Episode 1: Gone in the Night

The Truth About Natalie

This episode of 'The Truth About Natalie' explores the mysterious disappearance and death of Natalie Jones, a 27-year-old mother and advocate who

Key takeaways

• Natalie Jones sent a final text saying 'I made it' at 12:52 a.m., but never arrived home, raising questions about the authenticity of her message.
• Her phone went straight to voicemail—unusual for someone who was always connected—and her social media and bank accounts ceased activity.

Main topics

• Natalie Jones' life and struggles with trauma, abuse, and mental health
• The circumstances surrounding her disappearance on July 4th, 2020

Notable quotes

"I made it. Thanks." – Natalie's final text message, sent at 12:52 a.m.

"She was slumped down in the seat. She was barefoot. She's missing her belt that she was wearing that day." – Investigator describing the scene

Conclusion

The episode leaves listeners with a haunting question: Was Natalie Jones' death an accident or murder? The evidence—her

Transcript preview

Speaker 8 (0:00) I don't know what you've come to expect from a true crime podcast, but I guarantee you Crime Junkie is all of that and more. I'm Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. And every Monday, we dissect some of the most mysterious cases. But listen, we're not just rehashing what you can read for yourself online. We have a team of dedicated investigative reporters and producers who I work with for months on every single episode. But the show still feels like having a conversation with your best friend. If your best friend was a detective. But like a good detective. So join us and Speaker 3 (0:27) tune into Crime Junkie every Monday. Wherever you are. you get your podcasts. This Speaker 5 (0:31) podcast discusses issues such as drug use, self-harm, sexual abuse, violence, and assault. Listener discretion is advised. Speaker 8 (0:53) First, let me say that I'm not mad at nobody. This is not while I'm sharing my story. I'm sharing my story because this is my life. This is my story. This is what I made it out of. It's the truth. It happened. Speaker 8 (1:21) I have been ridiculed. That's what's wrong with the world these days because of the fact people get stuff done to them and then they get ridiculed about it. Why? Why? It has been a long road and God brought me out of this. And I know He's with me. I know He has a plan. And that is the only reason I'm sharing my stories because I'm hoping to help somebody along the way. Speaker 8 (1:57) To not give up no matter what. Speaker 5 (2:04) Natalie Jones was 27 years old when she died, not long after she recorded those words. A free spirit, Natalie was kind, loving, and always smiling. Or so it seemed. But behind that smile lived pain hidden from much of the world around her. No one knew the secrets Natalie kept. That her life was a turbulent one, filled with years of trauma and abuse. She kept a facade that would eventually crumble away. She made it her mission to help others by sharing those painful experiences publicly. But in a tragic twist of fate, Natalie Jones wouldn't live long enough to tell her whole story. A story that some believe may have played a role in her untimely death. Speaker 5 (2:56) Through journal entries, social media, video, and audio recordings, you'll hear Natalie in her own words. She will recount allegations of abuse, grooming, and rape as we peer through a deeply candid and heartbreaking lens into her own personal struggles to answer the question, was Natalie's death a tragic and unfortunate accident, or was it something much darker? Was Natalie killed in the process of publicly sharing the darkest chapters of her life and naming names? That's what I aim to find out. Everyone has a backstory and everyone has secrets. These are Natalie's secrets and this is her story. The one she never had the chance to finish telling. Now, I'll attempt to pick up where she left off. and find out what really is the truth about Natalie. I'm Sean Kipe from AudioChuck and Particle Entertainment. This is the truth about Natalie. My name is Sean Kipe. I'm an Atlanta-based podcaster and investigative journalist. For me, Natalie's story all began more than a year ago. That's when Jennifer Peterson contacted me seeking help. Speaker 3 (4:42) It involves the high-profile case of Natalie Jones in 2020. She went missing and was found under very suspicious circumstances, and we were fighting to get justice for her. Speaker 5 (4:57) Before Jennifer Peterson reached out to me, I'd not heard the name Natalie Jones before. I asked her to send me some basic info about the case, and what Jennifer shared intrigued me. She became involved in the search for Natalie shortly after she vanished in July of 2020 and has since emerged as one of Natalie's fiercest advocates. Jennifer believes foul play was involved in Natalie's death and her dedication to uncovering what happened has