People enjoy travel for a variety of reasons. Many of you likely gladly traveled recently to visit family for the holidays. Others travel because of the adventure, new places, new people, new experiences. Still others feel that travel is a way of learning to understand themselves better through better understanding others.

Then there are those for whom traveling is an integral part of their spirit.

It's an impulse continually working in them because an unfettered life of travel is

eye-opening, freeing, necessary. Through much of her teenage years,

that's exactly how the young woman at the center of our case this week lived her life. She had

already lived independently in multiple places. She was art and freedom embodied. But recently, the beauty she found in life had grown immensely, thanks to the recent birth of her son.

She learned that roots, as well as wings, had value.

And as such, had made plans to plant those roots in Iowa City, Iowa, as the first step

in paving a path for her small family's future. She was as determined as she was inquisitive.

Someone, however, cut that future short, just as she was on the cusp of beginning new adventures.

Someone had left her for dead.

This is the case of Laura Van Why.

I.

Thank you. The The Welcome to Coffee and Cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams.

And my name is Maggie Damron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone

out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement.

So justice and closure can be brought to these families. With each case, we encourage you to

continue in the conversation on our Facebook page,

Coffee in Case's podcast, because, as we all know,

conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness,

helping keep their memories alive.

So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week.

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