Terrifying & True | Angela Hammond — Abducted During a Payphone Call

0:04 We've all been alone in a parking lot or a shopping center, noticing someone nearby and assuming they're just like us, a weary traveler hoping to not be bothering. But when a young woman's encounter was heard over the phone and she was never seen again, the mystery deepened. What you were about to be is burid to be based on witness accounts, testimonies, and public record. This is terrifying.

0:45 And it was a quiet night in a small town in Missouri until a young woman's terrified scream pierced a phone line and she vanished without a trace. Angela Hammond's disappearance wasn't just another cold case. It was a strange mystery that sent shockwaves through her community and sparked decades of speculation. Was she stalked by a stranger, taken by someone she knew, or the tragic victim of a kind of mistaken identity. This story doesn't just haunt us, it demands answers. Tonight, we're taking a look at Angela Hammond's disappearance to see if any stone has indeed been left unturned.

1:43 Right after this, in the quiet town of Clinton, Missouri, life was simple, predictable, until the night Angela Hammond vanished without a trace. The twenty year old college student known for her warm personality and bright future, made a routine call from a payphone, never to be seen again. What began as an ordinary evening took a chilling turn when she described a suspicious truck circling the block. Moments later, her terrified screams echoed through the phone line, leaving her fiance, Rob Shaeffer, desperate to save her. The frantic chase that followed only deepened the mystery. Rob spotted the truck speeding away and pursued it, only to have his car break down, forcing him to watch helplessly as Angela disappeared into the night.

3:00 Despite an intensive investigation, no trace of her was ever found. Over the years, disturbing connections emerged between her case and two other unsolved disappearances in Missouri, raising fears that a predator was lurking in the region. With every passing year, new theories of surfaced, from the work of a serial killer to the possibility that Angela was taken by someone she knew. But despite decades of searching, one haunting question remains, what really happened to Angela Hammond. Angela Marie Hammond was born on February ninth, nineteen seventy one, in Clinton, Missouri, a quiet farming town in the heart of America. The community was known for its peaceful atmosphere, where her neighbors looked out for one another and crime was rare. Angela was the youngest of four children born to Marcia and Ray Hammond, growing up in a close knit and loving family.

4:14 From an early age, she was known for her outgoing personality, warm smile, and infectious laughter. She had a deep love for animals and was always drawn to caring for them, embodying the kindness that made her beloved by those around her. As she entered adulthood, Angela pursued higher education at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. She had dreams of becoming a teacher and was dedicated to her studies. It was during her time at the university that she met Rob Shaeffer, a fellow student. The two quickly formed a strong connection and became inseparable. Rob had been a stand out athlete in high school, and his charm and dedication to Angie made their relationship feel like a perfect match.

5:09 Their love deepened, and before long, Rob presented Angela with a diamond engagement ring, vowing to always take care of her. By nineteen ninety one, Angela had become a vibrant twenty year old, well known and well liked in her community. She was full of life, with a bright future ahead of her. Rob deeply committed to their relationship, shared dreams of a future together filled with love and stability. In Clinton, Missouri, where life was typically calm and predictable, Angela had every reason to feel secure. The town had always seemed like a safe place, far removed from the dangers that often plagued larger cities. But in an instant, that sense of security was shattered. On the night of April fourth, nineteen ninety one, Angela's life took an unexpected and tragic turn.

6:13 What began as an ordinary evening quickly spiraled into a horrifying mystery that would haunt her loved ones and the entire community for decades. The vibrant young woman with so much promise ahead of her vanished without a trace. Her abduction would become one of Missouri's most baffling unsolved cases, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and heartache for those who knew her. Angela's disappearance was more than just a crime. It was an unthinkable nightmare. Her family, fiance, and friends were left in shock, struggling to comprehend how such a terrible event could unfold in their peaceful town.

7:04 The fear that followed would change the community forever, proving that even in the quietest corners of America, tragedy could strike without warning. The investigation into Angela's disappearance would uncover chilling details, but despite years of searching for the truth, the case remains unsolved. What really happened to Angela Hammond that fateful night and could there still be answers waiting to be discovered. On the evening of April fourth, nineteen ninety one, Angela had attended a barbecue before taking Rob home.

7:54 They had spent the evening together, enjoying each other's company before she drives him off. It was around ten PM when Angela told him she would call him later that night once his mother returned home. Rob had to stay at the house to watch his younger brother, but as soon as his mother arrived, he planned to meet Angela back up town. They had no reason to suspect that this ordinary night would soon take a horrifying turn. About an hour later, as promised, Angela called Rob from a payphone located in the center of Clinton. The phone booth was only seven blocks from Rob's house, near her apartment.

