List Series: New England Mysteries

This list is the first installment of a new posting series: New England Mysteries. The following is a list of an unsolved murder or disappearance from each New England state. Links to more detailed write-ups and tip submissions for each case are provided.

NEW ENGLAND MYSTERIES: VOLUME ONE.

MAINE:

The Murder of Samantha Folsom (2011)

Source: Dignity Memorial

Samantha Folsom was only 26 years-old when she was found murdered inside her Lewiston, Maine apartment on November 9th, 2011. The young woman's baffling murder has remained unsolved for over a decade.

According to family members, Samantha was planning to go to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center prior to her murder. She had reportedly struggled with addiction off-and-on for many years, but wanted to

get sober for her son, who was just a toddler at the time of his mother's death.

Samantha's parents intended to bring her to the rehabilitation center. However, on the day they intended to go, they were unable to get ahold of Samantha. After days passed without any word from her, Samantha's parents decided to go to her apartment and check on their daughter. A maintenance worker eventually unlocked Samantha's apartment for them. 

At first glance, it did not appear that Samantha was there. However, Samantha's mother eventually opened a closet and stumbled upon a horrific sight: the body of her daughter. At that point it was clear that Samantha was dead—she had been killed and stuffed into the closet.

Initially, there were two potential suspects in Samantha's case: her ex-husband and her new boyfriend. Both men had allegedly been abusive towards Samantha. However, both men were actually in jail at the time she was murdered. In fact - Samantha's ex-husband was in jail for assaulting her new boyfriend. Samantha's new boyfriend was in jail for assaulting Samantha herself. 

Since these two men have been cleared, Samantha's case has seemingly gone cold. Police have released very little information about the investigation. 

If you have any information that could help solve Samantha's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full case write-up on Samantha's case.

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

The Murder of Stacey Burns (2009)

Source: ABC News

The murder of Stacey Burns sent shockwaves through the small town of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The fear in this town still remains to this day - as Stacey's murder is still unsolved.

Stacey was found murdered on Mother's Day in 2009. The 41-year-old mother of five had been stabbed to death in her own home. It appears that Stacey's killing happened overnight, as her children and some of their friends slept in nearby rooms. Stacey's son Michael, then 15 years-old, reportedly entered his mother's bedroom in the morning and discovered that she had been horrifically murdered. 

At the time of her murder, Stacey had been going through a contentious divorce with her ex-husband. She also had recently ended a relationship with new boyfriend. The new boyfriend reportedly had a hard time accepting the breakup, but Stacey still maintained a friendship with him. 

There has been inevitable speculation about both men being responsible for Stacey's murder. Stacey had sought a restraining order against her ex-husband in the past. Additionally, Stacey and her ex-husband were due in court over child support payments just two days before her death.

At the same time, she was facing drama with her newer ex-boyfriend as well. Just three days before the killing, the newer ex had confronted Stacey while she was on a date with another man. The newer ex also appears to be the last known person to have seen Stacey before her death. The two had watched a movie together at Stacey's house just hours before the stabbing occurred. 

Despite having reasonable suspects, police have yet to make an arrest in Stacey's case. Both men have denied involvement in Stacey's murder. The case remains unsolved to this day. 

If you have any information that could help solve Stacey's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full case write-up on Stacey's case.

VERMONT:

The Murder of Denise Hart (2015)

Source: NBC News

Denise Hart vanished at the age of 24 on January 25th, 2015. The young woman was staying with a friend in Sudbury, Vermont at the time of her disappearance. Eleven months later, her body was found in Goshen, Vermont. An autopsy confirmed that she had been shot to death.

The mystery surrounding Denise's disappearance and murder actually spans other parts of New England and beyond. The mystery begins in Vermont, where Denise was known to be staying with a friend. The investigation has led to clues in both Connecticut and New York. The investigation eventually circles back to Vermont, as Denise's body was found in Vermont's town of Goshen. 

The day after Denise was last seen, the vehicle she had been using was found completely burned out on a bridge in bridge in Cornwall, Connecticut. This finding was incredibly suspicious, but it unfortunately did not lead investigators to Denise's whereabouts. News about Denise's case went stagnant for eleven months - until her remains were found in the Gap Road area of Goshen. 

