https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/horror-nights-the-forest--7317669
This is a narrated horror documentary podcast with no host chatting in your ear, no banter, no filler. Each episode reconstructs a real case in careful detail: the timeline, the search parties, the physical evidence left behind, the small details investigators can't stop thinking about. You get boots found nine miles from where a woman disappeared, still laced, her feet bare and silent when they found her alive. You get a man whose footprints simply stop on a boulder, as if he stepped out of his own shoes and vanished. These aren't jump-scare stories. They're true horror tales built from case files, witness accounts, and the unanswered questions that make the woods feel different once you know them.

The themes running through this horror-driven show are the ones people search for late at night when they can't sleep: creepy encounters on isolated trails, scary true stories from search-and-rescue logs, disappearances near campgrounds, sounds recorded by hikers who never explain what they heard. The forest is the constant thread—not as a backdrop, but as a character that keeps its own secrets, feeding a quiet sense of horror that never quite fades. Every episode asks the same quiet question: what actually happened out there, and why does no one ever fully explain it.

New horror episodes drop regularly, each one a self-contained descent into a different case. Subscribe to Forest Horror Nights so you don't miss the next chilling chapter waiting in the trees.]]>enDramaCopyright OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENThttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/37f9d64043d3210665e851893f7b1492.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/horror-nights-the-forest--7317669Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:01:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTOBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTcreators@obomedia.comForest Horror Nights opens with a truck engine still running, headlights cutting through fog, and no driver in sight—just a foil wrapper on the dashboard that nobody can explain. That is the kind of image this horror show builds every episode around,...
This is a narrated horror documentary podcast with no host chatting in your ear, no banter, no filler. Each episode reconstructs a real case in careful detail: the timeline, the search parties, the physical evidence left behind, the small details investigators can't stop thinking about. You get boots found nine miles from where a woman disappeared, still laced, her feet bare and silent when they found her alive. You get a man whose footprints simply stop on a boulder, as if he stepped out of his own shoes and vanished. These aren't jump-scare stories. They're true horror tales built from case files, witness accounts, and the unanswered questions that make the woods feel different once you know them.

The themes running through this horror-driven show are the ones people search for late at night when they can't sleep: creepy encounters on isolated trails, scary true stories from search-and-rescue logs, disappearances near campgrounds, sounds recorded by hikers who never explain what they heard. The forest is the constant thread—not as a backdrop, but as a character that keeps its own secrets, feeding a quiet sense of horror that never quite fades. Every episode asks the same quiet question: what actually happened out there, and why does no one ever fully explain it.

New horror episodes drop regularly, each one a self-contained descent into a different case. Subscribe to Forest Horror Nights so you don't miss the next chilling chapter waiting in the trees.]]>falsee6d6f502-0dbd-5b88-8abb-94a3820b735cepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-handprints-that-braced-the-bank-and-stopped-the-search--74913938
The handprints that braced the bank and stopped the search

In this episode, we follow the four-day search after sixty-two-year-old Julie Simpson vanished at Harlan Creek and the odd clues that complicated the response. We outline the sequence of events, field observations, and procedural choices that left searchers with more questions than answers about where she went and what the handprints meant.

Person: Julie Simpson
Date: December 9, 2011
Location: Harlan Creek, Sutter Gap National Forest
Person: Tom Alcott
Event: single boot found mid-creek four miles downstream

- Judith Nelson discovered two three-inch-wide palm prints pressed into the creek-bank mud sixty feet from the waterline with no trail away.
- Julie Simpson hiked the loop intending to finish it before snow closed the trail and entered a mid-thigh crossing as river gauge read 2.3 feet.
- Tom Alcott saw Julie step into the water, heard one sound, turned, and she was gone; he searched banks for twenty minutes before driving for help.
- Search dogs lost scent at the creek margin, interpreted by SAR to mean Simpson entered the water and did not exit on the same bank.
- Jason Boyd’s team used SAR probability tables based on a 1.7-foot baseline, while the actual gauge at 2.3 feet expanded potential drift ranges downstream.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913938Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA meter reader finds two small handprints in a frozen canyon-how did those handprints expose what happened in the Harlan Creek search? The handprints that braced the bank and stopped the search In this episode, we follow the four-day search...
The handprints that braced the bank and stopped the search

In this episode, we follow the four-day search after sixty-two-year-old Julie Simpson vanished at Harlan Creek and the odd clues that complicated the response. We outline the sequence of events, field observations, and procedural choices that left searchers with more questions than answers about where she went and what the handprints meant.

Person: Julie Simpson
Date: December 9, 2011
Location: Harlan Creek, Sutter Gap National Forest
Person: Tom Alcott
Event: single boot found mid-creek four miles downstream

- Judith Nelson discovered two three-inch-wide palm prints pressed into the creek-bank mud sixty feet from the waterline with no trail away.
- Julie Simpson hiked the loop intending to finish it before snow closed the trail and entered a mid-thigh crossing as river gauge read 2.3 feet.
- Tom Alcott saw Julie step into the water, heard one sound, turned, and she was gone; he searched banks for twenty minutes before driving for help.
- Search dogs lost scent at the creek margin, interpreted by SAR to mean Simpson entered the water and did not exit on the same bank.
- Jason Boyd’s team used SAR probability tables based on a 1.7-foot baseline, while the actual gauge at 2.3 feet expanded potential drift ranges downstream.

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.]]>1180falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-deer-camera-that-proved-she-was-still-walking--74913937
The deer camera that proved she was still walking

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that framed Patricia Hamilton’s disappearance and the search effort that failed to find her. The episode traces search protocols, the discovery of a single motion image on a ranger kiosk deer camera, and the unanswered question of why no one had looked where she walked.

Person: Patricia Hamilton
Date: November 11, 2019 (camera image at 6:17 AM)
Location: Forest Road 141, Dolores County, Colorado
Status: Declared missing, presumed dead before camera image
Person: Diane Okafor

- Patricia left a known trailhead in Harlan Creek Wilderness on November 3 and was last seen by a male day hiker that morning.
- Dolores County Search and Rescue logged over 140 searcher-hours, deployed scent dogs, ground teams, and aerial sweeps within the first 72 hours.
- Bloodhounds traced scent to a dry wash at mile 4.2 where the trail stopped cleanly and search grids pushed west into canyon terrain.
- Search coordinator Gregory Burke followed standard protocol and called the search terminated on November 10; the community was notified and the area began to freeze at night.
- A volunteer, Susan Lawson, found a blinking deer-camera light in a locked ranger kiosk; deputy Kevin Marsh reviewed the card and found the authenticated November 11 image of Patricia walking east with a pack.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913937Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA deer camera in Dolores County filmed a woman on Forest Road 141 after she was declared presumed dead - how did that expose them? The deer camera that proved she was still walking In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that...
The deer camera that proved she was still walking

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that framed Patricia Hamilton’s disappearance and the search effort that failed to find her. The episode traces search protocols, the discovery of a single motion image on a ranger kiosk deer camera, and the unanswered question of why no one had looked where she walked.

Person: Patricia Hamilton
Date: November 11, 2019 (camera image at 6:17 AM)
Location: Forest Road 141, Dolores County, Colorado
Status: Declared missing, presumed dead before camera image
Person: Diane Okafor

- Patricia left a known trailhead in Harlan Creek Wilderness on November 3 and was last seen by a male day hiker that morning.
- Dolores County Search and Rescue logged over 140 searcher-hours, deployed scent dogs, ground teams, and aerial sweeps within the first 72 hours.
- Bloodhounds traced scent to a dry wash at mile 4.2 where the trail stopped cleanly and search grids pushed west into canyon terrain.
- Search coordinator Gregory Burke followed standard protocol and called the search terminated on November 10; the community was notified and the area began to freeze at night.
- A volunteer, Susan Lawson, found a blinking deer-camera light in a locked ranger kiosk; deputy Kevin Marsh reviewed the card and found the authenticated November 11 image of Patricia walking east with a pack.

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.]]>1331falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-orange-hunting-vest-that-left-her-truck-three-miles-away--74913936
The orange hunting vest that left her truck three miles away

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the people involved in the search for a missing volunteer search-and-rescue member in eastern Idaho. We trace the scene items, the volunteer response, and the puzzles those discoveries created for the teams on the ground; what questions do those objects leave hanging?

Person: Marcia Hughes, 48, EMT and 11-year Dellard County Search and Rescue volunteer
Date: October 10-14, 2019
Location: Cold Creek Drainage, Harlan National Forest, eastern Idaho
Event: Disappearance and seven-day search
People: Pete Sondergaard (51) and Tom Briley (44) with Marcia on October 10

- Marcia had hunted the Cold Creek Drainage six consecutive Octobers and routinely volunteered for Dellard County SAR every Thursday for eleven years.
- On October 10 she went into the wilderness with Pete and Tom; they lost contact around 11:00 AM at a 6,900-foot saddle and reported her missing 5 hours and 40 minutes later.
- Search teams found a folded granola bar wrapper at 6,600 feet, Marcia’s daypack at 6,600 feet, and her rifle 40 feet uphill with the safety engaged, suggesting she had shed gear while moving uphill.
- Volunteers cut a new trail on October 12-13 down the eastern slope to Dellard Reservoir; on October 14, a hiker found an orange hunting vest folded on a pine branch at 4,780 feet with both hunting licenses and truck keys in its pockets.
- The vest was placed deliberately on a branch of a trail that did not exist when Marcia vanished, raising questions about who moved those items and why.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913936Sat, 19 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA folded orange hunting vest hung on a pine three miles from her truck, and a trained searcher had vanished into Cold Creek-how did that expose her? The orange hunting vest that left her truck three miles away In this episode, we follow the...
The orange hunting vest that left her truck three miles away

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the people involved in the search for a missing volunteer search-and-rescue member in eastern Idaho. We trace the scene items, the volunteer response, and the puzzles those discoveries created for the teams on the ground; what questions do those objects leave hanging?

Person: Marcia Hughes, 48, EMT and 11-year Dellard County Search and Rescue volunteer
Date: October 10-14, 2019
Location: Cold Creek Drainage, Harlan National Forest, eastern Idaho
Event: Disappearance and seven-day search
People: Pete Sondergaard (51) and Tom Briley (44) with Marcia on October 10

- Marcia had hunted the Cold Creek Drainage six consecutive Octobers and routinely volunteered for Dellard County SAR every Thursday for eleven years.
- On October 10 she went into the wilderness with Pete and Tom; they lost contact around 11:00 AM at a 6,900-foot saddle and reported her missing 5 hours and 40 minutes later.
- Search teams found a folded granola bar wrapper at 6,600 feet, Marcia’s daypack at 6,600 feet, and her rifle 40 feet uphill with the safety engaged, suggesting she had shed gear while moving uphill.
- Volunteers cut a new trail on October 12-13 down the eastern slope to Dellard Reservoir; on October 14, a hiker found an orange hunting vest folded on a pine branch at 4,780 feet with both hunting licenses and truck keys in its pockets.
- The vest was placed deliberately on a branch of a trail that did not exist when Marcia vanished, raising questions about who moved those items and why.

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.]]>1210falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-gps-accelerometer-recorded-zero-vertical-change-and-exposed-an-impossible-climb--74913935
The GPS accelerometer recorded zero vertical change and exposed an impossible climb

In this episode, we follow the days after Crystal Phillips disappeared on a Deschane National Forest loop and the discovery that shifts the search: a waterproof map found pinned to a rock, a tracklog that appears to climb a sheer sandstone wall, and an accelerometer readout that contradicts the coordinates. What does the mismatch between GPS and accelerometer data imply about her last movements?

Person: Crystal Phillips
Date: September 7-14, 2019
Location: Harrow Creek Wilderness, Deschane National Forest
Person: Marilyn Hamilton
Event: GPS track showing 90 minutes of movement up Meridian Wall with accelerometer vertical delta zero

- Crystal, a 31‑year‑old seventh‑grade earth science teacher and experienced navigator, began a planned Harrow Creek Loop on September 7 and did not exit on schedule.
- Her hiking partner, Doug Fenn, turned back on Day Two after rolling his ankle and reported Crystal was calm and continuing alone.
- Search teams found an arranged tent with a headlamp placed on the sleeping bag, and a waterproof map belonging to Crystal pinned under a rock on the riverbank, nineteen miles from her last camp.
- Crystal’s GPS device logged 90 minutes of continuous movement between 9:45 and 11:15 PM on September 13 that ascended the 340‑ft Meridian Wall at about 1.1 mph, a walking pace.
- The GPS unit’s internal accelerometer recorded zero vertical change for that entire window, a contradiction search coordinator Marilyn Hamilton could not reconcile.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913935Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA seventh-grade earth science teacher’s GPS shows a 340-ft climb, but its accelerometer reads zero vertical change. How did that expose them? The GPS accelerometer recorded zero vertical change and exposed an impossible climb In this episode, we...
The GPS accelerometer recorded zero vertical change and exposed an impossible climb

In this episode, we follow the days after Crystal Phillips disappeared on a Deschane National Forest loop and the discovery that shifts the search: a waterproof map found pinned to a rock, a tracklog that appears to climb a sheer sandstone wall, and an accelerometer readout that contradicts the coordinates. What does the mismatch between GPS and accelerometer data imply about her last movements?

Person: Crystal Phillips
Date: September 7-14, 2019
Location: Harrow Creek Wilderness, Deschane National Forest
Person: Marilyn Hamilton
Event: GPS track showing 90 minutes of movement up Meridian Wall with accelerometer vertical delta zero

- Crystal, a 31‑year‑old seventh‑grade earth science teacher and experienced navigator, began a planned Harrow Creek Loop on September 7 and did not exit on schedule.
- Her hiking partner, Doug Fenn, turned back on Day Two after rolling his ankle and reported Crystal was calm and continuing alone.
- Search teams found an arranged tent with a headlamp placed on the sleeping bag, and a waterproof map belonging to Crystal pinned under a rock on the riverbank, nineteen miles from her last camp.
- Crystal’s GPS device logged 90 minutes of continuous movement between 9:45 and 11:15 PM on September 13 that ascended the 340‑ft Meridian Wall at about 1.1 mph, a walking pace.
- The GPS unit’s internal accelerometer recorded zero vertical change for that entire window, a contradiction search coordinator Marilyn Hamilton could not reconcile.

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.]]>1063falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-s-brass-key-proved-she-d-taken-it-off-and-gone-missing--74913933
The boot's brass key proved she'd taken it off-and gone missing

In this episode, we follow the events surrounding Janet Hunt’s disappearance on Clearwater Ridge and the strange physical clues found in the days after she vanished. We outline the search timeline, the discovery that redirected teams, and the unanswered question that kept investigators puzzling over what actually happened. What does a perfectly positioned boot and a clipped backup key tell us about the moments before she went missing?

Person: Janet Hunt
Date: August 9-12 (missing and discovery timeline)
Location: Clearwater Ridge, Hatchett County, Montana
Person: Denise Meyer (Hatchett County SAR coordinator)
Person: Connie Moore (county surveyor who found the boot)

- Janet Hunt, a 52-year-old retired occupational therapist, routinely drove from Millhaven, Ohio to hike Clearwater Ridge and left a written itinerary with her daughter.
- She signed the Saddlehorn Lot trail register at about 6:00 a.m. on August 9 and planned a 4.1-mile route to Vantage Cabin.
- Search and rescue, led by Denise Meyer, began August 10, working outward from the trailhead through talus fields and creek drainages.
- Vantage Cabin log (August 10, 6:30 a.m.) recorded a woman matching Janet’s description drinking water and saying she would descend the south drainage; the entry was not discovered when SAR cleared the cabin the next day.
- On August 12, surveyor Connie Moore found an upright right hiking boot in talus, two miles northwest of the trail, laces tied and a small brass car key clipped to the lace-no footprints or other gear nearby.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913933Thu, 17 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA lone hiking boot with a brass car key clipped to its lace stands upright in talus two miles off-trail-how did that expose her? The boot's brass key proved she'd taken it off-and gone missing In this episode, we follow the events surrounding...
The boot's brass key proved she'd taken it off-and gone missing

In this episode, we follow the events surrounding Janet Hunt’s disappearance on Clearwater Ridge and the strange physical clues found in the days after she vanished. We outline the search timeline, the discovery that redirected teams, and the unanswered question that kept investigators puzzling over what actually happened. What does a perfectly positioned boot and a clipped backup key tell us about the moments before she went missing?

Person: Janet Hunt
Date: August 9-12 (missing and discovery timeline)
Location: Clearwater Ridge, Hatchett County, Montana
Person: Denise Meyer (Hatchett County SAR coordinator)
Person: Connie Moore (county surveyor who found the boot)

- Janet Hunt, a 52-year-old retired occupational therapist, routinely drove from Millhaven, Ohio to hike Clearwater Ridge and left a written itinerary with her daughter.
- She signed the Saddlehorn Lot trail register at about 6:00 a.m. on August 9 and planned a 4.1-mile route to Vantage Cabin.
- Search and rescue, led by Denise Meyer, began August 10, working outward from the trailhead through talus fields and creek drainages.
- Vantage Cabin log (August 10, 6:30 a.m.) recorded a woman matching Janet’s description drinking water and saying she would descend the south drainage; the entry was not discovered when SAR cleared the cabin the next day.
- On August 12, surveyor Connie Moore found an upright right hiking boot in talus, two miles northwest of the trail, laces tied and a small brass car key clipped to the lace-no footprints or other gear nearby.

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.]]>1399falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-size-11-bootprint-that-showed-someone-stood-and-waited--74913931
The size‑11 bootprint that showed someone stood and waited

In this episode, we follow the search for Jessica Hunt after her solo camp is found attended and empty deep in Aldermoor National Forest. We lay out the scene, the routines she kept for her Type One diabetes, and the single piece of evidence that shifted the search from medical emergency to possible contact - who left that print and why?

Person: Jessica Hunt
Age: 44
Condition: Type One diabetes
Location: Aldermoor National Forest
Witness: Kevin Lawson

- Camp discovered on Day Three: folding chair open, soup simmering on a camp stove, insulin kit with morning dose used and afternoon dose sealed.
- Jessica’s schedule: strict morning insulin at six, evening insulin at five, and daily check‑in calls to neighbor Paul Drescher.
- Neighbor Paul Drescher’s role: fed Jessica’s diabetic cat twice daily, expected her seven‑p.m. call after the five‑p.m. dose and called SAR when it never came.
- First responder Kevin Lawson found the attended but empty camp after smelling wood smoke while driving Forest Service Road Seven.
- Searcher Tom Aguirre photographed a distinct size‑11 lug‑soled bootprint facing the food stores under the tarp, a print inconsistent with Jessica’s size and position in the clearing.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913931Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA camp stove still warm, a capped insulin kit, and a size‑11 bootprint planted by the food - how did that expose someone in Aldermoor National Forest? The size‑11 bootprint that showed someone stood and waited In this episode, we follow the...
The size‑11 bootprint that showed someone stood and waited

In this episode, we follow the search for Jessica Hunt after her solo camp is found attended and empty deep in Aldermoor National Forest. We lay out the scene, the routines she kept for her Type One diabetes, and the single piece of evidence that shifted the search from medical emergency to possible contact - who left that print and why?