8:43 The two chatted as usual, sharing the small details of their evening, but then in the middle of their conversation, Angela mentioned something that caught Rob's attention. An older model green Ford pickup truck had circled the block multiple times. At first, it didn't seem like a cause for concern, and Angela remained calm. However, as she kept talking, she noticed that the truck had stopped nearby, parking close to the phone booth. That was when the situation took an unsettling turn. A man stepped out of the truck and walked over to the phone booth next to Angela's. He briefly used the payphone, but then returned to his truck, where he appeared to be searching for something with a flashlight.

9:51 Angela described the scene to Rob in real time, telling him about the flashlight and the man's action. Moments later, he approached her vehicle, she got a closer look at him and provided Rob with a description. He looked to be in his mid twenties, stood around six feet tall, and weighed roughly two hundred pounds. He wore a white baseball cap and a green army jacket. Angela, still trying to make sense of the situation, asked if he needed to use the phone, thinking perhaps the other one was broken.

10:33 The man casually responded that he would try again in a minute, giving no immediate cause for alarm. Angela and Rob continued their conversation, momentarily setting aside their concerns, but then everything changed in an instant without warning, Angela screamed. Her voice was filled with terror as she shouted it into the phone that a man was trying to abduct her. She begged Rob to call the police. The sudden shift from casual conversation to desperate cries for help sent Rob into a panic. He didn't stop to think. His only instinct was to get to her as fast as possible.

11:24 He dropped the phone, bolted out of the house, and jumped into his car. In his urgency, he didn't even bother to hang up the phone. Every second mattered, and he had no time to waste. As Rob sped toward the payphone, he spotted a pickup truck racing past him in the opposite direction. In that terrifying moment, someone inside the vehicle shouted his name, Robbie. It was a chilling confirmation that Angela was inside that truck. Fueled by desperation, Rob immediately turned his car around and gave chase. He pursued the vehicle throughout downtown Clinton, pushing his car to the limit, but as he frantically tried to catch up, disaster struck. When he had aggressively thrown his car into reverse earlier, he had unknowingly caused severe damage to the transmission.

12:29 Just two miles into the chase, the car broke down completely. Rob was forced to watch helplessly as the truck disappeared into the night, taking Angela with it. In the chaotic moments that followed, police were called and a massive search was launched. Officers scoured the area, questioning anyone who might have seen something. Witnesses reported seeing a rust colored van leaving the area around the same time, though it was unclear if it was connected to Angela's disappearance. Despite extensive efforts, no trace of Angela or her abductor was found. What began as an ordinary knight had spiraled into unimaginable terror. Clinton, Missouri, a place where people felt safe, where crime was exceedingly rare, was now the center of one of the most chilling mysteries anyone could ever experience. As the investigation into Angela Hammond's disappearance began, Rob Shaeffer was consumed with guilt. He had always promised to protect her, to be there whenever she needed him, and now she was gone. No matter how hard he had tried to stop it, he felt like he had failed her. The entire town of Clinton

14:01 was shaken by the horrifying abduction. It was unthinkable that something like this could happen in their peaceful community. Determined to find Angela, law enforcement and volunteers launched extensive searches by both air and land. They combed through fields, wooded areas, and remote backwards hoping for any sign of her or her abductor, but despite their best efforts, they found nothing. Investigators quickly realized that their best chance of solving the case rested on identifying the mysterious pickup truck that was described at the scene. Detective Damon Parsons, the lead investigator on the case, worked closely with Missouri State Highway Patrol to conduct an exhaustive search. They ran a database check on all registered vehicles matching the description Rob had provided.

15:02 This process yielded one thousand, six hundred potential matches. Investigators meticulously reviewed each one, checking the color and looking for any unique markings such as the mural in the back window that Rob had described. Yet, despite their efforts, none of the vehicles were a match. Without physical evidence or any other leads, investigators found themselves relying solely on Rob's account of what had happened that night. But when no other witnesses could corroborate his story, suspicions turned toward him.

15:45 As often happens in missing persons cases, law enforcement had to consider the possibility that Angela's abduction was an inside job. Rob, being the last known person to speak with her, became a suspect. The scrutiny was agonizing for him, but he cooperated fully with investigators. Angela's mother, Marcia, never doubted Rob's innocence for a second. She was adamant that he loved Angela and had no reason to harm her. After an intense week of questioning an investigation, rob was officially cleared of any wrongdoing, but with no new leads, the case stalled until police began to see disturbing connections between Angela's disappearance and two other cases that remained unsolved within one hundred mile radius of Clinton. The first case had taken place just three months earlier in max Creek, Missouri. On January nineteenth, nineteen ninety one, forty two year old Trudy Darby was working alone at a convenience store when she noticed a suspicious man lurking outside. Unnerved, she called her son for help. He rushed to the store, but by the time he arrived just ten minutes later, Trudy was gone.

