Hey y’all, it’s Julie Mattson, and this week on Pushing Up Lilies, we’re talking about a case that is still unfolding, and still waiting for answers.

Isadora Wengel has been missing since January. According to Fargo police, investigators believe she was murdered, and they have publicly identified her boyfriend, Joshua Hite, as the person responsible. But there is one heartbreaking reality that makes this case even more devastating, Isadora’s body has never been found.

In this episode, I walk through what has been publicly reported so far: the timeline of her disappearance, the statements from law enforcement, and the details that led investigators to make their accusations. We’ll also talk about what it means when a case moves forward without a body, how prosecutors build cases, how families endure unimaginable uncertainty, and how communities respond when answers feel just out of reach.

Most importantly, we remember Isadora – not as a headline, not as a theory – but as a person whose absence leaves a space that can’t be filled.

Because behind every investigation is a family waiting… and a story that deserves to be told.

* Listener discretion is advised.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
00:06

Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I’m your host, Julie Matson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine tingling, unusual, and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner. Do I have some stories for you?  Are you ready? Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Pushing Up Lilies. I’m so excited about all of my upcoming events and there is an option on my website for you to go on and look at all the events that I’m scheduled to be at and to speak at. 

But there’s two this week that I wanted to remind you of. One is February the 27th, which is going to be this Friday. It’s the True Crime Club and this is at 6 30 p.m. at the McCart Street Mercantile at 137 West McCart Street in Crime, Texas. And our blended table, which is a coffee and beverage bar inside the Mercantile, is putting this meet and greet on so you could get a chance to meet me. You can purchase a cereal box. You can purchase other merchandise in my booth that’s there. They are going to have curated drinks and we’re going to play an episode of the podcast and so it’s going to be so much fun. You’ll also be able to shop the Mercantile. There’s a lot of really cute booths in there, a lot of handmade items that you will love. So, it’ll be a really fun night. 

The very next day, February 28th, which is Saturday, I will be at the Denton Ridiculous Book Palooza and that’s at 2 p.m. at the Bearded Monk in Denton, Texas. My friends Lori Nelson and Erin Smith with Denton County Unsolved Podcast will be there, along with authors Patricia Springer and Claire St. Amont. So I’m super excited about these two events.  I’m going to be having giveaways at them and I’ll also again have booths available so that you can purchase some of my merchandise. I think it’s going to be so much fun and so if you’re in the area, I know a lot of you aren’t, but if you are we would love to see you. 

I want to talk today about a story out of Fargo, North Dakota and many of you know because I’ve talked before my husbands from North Dakota and I love to make fun of his accent because he sounds Canadian and he makes fun of mine. But I do every once in a while hear a little Texas twang out of him. He’s picking it up. That’s just happening. It’s when you’re around people that you kind of pick up their accent, I believe. But this is the story of Isadora Wingel and she has disappeared and is suspected to have been murdered. She’s 25 years old. So what began as a missing persons report at the start of the new year evolved into a homicide investigation built on forensic evidence, digital records and weeks of detailed police work. Her body though has not been recovered. There is, however, a suspect in custody and the case continues to cause serious investigative and legal questions that kind of shapes what happens in court. 

So, Isadora was last seen December 31st of last year at a store in the Fargo area. 

03:44

Now that sighting became the final confirmed public record of her movement. So as the new year begins her family expected contact. When messages and calls went unanswered for days of course they became concerned and on January 7th of this year her family officially reported her missing.  Now Fargo police opened an investigation the same day and detectives began interviewing friends, relatives, co-workers and people closest to her. And among those interviewed were her 21 year old boyfriend Joshua Alexander Hite. Now at that early stage police really didn’t have enough evidence to make an arrest but they gathered statements and reviewed some surveillance footage and reconstructed some of the timelines. Hite had told officers that he and Isadora had an argument and that she left. 

So, officers worked to verify that because in missing person cases statements alone, they’re not enough. Every account has to match physical evidence so phone records video data and so that process takes time and in this case it took weeks. So as days passed, there was no contact from Isadora, obviously, and detectives kind of expanded their investigation. So they started searching vehicles and received apartment access logs, and they examined trash disposal records. One key step involved removing a dumpster from near heights residents and transporting it to a landfill so that a controlled search could be done. This is a standard tactic that they use in cases where evidence has possibly been disposed of. 

