Episodi

  • She Left a Full Water Bottle - Found Days Later, Alone on Slab

    She Left a Full Water Bottle - Found Days Later, Alone on Slab
    Aug 4 2026
    She Left a Full Water Bottle - Found Days Later, Alone on Slab

    Quiet and deliberate details make this disappearance creep from ordinary to impossible: a full filtered water bottle left behind, a cast-iron skillet still on the stove, and a campsite untouched for four days. How does a practiced backcountry traveler who knew Ferris Bench like a room in her house walk away from planned gear and then vanish where scent should have stayed?

    In this episode, we lay out the sequence of what was found at the Ferris Bench camp and the early search actions that followed, from the voicemail and the precise routines at home to the trackers on the granite Slab - and we ask what the evidence really implies about Kathleen Young’s last evening.

    Person: Kathleen Young
    Age: 54
    Location: Ferris Bench, Harlow County, Montana
    Date last seen: July 10, 2019
    Search discovered camp: July 14, 2019

    - Kathleen left a voicemail at 2:00 PM about a spare key location under a clay pot.
    - At 6:15 PM she texted: "Heading out for the evening walk, back before dark."
    - The campsite sat undisturbed for four days before being reported by 16-year-old Carl Whitaker.
    - One of three water bottles was missing while another filtered bottle was full and left ready to drink.
    - Tracking dogs followed scent northeast toward the Slab for about 1.25 miles, then scent abruptly vanished on the granite.

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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.
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    19 min
  • Dry Boots on a Wet Road: Where Nicole Vanished for Five Days

    Dry Boots on a Wet Road: Where Nicole Vanished for Five Days
    Aug 3 2026
    Dry Boots on a Wet Road: Where Nicole Vanished for Five Days

    Light on the trailhead registry and heavy with rain, two dry boots stood perfectly upright on a damp forest service road while everything around them was soaked - laces tied, name tags reading N. STROUD, found six minutes after 6:08 a.m.; how does footwear remain dry when an inch and a half of rain still drips from the canyon? What could explain boots placed so deliberately on a road that runs two point three miles from the route she signed for?

    In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Nicole Stroud signing the Middle Fork Loop trailhead on June 7, 2007 to the discovery of her boots on FSR 114 on June 11, and we lay out the evidence collected by search-and-rescue as they try to reconcile her known route with where the boots were found. What did the scratched pencil note in her notebook and the dog tracks reveal about the decision that changed her course?

    Person: Nicole Stroud
    Date: June 7-11, 2007
    Location: FSR 114; Middle Fork Loop trailhead; canyon system
    Status: Missing after boots found on road
    Search team: 17 people, 2 dog units, 1 helicopter

    - Nicole signed the trailhead at 8:20 a.m. Thursday, writing Middle Fork Loop and an expected return date of Saturday, June 9.
    - Two boots were found at 6:14 a.m. Monday on the center of FSR 114, laces tied and dry, with name tags reading "N. STROUD."
    - FSR 114 is 2.3 miles from the trailhead and runs along the western rim, while Nicole had registered for a southeast route.
    - A pencil note in Nicole's canyon notebook read "W called. Changed. Will explain Thursday late," written over a blue ballpoint entry; the notebook was in her truck's glove compartment.
    - A dog named Holt tracked to the boots, followed the road edge north for roughly 40 yards, then sat at the road edge above a steep brushy slope one point one miles above an unconsidered side drainage.

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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.
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    20 min
  • The Standing Boot on a Gravel Road: How Did It Walk There?

    The Standing Boot on a Gravel Road: How Did It Walk There?
    Aug 2 2026
    The Standing Boot on a Gravel Road: How Did It Walk There?

    A single size seven hiking boot, laces double-knotted and standing upright on a wet gravel road while its interior remained dry - how does something like that arrive alone, one point one miles from where the owner would be found? This episode centers on a contradiction that even the official search-and-rescue report could not explain: no mechanical explanation fits the boot's appearance. What happened in the Suttler National Forest that morning?

    In this episode, we walk through the timeline, witness statements, and the official report to lay out what is known about Monica Berry’s disappearance and the odd evidence that dogged the search. We describe her routine, the terrain of the Coldwater Trail and Hatchet Plateau, and the moment she left the spur trail - then ask the question the photograph of the boot forces: who, or what, moved it?

