Horror Nights - The Forest

Episodes

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  The folded jacket that pointed rescuers uphill and saved the search 04.10.2026 18m

  A folded jacket on a rock points rescuers uphill in Tennessee winter - how did that clue expose where the missing man had gone?The folded jacket that pointed rescuers uphill and saved the searchIn this episode, we follow the search for Dean Thompson after he vanished from a familiar meadow walk and reappeared in the high woods, found by a passerby against a transformer. The episode tracks the decisions, clues and terrain that shifted the search uphill and asks how a single folded jacket changed everything.Person: Dean ThompsonDate: January 11-14, 2019Location: Harlan Creek State Forest, TennesseeFinder: Jean FosterLeader: William Cox- Dean left a short, familiar walk from a meadow at 3:40 p.m. and vanished before reaching a nearby oak.- Initial search focused downhill along creeks and flats based on standard lost-subject behavior in cold.- A dog team tracked scent uphill past the oak to 1,400 ft where they found Dean’s jacket folded and placed on a rock.- The folded, tucked jacket implied deliberate handling and suggested Dean had been functional at 1,400 ft, redirecting the search uphill.- Dogs lost the scent at a creek crossing around 1,600 ft, then picked it up again eight‑tenths of a mile further up and lateral to the basin, creating a puzzling gap.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: [email protected].
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  The rubber mallet re-driven the stakes that kept her hidden 03.10.2026 22m

  A GIS technician’s tent is found inside Harlow National Forest’s locked burn slope - how did that expose her?The rubber mallet re-driven the stakes that kept her hiddenIn this episode, we follow the discovery that reopened a five-year disappearance: a tent, a smooth sleeping bag, and a re-driven stake beside a rubber mallet. The episode traces the timeline, the sealed Unit Seven-Bravo, and the questions about why Janet Dixon - a methodical GIS and forestry technician - would vanish into a restricted burn zone.Person: Janet DixonDate: Disappearance December 7, 2019Location: Unit Seven-Bravo, Harlow National ForestOccupation: GIS and forestry technicianDiscovery: Tent found March 2025 two hundred yards inside locked fence- Terry Bishop's GPS showed a track crossing into a fenced, no-access burn unit where a canvas tent stood upright.- Unit Seven-Bravo had been padlocked and posted since 2013 after a controlled wildfire; no permits had been issued.- Search teams worked accessible trails for five days; scent was lost at the fence and reappeared six hundred yards inside the locked perimeter.- The tent's stakes had been recently re-driven with a rubber mallet dated no earlier than 2017, while the tent itself was older.- A survival guide opened to a dog-eared chapter on low-visibility navigation lay face-down beside a smoothed sleeping bag.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: [email protected].
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  The cracked left-elbow patch that betrayed a stolen jacket 02.10.2026 22m

  A woman finds a teen unconscious on Route Nine; a matching jacket hangs eleven miles away - how did that expose them?The cracked left-elbow patch that betrayed a stolen jacketIn this episode, we follow two linked disappearances and the search operations they set off across Harney County: a missing hiker in Aldercreek State Forest and a sixteen-year-old found unconscious on Route Nine. As search teams, family routines and surveillance footage collide, the investigation pivots on a single clothing detail - but what will that detail force the searchers to confront?Date: November 14Location: Route Nine; Aldercreek State ForestPerson: Cole (sixteen-year-old boy)Person: Tammy Dempsey (thirty-eight-year-old missing hiker)Event: Photograph of identical Carhartt jacket in a closet at 11:40 a.m.- Erin Rice, on a monthly meter run at 9:17 a.m., stopped for what she first thought might be a tarp and found a sixteen-year-old unconscious in 28-degree air.- The boy wore a men’s Carhartt barn jacket, dark brown, XL, with a cracked left-elbow patch - a detail later matched in a closet photograph taken at 11:40 a.m.- Tammy Dempsey left Aldercreek alone after dropping her son with his father; her car remained at the trailhead and an untouched insulin bowl triggered a search.- Patricia Weber, with fourteen years’ experience in Aldercreek terrain, set grids and deployed dog teams; one team lost a scent at GPS 44.7°N after a lateral wind shear.- Surveillance shows Cole leaving his father Marcus’s house after 11 p.m., wearing a jacket taken from an unlabeled garage bin; he was later captured on a gas station camera heading north.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: [email protected].
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  The River Stone She Pocketed Rewrote Her Last Eleven Miles 01.10.2026 22m

