Throughout the past year we've introduced you to a very strange collection of stories

about people who have gone missing, disappeared without a trace, never to return.

While I was researching stories for the season I ended up with more

information I could possibly use with only 24 episodes. So if you're wondering

why we didn't include that particular story you're passionate about?

Well, there's a chance you still might hear that story.

In June 2024, I'll be releasing a follow-up to my book without a trace.

That will include not only the stories I found while putting together this

season but unsolved mysteries that were suggested to me by you.

As a thanks for all the great feedback, story ideas, text, emails, and support that we've gotten from you this season,

I wanted to offer you one last story.

You can think of it as a Christmas present, it's Christmas Eve or you can think of it as a

palette cleanser if you want because next season will be something completely different than this one.

I'll warn you though this isn't your typical missing

person story. This one has a bit of a twist which is why I wanted to save it to the very

end so I hope you enjoy it.

Just hours before he vanished on August 30th, 1902, a wealthy and influential New York ophthalmologist

named Dr. William Bates wrote a letter

to his wife, Ada, who was out of town visiting her mother.

The letter read,

My dear wife, I am called out of town to some major operations. I go with Dr.

Forch, an old student to do a mastoid, some cataracts, and other operations. He promises me a

...