MISSING: Jennifer, Sidney, & Monique
When a young mom and her two small daughters disappear without a trace from Topeka, Kansas, in May 2000, her family goes on a decades-long hunt for answers. But right in the middle of our reporting, the family gets a huge tip that could change everything.
Listened to this episode? Let us know what you think here.
From left to right: Jennifer Lancaster, Sidney and Monique Smith.
Credit: Lancaster family photo
Jennifer Lancaster.
Credit: Lancaster family photo
Sidney and Monique Smith.
Credit: Lancaster family photo
Vicki and Jessica Lancaster.
Courtesy: Vicki Lancaster
Missing person’s poster for Jennifer, Sidney, and Monique.
Courtesy: Vicki Lancaster
Steak ‘n Shake thank-you card and coupons.
Courtesy: Vicki Lancaster
John Robinson.
Credit: Kansas City Police Department
Timeline:
Jennifer Lancaster and her daughters, Sidney and Monique Smith, are reported missing.
Jennifer’s car is found abandoned, and all personal property belonging to her had been removed.
Misty Glen Apartments
Where Jennifer and her daughters were last seen by her mother, Vicki Lancaster.
Apartment Complex
Where Jennifer’s abandoned car is found.
Please contact the authorities if you have any information:
Topeka PD
If you have any information about the disappearances of Jennifer Lancaster or Sidney and Monique Smith, please reach out to Topeka PD at 785-368-9551.
KBI
You can also submit a tip to KBI directly online or by calling 1-800-572-7463.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Taylor Day.
- Courthouse News Service (Kansas City, MO): Death Penalty Upheld for Kansas Serial Killer by Emma Gannon. Published November 9, 2015. Accessed May 10, 2025.
https://www.courthousenews.com/death-penalty-upheld-for-kansas-serial-killer/ - Investigation Discovery Crimefeed: The Internet’s First Serial Killer: John Edward Robinson, The ‘Internet Slavemaster’ by Catherine Townsend. Accessed May 10, 2025.
https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/serial-killer/the-internets-first-serial-killer-john-edward-robinson-the-internet-slavemaster - The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO): Two murder charges presented by Richard Espinoza and Tony Rizzo. Published June 16, 2000. Accessed May 10, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/686437561/?match=1&terms=john%20edward%20robinson - The Topeka Capital-Journal (Topeka, KS): KBI says these 40 people remain unaccounted for after going missing from Shawnee County, by Tim Hrenchir. Published October 2, 2021. Updated October 4, 2021. Accessed February 10, 2025.
https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/2021/10/02/missing-persons-topeka-area-among-those-listed-kansas-bureau-investigation-website/5932760001/?fbclid=IwAR3BxlrErVhttCAjbMv1OI7HvsNKrx1F7t9cpQJDWTxLktAZ8WMT7AyhKk0 - The Topeka Capital-Journal (Topeka, KS): After daughter and babies disappeared 23 years ago, Vicki Lancaster still doesn’t know what happened by Tim Hrenchir. Published April 10, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2025.
https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/10/topeka-police-still-seek-tips-in-2000-disappearance-of-jennifer-lancaster/70075896007/
Suggested Episodes
MISSING: Zelig Williams
When 28-year-old Zelig Williams vanishes on October 3rd, 2024, there’s no sign of a crash, his phone, or him. Is this the result of a mental health emergency, a tragic accident or did someone lure Zelig into the woods, never intending to let him leave?
MISSING: Trevaline Evans
A shopkeeper in North Wales seemingly vanishes into thin air after hanging a sign on her antique store saying she’ll be back in two minutes. Investigators search high and low for Trevaline Evans for decades, trying to track down a so-called “mystery man” in a suit who she’d been seen with in the days before she disappeared. But they find no trace of the 52-year-old grandmother. Her case becomes one police call the most confusing they’ve ever worked. And it becomes even more baffling when…nearly 40 years after Trevaline vanished…brand new tips roll in from two brothers in the UK who say they’d found her remains, and had proof. But those remains seemed to vanish too, leaving this mystery still unsolved.
MISSING: The Thompson Family
A frantic phone call, an abrupt departure, and then…silence. When Everett and Lydia Thompson disappear along with their two young sons, the trail leads to one man whose story keeps changing.
Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more!
Unlock all of the exclusive benefits and dynamic listening experience as a Crime Junkie Fan Club member.
Join the Fan Club now to reap the rewards!