  A retired Forest Service surveyor walks into Harrow Creek wilderness and is later found clutching a survey stone-how did that expose her?The River Stone She Pocketed Rewrote Her Last Eleven MilesIn this episode, we follow the sequence of a search that uncovers an eleven-mile line of sixty-six precision-built cairns, a pre-drawn bearing in the missing hiker’s handwriting, and a solitary survey-quality river stone found with her body. What do the cairns, the map, and the stone tell us about Megan Jensen’s final route and decisions?Person: Megan JensenDate: October 8-15, 2019Location: Harrow Creek wilderness, near Saddlehorn Gate trailheadOccupation: Hydrological surveyor, United States Forest ServiceFinder: Roger Wells- Roger Wells found a woman face-down in a drainage ditch on Forest Road 118 at 7:12 a.m. on October 15, 2019, four-tenths of a mile from the trailhead.- Sixty-six cairns run on a bearing of 302 degrees northwest for eleven miles through the Harrow Creek roadless area, spaced about 880 feet apart and built in an unclaimed style.- Megan’s pre-drawn map, in her own handwriting, marked the 302-degree bearing before her October trip, indicating intention rather than discovery.- At mile 9.1 searchers found Megan’s pack upright against a lodgepole pine with contents intact, and dogs tracked her scent to mile 3.2 before the trail scent reversed.- A survey-quality flat river stone matching the type used in groundwater assessments was found at the cairn line terminus and a matching stone was wrapped in survey paper in Megan’s jacket pocket.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: [email protected].
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  The Hiking Boot She Set Down That Sent Her Deeper Into the Woods 30.09.2026 23m

  A lone hiking boot at Harwick National Forest's trailhead - then the hiker walks back into the woods alone; how did that expose them?The Hiking Boot She Set Down That Sent Her Deeper Into the WoodsIn this episode, we follow the timeline from a morning discovery to the first hours of a rural search operation, tracing the physical evidence that reshaped the searchers’ decisions and the unsettling questions it raised about what happened next. How did a single boot and a trail of prints change where they looked and why?Person: Eugene TurnerPerson: Julie SimpsonPerson: Frank JohnsonPerson: Paul HennesseyLocation: Slade Creek trailhead, Harwick National Forest- Eugene found a single left hiking boot upright against the trailhead sign at 7:14 a.m., laces tied and insole dry.- Julie signed the trail register at 11:20 a.m. two days earlier as a solo day hiker and did not sign out.- Paul tracked paired boot prints inbound for 3.5 miles, then found only right-boot prints continuing, indicating the left boot had been carried.- The single right-boot prints led back to the trailhead, where the boot was placed upright, but no outbound prints toward the parking lot were ever recovered.- Two hundred yards east of the sign, a lone right-boot print was found moving steadily into the backcountry, away from car and civilization.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: [email protected].
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  The four‑inch Mylar strip that dragged her into the gulch 29.09.2026 23m

  A hiker signs out for a day hike but is found in an impassable gulch clutching a four‑inch Mylar strip - how did that expose them?The four‑inch Mylar strip that dragged her into the gulchIn this episode, we follow the timeline, terrain and small physical clues that sent searchers up a steep, unmapped route to a woman found alive in Cobb Drainage. The episode tracks what she carried, who alerted SAR, and the puzzling origin of a torn Mylar strip that should not have been there.Person: Peggy JensenDate: August 14-15, 2019Location: Sentinel Ridge / Cobb DrainageStatus: Found alive in drainage gulchSearch coordinator: Jeffrey Dixon- Peggy signed the register at 6:42 a.m. for a summit‑and‑back day hike and was photographed at the summit at 1:15 p.m.- The ridge summit sits at 7,200 ft; the trailhead at 5,100 ft; Cobb Drainage floor at 4,200 ft - a thousand‑foot drop below the trailhead.- SAR labeled the cliff‑band between the ridge and Cobb Drainage as "impassable": a 900‑ft descent in 0.6 miles of unmapped vertical terrain.- Donna Fitch called police at 8:30 p.m. when Peggy missed their weekly Thursday dinner, prompting a 9:05 p.m. SAR activation.- Peggy carried day‑hike kit (water, food, light layer, car keys); a four‑inch torn Mylar strip was in her right hand though she did not own one.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: [email protected].
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  The Binoculars Set on the Ledge That Stopped Her Trail 28.09.2026 26m