been unwavering. She is incredibly well-versed in every detail of this case. You'll hear from her often. Over the past few years, she's worked tirelessly with a small, determined team of like-minded advocates for Natalie to piece together the truth. Throughout this time, she would send me frequent updates, theories, interviews, case files, and as their work deepened, I couldn't help but find myself drawn in. The case was perplexing, and there was no clear explanation for what happened to Natalie Jones. And really, that's what this podcast is all about. What really happened to Natalie? What events transpired in her life that ultimately led to her mysterious death? And... Is there someone responsible for her death? Speaker 3 (6:07) I do have the entire case file, which myself, select group of others, and we do have a federal agent that will be reviewing the case. I think a lot of people don't realize how powerful Natalie's story is. It is incredibly powerful. Speaker 5 (6:25) Toward the end of 2024, I began to read through all the information I was sent once again, trying to wrap my head around what it all meant. trying to make sense of what happened and determine if a crime had in fact even been committed. What I learned left me with the uneasy feeling that there could be more to Natalie's death than what lay on the surface. On the evening of Saturday, July 4th, 2020, Natalie left a party in Jackson's Gap, Alabama, heading home about an hour and a half away to Corinth, Georgia. The intimate party she attended was a last-minute plan, a chance to relax and unwind. The year leading up to this point had been a rough one for Natalie. She'd struggled to hold a steady job and have a permanent place to call home for her and her two young children, Trent and Isaac, who were both staying with their fathers for the weekend. Recently, Natalie had moved back in with her mother Elaine and her roommate. She'd planned to pick up her half-sister Tabitha's two children early the next morning and babysit them while Tabitha was at work. Wearing white jean shorts, a red and white striped shirt, and a pair of black sandals emblazoned with sparkly plastic gemstones, she placed her phone and white Oakley sunglasses into her bag and tossed it into her car. At some point just before 11 p.m. Central Time, she waved goodbye one last time through the windows of her hot pink 2002 Chevy Cavalier and drove into the night. The last text Natalie sent was at 12.52 a.m. saying, I made it. Thanks. Much of what happened next remains a mystery more than six years later. Speaker 8 (8:06) Natalie Jones disappeared 4th of July weekend. A loving mother to two boys is missing. No contact, no sighting since two Speaker 1 (8:13) of Speaker 8 (8:13) her family is desperately trying to find her. She left Alabama on July 5th, heading for home, but she never made it. Jones went missing. All activity on her social media and bank accounts is stopped. Last seen in Jackson's Gap, Alabama, in her hot pink Chevy. Her car, a bright pink 2002 Chevy Cavalier, hasn't been spotted. Speaker 5 (8:33) Natalie never returned home that morning, never showed up to watch Tabitha's kids as planned, and wasn't responding to texts or calls. Most concerning was that her phone went straight to voicemail, which it never did. Natalie was the type that was glued to her phone. Speaker 3 (8:48) They knew that something was wrong, and I think that her mother really started screaming it out loudly the first. Speaker 5 (8:59) For Natalie's mother, Elaine Gordon. The panic instantly set in. The Speaker 1 (9:04) morning of July 5th, at like 6 o'clock in the morning, I started calling her phone. Speaker 1 (9:11) I never called her phone that early. You know what I'm saying? And it started going straight to voicemail. I called my roommate, Ricky, and I said, go in there, peek in Natalie's room, and see if she's in there. So he did. He come back. He said, no. He said, she's not in here. I said, go out there and see if her car's out there in the yard. He did. No, it wasn't out there. As a matter of fact, she didn't come home. That's what Ricky said. Speaker 5 (9:39) Elaine had spent the previous night of July 4th at her friend Sherry's house. Concerned, she went straight home. Speaker 1 (9:46) So I told Sherry, I said, you need to get up. I said, you need to take me home right now. I said, my daughter's phone is going straight to voicemail. And I said, this never happens. That never happens. I don't care if she's in the shower. That phone is in the bathroom with her. You know, wherever, it's there. Elaine Speaker 2 (10:04) called the police shortly after getting Speaker 5 (10:06) home. but was told she needed to wait 24 hours before Natalie was officially considered a missing person. She called the friends she had numbers for and her children's fathers with no luck. No one had heard from Natalie. She continued to text and call her phone, too, but each