17:18 Two days later, her body was found along a riverbank ten miles from the store. She had been shot twice in the head. A little over a month after that, on February twenty eighth, another woman vanished under eerily similar circumstances. Cheryl Ann Kenny, a thirty year old convenience store worker in Nevada, Missouri, went missing after closing up for the night. Unlike Trudy, Cheryl's body was never found, and she remains missing to this day. Less than a month later, Angela Hammond was abducted. Detective Parsons believed these cases were connected.

18:11 The pattern was chilling, three women disappearing within months of each other, all within the same region. The idea that a serial predator was operating in west central Missouri became a terrifying possibility. Authorities pursued the theory aggressively, but without solid evidence linking the cases, the investigation stalled. Meanwhile, Angela's family was left in agonizing limbo. Marcia Hammond refused to give up hope and remained vocal about her daughter's case. She longed for answers, justice, and most of all, to know what had happened to her daughter on that night.

18:57 Despite the relentless efforts of law enforcement and the community, Angela's fate remains unknown. Her disappearance had a profound and lasting impact on her family and the Clinton community. Her parents, Marcia and Ray, worked tirelessly to keep her case in the public eye. They became passionate advocates for missing persons and victims rights, determined to prevent other families from experiencing the same heartache through media interviews, awareness campaigns, and community outreach. They ensured that Angela's name was never forgotten. Their efforts kept the case alive, but the answers they desperately sought remained out of reach. In nineteen ninety two, in honor of Angela's dream of becoming a teacher, her family established the Angela Hammond Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship provides financial assistance to students pursuing degrees in education, a fitting tribute to the aspirations Angela once had. Over the years, the fund has helped numerous students achieve their academic goals, ensuring that Angela's legacy continues to inspire. Though justice has not yet been served, Angela's memory endures, carried forward by her family, friends,

20:27 and a community that refuses to let her story fade. Over the years, numerous theories and leads have surfaced regarding Angela Hammond's disappearance, yet none of them have led to definitive answers. One widely debated theory suggests that Angela was the victim of a serial predator operating in Missouri at the time. The similarities between her case and the abductions of Trudy Darby and Sheryl Anne Kenny raise concerns that a single perpetrator may indeed be responsible. However, without direct evidence linking the cases, this theory remained speculative. Another possibility is that Angela's abduction was not random. Some theorists believe she may have been taken by someone who knew her routine and had been watching her for the right moment.

21:26 Despite this unsettling idea, no person of interest ever emerged to support it. A significant development came in two thousand and four when authorities arrested a man named John Tessier for an unrelated crime. Tessier became a person of interest in Angela's case due to his location at the time and his ownership of a van similar to the one scene near the payphone on the night she vanished. Investigators examined his background for a possible connection, but without tangible evidence, Tessier was never charged, leaving authorities without answers. Angela's case gained renewed attention in twenty nineteen when it was featured on the true crime series Cold Justice. Investigators re examined the details of her abduction using modern forensic technology and investigative techniques unavailable in nineteen ninety one. They reviewed old leads, interviewed those involved in the case, and explored advancements in DNA analysis in hopes of uncovering some new evidence. Despite their efforts, no major breakthroughs emerged, and the mystery remained unsolved.

22:50 One of the most intriguing recent developments suggested that Angela's abduction may have been a case of mistaken identity. On April five, fourth, nineteen ninety one, a letter threatening the life of a woman named Angela, the daughter of a police informant, was sent. This letter was postmarked the same day Angela Hammond disappeared, leading investigators to theorize that she may have been mistakenly targeted instead of the intended victim. While this revelation raised new questions, no conclusive evidence was found to confirm or refute this theory. Despite decades of searching for answers, Angela's case remains one of Clinton's most haunting mysteries. Each promising lead has ultimately ended in frustration, leaving her family and the community without closure. The lingering uncertainty continues to cast a shadow over the town, reminding every one of the night Angela vanished without a trace.

24:00 As we are left with more questions than answers. What do you think happened to Angela Hammond? Was she the victim of a serial predator? Or was someone closer to her involved in her disappearance? Could her abduction have been a tragic case of mistaken identity? With so many unanswered questions, do you believe this case will ever be solved? Terrifying and True is narrated by Enrique Kuto. It's executive produced by Rob Fields, Markshields and Bobbletopia dot com and produced by Dan Wilder with original theme music by Ray Mattis. If you have a story you think we should cover on Terrifying and True, send us an email at Weekly Spooky at gmail dot com, and if you want to support us for as little as one dollar a month, go to Weekly Spooky dot com slash Join. Your support for as little as one dollar a month keeps the show going. And speaking of I want to say an extra special thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who pay a little bit more to hear their name at the end of the show, and they are Kate and Lulu, Jessica Fuller, Johnny Nix, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, Karen we Met, Jack Ker and Craig Cohen.

25:12 Thank you all so much, and thank you for listening. We'll see you all right here next time. On Terrifying and True