  A woman’s binoculars are found on a granite ledge two and a half miles from her fire tower-how did that expose her?The Binoculars Set on the Ledge That Stopped Her TrailIn this episode, we follow the timeline and terrain around a missing fire lookout to map the decisions, movements, and evidence that framed the search. What do a placed pair of binoculars, a vanished scent line at a creek, and a forty-foot scramble tell us about her last hours?Person: Gina StewartDate: July 9, 2019Location: Harrow Peak Fire Lookout Tower, Redwall National Forest, New MexicoPerson: Edward FosterPerson: Marcus Vela- The binoculars were found on Watcher’s Seat, a granite outcrop 2.3-2.5 miles from the tower, placed intentionally on a flat shelf.- Reaching that ledge requires a forty-foot Class three scramble with no trail-both hands on rock and deliberate footing.- Gina’s routine: twelve pre-dawn laps of the tower catwalk every morning for three seasons; she planned a dawn ridge check for a dry-lightning char.- Search dogs picked up Gina’s scent at the tower and followed it northeast until a seasonal creek where the scent abruptly ended.- The tower showed no signs of struggle: door unlocked, radio on standby, logbook open to July 8, bunk made, and a rinsed inverted mug.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: [email protected].
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  The Hiking Boot That Walked Her Down the Trail 27.09.2026 23m

  A lone hiking boot at a trailhead, a missing hiker, and two strangers who claim they walked her - how did that boot expose them?The Hiking Boot That Walked Her Down the TrailIn this episode, we lay out the timeline, the people, and the puzzling physical evidence around a hiker who vanished after signing the Cutler Creek trail register. What do a boot on a CR-V roof, two witness accounts, and the body's injuries together suggest about what happened on the ridge?Date: June 10, 2019Person: Lauren Crawford, 52Location: Cutler Creek Trail, Harlan Ridge WildernessWitnesses: Diane Okafor and Pete Solano (both hikers)Search team lead: Earl Reynolds, Dray County search-and-rescue- A gray CR-V found at the Cutler Creek trailhead with the rear cargo door ajar, a pack inside, left boot in the cargo area and the right boot balanced upright on the roof.- Lauren Crawford signed the trail register at 6:14 AM on June 8 and never signed out; the car engine was cold and the windows fogged from the inside.- Two separate hikers, Diane Okafor and Pete Solano, each reported walking alongside an injured woman matching Lauren’s description for over a mile and escorting her toward the trailhead that afternoon.- Search leader Earl Reynolds and scent dog Biscuit followed the scent uphill from the lot, indicating Lauren had gone into the trail rather than away from it.- A physician later examined injuries that, according to the transcript, could not be reconciled with the accounts those two men gave.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: [email protected].
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  The orange beacon blinked on bare rock and outlived its batteries 26.09.2026 22m

  A retired birdwatcher finds an orange rescue beacon blinking on sunlit limestone at 8,100 ft - how did that beacon expose where Gordon Reed went?The orange beacon blinked on bare rock and outlived its batteriesIn this episode, we follow the week-long search that unfolded after Gordon Reed failed to return from a permited trip into the Crestfall Range. The story traces the decisions, weather shifts, and small discoveries that redirected the hunt - and asks how a blinking Ortovox beacon on bare rock changed the searchers’ assumptions.Person: Gordon ReedDate: May 2-11, 2019Location: Harrow Creek, Crestfall RangeDevice: Ortovox S1+ rescue beaconSearch: Eleven square miles, May 4-10- Gordon filed a permit and parked at Ridgeback Trailhead the morning permit opened on May 3; his last call to his wife was May 2 at 6:40 pm.- SAR leader Eric Thorpe set the search grid to a floor of 9,400 ft based on Gordon’s archived route and organized teams, dogs, and aerials.- On day two, dogs trailed to a flooded choke point at mile 6.2 and then lost the scent where Harrow Creek was running high from snowmelt.- An unseasonable warm front on May 9 collapsed 40-60% of the snowpack above 9,800 ft, prompting Thorpe to suspend high-elevation search zones for safety.- On May 11 at 7:22 am, birdwatcher Stanley Price photographed a blinking orange beacon on bare limestone at 8,100 ft with no snow within 1,300 vertical feet; the device was later recovered still transmitting at 34% battery.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: [email protected].
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  The journal followed fence posts downhill and sent searches four miles astray 25.09.2026 20m

