Horror Nights - The Forest

Episoade

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  The deer camera that proved she was still walking 20.09.2026 22min

  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 20min

  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 17min

  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 23min

  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 21min

  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 23min

  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].
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  The green daypack that stood on Mile 14 forced a search 14.09.2026 22min

  A 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 searchIn 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 SchultzDate: May 9-10Location: Caldwell State Forest, Ridgeline SpurPerson: Leon GreenPerson: 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: [email protected].
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  The Left Hiking Boot That Stopped the Search Dead 13.09.2026 21min

  A 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 DeadIn 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 RussoDate: April 14-17, 2023Location: Sable Meadow / Forest Service Road Seven, Harwick CountyStatus: Missing then found aliveWitness: 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: [email protected].
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  The granite boulder that arranged her boots and stopped the trail 12.09.2026 19min

  A 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 trailIn 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 BauerDate: March 4, 2017Location: Sangre Fría National ForestStatus: Missing during a 79-hour searchEvent: 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: [email protected].
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  The blaze-orange vest draped on the fence post rerouted the search 11.09.2026 21min

  A 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 searchIn 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 JohnsonDate: February 11, 2019Location: Prentiss Tract, Harwick County, TennesseeEvent: Seventy-six-hour search across two hundred acresPerson: 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: [email protected].
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  The cracked phone that fell and led them up the ridge 10.09.2026 22min

  A 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 ridgeIn 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 BakerPerson: Cody BakerDate: January 14, 2019Location: Harlan Creek State Forest, Bowman Saddle ridgelineEvent: 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: [email protected].
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  The tent peg that ripped his tibia and trapped him 09.09.2026 21min

  A 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 himIn 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 CoxLocation: Seco Ridge Wilderness, Harwick National ForestDate: December 6, 2017 (final journal entry)Status: Missing person report filed December 9, 2017Event: 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: [email protected].
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  A wool peacoat buttoned on a dead deer led searchers to Nicole 08.09.2026 20min

  A 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 NicoleIn 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 ReyesDate: November 10-13Location: Ridgeback Fork, eastern CascadesPerson: Kevin OdellEvent: 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: [email protected].
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  The cairn line that lured her nine miles from safety 07.09.2026 21min

  A 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 safetyIn 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 SandersDate: October 5-14, 2019Location: Ridgecut Wilderness, Harlow National Forest, eastern OregonOccupation: School librarian; former land surveyorItem 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.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 half-signed trailhead entry that rerouted the search 06.09.2026 21min

  A 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 searchIn 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 HayesDate: September 8-9, 2017Location: Coldtack trailhead; Pale Granite Shelf, Saguaro Rim National Forest; elevation 7,240 ftEvent: half-signed trail register entry; red 32-ounce Nalgene bottle photographed at 11:24 AM SaturdayStatus: 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: [email protected].
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  The headlamp that ran until the batteries died and left her lost 05.09.2026 21min

  A 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 lostIn 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 SheridanDate: August 9-11Location: Ridgeback Peak area, Cascades (Sutter Gap trailhead to Coldwater Fork drainage)Status: Found alive with mild hypothermiaItem: 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: [email protected].
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  The single leather boot that led rescuers off the trail 04.09.2026 24min

  A 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 trailIn 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 MarshLocation: Plumas National ForestDate: August 8-9 (evening of August 8 to morning of August 9)Event: disappearance of a fire lookoutEvidence 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: [email protected].
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  The hiker's red fleece limped into the parking lot and vanished 04.09.2026 20min

  A 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 vanishedIn 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 CampbellDate: June 13-14, 2019Location: Spur Creek Trailhead, Deschutes-Ridgeline Wilderness, Morrow County, OregonItem: hiking pack with red fleece and gray long-sleeveWitness: 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: [email protected].
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  The beacon kept beeping - it led rescuers to Jean's culvert 04.09.2026 20min

  A 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 culvertIn 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 AdamsPerson: Dennis OkaforPerson: Judith HillLocation: culvert buried under snowpack at 11,200 ftDate: 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: [email protected].
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  The journal Ruth wedged under a culvert brace washed eleven miles away 04.09.2026 20min

  A 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 awayIn 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 JonesDate: April 6-12, 2019Location: Watcher Ridge, Ochoco National ForestStatus: Case closed May 3, 2019; cause of death listed as hypothermia, accidental exposureDiscoverer: 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: [email protected].