Episode 1

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Published on:

20th Apr 2026

Finding the Bannisters

A Mother Disappears. A National Search Begins.

What starts as a family dispute quickly spirals into something far more urgent.

In Episode 1 of this gripping Chasing Evil series, we take you inside the early moments of the Bannister case—when a mother vanishes with her children and law enforcement begins to realize this is no ordinary custody situation.

As investigators piece together the timeline, troubling signs begin to surface. The children aren’t just missing—they may be in real danger.

When the U.S. Marshals Service becomes involved, the case escalates into a nationwide effort to locate the children before time runs out.

For the first time, Genevieve Bannister, the eldest daughter, speaks publicly about her experience—offering a deeply personal and emotional perspective from inside the case.

You’ll also hear from Senior Inspector Tommy O’Brien of the U.S. Marshals Service, who provides insight into how law enforcement assessed the threat, mobilized resources, and made critical early decisions that would shape the search.

This episode lays the foundation for a case that would capture national attention—and trigger an intense manhunt.

IN THIS EPISODE

  • How the Bannister case first came to law enforcement’s attention
  • The early warning signs that raised immediate concern
  • The moment investigators realized the children could be in danger
  • How the case escalated beyond a local investigation
  • Inside the U.S. Marshals Service’s early involvement
  • Genevieve Bannister’s firsthand account of life on the run
  • Senior Inspector Tommy O’Brien on the urgency behind the search

WHY THIS CASE MATTERS

Cases involving missing children evolve fast—and the first 24–48 hours can determine everything.

Through both survivor perspective and law enforcement insight, Episode 1 reveals how quickly uncertainty can turn into urgency—and how critical decisions are made when every minute counts.

COMING NEXT

As the search intensifies, new information begins to surface—and the case takes a dramatic turn.

Episode 2: The manhunt expands, and the pressure builds.

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

  • Follow Chasing Evil on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
  • Watch video episodes and clips on YouTube
  • Visit: chasingevilpodcast.com for updates and exclusive content

NOTE TO LISTENERS

This episode contains discussion of missing children and high-risk situations. Listener discretion is advised.

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About the Podcast

Chasing Evil
A compelling true crime podcast featuring never-before-heard moments of real crimes told by the survivors and those who were called in to chase - and ultimately stop - evil. Host and creator, Emmy award-winning film and television producer Christopher Godsick, goes behind the scenes to share the untold stories of criminal cases including the infamous fraudster Bernie Madoff, notorious drug lord El Chapo, the recovery of missing children and much more.

About your host

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Chris Godsick

I have worked in the entertainment community for my whole career, and in all the jobs I’ve had, they all have one thing in common, the search for great stories and engaging characters. I started my career sorting mail at the William Morris Agency in LA, and with a lot of luck and perseverance, I eventually became a motion picture agent. I worked with some of the top talent in Hollywood and also met my future bride. After a few years I left to team up with my client, legendary director John Woo. We did some fun action films like “Broken Arrow” and “Face Off”. I then joined New Line Cinema as a Sr. Vice President of Production where I bought the future hit “Shazam," got yelled at by Sean Connery, and won a bet with Adam Sandler. I left three years later to produce “Take the Lead” starring Antonio Banderas. One day I was introduced to the extremely talented British writer and director Armando Iannucci and a year later we started work on what would become the comedy hit “Veep” for HBO. I was nominated for five Emmys for my work as an Executive Producer and was fortunate enough to win two statues. I was still on top of the world when I returned home after the celebrations and my wife reminded me that it was trash night and the cans needed to be taken out to the curb! I’ve developed projects in several different genres and now I’m diving into something new. I found what I was searching for… great stories and engaging characters…and now I’m hooked!!