On March 9, 2023, Stephen “Shane” Barton, a 54-year-old father and husband, vanished from his property in Rochester, Washington. That morning, his wife Rachael, discovered her coffee halfway prepared—an act he performed daily—yet Shane was nowhere to be found. His wallet, phone, keys, and vehicles remained untouched, suggesting he left on foot without essential items.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office labeled his disappearance “suspicious” and initiated extensive searches, including ground teams, K9 units, aerial infrared scans, and dive teams, but no trace of Shane was found.  Tensions within the family surfaced, particularly between Shane’s adult children and his wife, Rachael, leading to conflicting accounts and shifting timelines.

Despite ongoing investigations and public appeals, Shane Barton remains missing. His case is the focus of Season 4 of the Hide and Seek podcast. James Baysinger takes listeners deep into the Barton family’s dynamics, local rumors, and the unsettling timeline surrounding Shane’s last known movements.