Inside the dumpster, investigators found towels and plastic sheeting bound with duct tape. Now we know this is not good. Some items were stained with what appears to be blood, and a metal saw blade was also recovered in that dumpster. These items were packaged, documented, and sent to the state crime lab. 

Every step was photographed and logged and maintaining that chain of custody is so important in cases like this because any break in documentation can actually weaken evidence in court. DNA testing later confirmed that biological material on these items actually matched Isidore’s genetic profile. So forensic pathologists examined this material and the material found on the blade, and the debris included fragments of human bone. There was also fragments of skeletal muscle and adipose or fat tissue. Now these findings are described in court documents as an admixed fragmented array. So that’s kind of what they call it. This type of description indicates that there were multiple tissue types present in small fragmented forms. And so, as we know, and you know where we’re going with this, these findings strongly support dismemberment. Now in cases like this, forensic experts look for several critical indicators. First, they’re gonna analyze bloodstain patterns. They’re gonna look at shape, size, direction, distribution. This all helps determine whether the blood was transferred, wiped, or projected during trauma. Now in dismemberment cases, experts also look at tool marks. 

07:37

So they’re going to compare saw blade teeth patterns to bone damage when they find the body. This helps establish whether a specific tool caused specific injuries. So second, forensics will evaluate tissue composition. So muscle fibers, fat cells, bone fragments, each provide different information. Bone fragments suggest high force or cutting. Muscle tissue is going to suggest direct contact with sharp instruments. And fat tissue can actually indicate body segmentation. And these materials are all examined microscopically and chemically. So third, DNA analysts are going to study mixture patterns. So when multiple biological sources appear in one object, as they did in this case, experts are gonna determine whether they represent contact transfer or active involvement. So in this case, Isidore’s DNA on a saw blade and wrapping materials carries a very high probability because of location and contact. Forensic experts also assess cleaning attempts. So they’re gonna test for diluted blood residue. They’re gonna analyze surfaces for bleach detergent solvents. 

Even after cleaning, as we all know, there are microscopic traces still present. So in all those cases where people are trying to clean and wipe, they never quite do it well enough because there are still microscopic traces. And in dismemberment cases, these traces help kind of reconstruct the events. Now, they also examine disposal methods, wrapping materials, duct tape patterns, container types. That helps investigators determine the planning behavior, the presence of plastic sheeting and sealed bundles will often indicate deliberate concealment. So alongside physical evidence, they also focus on digital records. So phone data, search histories, receipts, location logs, Records show that on January 4th, several days after Isidore was last seen, online searches were conducted for a reciprocating saw, junk removal services, dumpster locations, and legal alias registration. So, if that doesn’t point to him, I don’t know what does. 

These searches were followed by purchases of tools and supplies through delivery services. Digital Forensics actually analyzes this type of data in three main ways. They establish timing, they compare search timestamps with events that they know happened, and then they assess behavioral patterns, and they compare recent searches with the person’s activity. Sudden interest in tools and disposal, that’s going to stand out for sure. And they also are going to correlate purchases with physical evidence. When purchased items match recovered tools, that’s obviously going to strengthen the connection. 

Investigators also examined activity on Isidore’s phone after she disappeared, and there were Snapchat images sent to family members showing ceilings and empty walls. These are different than the typical messages that Isidore sent. So family members told police at that time that they felt like something was wrong, and digital experts analyzed the devices and login records and network connections. 

11:39

They believed that the phone was used to create a false impression that she was still alive. So from a forensic standpoint, post-disappearance communication is critical. Experts examine typing patterns, device handling, login locations, network access points. They look for deviations from normal behavior, and a lot of times these deviations include third-party use. On February 10th, after weeks of forensic analysis and digital review, the Fargo Police Department arrested Joshua Hite. So he was charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and providing false information. At a bail hearing, prosecutors presented forensic reports. They had witness statements. They had digital timelines. And the judge set his bail at $5 million, cash only citing flight risk and severity of charges. So he has to pay cash, $5 million bail. Despite his arrest, one major issue is unsolved, and that is where is her body?  What happened to Isadora Wingel? Police believe her remains may have been placed in a large black tote. And that’s because delivery records show multiple totes were ordered by Hite, and one tote has been recovered. Another remains missing, and investigators are looking for it. Search operations involve a lot of agencies at this point. They’re reviewing vehicle movement. They’re examining landfill records because you have to sign in when you dump things. They organize ground searches. 

