In June of 1987, sixteen-year-old Theresa Ann Bier disappeared into the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
She had gone into the mountains with 43-year-old Russell “Skip” Welch, a man who was fascinated by Bigfoot and claimed to know where the creatures could be found. Theresa never returned.
What followed was one of the strangest missing-person investigations imaginable.
Welch gave investigators conflicting accounts of what had happened. A campsite he initially identified was later questioned by investigators, who believed the scene may have been staged. Another campsite was located miles away, in the remote area of Ghost Canyon. And eventually, Welch gave investigators an explanation that would make Theresa’s disappearance infamous:
He claimed Bigfoot had taken her.
But was that really what happened?
In this episode, we take a detailed look at Theresa's life before she disappeared, the circumstances surrounding her trip into the mountains, the search for her, Russell Welch's changing stories, the investigation and arrest, and the many theories that have surrounded the case for nearly four decades.
We'll also explore the darker side of the story, including allegations surrounding Theresa's difficult childhood and the troubled environment in which she was living before her disappearance.
Nearly forty years later, Theresa remains missing.
There is no confirmed grave.
No confirmed explanation.
And no definitive answer to the question that has haunted her family for decades:
What happened to Theresa Bier?
A note about the case
Some of the information concerning Theresa's childhood, the allegations surrounding people in her life, and the theories involving other possible suspects comes from later interviews, investigative reporting and secondary sources rather than officially established facts. Those claims are presented as allegations or theories, not as proven facts.
Theresa Ann Bier remains officially listed as missing by the California Department of Justice.
If you have information about Theresa Bier's disappearance, please contact the Fresno Police Department.
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Oct 16 202635 min