Person: Jessica Hunt
Age: 44
Condition: Type One diabetes
Location: Aldermoor National Forest
Witness: Kevin Lawson

- Camp discovered on Day Three: folding chair open, soup simmering on a camp stove, insulin kit with morning dose used and afternoon dose sealed.
- Jessica’s schedule: strict morning insulin at six, evening insulin at five, and daily check‑in calls to neighbor Paul Drescher.
- Neighbor Paul Drescher’s role: fed Jessica’s diabetic cat twice daily, expected her seven‑p.m. call after the five‑p.m. dose and called SAR when it never came.
- First responder Kevin Lawson found the attended but empty camp after smelling wood smoke while driving Forest Service Road Seven.
- Searcher Tom Aguirre photographed a distinct size‑11 lug‑soled bootprint facing the food stores under the tarp, a print inconsistent with Jessica’s size and position in the clearing.

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.]]>1295falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sealed-water-bottle-stood-upright-and-stopped-the-trail--74913930
The sealed water bottle stood upright and stopped the trail

In this episode, we follow the early hours of a search for Sarah Gallagher and the puzzling signs that redirected the effort into Merritt Draw. The episode lays out the scene, the people involved, and the lingering questions that kept rescuers and investigators working-what did the bottle mean, and why here?

Person: Sarah Gallagher
Date: June 11-12, 2011
Location: Merritt Draw, north branch
Person: Gail Vaughn
Person: Dennis Pruitt

- A factory-sealed water bottle with an unbroken cap was found standing upright on flat sandstone in a dry side-channel 4.1 miles from the nearest trailhead and 2.3 miles past Sarah's planned turnaround.
- Sarah Gallagher, a 28-year-old experienced local who routinely day-hiked Merritt Draw, failed to make her nightly 10 PM call on June 11 and was reported missing before 1 AM.
- Ruger, a trained SAR dog handled by Mara Lind, followed Sarah’s scent from her car to a junction and repeatedly locked at a descent into the side-channel, then stopped and could not recover the trail beyond ~80 yards.
- Gail Vaughn, photographing birds on the canyon rim the morning of June 12, almost missed seeing the bottle until she looked down and found it perfectly vertical in full sun with undisturbed silt around it.
- SAR coordinator Gail York recognized the search grid as troublingly familiar due to a 2003 disappearance in Merritt Draw and expanded the northern search area while withholding that history from Day One briefings.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913930Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA sealed water bottle stands upright on flat sandstone two miles off trail in Merritt Draw-how did it expose what happened to a day hiker? The sealed water bottle stood upright and stopped the trail In this episode, we follow the early hours of...
The sealed water bottle stood upright and stopped the trail

In this episode, we follow the early hours of a search for Sarah Gallagher and the puzzling signs that redirected the effort into Merritt Draw. The episode lays out the scene, the people involved, and the lingering questions that kept rescuers and investigators working-what did the bottle mean, and why here?

Person: Sarah Gallagher
Date: June 11-12, 2011
Location: Merritt Draw, north branch
Person: Gail Vaughn
Person: Dennis Pruitt

- A factory-sealed water bottle with an unbroken cap was found standing upright on flat sandstone in a dry side-channel 4.1 miles from the nearest trailhead and 2.3 miles past Sarah's planned turnaround.
- Sarah Gallagher, a 28-year-old experienced local who routinely day-hiked Merritt Draw, failed to make her nightly 10 PM call on June 11 and was reported missing before 1 AM.
- Ruger, a trained SAR dog handled by Mara Lind, followed Sarah’s scent from her car to a junction and repeatedly locked at a descent into the side-channel, then stopped and could not recover the trail beyond ~80 yards.
- Gail Vaughn, photographing birds on the canyon rim the morning of June 12, almost missed seeing the bottle until she looked down and found it perfectly vertical in full sun with undisturbed silt around it.
- SAR coordinator Gail York recognized the search grid as troublingly familiar due to a 2003 disappearance in Merritt Draw and expanded the northern search area while withholding that history from Day One briefings.

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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.]]>1431falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-green-daypack-that-stood-on-mile-14-forced-a-search--74913929
The green daypack that stood on Mile 14 forced a search

In this episode, we follow the timeline and key scenes that launched a search for Patricia Schultz after she vanished from a single-exit loop trail while her car and bowling bag remained at the trailhead. The episode lays out the people, places, and puzzling physical clues that framed the question: where did she go and what placed that pack eleven miles away?

Person: Patricia Schultz
Date: May 9-10
Location: Caldwell State Forest, Ridgeline Spur
Person: Leon Green
Person: Dennis Okafor

- Patricia signed the Ridgeline Spur trail register at 9:14 AM and was seen near the halfway marker around 9:40 AM wearing a blue rain shell and carrying a green daypack.
- The Ridgeline Spur is a 4.2-mile loop with one trailhead and one exit; no vehicle left the parking lot and no witnesses reported seeing her exit.
- Search dogs tracked Patricia’s scent from the trailhead to mile 2.1 where the scent abruptly stopped at a gated fire road signed CLOSED; the gate’s latch showed recent handling.
- Leon Green, a sixteen-year-old delivery driver, found the same green daypack standing upright on the Mile 14 marker of Route Nine at 6:52 AM the next morning, with its contents dry and car keys inside.
- Patricia’s car remained in the trailhead parking lot with her bowling bag in the trunk; she had planned to go to bowling league that evening and was reported missing at 10:47 PM.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913929Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA green daypack upright on Mile 14 of Route Nine in Caldwell State Forest - how did that expose the missing hiker? The green daypack that stood on Mile 14 forced a search In this episode, we follow the timeline and key scenes that launched a...
The green daypack that stood on Mile 14 forced a search

In this episode, we follow the timeline and key scenes that launched a search for Patricia Schultz after she vanished from a single-exit loop trail while her car and bowling bag remained at the trailhead. The episode lays out the people, places, and puzzling physical clues that framed the question: where did she go and what placed that pack eleven miles away?

Person: Patricia Schultz
Date: May 9-10
Location: Caldwell State Forest, Ridgeline Spur
Person: Leon Green
Person: Dennis Okafor

- Patricia signed the Ridgeline Spur trail register at 9:14 AM and was seen near the halfway marker around 9:40 AM wearing a blue rain shell and carrying a green daypack.
- The Ridgeline Spur is a 4.2-mile loop with one trailhead and one exit; no vehicle left the parking lot and no witnesses reported seeing her exit.
- Search dogs tracked Patricia’s scent from the trailhead to mile 2.1 where the scent abruptly stopped at a gated fire road signed CLOSED; the gate’s latch showed recent handling.
- Leon Green, a sixteen-year-old delivery driver, found the same green daypack standing upright on the Mile 14 marker of Route Nine at 6:52 AM the next morning, with its contents dry and car keys inside.
- Patricia’s car remained in the trailhead parking lot with her bowling bag in the trunk; she had planned to go to bowling league that evening and was reported missing at 10:47 PM.

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.]]>1341falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-left-hiking-boot-that-stopped-the-search-dead--74913928
The Left Hiking Boot That Stopped the Search Dead

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that shaped a five-day search after Susan Russo disappeared from a familiar trail. The episode lays out the physical evidence, the dog’s inexplicable stop in open snow, and the conflicting terrain math that hangs over every account-what happened in those nine hours?

Person: Susan Russo
Date: April 14-17, 2023
Location: Sable Meadow / Forest Service Road Seven, Harwick County
Status: Missing then found alive
Witness: Pete Osman

- Susan left the Coldwater Trail junction at 1:40 p.m. after telling Pete she’d be back by six and never arrived for her habitual Thursday visit.
- A road-grader operator found a single left hiking boot standing upright on the centerline of Forest Service Road Seven the morning of April 17.
- The boot was laced, dry inside, with no footprints, no mud, and the road had been graded clean 14 hours earlier.
- Bloodhound handler Marcus Delk recorded his dog “sat” in the center of an open snowfield two hundred yards from the tree line and refused to move.
- SAR leader Troy Price logged 36 hours building a theory that fit the dog’s behavior but matched none of the terrain, routes, or timed distances.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913928Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA single left hiking boot on a snowy Forest Service road is the only clue to nine vanished hours-how did that boot expose them? The Left Hiking Boot That Stopped the Search Dead In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that shaped a...
The Left Hiking Boot That Stopped the Search Dead

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that shaped a five-day search after Susan Russo disappeared from a familiar trail. The episode lays out the physical evidence, the dog’s inexplicable stop in open snow, and the conflicting terrain math that hangs over every account-what happened in those nine hours?

Person: Susan Russo
Date: April 14-17, 2023
Location: Sable Meadow / Forest Service Road Seven, Harwick County
Status: Missing then found alive
Witness: Pete Osman

- Susan left the Coldwater Trail junction at 1:40 p.m. after telling Pete she’d be back by six and never arrived for her habitual Thursday visit.
- A road-grader operator found a single left hiking boot standing upright on the centerline of Forest Service Road Seven the morning of April 17.
- The boot was laced, dry inside, with no footprints, no mud, and the road had been graded clean 14 hours earlier.
- Bloodhound handler Marcus Delk recorded his dog “sat” in the center of an open snowfield two hundred yards from the tree line and refused to move.
- SAR leader Troy Price logged 36 hours building a theory that fit the dog’s behavior but matched none of the terrain, routes, or timed distances.

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.]]>1310falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-granite-boulder-that-arranged-her-boots-and-stopped-the-trail--74913927
The granite boulder that arranged her boots and stopped the trail

In this episode, we follow the early timeline of a missing hiker in Sangre Fría National Forest and the first 79 hours of a search that kept returning to one baffling scene. What questions did a set of boots, a folded blanket, and a vanished scent trail leave for rescuers?

Person: Marilyn Bauer
Date: March 4, 2017
Location: Sangre Fría National Forest
Status: Missing during a 79-hour search
Event: Two boots found on a granite boulder at 10,800 feet

- Patricia Lewis, a power line technician, spotted two size-seven hiking boots neatly aligned on a flat granite boulder at 10,800 feet and reported them at 9:20 AM on Saturday.
- Marilyn Bauer signed the Arroyo Seco trailhead at 7:14 AM for an out-and-back to Cutter Ridge but did not return by her planned 4 PM estimate.
- Dogs tracking Marilyn’s scent pulled northwest along the tree line and stopped at Teja Creek, 9,600 feet and eight-tenths of a mile below the boulder, where the scent abruptly ended.
- Marilyn’s pack was found with all contents intact, including food, a headlamp, first-aid kit, and an emergency blanket that remained folded despite overnight lows near -4°F.
- The boulder where the boots were found sat 2.1 miles off Marilyn’s registered route, in the opposite direction from her planned destination and from her habitual morning running route.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913927Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hiker’s boots sit on a granite boulder at 10,800 feet while her pack lies miles away - how did that expose her? The granite boulder that arranged her boots and stopped the trail In this episode, we follow the early timeline of a missing hiker...
The granite boulder that arranged her boots and stopped the trail

In this episode, we follow the early timeline of a missing hiker in Sangre Fría National Forest and the first 79 hours of a search that kept returning to one baffling scene. What questions did a set of boots, a folded blanket, and a vanished scent trail leave for rescuers?

Person: Marilyn Bauer
Date: March 4, 2017
Location: Sangre Fría National Forest
Status: Missing during a 79-hour search
Event: Two boots found on a granite boulder at 10,800 feet

- Patricia Lewis, a power line technician, spotted two size-seven hiking boots neatly aligned on a flat granite boulder at 10,800 feet and reported them at 9:20 AM on Saturday.
- Marilyn Bauer signed the Arroyo Seco trailhead at 7:14 AM for an out-and-back to Cutter Ridge but did not return by her planned 4 PM estimate.
- Dogs tracking Marilyn’s scent pulled northwest along the tree line and stopped at Teja Creek, 9,600 feet and eight-tenths of a mile below the boulder, where the scent abruptly ended.
- Marilyn’s pack was found with all contents intact, including food, a headlamp, first-aid kit, and an emergency blanket that remained folded despite overnight lows near -4°F.
- The boulder where the boots were found sat 2.1 miles off Marilyn’s registered route, in the opposite direction from her planned destination and from her habitual morning running route.

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.]]>1180falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-blaze-orange-vest-draped-on-the-fence-post-rerouted-the-search--74913925
The blaze-orange vest draped on the fence post rerouted the search

In this episode, the team follows the first seventy-six hours of a search for Linda Johnson after a hunting vest is found inexplicably placed at a tract boundary. We describe the terrain, the initial leads, and the decisions that shaped the early hunt - what questions did that vest raise about where the search should go?

Person: Linda Johnson
Date: February 11, 2019
Location: Prentiss Tract, Harwick County, Tennessee
Event: Seventy-six-hour search across two hundred acres
Person: Jennifer Reynolds

- Wade Marshall spotted the blaze-orange vest draped on a fence post eleven yards into open farmland with undisturbed frost around it.
- Linda had entered the tract at approximately 6:10 a.m., hunted the Prentiss Tract solo for nineteen seasons, and did not return by her 6:45 p.m. pantry shift.
- Search and Rescue coordinator Jennifer Reynolds activated the team; Terry Boone entered before full light with two trained search dogs.
- Stand A (80 yards from the access trail) was checked and empty; Stand B (480 yards deeper) held Linda’s rifle propped on the ladder, safety on and unfired.
- The terrain included a 140-foot descent into the Siler Branch drainage, frozen creek mud, dense cedar thicket, and limestone outcrops that altered tracking and scent patterns.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913925Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA blaze-orange hunting vest appears draped on a fence post at the Prentiss Tract with no footprints in the frost - how did that expose them? The blaze-orange vest draped on the fence post rerouted the search In this episode, the team follows the...
The blaze-orange vest draped on the fence post rerouted the search

In this episode, the team follows the first seventy-six hours of a search for Linda Johnson after a hunting vest is found inexplicably placed at a tract boundary. We describe the terrain, the initial leads, and the decisions that shaped the early hunt - what questions did that vest raise about where the search should go?

Person: Linda Johnson
Date: February 11, 2019
Location: Prentiss Tract, Harwick County, Tennessee
Event: Seventy-six-hour search across two hundred acres
Person: Jennifer Reynolds

- Wade Marshall spotted the blaze-orange vest draped on a fence post eleven yards into open farmland with undisturbed frost around it.
- Linda had entered the tract at approximately 6:10 a.m., hunted the Prentiss Tract solo for nineteen seasons, and did not return by her 6:45 p.m. pantry shift.
- Search and Rescue coordinator Jennifer Reynolds activated the team; Terry Boone entered before full light with two trained search dogs.
- Stand A (80 yards from the access trail) was checked and empty; Stand B (480 yards deeper) held Linda’s rifle propped on the ladder, safety on and unfired.
- The terrain included a 140-foot descent into the Siler Branch drainage, frozen creek mud, dense cedar thicket, and limestone outcrops that altered tracking and scent patterns.

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.]]>1319falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cracked-phone-that-fell-and-led-them-up-the-ridge--74913924
The cracked phone that fell and led them up the ridge

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around Diane Baker’s disappearance from a Harlan Creek berry site and the strange clues left behind. The story pieces together GPS pings, search-team logs, and the odd physical evidence that redirected the search up a remote ridge; how did a fallen phone become the thread that led them toward Bowman Saddle fire tower?

Person: Diane Baker
Person: Cody Baker
Date: January 14, 2019
Location: Harlan Creek State Forest, Bowman Saddle ridgeline
Event: Last GPS ping of Diane’s phone at 2:14 PM; cracked phone found face-down in berry-site mud

- Diane was a habitual, deliberate solo mother who left no note and took a familiar winterberry route in January.
- Searchers had a confirmed last phone ping at the berry site and a bloodhound that locked scent uphill then refused to cross a creek.
- Diane’s phone was found at the exact 2:14 PM timestamp, cracked and half-buried in mud as if it had fallen.
- The Bowman Saddle fire tower had a hasp-style latch down with the padlock on the outside, and no duplicate key had been cut.
- Diane knew the ridgelines intimately and was dressed and equipped for cold, yet her path ended at a locked tower inaccessible by marked trails.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913924Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA cracked phone lies in frozen mud at a berry site while a mother and her four-year-old vanish into the ridgeline-how did that phone expose them? The cracked phone that fell and led them up the ridge In this episode, we follow the timeline and...
The cracked phone that fell and led them up the ridge

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around Diane Baker’s disappearance from a Harlan Creek berry site and the strange clues left behind. The story pieces together GPS pings, search-team logs, and the odd physical evidence that redirected the search up a remote ridge; how did a fallen phone become the thread that led them toward Bowman Saddle fire tower?

Person: Diane Baker
Person: Cody Baker
Date: January 14, 2019
Location: Harlan Creek State Forest, Bowman Saddle ridgeline
Event: Last GPS ping of Diane’s phone at 2:14 PM; cracked phone found face-down in berry-site mud

- Diane was a habitual, deliberate solo mother who left no note and took a familiar winterberry route in January.
- Searchers had a confirmed last phone ping at the berry site and a bloodhound that locked scent uphill then refused to cross a creek.
- Diane’s phone was found at the exact 2:14 PM timestamp, cracked and half-buried in mud as if it had fallen.
- The Bowman Saddle fire tower had a hasp-style latch down with the padlock on the outside, and no duplicate key had been cut.
- Diane knew the ridgelines intimately and was dressed and equipped for cold, yet her path ended at a locked tower inaccessible by marked trails.

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.]]>1333falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tent-peg-that-ripped-his-tibia-and-trapped-him--74913923
The tent peg that ripped his tibia and trapped him

In this episode, we follow how a careful, methodical backpacker ended up immobilized deep inside a six-year wilderness closure and how routine patterns - a weekly board game, a parked truck, a locked gate - shaped the search that followed. What did that tiny campsite detail reveal about his final weeks?

Person: Leon Cox
Location: Seco Ridge Wilderness, Harwick National Forest
Date: December 6, 2017 (final journal entry)
Status: Missing person report filed December 9, 2017
Event: Closed-area camping inside a burn perimeter with a closed tibia fracture

- Leon was a 47-year-old mechanical drafting instructor from Medford who ran a weekly Tuesday board game for four consecutive years.
- He parked at a legal trailhead 4.1 miles from his intended camp, then walked into a closed Seco Ridge burn zone and made an intentional, well-sited campsite.
- Investigators dated the campsite to October-November 2017 using carbon traces from his fire ring, suggesting he’d been there for weeks.
- On December 5 he missed board game night for the first time in four years; on December 6 he wrote “Leg is bad. Staying put tonight.” and stopped writing.
- Gloria Vogel found the tent in February on a road that had been padlocked for six years, and one small campsite detail in the case file remains unexplained.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913923Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA woman lost on a locked road finds a winter campsite in a closed burn zone - a tent and one detail: could it explain why a backpacker couldn't walk out? The tent peg that ripped his tibia and trapped him In this episode, we follow how a...
The tent peg that ripped his tibia and trapped him

In this episode, we follow how a careful, methodical backpacker ended up immobilized deep inside a six-year wilderness closure and how routine patterns - a weekly board game, a parked truck, a locked gate - shaped the search that followed. What did that tiny campsite detail reveal about his final weeks?

