Heist Masterminds · Yesterday · 2 min
The Safe That Never Opened: How $412,000 Vanished Without a Trace
0:00-2:07
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The Safe That Never Opened: How $412,000 Vanished Without a Trace
The green alarm panel never tripped, the safe showed no damage, and yet $412,000 in fair receipts was gone by morning - a reinforced Gardall floor safe with a six-digit combination emptied without a single sign of forced entry. Who walked in, turned the combination, and left four hundred and twelve thousand dollars vanished while the security system read green?
In this episode, we follow the timeline and people connected to the Ransom County Fair safe loss and the investigation that unfolded, from the last person to lock up to the consultant who had once watched the safe opened; what finally links the missing cash to an electrical visit and a bridged door contact?
Person: Ted Mercer
Person: Vonda Harlan
Person: Lori Adams
Person: Heather Price
Person: Lloyd Armstrong
- At 7:10 AM on August 18, 2014 an armored truck arrived and found the safe empty.
- The safe contained $412,000 in cash and checks the night before, August 17, 2014.
- The safe was a Gardall floor model set into reinforced concrete with a six-digit combination.
- Lori Adams, a 41-year-old consultant, worked in the administration building for two weeks in 2011 and watched Vonda Harlan enter the combination.
- On August 9, 2014 Lloyd Armstrong, a 38-year-old licensed electrician, logged a 90-minute visit listed as a lighting check and wiring behind the door contact showed a shorted copper bridge.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
The green alarm panel never tripped, the safe showed no damage, and yet $412,000 in fair receipts was gone by morning - a reinforced Gardall floor safe with a six-digit combination emptied without a single sign of forced entry. Who walked in, turned the combination, and left four hundred and twelve thousand dollars vanished while the security system read green?
In this episode, we follow the timeline and people connected to the Ransom County Fair safe loss and the investigation that unfolded, from the last person to lock up to the consultant who had once watched the safe opened; what finally links the missing cash to an electrical visit and a bridged door contact?
Person: Ted Mercer
Person: Vonda Harlan
Person: Lori Adams
Person: Heather Price
Person: Lloyd Armstrong
- At 7:10 AM on August 18, 2014 an armored truck arrived and found the safe empty.
- The safe contained $412,000 in cash and checks the night before, August 17, 2014.
- The safe was a Gardall floor model set into reinforced concrete with a six-digit combination.
- Lori Adams, a 41-year-old consultant, worked in the administration building for two weeks in 2011 and watched Vonda Harlan enter the combination.
- On August 9, 2014 Lloyd Armstrong, a 38-year-old licensed electrician, logged a 90-minute visit listed as a lighting check and wiring behind the door contact showed a shorted copper bridge.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
