You are listening to the already gone podcast sharing stories of the missing, the

murdered, the mysterious, and the lost.

In October of 2018, I made my first visit to Georgia since the 1980s. I'd never actually set foot in Atlanta or

its suburbs previously, making my whirlwind visit for the Southern True Crime Podcast

meet-up my first experience with the region.

I noticed a lot of things about the area. It's green and lovely. The sun shines

warmer and brighter there than it does here in Michigan. The people seem kinder, friendlier.

Perhaps there is something to that whole southern hospitality thing.

While I was in Georgia, my mind was wandering, thinking about Jody Brant, the young woman we will discuss in today's case.

Jody lived in Michigan for most of her young life, relocating to Georgia just a few years before her disappearance.

When preparing to cover her case, I was lucky to speak with her older brother, Joe.

Joe's lived down south most of his adult life and his voice no longer sounds like he spent his early years in Michigan.

His speech has that relaxed lilt I associate with people from the South.

Joe told me about Jody, that she was spunky and a free spirit, that she was tough and playful.

You often hear victims of crime described as someone who just loved life.

Well, for Jody, a pretty blonde teenager, it was true.

She wasn't letting grass grow beneath her feet.

She was out there doing and

experiencing and enjoying. The notion that a pretty teenage girl has a zest for

living isn't a surprise. What is surprising is how thoroughly Jody disappeared. She was there one minute,

a fair-haired girl with high cheekbones and a gorgeous smile. Then she was gone. Her car, a burned out shell that used to be a Ford escort, the only sign

she'd made it back to Michigan. Before we get too far into her story, we need to talk about Toledo.

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