Person: Leon Cox
Location: Seco Ridge Wilderness, Harwick National Forest
Date: December 6, 2017 (final journal entry)
Status: Missing person report filed December 9, 2017
Event: Closed-area camping inside a burn perimeter with a closed tibia fracture

- Leon was a 47-year-old mechanical drafting instructor from Medford who ran a weekly Tuesday board game for four consecutive years.
- He parked at a legal trailhead 4.1 miles from his intended camp, then walked into a closed Seco Ridge burn zone and made an intentional, well-sited campsite.
- Investigators dated the campsite to October-November 2017 using carbon traces from his fire ring, suggesting he’d been there for weeks.
- On December 5 he missed board game night for the first time in four years; on December 6 he wrote “Leg is bad. Staying put tonight.” and stopped writing.
- Gloria Vogel found the tent in February on a road that had been padlocked for six years, and one small campsite detail in the case file remains unexplained.

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.]]>1292falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-wool-peacoat-buttoned-on-a-dead-deer-led-searchers-to-nicole--74913921
A wool peacoat buttoned on a dead deer led searchers to Nicole

In this episode, we trace the sequence of decisions, evidence, and anomalies surrounding Nicole Reyes’s disappearance to map how searchers followed leads through the Cascades. Which pieces of physical trace and human action created the baffling eleven-mile gap the team had to close?

Person: Nicole Reyes
Date: November 10-13
Location: Ridgeback Fork, eastern Cascades
Person: Kevin Odell
Event: Coat found on dead mule deer

- A volunteer search team found a buttoned wool peacoat on a dead mule deer with a handwritten name tag reading "Nicole."
- Nicole filed a trip plan for a three-night Ridgeback Fork loop and left a detailed care schedule for her rabbit, Hendricks, before leaving on November 10.
- Tracking dog Cass picked up scent at Nicole's car then stopped and sat at Ridgeback Fork junction, refusing to follow the southbound planned route.
- Boot impressions consistent with Nicole’s boots headed north from the fork into broken, thick upper drainage for about forty yards before disappearing.
- Kevin Odell had a spare key, knew her route, called search and rescue on November 13, and his phone records placed him in Sacramento during Nicole’s absence.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913921Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA wool peacoat buttoned on a dead mule deer, tagged "Nicole," sits eleven miles from where her boot prints stopped - how did that expose her? A wool peacoat buttoned on a dead deer led searchers to Nicole In this episode, we trace the sequence...
A wool peacoat buttoned on a dead deer led searchers to Nicole

In this episode, we trace the sequence of decisions, evidence, and anomalies surrounding Nicole Reyes’s disappearance to map how searchers followed leads through the Cascades. Which pieces of physical trace and human action created the baffling eleven-mile gap the team had to close?

Person: Nicole Reyes
Date: November 10-13
Location: Ridgeback Fork, eastern Cascades
Person: Kevin Odell
Event: Coat found on dead mule deer

- A volunteer search team found a buttoned wool peacoat on a dead mule deer with a handwritten name tag reading "Nicole."
- Nicole filed a trip plan for a three-night Ridgeback Fork loop and left a detailed care schedule for her rabbit, Hendricks, before leaving on November 10.
- Tracking dog Cass picked up scent at Nicole's car then stopped and sat at Ridgeback Fork junction, refusing to follow the southbound planned route.
- Boot impressions consistent with Nicole’s boots headed north from the fork into broken, thick upper drainage for about forty yards before disappearing.
- Kevin Odell had a spare key, knew her route, called search and rescue on November 13, and his phone records placed him in Sacramento during Nicole’s absence.

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.]]>1243falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cairn-line-that-lured-her-nine-miles-from-safety--74913920
The cairn line that lured her nine miles from safety

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Frances Sanders’ disappearance into the Ridgecut Wilderness and the baffling pattern search teams uncovered. What decisions, skills, and odd clues shaped those eleven days, and which question matters most now?

Person: Frances Sanders
Date: October 5-14, 2019
Location: Ridgecut Wilderness, Harlow National Forest, eastern Oregon
Occupation: School librarian; former land surveyor
Item found: Daypack at mile 2 (waterproof shell, water filter, emergency blanket)

- Frances parked a gray 2014 Subaru at Sutter Creek trailhead and walked into the roadless wilderness alone.
- She had a decade of professional surveying experience and still carried a baseplate compass in her pack.
- For four years she called her son every Wednesday at 5:45 a.m.; that call did not happen the week she disappeared.
- Search teams found her daypack intact at mile two, with survival gear deliberately left behind.
- On October 14, teams mapped eleven identical five-stone cairns, each about one mile apart, set in a dead-straight line leading north into the backcountry.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913920Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA line of cairns leads a lone hiker nine miles from her car into roadless Oregon wilderness - how did that expose her? The cairn line that lured her nine miles from safety In this episode, we follow the timeline of Frances Sanders’ disappearance...
The cairn line that lured her nine miles from safety

In this episode, we follow the timeline of Frances Sanders’ disappearance into the Ridgecut Wilderness and the baffling pattern search teams uncovered. What decisions, skills, and odd clues shaped those eleven days, and which question matters most now?

Person: Frances Sanders
Date: October 5-14, 2019
Location: Ridgecut Wilderness, Harlow National Forest, eastern Oregon
Occupation: School librarian; former land surveyor
Item found: Daypack at mile 2 (waterproof shell, water filter, emergency blanket)

- Frances parked a gray 2014 Subaru at Sutter Creek trailhead and walked into the roadless wilderness alone.
- She had a decade of professional surveying experience and still carried a baseplate compass in her pack.
- For four years she called her son every Wednesday at 5:45 a.m.; that call did not happen the week she disappeared.
- Search teams found her daypack intact at mile two, with survival gear deliberately left behind.
- On October 14, teams mapped eleven identical five-stone cairns, each about one mile apart, set in a dead-straight line leading north into the backcountry.

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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.]]>1277falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-half-signed-trailhead-entry-that-rerouted-the-search--74913919
The half-signed trailhead entry that rerouted the search

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence gathered after Marcia Hayes left the Coldtack trailhead and vanished in Saguaro Rim National Forest. We lay out the ridge register, the Pale Granite Shelf finds, weather and scent data, and the decisions that redirected search grids-what misread moment tilted the day past the point of return?

Person: Marcia Hayes
Date: September 8-9, 2017
Location: Coldtack trailhead; Pale Granite Shelf, Saguaro Rim National Forest; elevation 7,240 ft
Event: half-signed trail register entry; red 32-ounce Nalgene bottle photographed at 11:24 AM Saturday
Status: search-and-rescue operation with cadaver dog alerts logged as inconclusive

- Marcia signed the Coldtack trailhead at 6:14 AM, noted a nine-mile out-and-back and a 3:00 PM return time.
- At 6:51 AM another hiker signed the register, and between those entries a partial second signature in matching pen pressure was started then crossed out.
- A county surveyor photographed Marcia’s full, sealed red Nalgene on bare granite of Pale Granite Shelf at 11:24 AM Saturday with no footprints nearby.
- Two trained cadaver dogs alerted sharply six feet from the eastern lip of the shelf, then scent vanished within twenty yards; a deer carcass was later found four feet below the lip.
- USFS weather station data from 2.3 miles east logged conditions Friday morning that were not received by the SAR team until Saturday evening, after grids had been run for over twelve hours.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913919Sun, 06 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA woman signed the Coldtack trailhead, left a half-signed entry that rerouted the search for Marcia Hayes-how did that partial signature expose them? The half-signed trailhead entry that rerouted the search In this episode, we follow the...
The half-signed trailhead entry that rerouted the search

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence gathered after Marcia Hayes left the Coldtack trailhead and vanished in Saguaro Rim National Forest. We lay out the ridge register, the Pale Granite Shelf finds, weather and scent data, and the decisions that redirected search grids-what misread moment tilted the day past the point of return?

Person: Marcia Hayes
Date: September 8-9, 2017
Location: Coldtack trailhead; Pale Granite Shelf, Saguaro Rim National Forest; elevation 7,240 ft
Event: half-signed trail register entry; red 32-ounce Nalgene bottle photographed at 11:24 AM Saturday
Status: search-and-rescue operation with cadaver dog alerts logged as inconclusive

- Marcia signed the Coldtack trailhead at 6:14 AM, noted a nine-mile out-and-back and a 3:00 PM return time.
- At 6:51 AM another hiker signed the register, and between those entries a partial second signature in matching pen pressure was started then crossed out.
- A county surveyor photographed Marcia’s full, sealed red Nalgene on bare granite of Pale Granite Shelf at 11:24 AM Saturday with no footprints nearby.
- Two trained cadaver dogs alerted sharply six feet from the eastern lip of the shelf, then scent vanished within twenty yards; a deer carcass was later found four feet below the lip.
- USFS weather station data from 2.3 miles east logged conditions Friday morning that were not received by the SAR team until Saturday evening, after grids had been run for over twelve hours.

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.]]>1301falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-headlamp-that-ran-until-the-batteries-died-and-left-her-lost--74913917
The headlamp that ran until the batteries died and left her lost

In this episode, we follow the search for Connie Sheridan and the puzzling discoveries that framed her disappearance in the Cascades. The story traces the timeline, the search tactics, and the single detail that refocused every theory - but one question remains open.

Person: Connie Sheridan
Date: August 9-11
Location: Ridgeback Peak area, Cascades (Sutter Gap trailhead to Coldwater Fork drainage)
Status: Found alive with mild hypothermia
Item: Headlamp purchased August 6, found fully discharged

- Connie signed the Sutter Gap trailhead register at 6:45 and left a clear day plan to summit Ridgeback Peak with a fully packed bag.
- Search dogs tracked her scent northeast up through timber to a granite shelf four-tenths of a mile below the summit, where the trail ended and scent disappeared.
- Teams ran organized grid searches, standard drainage routes, and summit corridor sweeps over ten hours without finding her.
- Robert Underwood found her seated against a downed ponderosa eighty yards from the road, three miles from the last scent marker, with one boot missing and worn sock on the other foot.
- Her pack was intact with two full water bottles and an unopened emergency bivouac; her headlamp, fitted with batteries bought August 6, was completely discharged.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913917Sat, 05 Sep 2026 08:00:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA woman with a fresh headlamp and full kit is found alive three miles from where dogs lost her scent - how did that headlamp expose her path? The headlamp that ran until the batteries died and left her lost In this episode, we follow the search...
The headlamp that ran until the batteries died and left her lost

In this episode, we follow the search for Connie Sheridan and the puzzling discoveries that framed her disappearance in the Cascades. The story traces the timeline, the search tactics, and the single detail that refocused every theory - but one question remains open.

Person: Connie Sheridan
Date: August 9-11
Location: Ridgeback Peak area, Cascades (Sutter Gap trailhead to Coldwater Fork drainage)
Status: Found alive with mild hypothermia
Item: Headlamp purchased August 6, found fully discharged

- Connie signed the Sutter Gap trailhead register at 6:45 and left a clear day plan to summit Ridgeback Peak with a fully packed bag.
- Search dogs tracked her scent northeast up through timber to a granite shelf four-tenths of a mile below the summit, where the trail ended and scent disappeared.
- Teams ran organized grid searches, standard drainage routes, and summit corridor sweeps over ten hours without finding her.
- Robert Underwood found her seated against a downed ponderosa eighty yards from the road, three miles from the last scent marker, with one boot missing and worn sock on the other foot.
- Her pack was intact with two full water bottles and an unopened emergency bivouac; her headlamp, fitted with batteries bought August 6, was completely discharged.

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.]]>1319falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-single-leather-boot-that-led-rescuers-off-the-trail--74913915
The single leather boot that led rescuers off the trail

In this episode, we follow the early hours of a disappearance in the Plumas National Forest and the unusual traces that guided the search. What did a lone boot, a locked lookout, and a nine‑oh‑two log entry reveal about where Wendy Marsh went - and what happened in those missing hours?

Person: Wendy Marsh
Location: Plumas National Forest
Date: August 8-9 (evening of August 8 to morning of August 9)
Event: disappearance of a fire lookout
Evidence photo: single leather boot photographed by Gail Vogel

- Gail Vogel photographed a hummingbird and later found, centered in the frame, a single upright leather boot with laces tied and toe pointing back toward the trailhead.
- Wendy Marsh, a forty‑two‑year‑old with eleven seasons in the lookout, radioed an eight forty‑seven PM check‑out but has no memory of writing a nine‑oh‑two PM log entry or of the following fourteen hours.
- The fire lookout was found locked from the outside with Wendy’s truck parked as usual and no sign of her at the tower the next morning.
- Pete Calloway, the district road maintenance supervisor, saw a thin smoke column northeast of the tower around nine PM and was the last person known to have spoken with Wendy that day.
- Search and rescue arrived at the trailhead July-sorry, August ninth morning with twelve volunteers, two dog teams, and coordinator Dale Ferris, beginning a grid search for a disoriented subject moving down the trail.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913915Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:45 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA single leather boot on a Plumas National Forest trail points rescuers toward a missing fire lookout-what happened to her? The single leather boot that led rescuers off the trail In this episode, we follow the early hours of a disappearance in...
The single leather boot that led rescuers off the trail

In this episode, we follow the early hours of a disappearance in the Plumas National Forest and the unusual traces that guided the search. What did a lone boot, a locked lookout, and a nine‑oh‑two log entry reveal about where Wendy Marsh went - and what happened in those missing hours?

Person: Wendy Marsh
Location: Plumas National Forest
Date: August 8-9 (evening of August 8 to morning of August 9)
Event: disappearance of a fire lookout
Evidence photo: single leather boot photographed by Gail Vogel

- Gail Vogel photographed a hummingbird and later found, centered in the frame, a single upright leather boot with laces tied and toe pointing back toward the trailhead.
- Wendy Marsh, a forty‑two‑year‑old with eleven seasons in the lookout, radioed an eight forty‑seven PM check‑out but has no memory of writing a nine‑oh‑two PM log entry or of the following fourteen hours.
- The fire lookout was found locked from the outside with Wendy’s truck parked as usual and no sign of her at the tower the next morning.
- Pete Calloway, the district road maintenance supervisor, saw a thin smoke column northeast of the tower around nine PM and was the last person known to have spoken with Wendy that day.
- Search and rescue arrived at the trailhead July-sorry, August ninth morning with twelve volunteers, two dog teams, and coordinator Dale Ferris, beginning a grid search for a disoriented subject moving down the trail.

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.]]>1464falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hiker-s-red-fleece-limped-into-the-parking-lot-and-vanished--74913914
The hiker's red fleece limped into the parking lot and vanished

In this episode, we follow the first seventy-two hours of a missing-person search that begins with a carefully placed pack and a blank stretch in a trail register. The story traces every lead, witness statement, and odd detail as investigators try to understand where a prepared, experienced hiker went and why memory itself becomes part of the mystery.

Person: Alice Campbell
Date: June 13-14, 2019
Location: Spur Creek Trailhead, Deschutes-Ridgeline Wilderness, Morrow County, Oregon
Item: hiking pack with red fleece and gray long-sleeve
Witness: Diane Marsh, Tom Shelby, Kenneth Cox, Gary Bowers

- Kenneth Cox found a neatly placed hiking pack with hip belt buckled and a three-quarters full water bladder at 6:40 a.m.
- Alice had signed the trail register at 7:04 a.m., listing Broken Spur Ridge as her destination and an expected return time.
- Alice’s car remained in the Spur Creek parking lot overnight, prompting her roommate Petra Voss to file a missing-person report at 11:00 p.m.
- Search dogs trailed from the kiosk then stopped on the asphalt in the middle of the parking lot; the scent did not continue past that point.
- Diane Marsh reported assisting a limping woman in a red fleece at about 2:15 p.m., who sat by the tree line and said someone was coming.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913914Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:40 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hiker's red fleece is left in a trailhead parking lot-car present, owner gone. How did that expose them? The hiker's red fleece limped into the parking lot and vanished In this episode, we follow the first seventy-two hours of a missing-person...
The hiker's red fleece limped into the parking lot and vanished

In this episode, we follow the first seventy-two hours of a missing-person search that begins with a carefully placed pack and a blank stretch in a trail register. The story traces every lead, witness statement, and odd detail as investigators try to understand where a prepared, experienced hiker went and why memory itself becomes part of the mystery.

Person: Alice Campbell
Date: June 13-14, 2019
Location: Spur Creek Trailhead, Deschutes-Ridgeline Wilderness, Morrow County, Oregon
Item: hiking pack with red fleece and gray long-sleeve
Witness: Diane Marsh, Tom Shelby, Kenneth Cox, Gary Bowers

- Kenneth Cox found a neatly placed hiking pack with hip belt buckled and a three-quarters full water bladder at 6:40 a.m.
- Alice had signed the trail register at 7:04 a.m., listing Broken Spur Ridge as her destination and an expected return time.
- Alice’s car remained in the Spur Creek parking lot overnight, prompting her roommate Petra Voss to file a missing-person report at 11:00 p.m.
- Search dogs trailed from the kiosk then stopped on the asphalt in the middle of the parking lot; the scent did not continue past that point.
- Diane Marsh reported assisting a limping woman in a red fleece at about 2:15 p.m., who sat by the tree line and said someone was coming.

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.]]>1238falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-beacon-kept-beeping-it-led-rescuers-to-jean-s-culvert--74913913
The beacon kept beeping - it led rescuers to Jean's culvert

In this episode, we follow the search for Jean Adams from the moment she missed her routine Tuesday booth to the day a tracker found a transmitter beeping inside a sealed culvert. The episode traces the decisions, routes, and physical clues that guided searchers through an eleven-thousand-foot alpine maze and asks how a dry beacon ended up where no one expected.

Person: Jean Adams
Person: Dennis Okafor
Person: Judith Hill
Location: culvert buried under snowpack at 11,200 ft
Date: disappearance in mid-February

- Jean kept an identical backcountry traverse for eleven consecutive years and filed a fourteen-mile route with the ranger station.
- Her personal locator recorded a waypoint at 11:43 a.m. placing her 400 feet off her assigned traverse line toward steeper terrain.
- Search dogs lost Jean’s scent on a featureless mid-slope at 11,200 feet, the exact elevation later tied to an old drainage channel.
- A 1967 hydrology survey revealed an unmapped culvert installed during mining operations, decommissioned by the 1980s.
- Judith Hill descended into the sealed culvert and heard a steady green-beeping device transmitting a live signal despite being buried under over a quarter mile of compacted snow.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913913Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:37 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA lone backcountry beacon beeps from inside a buried culvert 1,300 feet below the snow-how did Jean’s emergency transmitter get there? The beacon kept beeping - it led rescuers to Jean's culvert In this episode, we follow the search for Jean...
The beacon kept beeping - it led rescuers to Jean's culvert

In this episode, we follow the search for Jean Adams from the moment she missed her routine Tuesday booth to the day a tracker found a transmitter beeping inside a sealed culvert. The episode traces the decisions, routes, and physical clues that guided searchers through an eleven-thousand-foot alpine maze and asks how a dry beacon ended up where no one expected.

Person: Jean Adams
Person: Dennis Okafor
Person: Judith Hill
Location: culvert buried under snowpack at 11,200 ft
Date: disappearance in mid-February

- Jean kept an identical backcountry traverse for eleven consecutive years and filed a fourteen-mile route with the ranger station.
- Her personal locator recorded a waypoint at 11:43 a.m. placing her 400 feet off her assigned traverse line toward steeper terrain.
- Search dogs lost Jean’s scent on a featureless mid-slope at 11,200 feet, the exact elevation later tied to an old drainage channel.
- A 1967 hydrology survey revealed an unmapped culvert installed during mining operations, decommissioned by the 1980s.
- Judith Hill descended into the sealed culvert and heard a steady green-beeping device transmitting a live signal despite being buried under over a quarter mile of compacted snow.