    Person: Monica Berry
    Date: Tuesday morning at 6:47 (photograph taken by Gary Simpson)
    Location: Suttler National Forest, Hatchet Plateau / Coldwater Trail
    Status: Missing then found after thirty-one hours; official report states no mechanical explanation for boot
    Author: Search-and-rescue coordinator Roger Hayes (report filed weeks later)

    - Monica Berry had been missing for thirteen hours when the boot was seen on the gravel road.
    - The boot was a size seven, standing upright with laces tied in a double knot.
    - The boot was 1.1 miles by road from where Monica would eventually be found.
    - Monica and Marcus entered the Coldwater Trailhead at approximately 2:15 PM and reached the Hatchet Plateau by 4:30 PM.
    - Monica walked the same annual trail for eleven consecutive years and had stopped at the Hatchet Plateau’s fire ring at 4:30 PM as part of her usual routine.

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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.
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    17 min
  • The Shoe That Stood Upright: How Sandra Vanished From Open Ground

    The Shoe That Stood Upright: How Sandra Vanished From Open Ground
    Aug 1 2026
    The Shoe That Stood Upright: How Sandra Vanished From Open Ground

    A single white hiking shoe stood upright, laces tied, size seven, on dry soil while every inch around it was soaked - found three miles into a familiar trail at 6:52 a.m, on April 9, 2019. How did a deliberate, experienced hiker disappear from open meadow terrain with a shoe that appears to have sat there before the runoff soaked the wash?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sandra Quinn’s last confirmed call at 4:31 p.m. on April 7 to the discovery of her shoe two mornings later, and we lay out the peculiar physical details that make this disappearance puzzling. What does a dry patch beneath an upright shoe tell us about the hours between her last call and when the shoe was found?

    Person: Sandra Quinn
    Date: April 7-9, 2019
    Location: Spur Wash, near Fenwick Flat, Orvane National Forest
    Age: 62
    Last confirmed contact: 4:31 p.m. April 7 (a 40-second call to her sister)

    - The shoe was a white hiking shoe, size seven, laces tied in a neat bow, standing upright on its sole.
    - The shoe was found at 6:52 a.m. on April 9, 2019, by Jessica Wells, three miles into the North Spur trail run.
    - The ground around the shoe was uniformly wet from overnight runoff, but the soil directly beneath the shoe was dry.
    - Sandra Quinn’s last confirmed activity was a 40-second phone call to her sister at 4:31 p.m. on April 7; the phone powered off at 4:47 p.m.
    - Fenwick Flat is an open meadow roughly 300 yards across at 8,300 feet, visible from a quarter mile in every direction and classified as high-probability terrain for searches.

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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.
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    18 min
  • Boots on the Granite Shelf: She Vanished, Then Reappeared Alive

    Boots on the Granite Shelf: She Vanished, Then Reappeared Alive
    Jul 31 2026
    Boots on the Granite Shelf: She Vanished, Then Reappeared Alive

    A single pair of brown leather hiking boots sat on a granite ledge at 11,200 feet with laces retied and one inch of fresh snow around them - and no footprints leading toward or away. Sharon Norris had been missing for four days after leaving before dawn with a two-liter hydration vest and only basic gear; how did boots appear so deliberately where scent trails could not reach? What happened between the scent cut at 10,400 feet and a boot-lined ledge above it?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sharon’s last known actions through the initial search and the puzzling physical evidence found on the granite shelf. We cover the discovery that opened the case, the search dog scent cut at 10,400 feet, and the items Sharon carried when she left - and ask how those facts fit together.

    Person: Sharon Norris
    Date: March 14, 2019
    Location: Fenwick Drainage, Pinnock County
    Status: Missing at time of initial discovery
    Event: Boots found on granite shelf at 11,200 feet

    - Sharon left before 5:00 a.m. on March 10, 2019, leaving her phone charging on the kitchen counter.
    - The boots were discovered at 12:47 p.m. on March 14, 2019, with eight minutes later the roommate calling the sheriff.
    - The boots sat on an exposed granite shelf at approximately 11,200 feet with one inch of fresh snow around them.
    - Search dogs established Sharon passed the Wishbone and that the scent trail ended at about 10,400 feet.
    - Sharon’s packed items included two liters of water, two energy bars, a small knife, a headlamp, a tube of electrolytes, and one emergency mylar blanket.

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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.
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    19 min
  • Folded Vest, Broken Trail: The Four Hundred Yards Mystery

    Folded Vest, Broken Trail: The Four Hundred Yards Mystery
    Jul 30 2026
    Folded Vest, Broken Trail: The Four Hundred Yards Mystery

    A folded safety-orange vest on a pickup hood stopped a delivery driver cold on February 9, 2019 - five days after the owner went missing - and set off a search that would watch two trained dogs lose a scent at the exact same elevation. What does it mean when a woman who always put that vest on before leaving her truck is found with it neatly folded and unattended?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from a missed volunteer shift to a full-scale winter search in Pinecroft National Forest, hear how Valerie Hunt’s decades-long familiarity with the land factors into every clue, and track the baffling moment when both dog teams lost the trail at one contour line - a single unanswered question that drove fourteen volunteers into freezing woods.