Detectives from the Vermont State Police have taken trips to both Connecticut and New York while investigating Denise's murder. However, an arrest has yet to be made. The friend Denise was staying with at the time of her disappearance has reportedly been investigated. A podcaster interviewed this friend in 2021, and he denied involvement in Denise's disappearance and death.

A lot of questions remain unsolved regarding Denise's untimely death. As of today, her murder remains unsolved. 

If you have any information that could help solve Denise's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full case write-up on Denise's case.

MASSACHUSETTS:

The Disappearance of Jennifer Mbugua(2014)

Source: Fall River Reporter

Jennifer Mbugua has been missing since May 27th, 2014. The then-31-year-old was last seen outside of her apartment building in Fall River, Massachusetts. A neighbor reportedly saw Jennifer sitting in her car and looking through some papers. 

The following day, Jennifer's car was found abandoned behind a gas station in North Attleboro. Reports state that the car was left there sometime between 12:00 AM and 3:00 AM. It's unclear if anyone reported seeing Jennifer herself with the vehicle. 

Suspiciously, the keys to the car and one of Jennifer's shoes were both found in a dumpster at the gas station. However, her driver's license and wallet were found inside the car. 

The discovery of the vehicle is seemingly the last known trace of Jennifer. She has never been seen or heard from again. Her family members fear that she fell victim to foul play. The investigation into Jennifer's disappearance has unfortunately gone cold.

If you have any information that could lead to Jennifer's whereabouts, please submit a tip.

Read the full case write-up on Jennifer's case.

RHODE ISLAND:

The Murder of Esscence Christal (2011)

Source: GoLocalProv

Esscence Christal was driving when she was gunned down in Providence, Rhode Island on November 26th, 2011. The young woman was only 21-years old at the time of her tragic death. Her murder remains unsolved.

According to reports, Esscence was driving on Broad Street when the shooting occurred. She had two people in with her in the car: her boyfriend and another male passenger. Esscence and the two men were reportedly followed by a dark-colored four door car after leaving a store. The car eventually pulled up next to Esscence, and the occupants of the vehicle began shooting.

Esscence was struck, which led her to crash the car into a tree. The car then flipped over. Esscence was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene. Her boyfriend and the other male passenger were treated for minor injuries.

There were reportedly several witnesses to the shooting, yet it appears that nobody has come forward with information that could help solve the case. There has been very little information available on the investigation. In 2015, Esscence's mother stated that her boyfriend at the time was the target of a shooting just a week before Esscence's death. This inevitably leads to speculation that the boyfriend might have been the target of the shooting that ultimately claimed Esscence's life - but police have not confirmed this.

Esscence's case has unfortunately gone cold. Her family is still hoping for justice.

If you have any information that could help solve Esscence's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full case write-up on Esscence's case.

CONNECTICUT:

The Disappearance of Bianca Lebron (2001)

Source: Connecticut Post

Bianca Lebron vanished from her elementary school in Bridgeport, Connecticut on November 7th, 2001. The then-10-year-old girl arrived at school that morning as usual but told her teacher and her friends that she would not be attending class that day. Instead, Bianca said she was going shopping with her uncle.

Shortly thereafter, an older model brown/tan van pulled up in front of their school. Bianca’s friends watched as she got inside the car, and it drove off. Bianca has never been seen or heard from again.

Bianca's mother reported her missing that evening. It was soon revealed that Bianca did not actually attend school that day. Her friends told both police and Bianca's mother about Bianca's plans to go shopping with her "uncle". This was an immediate red flag - as Bianca's mother revealed that she did not actually have an uncle. At that point, it was clear that the young girl had been abducted.

In the beginning of the investigation, investigators had a solid person of interest: a 20-year-old named Jason Lara. Lara was acquainted with Bianca because his mother had a relationship with a relative of Bianca's. Bianca had been telling her friends that she had an older secret "boyfriend" named Jason. Additionally, Bianca's family members said that the two had been caught kissing in the past as well.