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.]]>1245falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-journal-ruth-wedged-under-a-culvert-brace-washed-eleven-miles-away--74913912
The journal Ruth wedged under a culvert brace washed eleven miles away

In this episode, we follow the disappearance of Ruth Jones, a sixty-three-year-old cartographer who left Watcher Ridge for a planned three-night hike and never returned. The episode covers the timeline from her last confirmed movements through the search effort, the discovery of a water-swollen journal miles from her last known position, and the difficult questions her family faces about what the entries mean.

Person: Ruth Jones
Date: April 6-12, 2019
Location: Watcher Ridge, Ochoco National Forest
Status: Case closed May 3, 2019; cause of death listed as hypothermia, accidental exposure
Discoverer: David Meyer

- Ruth was a retired cartographer who planned multi-night solo trips and always carried a printed topo, compass, satellite communicator, and a journal in her hip-belt pouch.
- She left the trailhead on April 6 at 6:40 a.m., planned three nights, and missed her weekly map club meeting on April 9, prompting her daughter to call authorities.
- A K-9 followed Ruth’s scent 2.1 miles up the trail to a creek crossing where the scent line stopped at the water’s edge and did not continue.
- The creek was running 40% above seasonal average on April 10 (10 cubic feet per second vs. a typical ~6), fast, turbid, and audible - a factor in Ruth’s April 11 journal note about heading downhill toward the sound of water.
- On April 14, utility lineman David Meyer found Ruth’s water-swollen journal wedged under a culvert brace eleven miles from her last known position, with entries dated April 10-12 including a final April 12 entry her daughter refuses to describe.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913912Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:33 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA retired cartographer vanishes on Watcher Ridge and her soaked journal turns up eleven miles downstream under a culvert - how did that expose them? The journal Ruth wedged under a culvert brace washed eleven miles away In this episode, we...
The journal Ruth wedged under a culvert brace washed eleven miles away

In this episode, we follow the disappearance of Ruth Jones, a sixty-three-year-old cartographer who left Watcher Ridge for a planned three-night hike and never returned. The episode covers the timeline from her last confirmed movements through the search effort, the discovery of a water-swollen journal miles from her last known position, and the difficult questions her family faces about what the entries mean.

Person: Ruth Jones
Date: April 6-12, 2019
Location: Watcher Ridge, Ochoco National Forest
Status: Case closed May 3, 2019; cause of death listed as hypothermia, accidental exposure
Discoverer: David Meyer

- Ruth was a retired cartographer who planned multi-night solo trips and always carried a printed topo, compass, satellite communicator, and a journal in her hip-belt pouch.
- She left the trailhead on April 6 at 6:40 a.m., planned three nights, and missed her weekly map club meeting on April 9, prompting her daughter to call authorities.
- A K-9 followed Ruth’s scent 2.1 miles up the trail to a creek crossing where the scent line stopped at the water’s edge and did not continue.
- The creek was running 40% above seasonal average on April 10 (10 cubic feet per second vs. a typical ~6), fast, turbid, and audible - a factor in Ruth’s April 11 journal note about heading downhill toward the sound of water.
- On April 14, utility lineman David Meyer found Ruth’s water-swollen journal wedged under a culvert brace eleven miles from her last known position, with entries dated April 10-12 including a final April 12 entry her daughter refuses to describe.

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.]]>1216falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-forgotten-gps-device-pinged-from-6-950-ft-and-redirected-the-search--74913911
A forgotten GPS device pinged from 6,950 ft and redirected the search

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of decisions, data points, and weather that shaped a six-day search for a missing skier. We trace how verified evidence and routine choices funneled teams uphill - and what question about the lower mountain finally forced them to look back down.

Person: Marilyn Myers
Date: March 7-11, 2019
Location: Saddlehorn Range
Status: Missing
Event: Search and rescue operation redirected by GPS data

- Trailhead log entry at 6:10 a.m. on March 7 listed Marilyn’s route to Flat Elk Bench and expected return the same day.
- GPS device recorded a last confirmed ping at 11:40 a.m. on March 7 at elevation 8,600 ft, showing her still ascending.
- A storm from March 8-9 dumped 22 inches above 8,200 ft, altering terrain and prompting a search focused above the snowline.
- Dogs and teams searched the upper corridor; air-scent teams stopped at 8,400 ft where the trail ended without explanation.
- A forgotten, overlooked piece of equipment pinged at 6,950 ft and forced a reassessment of six days of search decisions.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913911Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:29 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA forgotten GPS pinged from 6,950 ft and redirected the search for a missing backcountry skier. How did that ping expose them? A forgotten GPS device pinged from 6,950 ft and redirected the search In this episode, we walk through the sequence of...
A forgotten GPS device pinged from 6,950 ft and redirected the search

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of decisions, data points, and weather that shaped a six-day search for a missing skier. We trace how verified evidence and routine choices funneled teams uphill - and what question about the lower mountain finally forced them to look back down.

Person: Marilyn Myers
Date: March 7-11, 2019
Location: Saddlehorn Range
Status: Missing
Event: Search and rescue operation redirected by GPS data

- Trailhead log entry at 6:10 a.m. on March 7 listed Marilyn’s route to Flat Elk Bench and expected return the same day.
- GPS device recorded a last confirmed ping at 11:40 a.m. on March 7 at elevation 8,600 ft, showing her still ascending.
- A storm from March 8-9 dumped 22 inches above 8,200 ft, altering terrain and prompting a search focused above the snowline.
- Dogs and teams searched the upper corridor; air-scent teams stopped at 8,400 ft where the trail ended without explanation.
- A forgotten, overlooked piece of equipment pinged at 6,950 ft and forced a reassessment of six days of search decisions.

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.]]>1443falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-parking-citation-that-cost-the-search-twelve-hours--74913910
The Parking Citation That Cost the Search Twelve Hours

In this episode, we go through the sequence of observations, records and decisions that shaped the first seventy-two hours after a geology professor vanished in a winter talus field. The episode traces the timeline from the trailhead parking citation to the search grid that followed-what happened that cost investigators nearly half a day?

Person: Mark Callahan
Person: Ronald Stein
Person: Paula Mercer
Location: Harker Basin, Sennett National Forest
Date: February 11-14, 2019

- Ronald Stein found a perfect forty-foot circle of two hundred quartzite stones flipped pale-side up with a lone pack at the edge on the morning of February 14.
- Mark Callahan, 47, a geology professor, had been on a solo field experiment in Harker Basin and made a final call to Paula Mercer on the night of February 11.
- Mark’s last notebook entry on February 11 ended mid-sentence: "sublayer movement - do NOT-", and his instrument array and ice axe were reported at the slope.
- A parking citation at the Millstone Trailhead was logged as February 12, creating a false timeline that shifted the initial search grid.
- A department log later corrected the citation’s date to February 11, forcing the search team to reset their timeline roughly twelve hours into the operation.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913910Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:25 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA meter reader finds quartzite stones around an empty pack at an alpine trailhead-how did that expose Mark Callahan’s disappearance? The Parking Citation That Cost the Search Twelve Hours In this episode, we go through the sequence of...
The Parking Citation That Cost the Search Twelve Hours

In this episode, we go through the sequence of observations, records and decisions that shaped the first seventy-two hours after a geology professor vanished in a winter talus field. The episode traces the timeline from the trailhead parking citation to the search grid that followed-what happened that cost investigators nearly half a day?

Person: Mark Callahan
Person: Ronald Stein
Person: Paula Mercer
Location: Harker Basin, Sennett National Forest
Date: February 11-14, 2019

- Ronald Stein found a perfect forty-foot circle of two hundred quartzite stones flipped pale-side up with a lone pack at the edge on the morning of February 14.
- Mark Callahan, 47, a geology professor, had been on a solo field experiment in Harker Basin and made a final call to Paula Mercer on the night of February 11.
- Mark’s last notebook entry on February 11 ended mid-sentence: "sublayer movement - do NOT-", and his instrument array and ice axe were reported at the slope.
- A parking citation at the Millstone Trailhead was logged as February 12, creating a false timeline that shifted the initial search grid.
- A department log later corrected the citation’s date to February 11, forcing the search team to reset their timeline roughly twelve hours into the operation.

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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.]]>1464falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-scent-dogs-proved-she-crossed-the-creek-and-notches-five-miles-away--74913909
The scent dogs proved she crossed the creek - and notches five miles away

In this episode, we lay out the timeline and evidence from the day Carol Morris vanished at Harmon Creek and the moments that redirected the search. We describe the scene, the decisions made by searchers, and the puzzling discoveries that forced investigators to change course - what questions did those choices leave unanswered?

Person: Carol Morris
Date: January 12, 2019
Location: Harmon Creek
Temperature: 19°F
Distance: 5.2 miles

- Tom Riggs and Carol fished opposite banks; at 9:52 a.m. Tom called her number from the east bank and her phone rang from a vest on a boulder twelve feet away.
- Carol’s rod remained propped with the reel still releasing line, gloves laid flat toward the water, and no signs of struggle at the west bank.
- Boot prints matching Carol’s size led northwest across mud for about forty feet, then vanished on an exposed limestone shelf where prints do not register.
- Scent dogs run from the boulder tracked downslope, into the creek, and across thirty feet of fast, January water, prompting teams to flip the search grid from northwest to east.
- Five days later volunteer Michael Casey saw Carol’s right boot, laced and upright, on the tailgate of a locked Forest Service truck 5.2 miles north of where she vanished.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913909Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:20 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA scent-tracking team followed Carol Morris’s trail - five miles later a single boot was found on a locked Forest Service truck; how did that happen? The scent dogs proved she crossed the creek - and notches five miles away In this episode, we...
The scent dogs proved she crossed the creek - and notches five miles away

In this episode, we lay out the timeline and evidence from the day Carol Morris vanished at Harmon Creek and the moments that redirected the search. We describe the scene, the decisions made by searchers, and the puzzling discoveries that forced investigators to change course - what questions did those choices leave unanswered?

Person: Carol Morris
Date: January 12, 2019
Location: Harmon Creek
Temperature: 19°F
Distance: 5.2 miles

- Tom Riggs and Carol fished opposite banks; at 9:52 a.m. Tom called her number from the east bank and her phone rang from a vest on a boulder twelve feet away.
- Carol’s rod remained propped with the reel still releasing line, gloves laid flat toward the water, and no signs of struggle at the west bank.
- Boot prints matching Carol’s size led northwest across mud for about forty feet, then vanished on an exposed limestone shelf where prints do not register.
- Scent dogs run from the boulder tracked downslope, into the creek, and across thirty feet of fast, January water, prompting teams to flip the search grid from northwest to east.
- Five days later volunteer Michael Casey saw Carol’s right boot, laced and upright, on the tailgate of a locked Forest Service truck 5.2 miles north of where she vanished.

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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.]]>1146falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mylar-blanket-she-pulled-out-and-vanished-from-the-canyon--74913908
The mylar blanket she pulled out and vanished from the canyon

In this episode, we follow the search for Darlene McCarthy, a 52-year-old retired postal worker who left the Harlow Creek trail alone and did not return. The episode traces the timeline, the strange handprints found in the mud, and the critical gap between where scent dogs stopped and where her pack was located - what does that gap mean?

Person: Darlene McCarthy
Date: December 9-10, 2011
Location: Harlow Creek corridor, Sutter National Forest
Condition: Handprints pressed two to three inches into mud
Item missing: Mylar emergency blanket

- Entered trail alone at ~2:10 PM; last confirmed with brother-in-law in parking lot.
- Warren Fisk called Keller County Search and Rescue at 3:40 PM when she failed to return by 3:30 PM.
- SAR team reached trailhead before 5:00 PM; first sweep to mile 1.1 halted by darkness.
- Search dog Bess tracked to mile 1.1 then sat - scent described as “ending,” not fading.
- At 9:50 AM next morning Cynthia Campbell found two deep adult handprints on south bank and later a trail pack unzipped at mile 1.4; the mylar blanket was missing.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913908Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:16 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA retired hiker disappears into a one-mile slot canyon; her empty pack and a missing mylar blanket raise a single question: how did that expose them? The mylar blanket she pulled out and vanished from the canyon In this episode, we follow the...
The mylar blanket she pulled out and vanished from the canyon

In this episode, we follow the search for Darlene McCarthy, a 52-year-old retired postal worker who left the Harlow Creek trail alone and did not return. The episode traces the timeline, the strange handprints found in the mud, and the critical gap between where scent dogs stopped and where her pack was located - what does that gap mean?

Person: Darlene McCarthy
Date: December 9-10, 2011
Location: Harlow Creek corridor, Sutter National Forest
Condition: Handprints pressed two to three inches into mud
Item missing: Mylar emergency blanket

- Entered trail alone at ~2:10 PM; last confirmed with brother-in-law in parking lot.
- Warren Fisk called Keller County Search and Rescue at 3:40 PM when she failed to return by 3:30 PM.
- SAR team reached trailhead before 5:00 PM; first sweep to mile 1.1 halted by darkness.
- Search dog Bess tracked to mile 1.1 then sat - scent described as “ending,” not fading.
- At 9:50 AM next morning Cynthia Campbell found two deep adult handprints on south bank and later a trail pack unzipped at mile 1.4; the mylar blanket was missing.

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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.]]>1199falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-wool-cap-snagged-on-a-hook-that-restarted-the-search--74913906
A wool cap snagged on a hook that restarted the search

In this episode, the team walks through the sequence of small, concrete events that kept Bill Edwards within reach yet out of sight for nine days. What did a grain elevator photo, a sled of empty scent on sandstone, and a wool cap on a hook together reveal about his last movements?

Person: Bill Edwards
Date: November 16, 2019
Location: Dunbar Ridge State Forest; Mile Marker Nine; Dunbar Creek access road
Status: Missing for nine days before the cap was found
Person: Dean Hoffman

- A trail camera captured Bill walking east on the Dunbar Creek access road at 3:47 AM, nine days after he was last seen.
- Bill’s last confirmed phone photo was logged at 6:02 AM on November 7, eight minutes before his wife last saw him.
- His pickup was parked at the trailhead with a cold engine and his hiking boots left in the back seat.
- Dog teams tracked a scent 1.7 miles into the forest that abruptly ended on a dry sandstone shelf with no trail or water crossing.
- Retired trotline operator Dean Hoffman found a wool cap hanging on a trotline hook about 200 yards downstream from the Mile Marker Nine camera.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913906Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:13 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA wool cap snagged on a trotline hook near a trail camera restarts the search for a high school teacher-how did that expose him? A wool cap snagged on a hook that restarted the search In this episode, the team walks through the sequence of...
A wool cap snagged on a hook that restarted the search

In this episode, the team walks through the sequence of small, concrete events that kept Bill Edwards within reach yet out of sight for nine days. What did a grain elevator photo, a sled of empty scent on sandstone, and a wool cap on a hook together reveal about his last movements?

Person: Bill Edwards
Date: November 16, 2019
Location: Dunbar Ridge State Forest; Mile Marker Nine; Dunbar Creek access road
Status: Missing for nine days before the cap was found
Person: Dean Hoffman

- A trail camera captured Bill walking east on the Dunbar Creek access road at 3:47 AM, nine days after he was last seen.
- Bill’s last confirmed phone photo was logged at 6:02 AM on November 7, eight minutes before his wife last saw him.
- His pickup was parked at the trailhead with a cold engine and his hiking boots left in the back seat.
- Dog teams tracked a scent 1.7 miles into the forest that abruptly ended on a dry sandstone shelf with no trail or water crossing.
- Retired trotline operator Dean Hoffman found a wool cap hanging on a trotline hook about 200 yards downstream from the Mile Marker Nine camera.

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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.]]>1561falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-inside-out-vest-that-pointed-the-trail-that-vanished--74913905
The inside-out vest that pointed the trail that vanished

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around a November hunting trip that left one man missing and a puzzling set of clues in the snow. What do the vest, a dog team's sudden stop, and an unexplained two-and-a-half-hour gap tell us about where the trail went?

Person: Carl Hicks
Location: Bitterroot Range
Date: mid-November (Friday departure, expected return Sunday at noon)
Event: volunteer found an inside-out blaze-orange hunting vest hung seven feet in a pine with undisturbed snow beneath
Status: two companions returned, one missing

- Three experienced hunters signed the trailhead register at 7:40 a.m., one truck, planned return Sunday at noon.
- A trained search dog hit the creek crossing then circled twice and sat - indicating the scent ended at the water.
- A two-and-a-half-hour gap exists between a 4:40 p.m. gas receipt and the time Hicks was reported missing that the companions cannot fully reconcile.
- Stanley Green, a volunteer, climbed above the assigned corridor into unbroken lodgepole pine and found the vest hanging seven feet high, inside-out.
- Photographs show a rifle standing upright on a rounded boulder in a snowfield, left alone and unattended.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913905Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:09 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA blaze-orange hunter's vest hangs seven feet up in a pine in the Bitterroot Range - how did that hunting trail vanish? The inside-out vest that pointed the trail that vanished In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around a...
The inside-out vest that pointed the trail that vanished

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around a November hunting trip that left one man missing and a puzzling set of clues in the snow. What do the vest, a dog team's sudden stop, and an unexplained two-and-a-half-hour gap tell us about where the trail went?

Person: Carl Hicks
Location: Bitterroot Range
Date: mid-November (Friday departure, expected return Sunday at noon)
Event: volunteer found an inside-out blaze-orange hunting vest hung seven feet in a pine with undisturbed snow beneath
Status: two companions returned, one missing

- Three experienced hunters signed the trailhead register at 7:40 a.m., one truck, planned return Sunday at noon.
- A trained search dog hit the creek crossing then circled twice and sat - indicating the scent ended at the water.
- A two-and-a-half-hour gap exists between a 4:40 p.m. gas receipt and the time Hicks was reported missing that the companions cannot fully reconcile.
- Stanley Green, a volunteer, climbed above the assigned corridor into unbroken lodgepole pine and found the vest hanging seven feet high, inside-out.
- Photographs show a rifle standing upright on a rounded boulder in a snowfield, left alone and unattended.

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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.]]>1499falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-four-foot-crack-that-hid-a-chimney-and-let-her-climb-a-two-hundred-foot-face--74913904
The four‑foot crack that hid a chimney and let her climb a two‑hundred‑foot face

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events, equipment, and terrain that led to Heather Holmes’ unexplained sixty‑minute climb and eight‑day survival gap, and we ask how the landscape itself concealed a route. Listen for the decisions, search tactics, and the feature that changed the search - and what questions those facts leave open.

