deeply disturbing, so please take care of yourself while listening.
1:15.5	On February 13, 2009, 14-year-old Amber Dubois woke up in Escondito, California, to get ready for school.
1:23.8	She was excited.
1:24.7	It was the last day to submit her deposit for a lamb that she would raise through her school's agricultural program.
1:32.6	Amber had a huge love for animals ever since she was a little girl. Her mom, Carrie, stopped in to say goodbye before heading to work, and they even made plans to go see a movie that Friday evening. There was nothing unusual.
1:46.4	They both said, I love you, as they usually do,
	...

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