Lara fled Connecticut shortly after Bianca's abduction. When police finally did track him down in Florida, they eventually were able to fully investigate him. At that point, Lara's alibi was confirmed, and he was subsequently ruled out. 

As of today, no other persons of interests or suspects have been publicly announced. Bianca remains missing today.

If you have any information that could lead to Bianca's whereabouts, please submit a tip.

Read the full case write-up on Bianca's case.

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DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about these cases. The information provided in this post is information that was found through various sources on the internet. Sources used are provided in the full case write-ups. If any information on this post is inaccurate, please contact the author via email at truecasefiles@gmail.com or through Instagram and the errors can be corrected. Additionally, if you have any information that could improve the accuracy or quality of this post, please contact the author. We want these cases solved!

The Disappearance and Death of Jorden Sopher

Jorden Sopher had just recently turned 18 years old when she vanished on May 23rd, 2006. 

The teen girl lived in Wabash, Indiana at the time of her disappearance. Jorden had spent most of her childhood in the foster system before she was adopted at age 16 by Robert and Linda Sopher. That same year, she dropped out of high school and later began working at a local Hardee's restaurant. However, during the spring of 2006, Jorden told her family members that she planned to re-enroll in high school so she could get a diploma. Before she had that opportunity, Jorden seemingly vanished without a trace. 

Months before her disappearance, Jorden moved out of her adoptive parent's home and had been staying with various relatives and friends in the Wabash area. She was staying with her friend and coworker Erin Harlan the weekend before her disappearance. The two reportedly last saw each other around 5:15 AM on May 23rd, 2006--when Erin woke up to go to her morning shift at Hardee's. Jorden told Erin that she was not working until later that day--so she stayed behind as Erin left for work. 

At a later point that morning, Jorden was dropped off at her adoptive parent's house in a truck driven by Cory Bridenthal. According to Jorden's father Robert Sopher, she spoke briefly to him in the garage before leaving the house on foot. After walking away from the house, Jorden was never seen or heard from again.

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Jorden is reported missing.

Later that evening, employees at Hardee's called the Sopher's to inquire about Jorden's whereabouts--as she had not shown up to her scheduled shift. This was very out-of-character for Jorden, so her parents immediately began to worry. They reported her missing the following day. 

Once police began to investigate, they questioned both Erin and Cory. Erin told police that Jorden was not at her house when she returned from her shift at Hardee's at 10:15 that morning. However, all of Jorden's belongings, including her purse, were left behind. 

Cory told police that Jorden had accidentally left her cell phone in his car when he dropped her off at her parent's house that morning. He later reportedly gave the cell phone to Erin so she could return it to Jorden. The cell phone was later turned over to investigators, but unfortunately it did not yield any clues.

Police also questioned both Linda and Robert Sopher. Linda agreed to take a polygraph exam, which she passed--but Robert refused to take one. Many found this suspicious, but both Linda and Robert maintain that Robert took one of their foster children to the doctor shortly after Jorden left their house that morning. 
Jorden's case quickly grew cold. Years passed without any clues or trace of her whereabouts. 

Remains found.

In May 2009 - nearly three years after Jorden's disappearance - the case had a break. A mushroom hunter at a creek in Peru, Indiana had spotted human remains amongst a thick canopy of raspberry bushes and honeysuckle. Dental records later confirmed that those remains belonged to Jorden Sopher.

Due to the deterioration of the remains, an autopsy was unable to determine a cause of death--but police still began to investigate Jorden's death as a homicide.  It is believed that Jorden's body was in the spot where it was found ever since her disappearance. The clothes she was wearing that day were found amongst the remains. 

Where the case stands now.

Years have passed since the discovery of Jorden's body, yet her murder remains unsolved. There has been very little information available about the investigation, especially in more recent years. 

However, in 2022, a man named Richard Allen was arrested for the 2017 murder of two Delphi, Indiana teens: Liberty German and Abby Williams. Many have now began speculating that Allen may be involved in Jorden's murder. This has not been confirmed at this time. 