    Person: Valerie Hunt
    Date: February 4-13, 2019
    Location: Spur eighteen, Pinecroft National Forest
    Status: Missing
    Event: Two search dogs lost scent at same elevation

    - The vest was found folded and placed on the hood of a green pickup at Spur eighteen five days after Valerie vanished.
    - Valerie was 47 years old and had hunted Pinecroft since age 19, roughly 28 years of familiarity.
    - She volunteered every Tuesday from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m, at St. Brendan’s food pantry and missed zero shifts in three years until February 5.
    - Two trained dog teams searched separate routes and both lost scent at the same contour line approximately 200 yards north of the main trail.
    - Search-and-rescue staged 14 volunteers, two dog teams, and a drone on February 13 with temperatures at 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

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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.
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    20 min
  • Twelve Seconds Missing: The Tracks That Changed on Arrowood Ridge

    Twelve Seconds Missing: The Tracks That Changed on Arrowood Ridge
    Jul 29 2026
    Twelve Seconds Missing: The Tracks That Changed on Arrowood Ridge

    Cold, silent snow swallowed twelve seconds on Arrowood Ridge - a six-year-old named Cora vanished from her mother's sight and a single set of child-size duck-boot prints led uphill into the trees, growing deeper and longer at an exact line with no other disturbance. The search dogs halted on that slope and a rescue commander found stride lengths change mid-track; how did a forty-four-pound child leave prints that suddenly matched a longer, deeper gait, and where was Cora for the four hours before she was found?

    In this episode, we follow the timeline from the family’s morning on the Ferncroft Trail through the first response and the search-and-rescue team's field measurements, and we consider the unexplained physical evidence that puzzles deputies and handlers: the uphill, solitary tracks and the altered boot impressions. What do the measurements and the dogs’ behavior tell us about those missing twelve seconds?

    Person: Cora Slater
    Person: Angie Slater
    Person: Lloyd Slater
    Person: Gina Crawford
    Event: Search began at approximately 11:04 AM; search-and-rescue on scene by 11:30 AM

    - Cora Slater was six years old and weighed forty-four pounds.
    - The family reached the rosehip patch at approximately 10:15 AM; Angie looked away for an estimated twelve seconds.
    - Deputy Wes Abordi arrived at the trailhead at 11:04 AM; Angie’s 9-1-1 call was logged at 10:28 AM.
    - Pepper, a five-year-old Belgian Malinois with ~400 hours of certification, stopped and sat in the snow about 600 feet upslope at 11:17 AM.
    - On the flat section near the rosehip patch, prints were ~0.5 inches deep and spaced ~14 inches; beyond a line on the slope the prints became deeper with a longer stride.

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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.
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    20 min
  • Locked Closure, No Tracks: Where Shannon Vanished in Pinewater

    Locked Closure, No Tracks: Where Shannon Vanished in Pinewater
    Jul 28 2026
    Locked Closure, No Tracks: Where Shannon Vanished in Pinewater

    A sealed wilderness closure hid a campsite that should never have existed: a zipped sleeping bag, a factory-sealed fuel canister, and a fragment of rain fly pressed into ash - all inside an area closed since a 2017 lightning fire. How did a methodical, experienced hiker vanish into a locked high-desert wilderness with no tracks in or out?

    In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from Shannon Tate’s last text to the discovery of her car and the campsite, the search that followed, and the puzzling physical evidence that contradicts the assumed entry point. What did the campsite really reveal - and what did it conceal about where Shannon actually entered and what happened next?

    Person: Shannon Tate
    Location: Pinewater closure, eastern Oregon high desert
    Date: last text October 30, 2022; campsite found December 2023
    Status: Missing; campsite discovered sealed inside closure
    Event: Forest closure since 2017 due to lightning fire

    - Sleeping bag remained zipped inside its compression sack and was bone dry and never unrolled.
    - A single-person backpacking tent was partially collapsed under a layer of pine duff six hundred meters inside the closure.
    - The fuel canister beside the titanium cook kit had its valve factory-sealed and was unused.
    - A fragment of rain fly was wedged into ash at the bottom of the firepit, indicating months of sediment pressure.
    - Shannon’s Nissan was found at the Fenwick trailhead on December 3 with pine needles accumulated on the hood.

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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.
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    21 min