National Geographic Will Air True Crime Docu-Series ‘Missing Dial’
Netflix’s Making a Murderer has been one of the most talked about true crime documentaries ever made, but unlike that series, which deals with alleged murderer Steven Avery, National Geographic’s new true crime series entitled Missing Dial involves, as the title suggests, a missing person.
Cody Dial was 27-years-old when he went missing in Costa Rica in 2014. Since then, he has not been seen, and no one has heard from him. Cody is the son of National Geographic Alaskan adventurer Roman Dial.
On July 10, 2014, Cody Dial went on a trekking trip to the Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. Although tourists are required to have a guide when going through the landscape, Cody opted to go alone, telling his parents that he would go by himself so he could illegally trek through the trails where tourists aren’t permitted.
In 2014, Outside Online reported about Cody Dial’s case and recounted the events leading up to his disappearance. According to the report, Cody was reported missing by his parents, Roman and Peggy, on July 24, 2014. Back then, Cody’s mother was confident that her son was somewhere out in the wilderness.
“He’s very cautious, extremely well-educated, and he knows the dangers. I’m confident.”
It was Cody’s second time to visit Corcovado National Park when he went missing. The first time was when he accompanied his father on a trip there when he was just a teenager. The park is a common area for research, with its beaches, mountains, gold mines, and rain forests spanning 160-square miles. Visiting the place, however, has its risks, as there are venomous snakes, thick foliage, and rough terrain.
Cody Dial is an experienced adventurer, just like his father. At the time of his disappearance, he had taken a break from Alaska Pacific University, where he was getting his Masters in Environmental Science, in order to visit all the major parks in Central America.
Roman Dial has not given up searching for his son. He got help from former DEA agent Carson Ulrich and former pararescue jumper Kenneth Fornier in finding his son. In addition, he got the National Geographic cameras rolling, hoping that the exposure would expedite the search, as Entertainment Weekly reports.
“I was right, Within a week, we received a significant break in the case.”
.@NatGeoChannel enters the true crime ring with ‘Missing Dial’: https://t.co/pGozUf5hbO pic.twitter.com/bxHycxYb2K
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 3, 2016
Six months ago, Roman Dial set up a GoFundMe account to help him raise funds to continue his search for Cody. He was able to raise nearly $24,000 for his cause.
During his initial search, Roman said his friend encountered illegal gold miners who described a person they had seen that matched Cody’s description. Cody was allegedly spotted in a mining area. The latest update on the GoFundMe page, which was posted six months ago, states the following.
“The criminal side of the investigation is moving forward — slowly on the Costa Rican side. Looks like foul play, but nothing solid and no leads yet.”
Missing Dial, a six-part docu-series, chronicles Roman Dial’s search for Cody.
“You don’t know how bad agony can be until your son has gone missing and no one can tell you what’s happened. It’s a pain that keeps me awake every night, and it’s the same pain that drives me on my search for answers.”
Missing Dial will premiere on the National Geographic Channel on May 22 at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Meanwhile, watch a preview of the docu-series below.
[Image via Cody Dial/GoFundMe Page]
