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Vanished in Paradise: The Untold Story

December 9, 2025·50 min·4 clips

A school teacher vanishes in paradise after a hurricane, leaving her belongings folded on a beach bar stool.

This episode of True Crime Obsessed covers the Hulu documentary "Vanished in Paradise: The Untold Story," hosted by Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle. The case centers on Hannah Upp, a 32-year-old Montessori teacher who disappeared from St. Thomas in September 2017. Hosts Patrick and Gillian analyze the documentary's presentation of the mystery, which is complicated by Hannah's history. The episode details how Hannah vanished just as two Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, were about to hit the island. Her car, purse, passport, and cash were found at Sapphire Beach, with her clothes folded neatly on a bar stool. The hosts note that Hannah was an exceptionally strong swimmer, making a simple drowning seem less likely. They explain that the search was hampered because Hurricane Maria struck just two days after she went missing. A major revelation discussed is that Hannah had disappeared twice before under similar circumstances, near the start of the school year. Her first disappearance in 2008 lasted 19 days, ending when she was found floating face down in New York Harbor. After that incident, she was diagnosed with a rare and controversial condition called dissociative fugue. The hosts reference a New Yorker article that spent six months researching her story and this diagnosis. Patrick and Gillian find it striking that during her 2008 disappearance, Hannah was seen at an Apple Store and used her membership at a New York Sports Club, yet evaded authorities. They question where she stayed during those 19 days. The hosts also highlight the perspective of Hannah's best friend Maggie, who said even she wasn't aware of Hannah's full history until after the disappearance. The tone is conversational and analytical, with the hosts reacting to the documentary's details and sharing personal anecdotes, like Patrick's anxiety about natural disasters. They maintain a curious but skeptical posture toward the fugue state diagnosis, comparing it to the plot of the Jason Bourne films. Listeners who enjoy deep dives into mysterious missing person cases with psychological complexities will find this episode compelling. Those who prefer straightforward crime narratives without medical or diagnostic ambiguities might find it less engaging.

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