By Brittany Snow | Production Chief

5 stars

   In the past year, I have become quite the fan of podcasts, particularly those covering true crime, one of which being Mile Higher, hosted by husband and wife duo Kendall Rae and Josh Thomas. The show focuses on true crime and conspiracy theories, with the occasional branch out into current topics such as the events surrounding George Floyd and the Royal Family. The podcast often features the family members of crime victims to discuss the case with the hosts from their perspective.

   One of the first episodes to feature a victim’s loved one is episode 67, where Thomas and Rae cover the unsolved disappearance of Alissa Turney. The 2019 episode includes commentary from Sarah Turney, the victim’s younger sister, and describes her own recollection of the last day her sister was seen. 

   On YouTube, the pair include photos and, when available, video evidence that correlates to the cases that are not visible through sole audio. 

   Personally, something that I really enjoy about the show and its hosts is that there is coverage aside from the podcast itself. Kendall has her own YouTube channel where she explains cases covered in her joint show, but also divulges into lesser known disappearance or bizarre cases. More importantly, the duo keeps up to date with these cases and shares updates with their audience. 

   To do so, they share news stories or family updates through their social media platforms, oftentimes retweeting or reposting links to such information. Additionally, they add updates to podcast episodes or YouTube videos as soon as a major break in the case appears. 

   I know I have said a few of my favorite things about the show, and normally here would be the part where I throw in a wrench, but there is a lot to love about the professionalism involved in the making of this content. This podcast makes a point to bring awareness to and rally support for cases that may have been pushed aside as a result of lack of leads.

   For example, in the description of each episode on unsolved cases, the hosts list links that correlate to the case. In episode 158, released in late April, they covered the unsolved disappearance of 23-year-old Phoenix Coldon in Spanish Lake, Missouri. In the description, they list the Facebook page setup by Coldon’s family for updates on the case, as well as an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds for private investigators. Lastly, and what could be one of the biggest resources, is the phone number to the St. Louis Police Department–which is in charge of the case–for anyone who may have information.

   One of my favorite episodes is the coverage on The Springfield Three, a case where three women in the Springfield region vanished without a trace on June 7, 1992. In the episode, we learn about the difference in resources and investigation techniques to ones we might be familiar with now. The best aspect of this in-depth coverage is that the research is thorough, yet the hosts still have questions that cannot be answered through said research. Their questions prompt the audience to have some of their own as well, which makes the listening experience that much more interesting. 

   Overall, I would recommend this podcast to anyone who is a fan of true crime or is interested in seeing investigative reporting in motion. 

   The duo post episodes every Monday. The Mile Higher podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and YouTube.