About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "Real Life Real Crime | Where Is Alayna? Part 1: The Mother and Daughter Who Vanished" from Real Life Real Crime covers the disappearance of Danielle Escue Lea and her 11-year-old daughter Alayna Lea, a Louisiana mother and daughter who vanished, leaving their families desperate for answers. In this first part, Woody and Cyndi Overton introduce Danielle and Alayna, lay out who their families are, and walk through the troubling circumstances that led up to their disappearance.
As the first installment in what is framed as a multi-part series, the episode focuses on setting the scene rather than resolving the case: who Danielle and Alayna were, the people around them, and the warning signs that preceded them going missing. The episode is cataloged as part of this Daughter Who Vanished case entry, where further details on the disappearance can be tracked.
Hosts and release
Woody Overton and Cyndi Overton host this episode of Real Life Real Crime, a weekly true crime podcast in which Woody Overton, drawing on his own investigative background, brings listeners into cases he has worked firsthand. This episode is number 312 in the series, runs 44 minutes, and was released on October 26, 2026. It is available on Apple Podcasts.