Anyone with information that could lead to Jorden's case being solved is encouraged to call 1-877-226-1026 to submit an anonymous tip. 

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Sources:
Kokomo Tribune
The Sun
Tapatalk

The Murder of Samantha Folsom

Samantha Folsom (26) was found murdered inside her Lewiston, Maine apartment on November 9th, 2011. Her murder has baffled investigators, and it remains unsolved to this day.

Prior to her death, Samantha was making plans to turn her life around. After struggling with addiction for years, she wanted to finally get completely clean. Samantha had also recently broken up with her husband Jesse Folsom. The couple had gotten hooked on drugs years earlier, after they moved from Maine to California in 2005. Jesse was active duty in the Army at that time, and he had been stationed at Fort Irwin in Barstow. 

Samantha reportedly got hooked on heroin very quickly, but she began to turn things around after she learned she was pregnant with her son. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy in June 2008. According to Jesse, they were a happy family at that point in time.

Samantha with her ex-husband Jesse and their son

Things began to fall apart in 2009, when Jesse told Samantha that he wanted to move back to Maine. Samantha wanted to stay in California, but she eventually caved and ended up moving Jesse, her son, and herself back into her parents' home in Lewiston. Samantha began to abuse drugs again and her marriage with Jesse began to sour. According to Samantha’s parents, Jesse was abusive towards Samantha and had been for years. The two eventually split up, and Samantha’s parents gained custody of their son.

Samantha then moved into her own apartment near her parents' house. She began dating another man. Jesse was furious when he found out about Samantha’s new relationship. He eventually was arrested for assaulting Samantha’s new boyfriend during a confrontation. 

Much like Jesse, though, Samantha’s new boyfriend was unfortunately abusive as well. In fact, shortly before her death, Samantha’s new boyfriend was arrested for assaulting her. After the assault, Samantha decided she wanted to turn her life around—her plans were to get clean, and to eventually gain back custody of her son. 

On November 5th, 2011, Samantha asked her parents to drive her to a rehab facility the following morning. Despite this, her parents were unable to get ahold of her the next day. After days passed without hearing from their daughter, Samantha’s parents went to her apartment building and asked the manager if he would allow them to open Samantha’s apartment for a welfare check. 

A maintenance worker eventually let her parents into the apartment, and at first glance, it did not appear that Samantha was there. Samantha’s mother then began to look around for Samantha’s cat. Her mother went to the closet where she knew Samantha’s cat carrier was kept. When she opened the closet, she found a horrific sight: the body of her daughter. At that point it was clear that Samantha was dead—she had been killed and stuffed into the closet.

Samantha's apartment building in Lewiston, Maine (Portland Herald)

It took over a year for Samantha’s death to be classified as a homicide. It was initially classified as undetermined, but police later reclassified her death as a murder. Her exact cause of death has never been revealed. 

When the investigation into Samantha’s murder finally began, it seemed detectives had quite a few obvious suspects: Samantha’s new abusive boyfriend and her abusive ex-husband, Jesse. The only issue was, both men were in jail at the time Samantha was killed. Jesse was in jail for assaulting Samantha’s new boyfriend, and her new boyfriend was in jail for assaulting her. After both men were cleared, detectives stated that they had very few leads to chase. Samantha’s case eventually grew cold, and police have not released any information about a potential suspect to the public. 

However, a reporter for Maine’s Portland Herald was able to dig up some new details about the case when he interviewed the residents at Samantha’s apartment. Samantha’s next-door neighbor told the reporter that she was interviewed by the police, and she was shown a picture of a potential person-of-interest. 

The reporter stated that “detectives came to her door, and they showed her a picture of this person, and they asked her if she recognized this person”. Said person is described as a “man with a dark complexion who was wearing a shirt and tie, and some sort of badge.” It is unclear if this person is still being pursued by the police, and he has never been publicly identified. 

Years have passed, and no arrests have been made for Samantha’s murder. Maine State Police reportedly told journalists that they are still “closing in” on the investigation. However, they are also still asking for people to come forward with tips. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact Maine State Police at (207) 657-3030.
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Sources:
Portland Press Herald
True Crime Daily
True Crime New England

The Murder of Brianna Denison

Brianna Denison vanished under suspicious circumstances on January 20th, 2008. Her body was later found hidden under some tree limbs in a roadside ditch in Reno, Nevada. The 19-year-old college student had been raped and strangled to death.