  A botanical student loses the trail in Sycamore Notch, then a journal shows up tied to a distant farm fence - how did it cross a ridge?The journal followed fence posts downhill and sent searches four miles astrayIn this episode, we follow the documented moves in a missing person’s journal and the methodical search that missed a whole slope. The episode covers where scent trails stopped, what Denise wrote, and the map decisions that focused teams in the wrong place - could a single journal redirect an entire search?Person: Denise OwensDate: April 7-14 (entries and discovery)Location: Sycamore Notch Wilderness Area; Millhaven Road Pruett farm fenceStatus: Missing when journal found; later hospital record notes knee sprainEvent: Journal entries describing moving downhill following fence posts- A 16-year-old found a dark green Moleskine wedged in Pruett farm fence wire with no boot prints in the mud.- Dogs tracked Denise’s scent 2.3 miles into the wilderness and stopped on a granite shelf above Cutter Creek with no trail onward.- The journal’s first readable entry is April 11: "Lost the trail... Knee wrong. Sleeping in a low spot," four days after the last confirmed sighting.- April 12 entry: "Moved downhill following fence posts. Think I saw the road," which implies descent toward Millhaven Road not covered by search grids.- Search grids were drawn radiating from the granite shelf; the Pruett fence and western slope were not on any SAR map in use.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: [email protected].
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  The orange bivy kit appeared past a locked gate and stalled the search 24.09.2026 25m

  A bright orange bivy appears in a sealed snow alcove two miles past a locked gate, and the only keyholder insists she never placed it - how did that expose them?The orange bivy kit appeared past a locked gate and stalled the searchIn this episode, we follow the search for Grant Hensley and the moment an arranged orange survival shelter is found in untouched snow beyond a locked gate. The team must decide what the bivouac means for the missing-person search and for the people who had access to the road.Person: Grant HensleyDate: March 4-8Location: Ridgeback Plateau, Ridgeback Plateau Road alcovePerson: Susan CaseyPerson: Tom Aldrich- Grant left at 7:00 AM on March 4 with a day-hike permit, light gear, and a promise to be back by dark.- Tom Aldrich, Grant’s neighbor and emergency contact, administered Pocket the dog’s insulin at 7:00 PM when Grant failed to return.- Susan Casey, the seasonal plow operator, found a fully arranged orange bivouac kit at 6:40 AM on March 8 two miles past a gate locked since January.- Deputy Marsh Erwin and SAR coordinator Connie Parker documented an intact tent, rolled sleeping bag, sealed hand warmers, and no boot prints or vehicle tracks around the alcove.- Harrow County Search and Rescue paused their grid search for thirty-six hours to process the bivouac as potential evidence and determine who could have placed 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: [email protected].
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  The Forty Basalt Slabs Flipped The Circle and Erased Her Forty Minutes 23.09.2026 24m

