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MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Alyssa Romine-Olson

August 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In June 2016, a 30-year-old woman named Alyssa Romine-Olson was found floating naked and face down in a shallow pond at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona. The water was barely deep enough to cover her—just five and a half inches at her left ankle and less than an inch at her right. Her clothes, her cell phone, and her journal were never found. The medical examiner ruled her cause and manner of death undetermined: there was no water in her lungs, no lethal trauma, and her toxicology was clean. But almost immediately, the local media began running a story that Alyssa was depressed, suffering from health problems, and had recently separated from her husband. The implication was clear: she had done this to herself. Her family, who had been told by police not to speak to the press, watched helplessly as a narrative took shape that they knew was false.

Who Alyssa Was

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (02:51) **A Body Found, A Story Spun** - Alyssa Romine-Olson is found nude, face-down in a shallow pond at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, AZ, and authorities immediately craft a narrative of suicide despite no official ruling.
  • 2 (04:35) **Who Was Alyssa Romine-Olson** - A portrait of Alyssa's life, her deep religious faith, and her whirlwind marriage to Braden Olson.
  • 3 (07:27) **A Medical Crisis and a Separation** - An ectopic pregnancy and a subsequent separation from Braden set the stage for the final months of Alyssa's life.
  • 4 (09:15) **The Day She Disappeared** - On June 9th, 2016, Alyssa follows her daily routine but never returns home, leading to a frantic search by her family.
  • 5 (11:36) **A Body in a Puddle** - Aerial search finds Alyssa's nude body floating face-down in water that is only inches deep, with her clothing and belongings entirely missing.
  • 6 (14:22) **The Official Narrative vs. The Evidence** - Gilbert PD tells the press a story of suicide and depression, while their own case file treats the area as a crime scene and suspects foul play.
  • 7 (20:05) **A Family Silenced** - Alyssa's family is told by police not to talk to the media, leaving them unable to correct the false narrative of suicide that is being published.

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Show Notes

When 30-year-old Alyssa Romine-Olson is found floating naked and face down in the pond of a Gilbert, Arizona nature preserve in 2016, online coverage makes the case sound like a suicide. But her missing belongings, an undetermined cause of death, and key evidence found at the scene tell a different story. And investigators soon realize, nothing in this case is as it seems.

  • If you know anything about the 2016 death of Alyssa Romine-Olson at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona, you can contact the Gilbert Police Department by submitting a tip at GilbertAZ.gov/SubmitATip, in reference to case #16-9745.

 

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Crime Junkie is hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. 

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