Alfred Lowenstein was worth millions. He owned estates across Europe and rubbed shoulders with kings and captains of industry.

But on a clear July evening, he vanished from his own aircraft mid-flight, leaving behind a broken door, a battered body, and a mystery that still refuses to be solved.

Yeah. refuses to be solved. Hey guys, and welcome to the Moms and Mysteries podcast, a true crime podcast featuring myself,

Mandy, and my dear friend, Melissa.

Hi, Melissa.

Hi, Mandy.

How are you?

I'm doing great.

I'm all caffeinated. I'm heavily caffeinated. How much caffeine have you had today?

Okay. So the funny thing is, I've had one can of Diet Coke because I'm trying to be better to be more hydrated. And so this is really like a freaky Friday kind of thing. Literally, we're recording on Friday.

Yeah. Well, so I don't do Diet Coke like you. I'm not judging. I didn't mean for that to sound judgment. Oh, I wasn't going to say that. What I'm about to say next will show you that I'm totally not judging. So I know you love your Diet Coke. I like to consume my caffeine in the form of energy drinks, which is not great.

So I drink these Alani's. That's my favorite brand. And I love them. They have this flavor that is limited edition. It comes out every year, which is brew. And it's been out for a couple weeks already. And I am living my best life. I have drank way too many of these this week.

I think I've hit my maximum caffeine limit already, for sure.

But we're just going to keep on going.

So that's where we're coming to you from today.

Okay.

Well, this is really something.

I appreciate the change. I appreciate switching places every once in a while and not just hoarding caffeine down my gullet all day. So I'm trying my best over here. Good. So our story today begins in Brussels, Belgium, where Alfred Leonard Lowenstein was born either in 1877 or 1879, depending on what source you read.

His parents, Bernard and Fanny, raised Alfred and his sister, Helene, in what was later described as very modest circumstances, despite the fact that Bernard was a banker.

Alfred's sister Helene died in 1885. When his father Bernard died, the family's

finances were left on shaky ground. Alfred's early career began in the military, but he eventually

traded his uniform for a banker's desk, just like his dad. He and a fellow officer partnered together

...