Person: Heather Holmes
Date: September 6, 2019 (GPS start) and September 4, 2019 (trailhead sign-in)
Location: Harrow Ledge, Callow Basin Wilderness, central New Mexico
Status: Missing eight days; device recovered with her alive; fractured and dehydrated
Person: Marcus Teel

- Heather was a fifty‑four‑year‑old retired librarian and experienced hiker who signed the trail register on September 4 and carried no climbing gear.
- Her Garmin inReach Mini recorded a continuous uphill GPS track beginning at 11:14 AM on September 6 showing steady vertical movement up a 200‑foot, 5.11 sandstone face.
- Search began when Heather missed a weekly meet; SAR deployed grid searches, then dogs on September 13 that tracked to the base of Harrow Ledge and found her left glove.
- A four‑foot‑wide chimney, completely hidden behind a truck‑sized boulder and invisible from normal approaches, runs up the southeast corner of Harrow Ledge.
- The GPS record shows no dropout or device error, yet Heather reports remembering only the base of the cliff and a juniper tree one and a half miles away, with a thirty‑eight‑minute gap between.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913904Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:05 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA retired hiker vanishes on Harrow Ledge; a GPS track climbs straight up-how did a hidden chimney expose her route? The four‑foot crack that hid a chimney and let her climb a two‑hundred‑foot face In this episode, we lay out the sequence of...
The four‑foot crack that hid a chimney and let her climb a two‑hundred‑foot face

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events, equipment, and terrain that led to Heather Holmes’ unexplained sixty‑minute climb and eight‑day survival gap, and we ask how the landscape itself concealed a route. Listen for the decisions, search tactics, and the feature that changed the search - and what questions those facts leave open.

Person: Heather Holmes
Date: September 6, 2019 (GPS start) and September 4, 2019 (trailhead sign-in)
Location: Harrow Ledge, Callow Basin Wilderness, central New Mexico
Status: Missing eight days; device recovered with her alive; fractured and dehydrated
Person: Marcus Teel

- Heather was a fifty‑four‑year‑old retired librarian and experienced hiker who signed the trail register on September 4 and carried no climbing gear.
- Her Garmin inReach Mini recorded a continuous uphill GPS track beginning at 11:14 AM on September 6 showing steady vertical movement up a 200‑foot, 5.11 sandstone face.
- Search began when Heather missed a weekly meet; SAR deployed grid searches, then dogs on September 13 that tracked to the base of Harrow Ledge and found her left glove.
- A four‑foot‑wide chimney, completely hidden behind a truck‑sized boulder and invisible from normal approaches, runs up the southeast corner of Harrow Ledge.
- The GPS record shows no dropout or device error, yet Heather reports remembering only the base of the cliff and a juniper tree one and a half miles away, with a thirty‑eight‑minute gap between.

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.]]>1434falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-visitor-log-entry-that-sent-searchers-the-wrong-way--74913901
The visitor log entry that sent searchers the wrong way

In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions and small details that shaped a 26-hour high-country search for a missing seasonal fire-watch volunteer. What choices, notes, and scent lines sent teams south while the sole witness and a caretaker’s brief journal entry pointed north?

Person: Jean Burke
Date: August 11, 2019
Location: Sable Ridge, Harlow National Forest
Person: Brenda Barrett
Person: Doug Merritt

- Jean Burke signed the Crestline trailhead log on August 6 with destination Sable Ridge and estimated return August 9.
- Doug Merritt, Dellwood Cabin caretaker, wrote on August 8 at ~3:45 PM that a young woman in a green jacket with a blue pack left heading north and added, “Something about her made me want to remember.”
- SAR leader Gina Sawyer activated teams August 10, staged dogs at Crestline, and constructed a search grid directed south and below the ridge.
- Scent dogs stopped 0.3 miles above Dellwood Cabin on a dry trail; handlers retried positions but the scent ended on open terrain with no environmental cause.
- At 9:07 AM on August 11, birdwatcher Brenda Barrett photographed Jean seated upright against a granite cairn at 7,100 ft with boots off, side by side, laces tucked.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913901Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:55:00 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA birdwatcher finds a missing fire-watch volunteer seated against a cairn - how did that visitor log entry send searchers the wrong way? The visitor log entry that sent searchers the wrong way In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions...
The visitor log entry that sent searchers the wrong way

In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions and small details that shaped a 26-hour high-country search for a missing seasonal fire-watch volunteer. What choices, notes, and scent lines sent teams south while the sole witness and a caretaker’s brief journal entry pointed north?

Person: Jean Burke
Date: August 11, 2019
Location: Sable Ridge, Harlow National Forest
Person: Brenda Barrett
Person: Doug Merritt

- Jean Burke signed the Crestline trailhead log on August 6 with destination Sable Ridge and estimated return August 9.
- Doug Merritt, Dellwood Cabin caretaker, wrote on August 8 at ~3:45 PM that a young woman in a green jacket with a blue pack left heading north and added, “Something about her made me want to remember.”
- SAR leader Gina Sawyer activated teams August 10, staged dogs at Crestline, and constructed a search grid directed south and below the ridge.
- Scent dogs stopped 0.3 miles above Dellwood Cabin on a dry trail; handlers retried positions but the scent ended on open terrain with no environmental cause.
- At 9:07 AM on August 11, birdwatcher Brenda Barrett photographed Jean seated upright against a granite cairn at 7,100 ft with boots off, side by side, laces tucked.

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.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boots-she-left-outside-pointed-back-to-the-trail--74913900
The Boots She Left Outside Pointed Back to the Trail

In this episode, we lay out the scene found in the Harlan Creek Wilderness Area and follow the documented routine that made Linda Stroud’s disappearance immediately suspicious. We track the timeline, the odd cell pings, and the physical traces at camp to ask what happened between a logged insulin dose and an empty line in her notebook.

Person: Linda Stroud
Date: July 14-17, 2011
Location: Harlan Creek Wilderness Area, Okafen National Forest
Item: Camp logbook and insulin entries
Situation: Blank 8:00 entry; warm fire; boots outside tent

- Linda, a 38-year-old biology teacher who hiked solo for three years, kept meticulous twice-daily insulin records for her diabetic dog.
- She left the trailhead on July 14 at 6:10 p.m.; cell data shows movement uphill at 6:30 p.m.
- At 7:22 p.m. the same evening, a cell tower 11 miles south of camp registered a ping from her phone-geography and time make both pings impossible on foot.
- On July 17 a worker found the camp with coals still warm, indicating the fire had been fed within 24 hours despite Linda being gone for nearly three days.
- Linda’s boots were found outside the tent, heels together and toes pointed toward the trail, contrary to her strict habit of stowing boots inside the vestibule.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913900Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:56 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA biology teacher’s hiking log stops mid-entry at 8:00; her boots sit outside the tent, pointing back down the trail-how did that expose them? The Boots She Left Outside Pointed Back to the Trail In this episode, we lay out the scene found in...
The Boots She Left Outside Pointed Back to the Trail

In this episode, we lay out the scene found in the Harlan Creek Wilderness Area and follow the documented routine that made Linda Stroud’s disappearance immediately suspicious. We track the timeline, the odd cell pings, and the physical traces at camp to ask what happened between a logged insulin dose and an empty line in her notebook.

Person: Linda Stroud
Date: July 14-17, 2011
Location: Harlan Creek Wilderness Area, Okafen National Forest
Item: Camp logbook and insulin entries
Situation: Blank 8:00 entry; warm fire; boots outside tent

- Linda, a 38-year-old biology teacher who hiked solo for three years, kept meticulous twice-daily insulin records for her diabetic dog.
- She left the trailhead on July 14 at 6:10 p.m.; cell data shows movement uphill at 6:30 p.m.
- At 7:22 p.m. the same evening, a cell tower 11 miles south of camp registered a ping from her phone-geography and time make both pings impossible on foot.
- On July 17 a worker found the camp with coals still warm, indicating the fire had been fed within 24 hours despite Linda being gone for nearly three days.
- Linda’s boots were found outside the tent, heels together and toes pointed toward the trail, contrary to her strict habit of stowing boots inside the vestibule.

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.]]>1481falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-journal-blade-lift-that-revealed-the-hidden-map-and-saved-him--74913898
The journal blade-lift that revealed the hidden map and saved him

In this episode, we follow the morning a grader operator uncovered a dry, open journal on bare rock and the six days Sablewood County search-and-rescue spent piecing together the puzzle around a missing hiker. We trace the discovery, the odd found gear, and the precise map that shouldn't have existed - and ask what route led Roger Hoffman to vanish and reappear with unexplained injuries and ink-stained hands.

Date: June 14, 2019
Person: Roger Hoffman
Location: Harrow Creek Canyon, Sablewood National Forest
Person: Frank Ramsey
Status: Missing seven days before journal discovery

- At 6:10 a.m. grader operator Frank Ramsey lifted his blade and exposed a dry, open journal on bare rock four-point-one miles from Roger Hoffman’s vehicle.
- The journal lay open to a hand-drawn map showing a fork in Harrow Creek Canyon that appeared on no official survey or topographic record.
- Search teams had earlier found Roger’s pack 2.2 miles from the trailhead, leaned upright against a boulder, with 40% of his water and untouched food.
- Search dogs followed Roger’s scent confidently for 1.8 miles before the trail stopped abruptly at the canyon’s second bend; teams worked the area twice with the same result.
- Within nine hours of the journal’s discovery, search-and-rescue found Roger three-tenths of a mile below the journal’s location with a fractured left arm, 31 hours unaccounted for, and blue ballpoint ink on his right hand.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913898Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:52 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA county grader operator finds a hand-drawn map in Sablewood National Forest - how did that map expose a vanished hiker? The journal blade-lift that revealed the hidden map and saved him In this episode, we follow the morning a grader operator...
The journal blade-lift that revealed the hidden map and saved him

In this episode, we follow the morning a grader operator uncovered a dry, open journal on bare rock and the six days Sablewood County search-and-rescue spent piecing together the puzzle around a missing hiker. We trace the discovery, the odd found gear, and the precise map that shouldn't have existed - and ask what route led Roger Hoffman to vanish and reappear with unexplained injuries and ink-stained hands.

Date: June 14, 2019
Person: Roger Hoffman
Location: Harrow Creek Canyon, Sablewood National Forest
Person: Frank Ramsey
Status: Missing seven days before journal discovery

- At 6:10 a.m. grader operator Frank Ramsey lifted his blade and exposed a dry, open journal on bare rock four-point-one miles from Roger Hoffman’s vehicle.
- The journal lay open to a hand-drawn map showing a fork in Harrow Creek Canyon that appeared on no official survey or topographic record.
- Search teams had earlier found Roger’s pack 2.2 miles from the trailhead, leaned upright against a boulder, with 40% of his water and untouched food.
- Search dogs followed Roger’s scent confidently for 1.8 miles before the trail stopped abruptly at the canyon’s second bend; teams worked the area twice with the same result.
- Within nine hours of the journal’s discovery, search-and-rescue found Roger three-tenths of a mile below the journal’s location with a fractured left arm, 31 hours unaccounted for, and blue ballpoint ink on his right hand.

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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.]]>1427falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-boot-that-stopped-the-dogs-and-broke-his-trail--74913897
The Dry Boot That Stopped the Dogs and Broke His Trail

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence of Jerry McCarthy’s disappearance on May 9, 2019, focusing on the physical clues found along Coldwater Ridge Trail and the puzzling placement of a single dry boot. What happened in the short window between his last text and the clear trail a passing couple found?

Person: Jerry McCarthy
Date: May 9, 2019
Location: Coldwater Ridge Trail, Sutter National Forest
Finder: Donald Slater
Evidence: boot upright on transformer housing; pack at mile 2.1; dogs’ scent stopping at mile 2.6

- Jerry signed the trail register at 9:14 AM and replied to a text at 9:51 AM, creating a tight movement window.
- A passing couple at about 10:15 AM found the trail ahead clear, narrowing the disappearance to roughly twenty minutes.
- Search dogs followed scent past mile 1 and mile 2 but hit a hard stop at a granite outcrop at mile 2.6.
- Jerry’s pack was recovered at mile 2.1 with a dry scorecard notebook and intact contents.
- Three days later Donald Slater climbed a locked Forest Service transformer housing and found an unlaced boot, upright and dry inside, six feet off the ground past a locked gate.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913897Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:48 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hiker’s dry boot sits six feet up a locked transformer in a sleetstorm, his pack left miles away-how did that expose him in the forty-minute window? The Dry Boot That Stopped the Dogs and Broke His Trail In this episode, we follow the timeline...
The Dry Boot That Stopped the Dogs and Broke His Trail

In this episode, we follow the timeline and evidence of Jerry McCarthy’s disappearance on May 9, 2019, focusing on the physical clues found along Coldwater Ridge Trail and the puzzling placement of a single dry boot. What happened in the short window between his last text and the clear trail a passing couple found?

Person: Jerry McCarthy
Date: May 9, 2019
Location: Coldwater Ridge Trail, Sutter National Forest
Finder: Donald Slater
Evidence: boot upright on transformer housing; pack at mile 2.1; dogs’ scent stopping at mile 2.6

- Jerry signed the trail register at 9:14 AM and replied to a text at 9:51 AM, creating a tight movement window.
- A passing couple at about 10:15 AM found the trail ahead clear, narrowing the disappearance to roughly twenty minutes.
- Search dogs followed scent past mile 1 and mile 2 but hit a hard stop at a granite outcrop at mile 2.6.
- Jerry’s pack was recovered at mile 2.1 with a dry scorecard notebook and intact contents.
- Three days later Donald Slater climbed a locked Forest Service transformer housing and found an unlaced boot, upright and dry inside, six feet off the ground past a locked gate.

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.]]>1226falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-red-clay-smear-on-her-floor-mat-proved-she-went-back--74913894
The red clay smear on her floor mat proved she went back

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around a missing hiker and the search that followed, laying out the evidence and choices that shaped the hunt. What inconsistencies in scent, gear, and terrain forced rescuers to rethink where she went?

Person: Donna Turner
Date: Tuesday 10, 2019
Location: Marker Nine trailhead; Sill Meadow
Person: Walt Turner
Person: Brian Graham

- Gray Subaru parked at Marker Nine trailhead at approximately 7:40 AM on Tuesday 10, 2019; backpack left on kiosk display surface.
- Passenger floor mat carried red clay mud matching Braden Gulch access road, seventeen miles southwest of Marker Nine.
- Pack contents remained dry and untouched through 3.4 inches of overnight snow; water bottle capped and trail map folded to Sill Meadow with a pencil circle on an unnamed drainage.
- Two scent dog teams tracked from the Subaru up toward Sill Meadow but stopped at the meadow’s center, with strongest scent detected at the trailhead and fading uphill.
- Search leader Brian Graham directed uphill teams toward Sill Meadow based on the map and conditions despite scent patterns and the unexplained dry pack.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913894Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:44 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA gray day-pack sits on a snow-dusted trailhead kiosk - red clay on her car mat hints at a different road yesterday; how did that expose her? The red clay smear on her floor mat proved she went back In this episode, we follow the timeline and...
The red clay smear on her floor mat proved she went back

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions around a missing hiker and the search that followed, laying out the evidence and choices that shaped the hunt. What inconsistencies in scent, gear, and terrain forced rescuers to rethink where she went?

Person: Donna Turner
Date: Tuesday 10, 2019
Location: Marker Nine trailhead; Sill Meadow
Person: Walt Turner
Person: Brian Graham

- Gray Subaru parked at Marker Nine trailhead at approximately 7:40 AM on Tuesday 10, 2019; backpack left on kiosk display surface.
- Passenger floor mat carried red clay mud matching Braden Gulch access road, seventeen miles southwest of Marker Nine.
- Pack contents remained dry and untouched through 3.4 inches of overnight snow; water bottle capped and trail map folded to Sill Meadow with a pencil circle on an unnamed drainage.
- Two scent dog teams tracked from the Subaru up toward Sill Meadow but stopped at the meadow’s center, with strongest scent detected at the trailhead and fading uphill.
- Search leader Brian Graham directed uphill teams toward Sill Meadow based on the map and conditions despite scent patterns and the unexplained dry pack.

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.]]>1303falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boots-set-on-the-boulder-stopped-every-scent-and-search--74913892
The boots set on the boulder stopped every scent and search

In this episode, we follow the early hours of a missing-person search in high desert snow and the odd evidence that framed every decision the teams made. The episode traces the discovery, the local routines, and the search tactics that raised more questions than answers.

Person: Grant Cooper
Date: March 11, 2019
Location: Ridgeback Service Road; Sorrow Creek drainage
Person: Wendy Myers
Status: Truck at trailhead five days before discovery

- Meter reader Grant Cooper stopped his truck at 9:20 AM and saw two hiking boots placed side by side on a granite boulder.
- Deputy Karen Voss photographed the boots from four angles and noted laces tucked inside and untouched surrounding snow.
- Dogs deployed by search teams lost the scent at the boulder; handlers found no tracks or disturbance in any direction.
- Wendy Myers, a regular early-morning runner, left her truck at Sorrow Creek trailhead on March 6 and was not seen again thereafter.
- Search coordinator Leon Ford organized teams from the trailhead upslope, covering frozen terrain and retracing the precise scene around the boulder.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913892Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:40 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA meter reader finds two hiking boots neatly placed on a boulder in winter snow-no tracks, no disturbance; how did that expose them? The boots set on the boulder stopped every scent and search In this episode, we follow the early hours of a...
The boots set on the boulder stopped every scent and search

In this episode, we follow the early hours of a missing-person search in high desert snow and the odd evidence that framed every decision the teams made. The episode traces the discovery, the local routines, and the search tactics that raised more questions than answers.

Person: Grant Cooper
Date: March 11, 2019
Location: Ridgeback Service Road; Sorrow Creek drainage
Person: Wendy Myers
Status: Truck at trailhead five days before discovery

- Meter reader Grant Cooper stopped his truck at 9:20 AM and saw two hiking boots placed side by side on a granite boulder.
- Deputy Karen Voss photographed the boots from four angles and noted laces tucked inside and untouched surrounding snow.
- Dogs deployed by search teams lost the scent at the boulder; handlers found no tracks or disturbance in any direction.
- Wendy Myers, a regular early-morning runner, left her truck at Sorrow Creek trailhead on March 6 and was not seen again thereafter.
- Search coordinator Leon Ford organized teams from the trailhead upslope, covering frozen terrain and retracing the precise scene around the boulder.

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.]]>1216falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-on-the-ledge-pointed-him-toward-cutter-s-drop--74913890
The Glove on the Ledge Pointed Him Toward Cutter's Drop

In this episode, we follow the timeline and key evidence from Neil Quinn’s disappearance: his planned hunt, the puzzling movements on the ridge, and the search that went the wrong way. What do a warm thermos, two grunt-calls, a scent break on ice, and a lone glove on a rim reveal about where he went?

Person: Neil Quinn
Date: February 9, 2011
Location: Sutter Ridge State Forest, Harwick County
Event: Missing person search and later discovery at Cutter's Drop
Status: Case initially ruled no foul play

- Quinn left his truck before sunrise, knew the ridge intimately, and did not return after a planned hunt between two long-used stands.
- At 6:10 a.m. Quinn and his partner Doug parted; Doug later heard two grunt-calls from the direction of Stand B, not Stand A where Quinn began.
- Doug found Quinn’s thermos at Stand A at 9:00 a.m. and it was still warm, indicating Quinn had been there recently before moving.
- Search-and-rescue established a southwest grid and spent four days searching that quadrant while scent-tracking dogs lost Quinn’s trail at a frozen creek north of Stand B.
- A wool left-hand glove was found centered on a flat limestone rock at the rim of a forty-foot drop, with no footprints leading away and no clear explanation for its deliberate placement.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913890Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:36 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA wool glove on a limestone ledge above a forty-foot drop-how did that glove expose him? The Glove on the Ledge Pointed Him Toward Cutter's Drop In this episode, we follow the timeline and key evidence from Neil Quinn’s disappearance: his...
The Glove on the Ledge Pointed Him Toward Cutter's Drop

In this episode, we follow the timeline and key evidence from Neil Quinn’s disappearance: his planned hunt, the puzzling movements on the ridge, and the search that went the wrong way. What do a warm thermos, two grunt-calls, a scent break on ice, and a lone glove on a rim reveal about where he went?

