{"podcast":{"title":"The Dark Oak","slug":"the-dark-oak-6475930","podcast_index_feed_id":6475930,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/thedarkoakpodcast/feed.xml","website_url":"https://thedarkoakpodcast.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/16604225/Tree_6ms6ri.jpg","author":"Just Us Gals Productions","episode_count":100,"summary":"Attention all shiver-seekers! The Dark Oak is a weekly thrill and chill inducing mystery podcast. Every Wednesday, Stefanie and Cynthia will present to you a true tale of the supernatural, the macabre, historical crimes, cryptids, the unexplained and the downright spooky. To help ease your fears, we also include The Branch of Hope Foundation, which connects you to the human side of our cases by giving back to non-profit organizations related to the first episode of the month. If you enjoy guilt free listening and your interest falls somewhere between Bigfoot and Jack the Ripper, The Dark Oak has you covered. Throw in some real time reactions including gasps and laughs and you’ve got the perfect podcast. So grab your coffee, sweet tea or tall glass of wine and settle in for your shadowy adventure. The Dark Oak is waiting!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T00:18:57.004781+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dark-oak-6475930"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 149:  The Zaharias Abduction - Stolen Childhood","slug":"episode-149-the-zaharias-abduction-stolen-childhood","published_at":"2026-04-15T12:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dark-oak-6475930/episode-149-the-zaharias-abduction-stolen-childhood","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dark-oak-6475930","url":"https://thedarkoakpodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-149-the-zaharias-abduction-stolen-childhood/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/six34ynkf545esc2/The-Zaharias.mp3","summary":"On November 20, 1987, in Mission Viejo, California, Susan Zaharias abducted her two toddlers—three-and-a-half-year-old Christopher and fifteen-month-old Lisa—after a violent argument with her husband Louis, assaulting his mother and fleeing with almost nothing for the children. Battling severe alcohol, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine addiction that had drained the family’s savings, Susan had met Louis in 1977, married him in 1981 despite her family’s fierce disapproval, and used relatives to race through Lake Elsinore, California, then Oklahoma, Detroit, Michigan, and several weeks in Greensburg, Pennsylvania before vanishing from Detroit in January 1988. For nearly 39 years Louis has never stopped searching: he sold almost everything he owned to fund lawyers and investigators, kept Christopher’s favorite blanket and Lisa’s dolls, got matching forearm tattoos of the children, and appeared on Unsolved Mysteries and other shows while moving across states to rebuild his life. Active felony warrants remain for Susan with a $250,000 bond; investigators believe all three are alive with ongoing family contact, and current age-progressed photos show Christopher in his early forties and Lisa nearing forty. Louis still hopes his children will one day learn the truth about the father who never gave up on them. Branch of Hope: Crimestoppers of NY Crime Stoppers of New York plays a crucial role in enhancing public safety by encouraging community involvement in crime reporting. By providing anonymous channels for reporting, the program helps law enforcement solve crimes and bring offenders to justice. If you have any information about a crime, consider reaching out through the hotline or the mobile app to contribute to your community's safety. Hotline: Call 1-800-577-TIPS to re…","meta_description":"On November 20, 1987, in Mission Viejo, California, Susan Zaharias abducted her two toddlers—three-and-a-half-year-old Christopher and fifteen-month-old L…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4319,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-dark-oak-6475930/episodes/episode-149-the-zaharias-abduction-stolen-childhood/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dark-oak-6475930/episode-149-the-zaharias-abduction-stolen-childhood.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}