5 most gripping Dateline episodes about disappearances that took dark turns

Dateline has run for nearly 35 seasons and produced close to 3,000 episodes. According to ScreenRant, the strongest episodes have focused on the most complex and long-running cases. Since the 1990s, the show's investigations into crimes, criminals, and victims have kept audiences engaged, with most of them about disappearances that took dark turns.

The show continued to thrive even with growing competition from other formats. Today, true-crime books, documentaries, and podcasts offer a wide range of choices. This abundance of true-crime content has led some people to overlook the original series that set the standard.

Continue reading more about the Dateline episodes that took dark turns.

Here's the list of the 5 most gripping Dateline episodes about disappearances that took dark turns

1. Kirby Carpenter's shocking disappearance and murder

Dateline recently aired the shocking murder of a 36-year-old self-made businessman named Kirby Carpenter, who first went missing and later was found shot to death outside his home near the carport in Tippah County, Mississippi.

Court TV reported that Jeffrey Spence, his wife Karen, and his daughter Caitlin were all charged in Kirby's killing. Jeffrey was convicted of first-degree murder, while Caitlin pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and Karen to grand larceny after the fact.

The dark turn came when investigator Chris McCallister found Kirby's body near the carport, partially hidden beneath a curtain and a truck toolbox, with only his boots and possibly one hand visible. Blood was spotted along with drag marks leading to the dead body.

2. The missing-person case of Alice Ku

Dateline NBC's episode titled 'The Gorge' revisited the disappearance of a 36-year-old tutor from Mountain View, Alice Ku. Investigation reports revealed that she went missing while on a trip to Taiwan.

Alice had secretly married a German-Canadian engineer named Harald Herchen, who said that he saw her at Hualien train station and claimed that she ran away. However, the case took a dark turn when a Santa Clara County civil court judge and jury ruled that Alice was killed in Taroko National Park after her family won a $23.6 million wrongful death lawsuit against Harald.

3. The missing case of Sarah Stern

Dateline's The Betrayal of Sarah Stern revisited the disappearance and murder of a 19-year-old girl named Sarah Stern. According to CBS News, the police discovered Sarah's Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight left on the Route 35 Bridge over the Shark River in Belmar, New Jersey. The car was abandoned, and the keys were still inside the ignition.

Liam McAtasney was convicted on all seven charges brought against him, which included first-degree murder, robbery, and desecration of human remains. The court sentenced him to life in prison without the chance of parole, along with an additional consecutive 10-year sentence.

4. The disappearance of Alissa Turney

Alissa Turney's missing-person case was one of the darkest cases in the history of Dateline. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, Judge Sam Myers dismissed the murder charge against Michael Turney one week into the trial, meaning he cannot be recharged for the same offense. The judge's decision came one week after the trial started.

When Alissa was 17, her father picked her up early from school. Later that afternoon, Alissa's sister, Sara Turney, found a note in Alissa's bedroom saying that Alissa was running away to California. Alissa's father reported her missing to the police. Apart from the runaway note, Alissa had left behind her cell phone, makeup, straightener, and all her money.

5. The disappearance of Daniel Robinson

Dateline's Missing in America revisited the disappearance of a 24-year-old man named Daniel Robinson after leaving a remote desert job site in Buckeye, Arizona. His family was convinced that a crime happened, but authorities still treated his disappearance as a missing person case. It had not been classified as a homicide investigation, and the case remained unsolved.

Daniel's disappearance took a dark turn when he failed to return after driving further west into the open desert in his blue-gray 2017 Jeep Renegade. He was never found, but the authorities discovered his car, cell phone, keys, wallet, and the clothes he was wearing that day.