They coordinate with new volunteers, and over 70 tips have been received. And the good thing is each tip is logged and investigated. And some of them lead to new locations, but a lot of them are rolled out. And of course, as we all know, weather complicates search efforts in a place like Fargo.  Winter snow limits visibility. Frozen ground restricts any kind of excavation. And as the temperature rises, investigators are able to revisit those areas. Thawing conditions are going to expose new terrain, and this is a phase of investigation that’s ongoing at this time. Forensic experts really place high importance on recovering remains because the body is going to provide information about cause of death, trauma. Are there any defensive injuries? Are there any postmortem changes? Without these remains, prosecutors are going to rely heavily on circumstantial and trace evidence, which legally makes cases like this much more complex.  Another major issue involves construction of the timeline. 

So, defense attorneys are going to examine the period between January 7th, when she was reported missing, and February 10th. They may question investigative decisions and prosecutors are gonna argue that forensic confirmation requires time and laboratory testing, digital analysis and expert review can’t be rushed. They can’t put a rush job on that. In court, the prosecution is gonna have to present a pretty cohesive narrative. They’re gonna have to connect physical evidence, digital records, behavioral patterns, and witness testimony. 

15:29

But each piece kind of has to support each other. Forensic experts are gonna testify about DNA interpretation and tissue analysis and tool mark comparisons. Digital analysts are gonna testify about search records and usage of the device. Investigators are gonna testify about the evidence that they’ve recovered and how they’ve maintained chain of custody. The defense is gonna challenge a lot of the interpretations and they’re gonna question contamination. They’re gonna question that there may be some alternative explanations to everything found. And they’re gonna argue lack of direct eyewitness evidence. They may focus on absence of the remains and those arguments are common in cases when the body has not been discovered. Also, you know, they’re gonna look at motive indicators. They analyze the dynamics of relationships and review communication history, financial records, or they’re having financial problems. They look for conflict patterns. You know, do they fight a lot? And that’s gonna help a lot, kind of established context. 

In this case, investigators reviewed relationship history and message logs and behavioral changes. Court filing suggests that arguments occurred before the disappearance, which he said that they did, that they argued, and then she left. Prosecutors are gonna use this to support motive, but the defense attorneys are going to dispute that. So at this stage, the case remains active and investigators are continuing to search for Isidore’s remains. Prosecutors are preparing for trial and defense attorneys are gonna review evidence and experts are going to refine all of their analysis. And family members, unfortunately, are gonna just have to sit and wait for answers.

For Isidore’s loved ones, of course, because her body has not been found, closure has not come. Without the remains, grief is just unresolved and community members continue to support searches for her body and law enforcement continues to pursue leads. So obviously, based on the evidence that we see, police say they no longer believe that she’s alive after the saw blade was found and her DNA was found in this trash dumpster outside Hite’s apartment in Fargo. Now, Hite did purchase two black totes, but again, only one has been recovered. So police are looking for the other one. And this is gonna be a 27 gallon black HDX tote. And again, because of the weather conditions, if he buried this, it may be difficult to find now, but as the weather warms up, hopefully the thaw will help reveal where she’s at. 

But if you’re in North Dakota or even nearby Minnesota, especially in rural areas and roadways, police are asking you to check your property for any sign of a black tote that can be connected to this case. height is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing on March 11th and of course his attorney is declining to comment on what’s going on but with all the evidence that’s been found it’s apparent that he’s dismembered her and her remains are in this missing black tote somewhere. 

19:28

I don’t know about y’all but sometimes when I hear about cases like this I just want to go I want to go to where this happened and I want to help look I think that it would be great if I had nothing else to do but to fly to Fargo and help look for her but can you just imagine I mean the amount of area to be covered there’s a lot we don’t know like digital forensics where his phone pinged and all the different things as far as where to go so it could just be like a wild goose hunt but I don’t think I’m the only one that like secretly wishes that when I’m driving along the highway and see a black trash bag that it would be the body of someone missing and not because of the thrill of finding a dead body because I’ve seen a million of them and I’ve touched a million of them but just the thought that I have helped bring closure to a family whose loved one is missing now I know that most murderers are not going to really put a body in a trash bag and throw it on the side of the highway but I still secretly always wonder what’s in that black trash bag I just drove past I mean the investigator in me wants to just go back and rip that sucker open and just hope to find something to get closure for somebody and I know y’all don’t tease I know that I’m not the only one that thinks that way when I see a tote I like want to look in it and when someone’s at the grocery store or at Walmart or Target or wherever and they’re buying totes and it’s not like around the new year which it was here. So, it wouldn’t have been suspicious if someone came in and bought a couple of totes, but you know like I’m always suspicious at two in the morning if someone’s at Walmart buying a pellet gun… what is going on? 