The night before she vanished, Brianna and a friend attended a party together at a local Sands Regency. Brianna and her friend later returned to her friend’s home near the University of Nevada Reno. The two girls went to bed upon their return, however when Brianna’s friend awoke the following morning, she realized that Brianna was missing. She also noticed that there was a bloodstain on the pillow that Brianna had slept on the night before. The police were called, and a massive search for Brianna was launched in the Reno area.

Weeks later, on February 15th, 2008, a man returning to work from his lunch break spotted Brianna’s body under some tree limbs in south Reno. An autopsy confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted and asphyxiated to death. 

Brianna’s disappearance and murder occurred after a string of sexual assaults were reported at the University of Nevada Reno. DNA found on the bloodstained pillow confirmed that the sexual assault cases were, in fact, linked to Brianna's case. At that point, investigators were tasked with finding this serial offender before there was another victim. 

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The late 2007 assault cases.

Three months before Brianna’s disappearance, in October 2007, a female UNR student was reportedly raped inside a parking garage near campus. Nearly two months later, in December 2007, another female UNR student was abducted from her apartment and sexually assaulted. 

The victim of the December 2007 abduction and assault said that the perpetrator reportedly attempted to strangle her, and when that did not work, he put his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out. He then covered her face with a hooded sweatshirt and drove her to a secluded area. Before sexually assaulting her, the perpetrator said, "If you see my face, if you tell the police, I will kill you."

After the assault, the perpetrator then drove the young woman back to her apartment. He reportedly kept the underwear she was wearing and told her he might return. 

The young woman later contacted police to report the incident. She described her assailant to the best of her ability. She was swabbed for DNA, and investigators were able to determine that she had been assaulted by a white adult male. 

Link to Brianna's case. 

After Brianna disappeared, investigators conducted forensic testing on the pillow found with a bloodstain. DNA from both Brianna and an unidentified male who had been linked to the December 2007 assault were found on said pillow.  At that point, it was clear that whoever was responsible for the December 2007 assault was also responsible for Brianna’s disappearance. 

Brianna's body was found about two weeks later. At that point, investigators believed they had the perpetrator’s DNA; however, they still were unable to identify him. A public appeal was made for anyone with information about this person to come forward. 

An anonymous tip.

Finally, in November 2008, an anonymous person told police that a man named James Biela had behaved in a way that matched the behavior of the reported suspect in Brianna’s case. 

James Biela. (source:rgj.com)

DNA from Biela's son and an arrest.

Biela was interviewed, but reportedly refused to provide a DNA sample to police. However, police later spoke to Biela’s girlfriend, who provided them with a DNA sample from her and Biela’s son. Investigators were then able to positively match the DNA from both the 2007 assault and Brianna’s murder to Biela. 

He was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with raping and killing Brianna, kidnapping and sexually assaulting another student, and raping a third student. 

A conviction.

Biela pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, a jury ultimately convicted him in May 2010. On June 2nd, 2010, Biela was sentenced to death. He currently remains on death row. 

Tragedy struck the Denison family once again nearly 10 years later, when Brianna’s relative Caitlin Denison (19) vanished on January 15th, 2018. The young woman remains missing today. A write-up on her case can be found here.

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Sources:
Biela vs. State
Crime Library

CBS News

Unsolved Murders: Jennifer Hammond & Christina White from Milton, New York

Jennifer Hammond (left), Christina White (right)

Jennifer Hammond (nicknamed 'Moonbeam' by her friends) vanished at the age of 18 on August 1st, 2003. Prior to her disappearance, Jennifer had a job selling magazines and she lived with her co-workers at a hotel in Albany, New York. On the day she vanished, Jennifer's co-workers dropped her off at the Creek & Pines mobile home park in Milton so she could sell magazine subscriptions door-to-door. When Jennifer's co-workers returned to the mobile home park later to pick her up, she was nowhere to be found. She never returned to the hotel in Albany and was never seen or heard from again.

