Todd Newell was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and originally from Smokey Corners, West Virginia. When he was very young, his mother took away from the town/small village and moved elsewhere, taking Todd with her. Unfortunately, his father wouldn't let her have her son, Todd's brother, Greg Sikes and as a result, she was forced to leave him behind in Smokey Corners while she and Todd moved elsewhere. About a year or so prior to the events of "Vanished", Todd received a phone call from Greg informing him that their mother had died.