  A circle of basalt slabs in Oregon was flipped before dawn, and a geology student lost forty minutes of memory - how did that expose them?The Forty Basalt Slabs Flipped The Circle and Erased Her Forty MinutesIn this episode, we walk through the scene and sequence of events surrounding a missing-person case in the Harrow Creek Wilderness that centers on a forty-foot circle of flipped basalt slabs. We outline who was there, what the evidence shows, and the precise gaps that make the night of February 11, 2019 still unresolved.Person: Kelly O'Connor, 23, second-year geology graduate studentLocation: Broken Ledge talus field, Harrow Creek Wilderness, Deschane National ForestDate: Night of February 11, 2019 (reported February 14, 2019)Event: Forty basalt slabs flipped face-down inside a 40-foot radius; woman found with missing forty minutes of memoryWitness: Monica Wilson, 38, utility lineman who spotted the circle while responding to a power line trip- Kelly made weekly pre-dawn field check-in calls every Wednesday at 5:45 a.m. for fourteen months and did not miss any until after February 6, 2019.- On February 11 Kelly went alone to the Broken Ledge talus field, set up camp, and was prepared for extreme overnight conditions with proper gear and experience.- A missed phone call triggered a search; trained rescuers initially walked past the exact spot until Monica Wilson, a lineman, spotted the pale undersides of the slabs on February 14.- Dogs lost a scent at a precise perimeter around the flipped-circle in ideal tracking conditions, and a piece of equipment was driven into rock in a manner inconsistent with accident.- A utility line tripped at 2:17 a.m. a mile and a third away the same night, registering a power surge with no confirmed cause, recorded separately from the scene evidence.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: [email protected].
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  The Wading That Erased Her Trail and Closed the Case 22.09.2026 24m

  A lone wet wading boot stands in a snowbank near Split Rock Crossing - how did that expose Kathleen Ford?The Wading That Erased Her Trail and Closed the CaseIn this episode, we follow the nineteen-day documented record of the search for Kathleen Ford, from the last known positions and witness statements to the searchers’ grid and the puzzling physical evidence that didn’t fit. What decisions and missed details kept the trail from leading anywhere?Person: Kathleen FordDate: January 10-29Location: Split Rock Crossing; Sable Creek fire roadPerson: Dennis RourkePerson: Angela Bowers- Kathleen was last seen at Split Rock Crossing on January 11, standing on the west-bank gravel bar opposite Dennis Rourke.- Two SAR dogs on January 12 picked up her scent on the gravel bar, tracked along the bank, then stopped where the scent abruptly ended.- Search teams centered a grid on the crossing, searched for six days with helicopters and volunteers through 22-inch snowpack and found no additional trail.- Dennis’s initial statement omitted that Kathleen had waded into the current to free a snagged line and then returned to the west bank; he mentioned it only on Day Six.- A single left wading boot, dry inside and upright in a roadside snowbank along the Sable Creek fire road, was found January 19 eighteen days after a trail crew had marked that snowbank clean.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: [email protected].
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  The handprints that braced the bank and stopped the search 21.09.2026 19m

  A 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 searchIn 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 SimpsonDate: December 9, 2011Location: Harlan Creek, Sutter Gap National ForestPerson: Tom AlcottEvent: 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: [email protected].
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  The deer camera that proved she was still walking 20.09.2026 22m

  A 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 walkingIn 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 HamiltonDate: November 11, 2019 (camera image at 6:17 AM)Location: Forest Road 141, Dolores County, ColoradoStatus: Declared missing, presumed dead before camera imagePerson: 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: [email protected].
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  The orange hunting vest that left her truck three miles away 19.09.2026 20m

  A 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 awayIn 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 volunteerDate: October 10-14, 2019Location: Cold Creek Drainage, Harlan National Forest, eastern IdahoEvent: Disappearance and seven-day searchPeople: 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: [email protected].
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  The GPS accelerometer recorded zero vertical change and exposed an impossible climb 18.09.2026 17m

  A 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 climbIn 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 PhillipsDate: September 7-14, 2019Location: Harrow Creek Wilderness, Deschane National ForestPerson: Marilyn HamiltonEvent: 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: [email protected].
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  The boot's brass key proved she'd taken it off-and gone missing 17.09.2026 23m

  A 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 missingIn 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 HuntDate: August 9-12 (missing and discovery timeline)Location: Clearwater Ridge, Hatchett County, MontanaPerson: 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: [email protected].
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  The size‑11 bootprint that showed someone stood and waited 16.09.2026 21m

  A 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 waitedIn 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 HuntAge: 44Condition: Type One diabetesLocation: Aldermoor National ForestWitness: 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: [email protected].
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  The sealed water bottle stood upright and stopped the trail 15.09.2026 23m

  A 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 trailIn 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 GallagherDate: June 11-12, 2011Location: Merritt Draw, north branchPerson: Gail VaughnPerson: 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: [email protected].