So, during this time of year being the new year when everybody’s trying to get organized and putting away their Christmas decorations it’s not unusual for someone to walk into the store and buy several totes, I’ve done it myself. Now we did cover a case not too long ago if you remember where the guy returned the tote which is not cool.

But in this case, it’s so obvious what he did it aggravates me so mad that these people don’t talk, because like, once they’re caught it’s like… just come clean, tell us where she’s at. You know give the family something so that they can sleep at night because could you just imagine, just like the Guthrie case? If a family member’s missing, especially when it’s been so long, I mean she was reported on January 7th and here we are, February 24th. Can you imagine, I mean the sleepless nights and just the grief even with the information that the family’s been given.

They’re almost 100% sure that she’s deceased. I don’t know… I mean it’s just how could a defense attorney defend Hite, knowing what he did? I don’t know how they do that. I don’t understand that whole concept outside of just the monetary value of it all, I guess the defense attorneys make a lot more than the prosecuting attorneys, so that’s probably one reason that they do it. So, he remains in jail. The search for this black tote continues. 

Just think about these cases though, what did they do before we had cell phones to trace? Or internet, where people could look up things, and we can go back and look to see what they searched for? You know cell phones to pinging like, where they were, and DNA, you know just think of how things have come so far and think about how hard it must have been to find missing persons years ago versus how difficult it is now. Hopefully all of these elements the physical forensics and digital forensics and the analysis of his behavior and the interpretation that we get from all the experts, hopefully with all this layered evidence, it’s going to build a larger picture of what happened. But as this story develops, I’m going to continue to report based on verified records and court filings and official statements. 

But for now, the search for Isadora continues and the legal process moves forward and the pursuit of truth remains the central goal.  It just makes me want to go to North Dakota. I want to help find her, but it’s cold. It’s cold right now. So there’s that. Thank God for all of the volunteers who are out there searching and for the police who are working hard to find her. So again, 27 gallon black HDX tote is what they’re looking for. You know, I think I talked a little bit about the Stobaugh case here in Texas. Close to where I live, they still have not found her body. I just wish sometimes in these cases that I had all the information, so that I could, and you know, I’m not going to be able to do any better of a job looking for somebody than the police do, but it’s just, we all just feel like we want to help. 

That’s just our nature and just the excitement of being able to say we helped. And maybe even the excitement of being able to say that we found somebody. But there are so many missing people. 

Like I said, just like the Guthrie case, where are they at? What are they doing? And people are crazy. We all know that people are crazy. So anyway, I will keep you updated on that story and how it transpires. But you know, you hit close to home for me because my husband’s kind of from that area and the weather is really delaying her being found.

Want to remind you again, McCart Street Mercantile with our blended table, our True Crime Club meet and greet, 6 30 February 27th and February 28th at the Bearded Monk and Denton for the Denton Ridiculous Bookpalooza. And they’re going to ask questions of me and the other members of the True Crime Panel. So it’s going to be very interesting. We would love for you to come out. Again, there’s going to be giveaways. There’s going to be drinks. It’s just going to be fun. And I love mingling with people. And if you come, definitely feel free to ask me questions. 

Especially if you’re interested in podcasting. We still have the cruises coming up, and Crime Con coming up. I bought my hotel ticket the other day. So super exciting ordering my new merch and loving the comments that I’m getting from y’all on Facebook for the merch. It’s kind of exciting and fun. It’s hard to promote yourself though, when you’re not used to doing that. 

Anyway, love y’all. I’m so excited about everything coming up. Feel free to shoot me an email if you ever have any questions or concerns or you’re interested in forensic nursing. I get tons of emails every day about that. Still working on my education program. 

And I hope y’all have a wonderful rest of your week. See you soon. Bye y’all. 

Thank you so much for joining me today on Pushing Up Lilies. If you like this podcast and would like to share with others, please do me a quick favor and leave a review on Apple podcast. This helps to make the podcast more visible to the public. Thanks again for spending your time with me and be sure to visit me at pushinguplilies.com for merchandise and past episodes.