Person: Neil Quinn
Date: February 9, 2011
Location: Sutter Ridge State Forest, Harwick County
Event: Missing person search and later discovery at Cutter's Drop
Status: Case initially ruled no foul play

- Quinn left his truck before sunrise, knew the ridge intimately, and did not return after a planned hunt between two long-used stands.
- At 6:10 a.m. Quinn and his partner Doug parted; Doug later heard two grunt-calls from the direction of Stand B, not Stand A where Quinn began.
- Doug found Quinn’s thermos at Stand A at 9:00 a.m. and it was still warm, indicating Quinn had been there recently before moving.
- Search-and-rescue established a southwest grid and spent four days searching that quadrant while scent-tracking dogs lost Quinn’s trail at a frozen creek north of Stand B.
- A wool left-hand glove was found centered on a flat limestone rock at the rim of a forty-foot drop, with no footprints leading away and no clear explanation for its deliberate placement.

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.]]>1348falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-orange-vest-hung-on-a-post-that-redirected-the-search--74913889
The orange vest hung on a post that redirected the search

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that shaped the search for an experienced forager who disappeared on a routine winter outing, and we consider the questions that arose from three unexplained anomalies. How did an orange vest, unexpected boot tracks, and a sudden scent break change what rescuers looked for?

Person: Frances Sharp
Date: January 11-14, 2019
Location: Aldermoor National National, Sycamore Creek drainage
Status: Found alive on Garvey Ridge connector trail
Responder: Nancy Padgett, Kettridge County Search and Rescue

- The orange safety vest was found deliberately hung on a trail marker post at 2,600 feet with the zipper pull facing outward.
- Boot impressions showed a downhill toe-to-heel pattern ending abruptly after twelve feet with no sign of a fall or detour.
- Search teams initially modeled Frances’s location between 2,000 and 3,000 feet based on her habitual routes and patterns.
- A volunteer found the partial tracks at 2,800 feet, prompting an expanded grid search that produced no additional trace.
- At 3,200 feet, search dogs lost her scent in a clean break rather than a degraded or scattered trail.

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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913889Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:32 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hiker’s orange vest hung on a post in Aldermoor National National, then the forager went missing-how did that vest redirect the search? The orange vest hung on a post that redirected the search In this episode, we follow the timeline and...
The orange vest hung on a post that redirected the search

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions that shaped the search for an experienced forager who disappeared on a routine winter outing, and we consider the questions that arose from three unexplained anomalies. How did an orange vest, unexpected boot tracks, and a sudden scent break change what rescuers looked for?

Person: Frances Sharp
Date: January 11-14, 2019
Location: Aldermoor National National, Sycamore Creek drainage
Status: Found alive on Garvey Ridge connector trail
Responder: Nancy Padgett, Kettridge County Search and Rescue

- The orange safety vest was found deliberately hung on a trail marker post at 2,600 feet with the zipper pull facing outward.
- Boot impressions showed a downhill toe-to-heel pattern ending abruptly after twelve feet with no sign of a fall or detour.
- Search teams initially modeled Frances’s location between 2,000 and 3,000 feet based on her habitual routes and patterns.
- A volunteer found the partial tracks at 2,800 feet, prompting an expanded grid search that produced no additional trace.
- At 3,200 feet, search dogs lost her scent in a clean break rather than a degraded or scattered trail.

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.]]>1433falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wool-blanket-folded-on-the-log-proved-someone-had-left-the-tent-occupied--74913888
The wool blanket folded on the log proved someone had left the tent occupied

In this episode, we follow the discovery that reopened a five-year-old missing-person case: a pristine tent and folded blanket found inside a restricted Harlan Creek burn zone. We trace the timeline of Michael Watson’s December 2013 entry, the subsequent search, and the puzzling forensic clues that raised more questions than answers.

Person: Michael Watson
Date: December 4-8, 2013
Location: Harlan Creek burn zone, Sutter National Forest
Event: Missing person and campsite discovery
Status: Camp found March 14, 2019; original search suspended in 2013

- Watson’s truck was parked legally at the trailhead on December 4, 2013 with a valid day-use pass but no trip plan filed.
- He missed his regular Thursday board-game night for the first time in two years on December 5, prompting friends to call and later file a welfare check.
- Search-and-rescue teams deployed in December 2013, used grid searches, helicopters, and K-9 units, and tracked a scent that ended at a creek crossing inside the burn zone.
- The Harlan Creek perimeter had been closed after a prescribed burn in spring 2013 and official maps show a wildfire crossed grid seven-F on May 9, 2014.
- In March 2019 Alice Burns found an intact tent, an unfolded cook pot, and a wool blanket folded on a log amid scorched ground; carbon analysis later dated occupation to autumn 2013.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913888Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:28 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA wool blanket folded on a log in a closed wildfire burn zone suggests someone left an occupied tent-how did that expose them? The wool blanket folded on the log proved someone had left the tent occupied In this episode, we follow the discovery...
The wool blanket folded on the log proved someone had left the tent occupied

In this episode, we follow the discovery that reopened a five-year-old missing-person case: a pristine tent and folded blanket found inside a restricted Harlan Creek burn zone. We trace the timeline of Michael Watson’s December 2013 entry, the subsequent search, and the puzzling forensic clues that raised more questions than answers.

Person: Michael Watson
Date: December 4-8, 2013
Location: Harlan Creek burn zone, Sutter National Forest
Event: Missing person and campsite discovery
Status: Camp found March 14, 2019; original search suspended in 2013

- Watson’s truck was parked legally at the trailhead on December 4, 2013 with a valid day-use pass but no trip plan filed.
- He missed his regular Thursday board-game night for the first time in two years on December 5, prompting friends to call and later file a welfare check.
- Search-and-rescue teams deployed in December 2013, used grid searches, helicopters, and K-9 units, and tracked a scent that ended at a creek crossing inside the burn zone.
- The Harlan Creek perimeter had been closed after a prescribed burn in spring 2013 and official maps show a wildfire crossed grid seven-F on May 9, 2014.
- In March 2019 Alice Burns found an intact tent, an unfolded cook pot, and a wool blanket folded on a log amid scorched ground; carbon analysis later dated occupation to autumn 2013.

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.]]>1173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-buttoned-jacket-hung-on-a-branch-and-rerouted-the-search--74913887
The buttoned jacket hung on a branch and rerouted the search

In this episode, we follow how a routine survey and a single, peculiar detail in the woods changed the direction of a large search operation. What did the buttoned jacket-and a missed dog insulin shot-make searchers reconsider?

Person: Dawn Hunter
Date: November 11-14, 2019
Location: Orvell National National, Harlan County
Person: Lauren Sheridan
Person: William Barnes

- Dawn left the trailhead around 1:00 PM on November 11, parked car confirmed at trailhead.
- Neighbor Tom Vickers saw Dawn’s jacket hanging in her mudroom at 3:00 PM the same afternoon.
- Scout, Dawn’s diabetic dog, missed its 6:00 PM insulin injection the evening she disappeared-the first missed dose in four years.
- Search and Rescue ran 50-60 hours of active search time from the trailhead using grid teams, scent dogs, and aerial observation.
- Seven miles from the trailhead, Sheridan found Dawn’s hiking jacket buttoned, sleeves smoothed and placed at shoulder height on a laurel branch.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913887Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:24 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA buttoned hiking jacket hangs on a laurel branch seven miles from the trailhead-what does it mean for the missing woman? The buttoned jacket hung on a branch and rerouted the search In this episode, we follow how a routine survey and a single,...
The buttoned jacket hung on a branch and rerouted the search

In this episode, we follow how a routine survey and a single, peculiar detail in the woods changed the direction of a large search operation. What did the buttoned jacket-and a missed dog insulin shot-make searchers reconsider?

Person: Dawn Hunter
Date: November 11-14, 2019
Location: Orvell National National, Harlan County
Person: Lauren Sheridan
Person: William Barnes

- Dawn left the trailhead around 1:00 PM on November 11, parked car confirmed at trailhead.
- Neighbor Tom Vickers saw Dawn’s jacket hanging in her mudroom at 3:00 PM the same afternoon.
- Scout, Dawn’s diabetic dog, missed its 6:00 PM insulin injection the evening she disappeared-the first missed dose in four years.
- Search and Rescue ran 50-60 hours of active search time from the trailhead using grid teams, scent dogs, and aerial observation.
- Seven miles from the trailhead, Sheridan found Dawn’s hiking jacket buttoned, sleeves smoothed and placed at shoulder height on a laurel branch.

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.]]>1268falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-eleven-cairns-that-marched-marcia-eleven-miles--74913886
The eleven cairns that marched Marcia eleven miles

In this episode, we follow the discovery that redirected a missing-person search: a line of matching cairns, a lone backpack, and a woman found weak and injured four miles beyond the last marker. What do the stones, the scent trail that vanishes, and a fracture dated days earlier tell us about where she went and what happened along that route?

Person: Marcia Patterson
Date: October 14-21, 2019
Location: Keller Ridge Wilderness, Skamore National Forest
Status: Found alive; hypothermic with a Weber B ankle fracture
Search duration: Four days before cairns discovered

- Wayne Russo walked into the tree line at a seasonal cabin on October 21 and found a backpack leaning against a cairn.
- Each cairn was identical-three stones: flat base, angular middle, pointed top-placed in a straight line one mile apart.
- Tracking dogs picked up Marcia’s scent from the trailhead but stopped at a single point where the scent abruptly ended, later mapped as cairn one.
- Kevin Stahl GPS-mapped the eleven cairns, which plotted a ruler-straight course across unmapped, trail-less terrain.
- Marcia was located 4.2 miles east of cairn eleven, alive but with a five-to-six-day-old Weber B ankle fracture and severe dehydration.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913886Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:20 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hiker finds cairns marching into Skamore National Forest-and a freelance cartographer lies injured beyond the last one; how did those stones expose her path? The eleven cairns that marched Marcia eleven miles In this episode, we follow the...
The eleven cairns that marched Marcia eleven miles

In this episode, we follow the discovery that redirected a missing-person search: a line of matching cairns, a lone backpack, and a woman found weak and injured four miles beyond the last marker. What do the stones, the scent trail that vanishes, and a fracture dated days earlier tell us about where she went and what happened along that route?

Person: Marcia Patterson
Date: October 14-21, 2019
Location: Keller Ridge Wilderness, Skamore National Forest
Status: Found alive; hypothermic with a Weber B ankle fracture
Search duration: Four days before cairns discovered

- Wayne Russo walked into the tree line at a seasonal cabin on October 21 and found a backpack leaning against a cairn.
- Each cairn was identical-three stones: flat base, angular middle, pointed top-placed in a straight line one mile apart.
- Tracking dogs picked up Marcia’s scent from the trailhead but stopped at a single point where the scent abruptly ended, later mapped as cairn one.
- Kevin Stahl GPS-mapped the eleven cairns, which plotted a ruler-straight course across unmapped, trail-less terrain.
- Marcia was located 4.2 miles east of cairn eleven, alive but with a five-to-six-day-old Weber B ankle fracture and severe dehydration.

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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.]]>1337falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-water-bottle-that-stayed-sealed-led-dogs-to-her-missing-spot--74913885
The water bottle that stayed sealed led dogs to her missing spot

In this episode, we follow the timeline and on-the-ground actions after Paula Peterson failed to return from a day hike and a full, sealed water bottle was found upright on Harlan Shelf. We trace the search decisions, the scene the first civilian found, and the canine alerts that focused attention-what did those clues mean for the people trying to find her?

Person: Paula Peterson
Date: September 5-9, 2019
Location: Harlan Shelf, Harlan Creek Wilderness
Status: Missing (truck at trailhead; objects recovered at shelf)

- Paula signed the trailhead gate at 7:14 a.m. saying she planned to be out by 5 p.m.; her truck remained at the trailhead.
- A bird photographer found a red fleece jacket draped over a boulder, a single ceramic shard, and a full, sealed water bottle standing upright in a granite crack.
- Deschane County SAR photographed the scene, then called in canine teams and deployed a search grid across the granite shelf.
- Handler Dennis Pruitt brought Mack, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois with an 11-year field record and under 2% false-alert rate, to sweep the area.
- Mack alerted four separate times to the same thirty-foot zone on Harlan Shelf despite no visible remains or surface evidence in that spot.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913885Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:16 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA sealed water bottle on a granite shelf at 6,200 feet and a search dog kept alerting - how did that expose them? The water bottle that stayed sealed led dogs to her missing spot In this episode, we follow the timeline and on-the-ground actions...
The water bottle that stayed sealed led dogs to her missing spot

In this episode, we follow the timeline and on-the-ground actions after Paula Peterson failed to return from a day hike and a full, sealed water bottle was found upright on Harlan Shelf. We trace the search decisions, the scene the first civilian found, and the canine alerts that focused attention-what did those clues mean for the people trying to find her?

Person: Paula Peterson
Date: September 5-9, 2019
Location: Harlan Shelf, Harlan Creek Wilderness
Status: Missing (truck at trailhead; objects recovered at shelf)

- Paula signed the trailhead gate at 7:14 a.m. saying she planned to be out by 5 p.m.; her truck remained at the trailhead.
- A bird photographer found a red fleece jacket draped over a boulder, a single ceramic shard, and a full, sealed water bottle standing upright in a granite crack.
- Deschane County SAR photographed the scene, then called in canine teams and deployed a search grid across the granite shelf.
- Handler Dennis Pruitt brought Mack, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois with an 11-year field record and under 2% false-alert rate, to sweep the area.
- Mack alerted four separate times to the same thirty-foot zone on Harlan Shelf despite no visible remains or surface evidence in that spot.

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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.]]>1463falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-laminated-weather-card-proved-she-left-before-the-storm--74913884
The laminated weather card proved she left before the storm

In this episode, we follow the evidence left on a ridge and below it to explain where a solo hiker went and what the physical record suggests about her descent. What does a dry, signed summit card and clay-packed boots tell us about the path she actually took?

Person: Tracy Osborne
Date: August 9, 2019
Location: Carver Ridge / Creel Fork drainage
Status: Found alive but non-communicative
Observer: Meredith Voss

- Tracy signed the summit weather card at 12:47 PM and was seen from Harkin Lake at about 12:30 PM, waving at a spotting scope.
- A storm dumped nearly an inch of rain between 1:00 and 3:30 PM, yet the laminated summit card was found bone dry 37 hours later.
- Tracy signed into the trailhead at 6:14 AM declaring a solo hike to Carver Ridge and had a history of precise, professional land surveying.
- SAR tracking scent followed her down the south ridge for 800 meters then stopped abruptly on a rock shelf above an unmapped seasonal drainage.
- Seventeen-year-old supply driver Raymond Harrison found Tracy seated against a boulder on the Creel Fork fire road with red clay packed in her boot treads and up the ankle seams.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913884Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:12 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA retired cartographic surveyor signs the Carver Ridge summit card before a storm, yet the laminated slip is bone dry - how did that expose her route? The laminated weather card proved she left before the storm In this episode, we follow the...
The laminated weather card proved she left before the storm

In this episode, we follow the evidence left on a ridge and below it to explain where a solo hiker went and what the physical record suggests about her descent. What does a dry, signed summit card and clay-packed boots tell us about the path she actually took?

Person: Tracy Osborne
Date: August 9, 2019
Location: Carver Ridge / Creel Fork drainage
Status: Found alive but non-communicative
Observer: Meredith Voss

- Tracy signed the summit weather card at 12:47 PM and was seen from Harkin Lake at about 12:30 PM, waving at a spotting scope.
- A storm dumped nearly an inch of rain between 1:00 and 3:30 PM, yet the laminated summit card was found bone dry 37 hours later.
- Tracy signed into the trailhead at 6:14 AM declaring a solo hike to Carver Ridge and had a history of precise, professional land surveying.
- SAR tracking scent followed her down the south ridge for 800 meters then stopped abruptly on a rock shelf above an unmapped seasonal drainage.
- Seventeen-year-old supply driver Raymond Harrison found Tracy seated against a boulder on the Creel Fork fire road with red clay packed in her boot treads and up the ankle seams.

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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.]]>1356falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mug-s-lingering-warmth-proved-she-left-alive--74913882
The mug's lingering warmth proved she left alive

In this episode, we follow the Ridgeback Fire Fire case: the morning Patricia Cook found a warm mug, an empty chair, and a neat logbook after Kathleen Tate vanished, and the puzzling trail that followed. What do the tower's ordinary details and the choices Kathleen made tell us about the hours she cannot remember?

Person: Kathleen Tate
Date: July 14-15, 2017
Location: Ridgeback Fire Fire, Harlan Creek Wilderness, Sycamore National Forest
Status: Missing from tower for 64 hours; found alive in Cutter's Wash
Person: Patricia Cook

- At 6:20 a.m. on July 15, Patricia Cook climbed Ridgeback Fire and found the cabin orderly but Kathleen gone.
- The windowsill coffee mug was faintly warm despite 38°F outside and the electric plate being off.
- Kathleen’s last radio call was at 8:47 p.m. July 14 reporting clear conditions; nine hours later her boots remained under the cot.
- Rescuers found Kathleen 6.2 miles northeast in Cutter's Wash with fractured metatarsals, dehydration, and her laminated brother photo folded in her jacket pocket.
- Kathleen had three seasons as a fire lookout, consistent logbook entries, a daily routine including early morning runs, and left the tower wearing running shoes, not her uniform boots.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913882Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:08 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA faintly warm coffee mug on a fire tower windowsill - how did that evidence expose her disappearance? The mug's lingering warmth proved she left alive In this episode, we follow the Ridgeback Fire Fire case: the morning Patricia Cook found a...
The mug's lingering warmth proved she left alive

In this episode, we follow the Ridgeback Fire Fire case: the morning Patricia Cook found a warm mug, an empty chair, and a neat logbook after Kathleen Tate vanished, and the puzzling trail that followed. What do the tower's ordinary details and the choices Kathleen made tell us about the hours she cannot remember?

Person: Kathleen Tate
Date: July 14-15, 2017
Location: Ridgeback Fire Fire, Harlan Creek Wilderness, Sycamore National Forest
Status: Missing from tower for 64 hours; found alive in Cutter's Wash
Person: Patricia Cook

- At 6:20 a.m. on July 15, Patricia Cook climbed Ridgeback Fire and found the cabin orderly but Kathleen gone.
- The windowsill coffee mug was faintly warm despite 38°F outside and the electric plate being off.
- Kathleen’s last radio call was at 8:47 p.m. July 14 reporting clear conditions; nine hours later her boots remained under the cot.
- Rescuers found Kathleen 6.2 miles northeast in Cutter's Wash with fractured metatarsals, dehydration, and her laminated brother photo folded in her jacket pocket.
- Kathleen had three seasons as a fire lookout, consistent logbook entries, a daily routine including early morning runs, and left the tower wearing running shoes, not her uniform boots.

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.]]>1326falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-upright-boot-that-told-rescuers-he-wasn-t-there--74913881
The Upright Boot That Told Rescuers He Wasn't There

In this episode, we follow the early-morning discovery that turns a routine maintenance call into a missing-person mystery and the search that struggles to reconcile witness accounts, forensic findings, and an impossible hiking boot. What choices did rescuers make when the trail and the evidence pointed in different directions?

