In a quiet suburb of San Diego County, a family of four seemingly vanishes into thin air. When investigators search their home, they find the family’s two beloved dogs unattended outside, rotting food left around the house and clothes strewn across the floor. Did the McStays leave of their own accord, or did something far more sinister happen?
A six-part series from 20/20 and ABC Audio, hosted by Ashan Singh. New episodes Tuesdays.
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Latest episodes
Showing 6 · updated from the feed
The Best Friend
Without a smoking gun, detectives try to piece together what may have happened to the McStays after they disappeared.
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Sep 8 32 min
Questions and Answers
Scouring new and old clues, police close in on one suspect.
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Sep 1 29 min
In the Desert
A motorcyclist finds something startling in the Mojave Desert.
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Aug 25 31 min
Missing?
Weeks into the search for the McStay family, investigators find a promising clue. Family and friends aren't convinced.
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Aug 18 29 min
11 Days
The McStay family home is found frozen in time — and spurs a yearslong mystery.
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Aug 11 27 min
Introducing 'What Happened to the McStays?'
In a quiet suburb of San Diego County, a family of four seemingly vanishes into thin air. Did the McStays leave of their own accord, or did something far more sinister ha
Jul 23 2 min
Chart trend
Position in the overall Apple Podcasts chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#45#88AugSep
#5
all-time peak
5
days in the top 10 since Aug 2026
Chart positions
Where What Happened to the McStays? ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 14, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I rely on transcripts to help me absorb podcast content. I almost always listen while reading the transcript because my ADHD can really make it challenging to pay attention otherwise. Unfortunately, for this podcast, it appears the creators have decided to turn that feature off and it makes it very challenging for me
I suspect that they did this because they don’t want to make it easy for people to skip the ads. Since this an incredibly ad-heavy podcast, it’s clear that this has taken the priority over both accessibility and storytelling. The pace of the show is slow, but not because they have a lot of details. It feels like they’re trying to maximize the number of episodes (and the corresponding number of ads) so each episode is just really unfulfilling. I genuinely forget about this podcast between episodes
Feedback for the podcast producers (and their corporate overlords):
- prioritize disability inclusion
- prioritize storytelling
If you do this, you’ll amass much larger audiences that allow you to charge a premium to advertisers without bombarding the listener with so many ads that it stops being worth it to listen. And for the disability inclusion, I’m struggling with the decision to cast us aside for profit can feel good about that. If this is the new standard for your podcasts, this will be the last that I listen to
Pumpknpie · Sep 2026
Not only did this podcast immediately draw me in (to the point where I subscribed for the month after being on the fence for a year or two), but the narrator’s voice is perfect. It’s calm, he’s right to the point, with tones of empathy but nothing over the top. Hoping to find more series that he has narrated!
Kathobbs2 · Aug 2026
Riveting start to my new true crime podcast…love getting access to multiple episodes but now can’t wait for episode 4!
Podguy12 · Jul 2026
Narrator reminds me of Peter Thomas from Forensic Files. Soothing, steady monotone. Case story is somewhat interesting.
JMcNifty · Sep 2026
I hate when a good true crime story falls into the hands of bad reporting. The material is there for this podcast to be so much better than it is. The narrator does not sound like he has ever been a reporter, he sounds like this is the first time he’s recorded himself talking. It’s surprising that ABC News and 20/20 couldn’t find someone better. There are too many commercial breaks with episodes behind a paywall. I would never pay for this show.
mscandypants · Sep 2026
I understand podcasts need to make money but 30 minute episodes where 1/2 are adds seem completely pointless. I’m just pressing fast forward more than actual listening. It’s a literal chore
kailynmarie90 · Sep 2026
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
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Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of What Happened to the McStays?, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