Nearly two years later, another young woman disappeared from the Milton area. On June 30th, 2005, 19-year-old Christina White seemingly vanished without a trace. She was last seen by her mother at the home they shared at the Stockade mobile home park. The Stockade mobile community is located less than two miles from Creek & Pines, where Jennifer was last seen in 2003.

900 Rock City Road: Stockade Mobile Homes, where Christina lived. 855 Middleline Road: Creek & Pines, where Jennifer was last seen.

Nine months later, on March 10th, 2006, Christina's remains were found in the Daketown Forest in Greenfield. Forensics revealed that Christina had been stabbed multiple times. Due to the state of her body, it was believed that she had been killed shortly after her disappearance.

Christina's death was officially classified as a homicide and detectives continued to investigate it as such, however they had very few leads to chase. Meanwhile, Jennifer Hammond remained missing. Then, on October 26th, 2009, a hunter found a human skull on Lake Desolation Forest in Greenfield. The location where the skull was found is a little over three miles from the location where Christina's remains were found.

Forensic testing and dental records confirmed that the skull belong to Jennifer Hammond, who had vanished six years earlier in 2003. Her death was classified as a homicide. Investigators found it quite suspicious that two young women around the same age had vanished from the same area and had been found murdered in close proximity. From that point forward, detectives have announced that they believe Jennifer and Christina were killed by the same person(s).

In 2023, a 46-year-old man named Craig Nelson Ross Jr. was arrested and charged with kidnapping 9-year-old Charlotte Sena from a campground in Moreau Lake State Park. Fingerprints from a ransom note left behind by Ross led authorities to his mother's home in Milton. Charlotte was luckily found alive, hidden inside a cupboard at the home. Ross was subsequently arrested and charged with kidnapping. 

Authorities are now investigating whether or not Ross played a role in the disappearances and murders and Jennifer and Christina. At this time, he has not been charged with anything related to their cases. However, the investigation is ongoing. 

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Saratoga Springs Police Department at (518) 584-1800.

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about this case. The information provided in this post is information that was found through various sources on the internet. If any information on this post is inaccurate, please contact the author via email at truecasefiles@gmail.com or through Instagram and the errors can be corrected. Additionally, if you have any information that could improve the accuracy or quality of this post, please contact the author. 

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The Disappearance of Kandis Harris

Image source: Bring Kandis Home (Facebook)

Kandis Rose Harris has been missing since July 2021. The then-17-year-vanished in Salt Lake City, Utah. At the time of her disappearance, Kandis was enrolled in an inpatient substance abuse program at a facility called the Odyssey House. On July 15th, 2021, Kandis hopped the fence of Odyssey House and never returned. Her loved ones have never seen or heard from her again. 

Kandis had been a ward of the state of Utah for about a year before she vanished. She had run away from multiple treatment centers - including the Odyssey House - several times throughout that year. However, Kandis was always eventually located and sent back. 

After leaving Odyssey House during July 2021, Kandis stayed active on social media for four days before all of her online activity ceased. At that point, fears for her safety increased. It was believed that Kandis was using a burner phone/device to access social media during this time, as she was not allowed to have a phone while at Odyssey House. The phone she had prior to going to Odyssey House yielded no clues to her whereabouts. 

There have been a few possible sightings of Kandis around Salt Lake, but none of them have been confirmed. Early into the investigation, authorities explored the possibility that Kandis fell victim to human trafficking - as she had been trafficked before in the past. It's unclear if this is still a prominent theory in the case.

Years have passed, and Kandis still remains missing. The Salt Lake City Police Department is investigating. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the department at 801-799-3000.
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Sources:
ABC 4 News
Bring Kandis Home on Facebook
Charley Project

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about this case. The information provided in this post is information that was found through various sources on the internet. If any information on this post is inaccurate, please contact the author via email at truecasefiles@gmail.com or through Instagram and the errors can be corrected. Additionally, if you have any information that could improve the accuracy or quality of this post, please contact the author.