Person: Curtis Barrett
Date: June 17, 2019
Location: Rimrock Trailhead / Saddle Fork
Status: Missing (last seen text sent at 7:00 AM June 17)
Event: Upright hiking boot found on locked transformer enclosure roof

- Technician Jeffrey White found a single empty hiking boot standing upright on the concrete lip of a sealed transformer enclosure at 6:12 AM.
- The enclosure roof had no external ladder access, the keypad log showed no entry since June 14, and the surrounding ground showed no sign of passage.
- Nora Callahan reported Curtis missing at 4:47 PM the previous day after leaving him at mile 4.1 with a supposedly twisted ankle.
- Two hikers separately encountered a limping man moving toward the parking lot in the afternoon, but neither saw him leave the area or get into a vehicle.
- Medical examiners later confirmed Curtis had a fractured right ankle, a condition inconsistent with walking four miles out over rugged terrain.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913881Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:04 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hiking boot stands upright on a locked transformer roof near a trailhead - a missing engineer vanished. How did it get there? The Upright Boot That Told Rescuers He Wasn't There In this episode, we follow the early-morning discovery that turns...
The Upright Boot That Told Rescuers He Wasn't There

In this episode, we follow the early-morning discovery that turns a routine maintenance call into a missing-person mystery and the search that struggles to reconcile witness accounts, forensic findings, and an impossible hiking boot. What choices did rescuers make when the trail and the evidence pointed in different directions?

Person: Curtis Barrett
Date: June 17, 2019
Location: Rimrock Trailhead / Saddle Fork
Status: Missing (last seen text sent at 7:00 AM June 17)
Event: Upright hiking boot found on locked transformer enclosure roof

- Technician Jeffrey White found a single empty hiking boot standing upright on the concrete lip of a sealed transformer enclosure at 6:12 AM.
- The enclosure roof had no external ladder access, the keypad log showed no entry since June 14, and the surrounding ground showed no sign of passage.
- Nora Callahan reported Curtis missing at 4:47 PM the previous day after leaving him at mile 4.1 with a supposedly twisted ankle.
- Two hikers separately encountered a limping man moving toward the parking lot in the afternoon, but neither saw him leave the area or get into a vehicle.
- Medical examiners later confirmed Curtis had a fractured right ankle, a condition inconsistent with walking four miles out over rugged terrain.

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.]]>1258falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ski-pole-she-drove-into-the-snow-marked-her-exit--74913880
The Ski Pole She Drove Into the Snow Marked Her Exit

In this episode, we follow the hours and decisions after Susan Marshall vanishes on a familiar backcountry spring tour. The episode traces search tactics, the odd beacon signal found far below the snowline, and the planted ski pole that shifted the team’s assumptions-what do those clues mean for where Susan went?

Person: Susan Marshall
Date: May 4, 2019
Location: Clearwater drainage, backcountry above the Sentinel ridge
Status: Missing, last known summit reached; beacon transmitting in gravel wash
Search team lead: Marcus Webb

- Susan began a solo spring tour she had done many times, leaving a final text at 7:48 AM saying she expected to be back by early afternoon.
- Her confirmed skin track runs from the trailhead to within 400 feet of the ridgeline then stops where wind-scoured crust shows no further impressions.
- Dogs tracking scent ran uphill for 600 feet and then the corridor abruptly ended, signaling movement contrary to a typical downhill burial.
- A single ski pole was found planted vertically in the snow at ~8,200 feet, basket broken off cleanly-documented and logged as deliberate by search coordinator Marcus Webb.
- An avalanche beacon tone was later detected transmitting from a gravel wash 1,300 feet below the snowline, with no body or other belongings found nearby.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913880Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:54:00 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTSearchers find a lone avalanche beacon signal and a ski pole planted like a marker on an empty spring slope-how did that expose them? The Ski Pole She Drove Into the Snow Marked Her Exit In this episode, we follow the hours and decisions after...
The Ski Pole She Drove Into the Snow Marked Her Exit

In this episode, we follow the hours and decisions after Susan Marshall vanishes on a familiar backcountry spring tour. The episode traces search tactics, the odd beacon signal found far below the snowline, and the planted ski pole that shifted the team’s assumptions-what do those clues mean for where Susan went?

Person: Susan Marshall
Date: May 4, 2019
Location: Clearwater drainage, backcountry above the Sentinel ridge
Status: Missing, last known summit reached; beacon transmitting in gravel wash
Search team lead: Marcus Webb

- Susan began a solo spring tour she had done many times, leaving a final text at 7:48 AM saying she expected to be back by early afternoon.
- Her confirmed skin track runs from the trailhead to within 400 feet of the ridgeline then stops where wind-scoured crust shows no further impressions.
- Dogs tracking scent ran uphill for 600 feet and then the corridor abruptly ended, signaling movement contrary to a typical downhill burial.
- A single ski pole was found planted vertically in the snow at ~8,200 feet, basket broken off cleanly-documented and logged as deliberate by search coordinator Marcus Webb.
- An avalanche beacon tone was later detected transmitting from a gravel wash 1,300 feet below the snowline, with no body or other belongings found nearby.

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.]]>1513falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-waterlogged-field-journal-that-led-searchers-eleven-miles-away--74913879
The waterlogged field journal that led searchers eleven miles away

In this episode, we follow the discovery and chain of events after a damp field journal is found beneath a junction box in the Oregon high desert. The episode covers the missing hiker’s planned route, the original five-day search that stopped at mile 4.2, and how the journal redirected teams - what did its entries reveal that other searches missed?

Person: Eugene Morgan
Date: April 3-13, 2019
Location: Harlan Creek Wilderness; relay station six point three miles by road from the trailhead (eleven point two miles across terrain)
Status: Missing after April 6, 2019
Event: Waterlogged field journal found April 12, 2019 with entries dated April 8-10

- Michael Mitchell, a utility worker, found the swollen journal under the outer cover of a junction box at 10:40 a.m, on April 12.
- Eugene signed the Harlan Creek trailhead register at 6:14 a.m. on April 3 and planned a three-night loop to return by April 6.
- Search-and-rescue teams, led by Dennis Long, searched five days with dogs and a helicopter and lost Eugene’s scent at mile 4.2 on the basalt shelf.
- The relay station sat 6.3 miles by road from the trailhead but 11.2 miles across the actual terrain Eugene hiked; the journal had traveled ground the teams had not found.
- The journal’s handwriting was precise and dated April 8-10; an April 9 entry noted “Bearing seems right. Landmark should be close.”

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913879Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:56 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA utility worker finds a waterlogged field journal at an unmanned relay station - how did that journal expose them? The waterlogged field journal that led searchers eleven miles away In this episode, we follow the discovery and chain of events...
The waterlogged field journal that led searchers eleven miles away

In this episode, we follow the discovery and chain of events after a damp field journal is found beneath a junction box in the Oregon high desert. The episode covers the missing hiker’s planned route, the original five-day search that stopped at mile 4.2, and how the journal redirected teams - what did its entries reveal that other searches missed?

Person: Eugene Morgan
Date: April 3-13, 2019
Location: Harlan Creek Wilderness; relay station six point three miles by road from the trailhead (eleven point two miles across terrain)
Status: Missing after April 6, 2019
Event: Waterlogged field journal found April 12, 2019 with entries dated April 8-10

- Michael Mitchell, a utility worker, found the swollen journal under the outer cover of a junction box at 10:40 a.m, on April 12.
- Eugene signed the Harlan Creek trailhead register at 6:14 a.m. on April 3 and planned a three-night loop to return by April 6.
- Search-and-rescue teams, led by Dennis Long, searched five days with dogs and a helicopter and lost Eugene’s scent at mile 4.2 on the basalt shelf.
- The relay station sat 6.3 miles by road from the trailhead but 11.2 miles across the actual terrain Eugene hiked; the journal had traveled ground the teams had not found.
- The journal’s handwriting was precise and dated April 8-10; an April 9 entry noted “Bearing seems right. Landmark should be close.”

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.]]>1341falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-two-person-tent-that-hid-her-absence-and-cost-four-days--74913878
The two-person tent that hid her absence and cost four days

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions after Melissa Rice failed to return from a day hike to Breakneck Plateau and the search that unfolded. We trace the clues at the site, the choices made by search coordinators, and the small details that reframed where investigators looked and why the search stalled.

Person: Melissa Rice
Date: March 7-14, 2019
Location: Breakneck Plateau, Cutter’s Gap Wilderness
Person: Clifford Mueller
Person: Marvin Chambers

- Melissa signed the trail register March 7, wrote destination Breakneck Plateau, planned day hike back by 4 PM.
- A storm dropped 31 cm of wet snow overnight March 7-8, unknown when she left the trailhead at 9:10 AM.
- Neighbor Dennis Okafor administered Pigeon the cat’s insulin doses March 8 and twice more, then called 911 on March 9 when Melissa hadn’t returned.
- Search dogs tracked a scent 1.1 km up Ogle Creek then lost it at a creek crossing; Mueller pushed the search toward the plateau.
- On March 14 volunteer Marvin Chambers spotted an orange dome tent at the plateau edge with a sleeping bag and stove inside, but no footprints or disturbance in any approach.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913878Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:52 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA lone hiker’s orange two-person tent sits buried in 31 cm of untouched snow atop Breakneck Plateau - how did that expose her absence? The two-person tent that hid her absence and cost four days In this episode, we follow the timeline and...
The two-person tent that hid her absence and cost four days

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions after Melissa Rice failed to return from a day hike to Breakneck Plateau and the search that unfolded. We trace the clues at the site, the choices made by search coordinators, and the small details that reframed where investigators looked and why the search stalled.

Person: Melissa Rice
Date: March 7-14, 2019
Location: Breakneck Plateau, Cutter’s Gap Wilderness
Person: Clifford Mueller
Person: Marvin Chambers

- Melissa signed the trail register March 7, wrote destination Breakneck Plateau, planned day hike back by 4 PM.
- A storm dropped 31 cm of wet snow overnight March 7-8, unknown when she left the trailhead at 9:10 AM.
- Neighbor Dennis Okafor administered Pigeon the cat’s insulin doses March 8 and twice more, then called 911 on March 9 when Melissa hadn’t returned.
- Search dogs tracked a scent 1.1 km up Ogle Creek then lost it at a creek crossing; Mueller pushed the search toward the plateau.
- On March 14 volunteer Marvin Chambers spotted an orange dome tent at the plateau edge with a sleeping bag and stove inside, but no footprints or disturbance in any approach.

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.]]>1157falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-red-wool-scarf-pinned-under-a-stone-stopped-every-scent-trail--74913877
The red wool scarf pinned under a stone stopped every scent trail

In this episode, we follow the six-day search in Ardell Canyon after geology student Karen Griffin goes missing during a short field trip. The episode covers the discovery of a flawless stone circle, the pinned red scarf at its perimeter, and the baffling moment when multiple search dogs tracked Karen’s scent to the ring and would not cross it - what does that circle mean?

Person: Karen Griffin
Age: 29
Location: Ardell Canyon talus field
Event: six-day search; discovery on February 14
Evidence: circle of 43 face-down stones and red wool scarf pinned under a perimeter stone

- Karen was documenting frost-heave mechanics at 9,400 feet and planned a 90-minute solo field visit the morning she disappeared.
- Her truck remained at the trailhead beyond the planned return time; her pencil and 60-72 hours of memory were missing.
- Search teams staged before 8 a.m.; a hiker found the stone circle three days into the operation and photographed it for SAR files.
- Two independent search dogs tracked Karen’s scent from the trailhead to the circle’s outer edge and refused to enter; the scent trail ended at the perimeter.
- The circle consisted of 43 talus stones, each flipped to expose its underside across undisturbed snow, with the red scarf anchored beneath one perimeter stone.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913877Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:48 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA woman’s scent leads to a ring of face-down stones in snow and a red wool scarf pinned under one - how did that expose them? The red wool scarf pinned under a stone stopped every scent trail In this episode, we follow the six-day search in...
The red wool scarf pinned under a stone stopped every scent trail

In this episode, we follow the six-day search in Ardell Canyon after geology student Karen Griffin goes missing during a short field trip. The episode covers the discovery of a flawless stone circle, the pinned red scarf at its perimeter, and the baffling moment when multiple search dogs tracked Karen’s scent to the ring and would not cross it - what does that circle mean?

Person: Karen Griffin
Age: 29
Location: Ardell Canyon talus field
Event: six-day search; discovery on February 14
Evidence: circle of 43 face-down stones and red wool scarf pinned under a perimeter stone

- Karen was documenting frost-heave mechanics at 9,400 feet and planned a 90-minute solo field visit the morning she disappeared.
- Her truck remained at the trailhead beyond the planned return time; her pencil and 60-72 hours of memory were missing.
- Search teams staged before 8 a.m.; a hiker found the stone circle three days into the operation and photographed it for SAR files.
- Two independent search dogs tracked Karen’s scent from the trailhead to the circle’s outer edge and refused to enter; the scent trail ended at the perimeter.
- The circle consisted of 43 talus stones, each flipped to expose its underside across undisturbed snow, with the red scarf anchored beneath one perimeter stone.

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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.]]>1528falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-single-boot-that-led-a-tracker-upstream-and-cracked-the-case--74913876
The single boot that led a tracker upstream and cracked the case

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries after Marcia Burns disappears from Cassidy Fork and search teams try to piece together how a jacket ended up folded on a midstream boulder. The episode covers the initial call, the downstream grid search, the upstream anomaly, and the veteran tracker’s find that reframes the investigation - what does the boot tell the team?

Person: Marcia Burns
Date: January 11, 2017
Location: Cassidy Fork, Dunmore State Forest
Person: Dennis Albright
Person: Paul Creed

- Dennis Albright was fishing with Marcia and called 9-1-1 at 8:42 a.m. after she vanished from the opposite bank.
- Search and Rescue ran a 22-hour downstream grid over two days and found no footprints, broken branches, or trace evidence.
- A red wool bowling jacket belonging to Marcia was found folded on a boulder 18 inches above the waterline, with frost intact for 40 yards in both directions.
- Frank Brown’s team measured and catalogued the boulder, waterline, and undisturbed frost to preserve the anomaly in the record.
- Tracker Paul Creed walked upstream and uphill from the boulder and found a single boot, shifting the focus of the search.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913876Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:44 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA retired librarian vanishes and a single boot is found-how did that boot and river tracking expose what happened? The single boot that led a tracker upstream and cracked the case In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries after...
The single boot that led a tracker upstream and cracked the case

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries after Marcia Burns disappears from Cassidy Fork and search teams try to piece together how a jacket ended up folded on a midstream boulder. The episode covers the initial call, the downstream grid search, the upstream anomaly, and the veteran tracker’s find that reframes the investigation - what does the boot tell the team?

Person: Marcia Burns
Date: January 11, 2017
Location: Cassidy Fork, Dunmore State Forest
Person: Dennis Albright
Person: Paul Creed

- Dennis Albright was fishing with Marcia and called 9-1-1 at 8:42 a.m. after she vanished from the opposite bank.
- Search and Rescue ran a 22-hour downstream grid over two days and found no footprints, broken branches, or trace evidence.
- A red wool bowling jacket belonging to Marcia was found folded on a boulder 18 inches above the waterline, with frost intact for 40 yards in both directions.
- Frank Brown’s team measured and catalogued the boulder, waterline, and undisturbed frost to preserve the anomaly in the record.
- Tracker Paul Creed walked upstream and uphill from the boulder and found a single boot, shifting the focus of the search.

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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.]]>1226falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-notebook-that-floated-ashore-kept-janet-s-trail-from-vanishing--74913875
The dry notebook that floated ashore kept Janet's trail from vanishing

In this episode, we follow the search that began when a routine missed Tuesday dinner turned into a county-wide grid and scent search in a winter drainage. The episode traces Janet Anderson’s last known movements, the scent trail that ended in moving water, and the unlikely discovery that reframed the search - but what question did that single dry notebook answer?

Person: Janet Anderson
Date: December 6-8
Location: Coldwater Creek drainage, Harlan National Forest
Status: Missing; scent trail ended in moving water
Item found: Dry field notebook wedged under a submerged root shelf

- Janet was a 23-year-old forestry technician trainee assigned to a solo drainage survey at Coldwater Creek.
- Her truck was left at the trailhead with keys inside and she missed a habitual Tuesday dinner, prompting a missing-person report.
- Halverson County SAR launched a grid search at 7:40 AM the morning after she was reported missing and deployed scent dogs along the drainage.
- Trackers’ dogs found Janet’s scent into the creek at Mile 1.2, where the trail stopped in the moving current with no exit on either bank.
- At Mile 2.2, a county surveyor working a separate property line dispute found Janet’s dry survey notebook tucked above the high-water line despite overnight flooding.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913875Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:40 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA dry field notebook and child‑sized handprints mark where Janet Anderson’s scent vanished from the Coldwater Creek trail. How did that expose her? The dry notebook that floated ashore kept Janet's trail from vanishing In this episode, we follow...
The dry notebook that floated ashore kept Janet's trail from vanishing

In this episode, we follow the search that began when a routine missed Tuesday dinner turned into a county-wide grid and scent search in a winter drainage. The episode traces Janet Anderson’s last known movements, the scent trail that ended in moving water, and the unlikely discovery that reframed the search - but what question did that single dry notebook answer?

Person: Janet Anderson
Date: December 6-8
Location: Coldwater Creek drainage, Harlan National Forest
Status: Missing; scent trail ended in moving water
Item found: Dry field notebook wedged under a submerged root shelf

- Janet was a 23-year-old forestry technician trainee assigned to a solo drainage survey at Coldwater Creek.
- Her truck was left at the trailhead with keys inside and she missed a habitual Tuesday dinner, prompting a missing-person report.
- Halverson County SAR launched a grid search at 7:40 AM the morning after she was reported missing and deployed scent dogs along the drainage.
- Trackers’ dogs found Janet’s scent into the creek at Mile 1.2, where the trail stopped in the moving current with no exit on either bank.
- At Mile 2.2, a county surveyor working a separate property line dispute found Janet’s dry survey notebook tucked above the high-water line despite overnight flooding.

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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.]]>1319falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-broken-vending-kiosk-latch-led-dogs-back-to-the-road--74913873
The broken vending-kiosk latch led dogs back to the road

In this episode, we follow the search for Dawn Keller and the sequence of decisions that guided teams away from a key access point. The episode traces the trail camera frame, the scent dogs’ pulls, and the maintenance note that might have changed the search-what really shifted the operation's focus?

Person: Dawn Keller
Date: November 16, 2019 (camera frame at 3:17 a.m.)
Location: Ridgeline Trailhead / Crane Basin Wilderness
Person: Bruce Wright
Event: Six‑day search, called off November 14

- Dawn left a text to her sister on November 7 saying she was "heading up to Crane Basin for a night shoot" and drove 22 miles to Ridgeline Trailhead.
- A trail camera captured Dawn, uncoated and carrying a camera bag, walking calmly toward the parking lot at 3:17 a.m, after nine days missing.
- Search commander Bruce Wright redirected teams inward after a single boot print matching Dawn’s tread was reported 1.4 miles into the basin.
- Scent dogs repeatedly pulled toward the road and base camp area, a route Wright logged and dismissed as volunteer contamination.
- A September maintenance log noted a broken latch on the vending kiosk eighty yards behind base camp-an access point not reviewed during the six‑day search.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913873Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:36 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA woman emerges at 3:17 a.m. onto a trailhead road-how did a broken vending‑kiosk latch and scent dogs point the way? The broken vending-kiosk latch led dogs back to the road In this episode, we follow the search for Dawn Keller and the sequence...
The broken vending-kiosk latch led dogs back to the road

In this episode, we follow the search for Dawn Keller and the sequence of decisions that guided teams away from a key access point. The episode traces the trail camera frame, the scent dogs’ pulls, and the maintenance note that might have changed the search-what really shifted the operation's focus?

Person: Dawn Keller
Date: November 16, 2019 (camera frame at 3:17 a.m.)
Location: Ridgeline Trailhead / Crane Basin Wilderness
Person: Bruce Wright
Event: Six‑day search, called off November 14

- Dawn left a text to her sister on November 7 saying she was "heading up to Crane Basin for a night shoot" and drove 22 miles to Ridgeline Trailhead.
- A trail camera captured Dawn, uncoated and carrying a camera bag, walking calmly toward the parking lot at 3:17 a.m, after nine days missing.
- Search commander Bruce Wright redirected teams inward after a single boot print matching Dawn’s tread was reported 1.4 miles into the basin.
- Scent dogs repeatedly pulled toward the road and base camp area, a route Wright logged and dismissed as volunteer contamination.
- A September maintenance log noted a broken latch on the vending kiosk eighty yards behind base camp-an access point not reviewed during the six‑day search.

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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.]]>1308falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hunting-vest-climbed-eleven-feet-and-left-no-tracks--74913872
The hunting vest climbed eleven feet and left no tracks

In this episode, we follow the timeline of a day in October when sixty-three-year-old Douglas Anderson walked into Harrow Creek Drainage and vanished. We track the search that found his vest suspended in a snag with no footprints beneath it, and the puzzling field evidence that refused to add up.

Person: Douglas Anderson
Date: October 14-15, 2019
Location: Harrow Creek Drainage, Sable Ridge Wilderness, Cutter County, Montana
Person: Linda Donnelly
Event: Orange hunting vest found eleven feet in a dead pine with no ground disturbance

- Douglas, a recently retired civil engineer and habitual volunteer, joined two experienced hunters for his first time in this drainage on October 14, 2019.
- A snow squall hit the lower trail between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m., turning the trail to mud that every exiting hunter would cross.
- Pete Okafor and Kirk Sauer left the drainage at 4:20 p.m., reporting Douglas beside them at 3:40 p.m., but he was not with them when they exited.
- Search dogs followed a clean scent north along the drainage floor and then turned west, uphill into talus and lodgepole at about mile 3.8, away from the trailhead.
- Two days later a photographer spotted Douglas’s bright orange vest threaded over two stub branches eleven feet high on a dead pine at mile 4.1, with crusted snow and no tracks beneath it.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913872Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:32 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn orange hunting vest hangs eleven feet in a dead pine above undisturbed snow - where is the man who wore it? The hunting vest climbed eleven feet and left no tracks In this episode, we follow the timeline of a day in October when...
The hunting vest climbed eleven feet and left no tracks

In this episode, we follow the timeline of a day in October when sixty-three-year-old Douglas Anderson walked into Harrow Creek Drainage and vanished. We track the search that found his vest suspended in a snag with no footprints beneath it, and the puzzling field evidence that refused to add up.

Person: Douglas Anderson
Date: October 14-15, 2019
Location: Harrow Creek Drainage, Sable Ridge Wilderness, Cutter County, Montana
Person: Linda Donnelly
Event: Orange hunting vest found eleven feet in a dead pine with no ground disturbance

- Douglas, a recently retired civil engineer and habitual volunteer, joined two experienced hunters for his first time in this drainage on October 14, 2019.
- A snow squall hit the lower trail between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m., turning the trail to mud that every exiting hunter would cross.
- Pete Okafor and Kirk Sauer left the drainage at 4:20 p.m., reporting Douglas beside them at 3:40 p.m., but he was not with them when they exited.
- Search dogs followed a clean scent north along the drainage floor and then turned west, uphill into talus and lodgepole at about mile 3.8, away from the trailhead.
- Two days later a photographer spotted Douglas’s bright orange vest threaded over two stub branches eleven feet high on a dead pine at mile 4.1, with crusted snow and no tracks beneath it.

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.]]>1301falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-garmin-inreach-climbed-crater-rim-and-sent-rescuers-the-wrong-way--74913871
The Garmin inReach climbed Crater Rim - and sent rescuers the wrong way

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events and decisions that sent search teams after a GPS signal instead of the missing hiker herself. We lay out the movements, the device log, and the choices that locked rescuers onto a false lead - and ask how one tracker redirected an entire search.

Person: Debra Harrison
Date: September 7, 2019
Location: Crater Rim / Harrow Creek Wilderness, Dellwood National Forest
Person: Pam Okafor
Person: Colt Briggs

- Debra left a last confirmed text at 7:42 AM before breaking camp and had a routine check-in protocol with her roommate Pam.
- Colt Briggs, a free-solo climber, carried Debra’s Garmin inReach to record an undocumented ascent of Crater Rim’s east face.
- The Garmin pinged from Debra’s campsite at 1:22 AM, went static for 53 minutes, then logged a 340-foot vertical ascent over 22 minutes at 2:14 AM.
- Search-and-rescue teams used that ascent track to grid the search toward the rim, chasing coordinates that matched the device’s log.
- On September 11, 2019, someone delivered Debra’s undamaged, fully charged Garmin inReach in a sealed bag with Pam’s number, and the internal log contradicted earlier assumptions.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913871Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:28 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTDebra Harrison’s tracker showed a 340‑ft climb up Crater Rim at 2:14 AM-but she was miles away; how did that expose them? The Garmin inReach climbed Crater Rim - and sent rescuers the wrong way In this episode, we follow the sequence of events...
The Garmin inReach climbed Crater Rim - and sent rescuers the wrong way

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events and decisions that sent search teams after a GPS signal instead of the missing hiker herself. We lay out the movements, the device log, and the choices that locked rescuers onto a false lead - and ask how one tracker redirected an entire search.

Person: Debra Harrison
Date: September 7, 2019
Location: Crater Rim / Harrow Creek Wilderness, Dellwood National Forest
Person: Pam Okafor
Person: Colt Briggs

- Debra left a last confirmed text at 7:42 AM before breaking camp and had a routine check-in protocol with her roommate Pam.
- Colt Briggs, a free-solo climber, carried Debra’s Garmin inReach to record an undocumented ascent of Crater Rim’s east face.
- The Garmin pinged from Debra’s campsite at 1:22 AM, went static for 53 minutes, then logged a 340-foot vertical ascent over 22 minutes at 2:14 AM.
- Search-and-rescue teams used that ascent track to grid the search toward the rim, chasing coordinates that matched the device’s log.
- On September 11, 2019, someone delivered Debra’s undamaged, fully charged Garmin inReach in a sealed bag with Pam’s number, and the internal log contradicted earlier assumptions.

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.]]>1230falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-daypack-s-water-bottle-stayed-full-it-proved-she-hadn-t-left--74913869
The Daypack's Water Bottle Stayed Full - It Proved She Hadn't Left

In this episode, we follow the timeline of a missing hiker and the search that pivoted on small, concrete details. What do an unopened water bottle, a cabin log entry, and a four-digit code reveal about where Marilyn actually went?

Person: Marilyn Phillips
Person: Tessa Wren
Person: Crystal Carter
Person: Art Suarez
Person: Doug Pelham

- Marilyn left a one-week substitute note and filed trip plans before a two-day hike.
- Tessa turned back at mile four; Marilyn continued alone toward Ridgeback Lake.
- Search dogs lost the scent at a boulder field 1.3 miles northeast of the lake, toward a hidden service road.
- Nancy Mason found Marilyn’s daypack hanging neatly on a forest-service marker 4.2 miles downhill from the trailhead with the water bottle still full.
- Doug Pelham logged a visit around 4 p.m. from a woman matching Marilyn’s description who gave him the monthly four-digit water-tank code.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913869Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:24 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA volunteer trail steward is found alive in a drainage culvert while her daypack hangs four miles downhill; how did that expose them? The Daypack's Water Bottle Stayed Full - It Proved She Hadn't Left In this episode, we follow the timeline of a...
The Daypack's Water Bottle Stayed Full - It Proved She Hadn't Left

In this episode, we follow the timeline of a missing hiker and the search that pivoted on small, concrete details. What do an unopened water bottle, a cabin log entry, and a four-digit code reveal about where Marilyn actually went?

Person: Marilyn Phillips
Person: Tessa Wren
Person: Crystal Carter
Person: Art Suarez
Person: Doug Pelham

- Marilyn left a one-week substitute note and filed trip plans before a two-day hike.
- Tessa turned back at mile four; Marilyn continued alone toward Ridgeback Lake.
- Search dogs lost the scent at a boulder field 1.3 miles northeast of the lake, toward a hidden service road.
- Nancy Mason found Marilyn’s daypack hanging neatly on a forest-service marker 4.2 miles downhill from the trailhead with the water bottle still full.
- Doug Pelham logged a visit around 4 p.m. from a woman matching Marilyn’s description who gave him the monthly four-digit water-tank code.

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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.]]>1236falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-missed-rabbit-injection-that-started-the-search-for-gail--74913868
The missed rabbit injection that started the search for Gail

In this episode, we follow the early timeline and decisions that turned a routine field trip into a four-day wilderness search. What did Gail Lawson do between a sunset walk and an unanswered syringe that set rescue teams on a trail to a remote fire lookout?

Person: Gail Lawson
Date: July 11-14, 2019
Location: Harrow Creek Wilderness Area, Cibola National Forest
Person: Tom Reyes
Person: Erin Osborne

- Gail left camp after a 6:47 p.m. text saying she'd be "back in thirty" while her dinner simmered on a stove.
- Her tent was staked and her CR-V parked thirty feet away; keys were inside and a spork lay beside a cold pot of red lentil soup.
- Patch, Gail's diabetic rabbit, needed insulin twice daily; neighbor Tom handled injections and noticed the missed morning dose.
- Searchers deployed dog teams from camp; scent led east then ended at a creek about 0.6 miles out, shifting the projected search grid.
- Gail's field notebook recorded a 6:30 p.m. entry about a kestrel on the east ridge, the direction of Harrow Peak lookout.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913868Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:20 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA wildlife biologist vanishes from Cibola National Forest; her diabetic rabbit misses an insulin shot-where is Gail? The missed rabbit injection that started the search for Gail In this episode, we follow the early timeline and decisions that...
The missed rabbit injection that started the search for Gail

In this episode, we follow the early timeline and decisions that turned a routine field trip into a four-day wilderness search. What did Gail Lawson do between a sunset walk and an unanswered syringe that set rescue teams on a trail to a remote fire lookout?

Person: Gail Lawson
Date: July 11-14, 2019
Location: Harrow Creek Wilderness Area, Cibola National Forest
Person: Tom Reyes
Person: Erin Osborne

- Gail left camp after a 6:47 p.m. text saying she'd be "back in thirty" while her dinner simmered on a stove.
- Her tent was staked and her CR-V parked thirty feet away; keys were inside and a spork lay beside a cold pot of red lentil soup.
- Patch, Gail's diabetic rabbit, needed insulin twice daily; neighbor Tom handled injections and noticed the missed morning dose.
- Searchers deployed dog teams from camp; scent led east then ended at a creek about 0.6 miles out, shifting the projected search grid.
- Gail's field notebook recorded a 6:30 p.m. entry about a kestrel on the east ridge, the direction of Harrow Peak lookout.

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.]]>1110falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/her-hiking-boots-sat-neatly-then-lured-the-dogs-to-the-creek-s-edge--74913867
Her hiking boots sat neatly, then lured the dogs to the creek's edge

In this episode, we follow the timeline and scenes around Jessica Patterson’s June solo loop in Alderman Canyon, tracing the movements, the missing calls, and the search that zeroed to a creek crossing. What sequence of choices and signals pointed search teams to that single frozen moment at the water’s edge?

Person: Jessica Patterson
Date: June 17-21 (permit entry June 17, overdue June 19, vehicle noted June 20-21)
Location: Alderman Reach, Alderman Canyon, Harwick National Forest
Status: Missing after disappearance near a creek crossing
Case: Four disappearances in the Alderman Reach, third week of June

- Boots found unlaced and placed neatly beside an unzipped sleeping bag with no body and no nearby tracks.
- Jessica’s routine six fourteen Wednesday call to her son rang but failed to connect; cell ping placed that call eleven miles outside the canyon.
- Her permit was for a two-night solo loop; GPS waypoints showed consistent progress to mile two before the signal trail ended.
- A gray Subaru Forester was parked at the trailhead overnight; deputies documented the vehicle and called search-and-rescue.
- Two SAR dogs followed scent for four miles then stopped at the creek bank, refusing to cross as if the trail ended at the water.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913867Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:16 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Wilderness First Responder leaves boots by an unzipped sleeping bag in Alderman Reach - then disappears; how did that expose her? Her hiking boots sat neatly, then lured the dogs to the creek's edge In this episode, we follow the timeline and...
Her hiking boots sat neatly, then lured the dogs to the creek's edge

In this episode, we follow the timeline and scenes around Jessica Patterson’s June solo loop in Alderman Canyon, tracing the movements, the missing calls, and the search that zeroed to a creek crossing. What sequence of choices and signals pointed search teams to that single frozen moment at the water’s edge?

Person: Jessica Patterson
Date: June 17-21 (permit entry June 17, overdue June 19, vehicle noted June 20-21)
Location: Alderman Reach, Alderman Canyon, Harwick National Forest
Status: Missing after disappearance near a creek crossing
Case: Four disappearances in the Alderman Reach, third week of June

- Boots found unlaced and placed neatly beside an unzipped sleeping bag with no body and no nearby tracks.
- Jessica’s routine six fourteen Wednesday call to her son rang but failed to connect; cell ping placed that call eleven miles outside the canyon.
- Her permit was for a two-night solo loop; GPS waypoints showed consistent progress to mile two before the signal trail ended.
- A gray Subaru Forester was parked at the trailhead overnight; deputies documented the vehicle and called search-and-rescue.
- Two SAR dogs followed scent for four miles then stopped at the creek bank, refusing to cross as if the trail ended at the water.

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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.]]>1418falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hiking-poles-he-set-upright-marked-where-he-vanished--74913866
The Hiking Poles He Set Upright Marked Where He Vanished

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions surrounding Thomas Novak’s disappearance on Harlen Ridge and the search that began the next morning. The episode lays out the scene, the people involved, and the puzzling evidence that frames the central question: what happened where his trail abruptly stops?

Person: Thomas Novak
Date: May 11-14, 2019
Location: Harlen Ridge, mile marker ~3.1
Status: Missing at time of discovery
Finder: Jean Griffin

- Thomas Novak kept a meticulous trail log, hiked the ridge every third Saturday, and was described by family and colleagues as methodical.
- At 7:08 AM a trail camera captured him on the trail carrying poles and pack with a pace matching his logbook entries.
- Search and rescue began May 12 under leader Charles Hayes, who deployed east toward a boulder field based on typical lost-hiker drift.
- K9 Petra tracked Thomas’s scent two miles then stopped at mile 3.1 where two hiking poles were found leaning, grips up, deliberately placed against a tulip poplar.
- Petra lost the trail at a limestone shelf around mile 3.4 where scent evidence vanished due to bare rock.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913866Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:12 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA high school shop teacher vanishes on a Harlen Ridge hike; hiking poles propped against a tree mark where his trail ends - what happened? The Hiking Poles He Set Upright Marked Where He Vanished In this episode, we follow the timeline and...
The Hiking Poles He Set Upright Marked Where He Vanished

In this episode, we follow the timeline and decisions surrounding Thomas Novak’s disappearance on Harlen Ridge and the search that began the next morning. The episode lays out the scene, the people involved, and the puzzling evidence that frames the central question: what happened where his trail abruptly stops?

Person: Thomas Novak
Date: May 11-14, 2019
Location: Harlen Ridge, mile marker ~3.1
Status: Missing at time of discovery
Finder: Jean Griffin

- Thomas Novak kept a meticulous trail log, hiked the ridge every third Saturday, and was described by family and colleagues as methodical.
- At 7:08 AM a trail camera captured him on the trail carrying poles and pack with a pace matching his logbook entries.
- Search and rescue began May 12 under leader Charles Hayes, who deployed east toward a boulder field based on typical lost-hiker drift.
- K9 Petra tracked Thomas’s scent two miles then stopped at mile 3.1 where two hiking poles were found leaning, grips up, deliberately placed against a tulip poplar.
- Petra lost the trail at a limestone shelf around mile 3.4 where scent evidence vanished due to bare rock.

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.]]>1323falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fleece-jacket-folded-dry-on-the-rock-stopped-the-trail--74913864
The fleece jacket folded dry on the rock stopped the trail

In this episode, we follow the early days of a missing hiker case and the search that focused on a baffling clue in an open meadow. What did the jacket on the wet boulder, and a dog that never false-ended, reveal about Carol Callahan’s last movements?

Person: Carol Callahan
Date: April 9-11, 2019
Location: Cutter Meadow, Deschene National Forest
Person: Brix (search dog)
Person: Pete Solis (K9 handler)

- Carol signed a permit at 7:10 AM for a 4.3-mile out-and-back from the Sutter trailhead and did not return by the expected 2:00 PM.
- A hiker reported sighting a woman matching Carol’s description about 2.1 miles in at ~8:45 AM, an unconfirmed discrepancy in pace.
- On April 9, search dog Brix ran the trail, moved past the two-mile marker, and stopped dead at a cluster of boulders in the meadow.
- On April 10, 0.4 inches of rain and 22 mph gusts hit the ridge, likely obscuring any tracks that might have existed.
- On April 11, Brix retraced the same route and stopped again at the exact same exposed boulder where a dry, apparently folded fleece jacket was found with no footprints to or from it.

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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.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74913864Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:53:08 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA search dog stops at a lone boulder in Cutter Meadow where a dry, folded fleece jacket sits with no footprints around it-how did that expose them? The fleece jacket folded dry on the rock stopped the trail In this episode, we follow the early...
The fleece jacket folded dry on the rock stopped the trail

In this episode, we follow the early days of a missing hiker case and the search that focused on a baffling clue in an open meadow. What did the jacket on the wet boulder, and a dog that never false-ended, reveal about Carol Callahan’s last movements?

Person: Carol Callahan
Date: April 9-11, 2019
Location: Cutter Meadow, Deschene National Forest
Person: Brix (search dog)
Person: Pete Solis (K9 handler)

- Carol signed a permit at 7:10 AM for a 4.3-mile out-and-back from the Sutter trailhead and did not return by the expected 2:00 PM.
- A hiker reported sighting a woman matching Carol’s description about 2.1 miles in at ~8:45 AM, an unconfirmed discrepancy in pace.
- On April 9, search dog Brix ran the trail, moved past the two-mile marker, and stopped dead at a cluster of boulders in the meadow.
- On April 10, 0.4 inches of rain and 22 mph gusts hit the ridge, likely obscuring any tracks that might have existed.
- On April 11, Brix retraced the same route and stopped again at the exact same exposed boulder where a dry, apparently folded fleece jacket was found with no footprints to or from it.

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.]]>1335falsefull