Crime Off The Grid

A Utah father’s “family hike” up the steep and strenuous Broads Fork Trail in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest turned into a horrific, life-threatening ordeal for his three young children when he refused to turn back as a storm rolled in, ultimately leaving them exposed, injured, and stranded overnight at high elevation. Search-and-rescue crews later found the children hypothermic and unresponsive, and investigators uncovered disturbing details, including the father ignoring repeated warnings, pushing the kids toward a nearly 9-mile summit, and even leaving his 8-year-old to perform CPR on her brother in the dark. This episode breaks down the timeline, the rescue, and the shocking decisions that turned a mountain trail into a nightmare.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook  Sources:https://www.ksl.com/article/51411042/extremely-selfish-dad-charged-with-taking-young-kids-on-dangerous-hike-that-ended-in-a-rescue https://gephardtdaily.com/local/father-who-took-children-on-mountain-hike-in-snowstorm-arrested-for-alleged-child-torture-intentional-abuse/ https://www.abc4.com/news/crimes-against-children/father-big-cottonwood-hiker-missing-toture/amp/https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/utah-father-who-went-missing-with-3-children-on-hike-charged-with-child-torture-abuseources:

In May 2005, a quiet corner of Wolf Lodge Bay near Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, became the center of one of the most disturbing true crime cases in Pacific Northwest history. When a neighbor discovered blood on the porch of the Groene family’s rural home, it triggered a massive investigation that soon uncovered a brutal triple homicide—and the disappearance of 8-year-old Shasta Groene and her 9-year-old brother, Dylan. What followed was a 7-week search spanning Idaho and the remote Lolo National Forest of Montana, leading authorities to serial predator Joseph Edward Duncan III. This episode explores the Groene family murders, the kidnapping that shook Kootenai County, the heroic rescue that finally brought Shasta home, and the long criminal history that exposed severe failures in the justice system. A heartbreaking but important case that forever changed how the region views safety, wilderness, and the dangers that can lurk in even the most peaceful landscapes.  Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook  Sources:https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26300428https://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/duncan-joseph-edward.htm https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article262213562.html#storylink=cpy

Thanksgiving Day, 2001: deep in the quiet forests of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, searchers made a grim discovery — the body of 52-year-old Canadian hiker who had vanished after setting out for a short afternoon hike. What unfolded in the days before and after her death paints a chilling picture of a random, violent attack in one of the Northeast’s most popular hiking corridors.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookSources:WMUR — “White Mountains Mystery: The Killing of Louise Chaput” https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-white-mountains-mystery-louise-chaput/42126315Concord Monitor — “Twenty years later, Chaput murder is still unsolved” https://www.concordmonitor.com/2021/11/29/twenty-years-later-chaput-murder-is-still-unsolved-43696199/Boston.com — “On 10th anniversary, N.H. authorities seek clues in slaying of White Mountains hiker” https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2011/11/22/on-10th-anniversary-n-h-authorities-seek-clues-in-slaying-of-white-mountains-hiker/

Listen to Nancy share one of her Ranger Tales with special guest, Ranger Kristin.  The two of them were crime fighting partners one night in Yellowstone and proved that no one is above the law.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

In the shadow of the world’s largest trees, a midnight encounter between park rangers and an intoxicated camper spirals into a chaotic and violent confrontation. What begins as a routine DUI investigation in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks turns into a desperate struggle for control, pepper spray flying, and a suspect fleeing into the darkness of the Kaweah RiverSupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

Big Bend National Park is a place of vast beauty and haunting isolation—where the desert meets the Rio Grande and desolation and silence stretches for miles. But in February 2022, that silence was broken when rangers discovered an abandoned truck deep in the backcountry. Inside were the belongings of a man and his daughter—but no sign of either of them. What followed was a desperate search through one of the harshest landscapes in Texas, uncovering a story of survival, heartbreak, and the thin line between devotion and danger.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookSources: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/missing-dad-daughter-found-in-mexico-weeks-after-going-missing-in-big-bend-national-park-bexar-father-9-year-old-child-alive-well   https://bigbendsentinel.com/2022/05/18/june-trial-date-set-for-hector-flores-jr-man-indicted-on-child-endangerment-charge-after-going-missing-with-daughter-in-big-bend-national-park/ https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca5/22-50910/22-50910-2025-02-20.html   https://bigbendsentinel.com/2022/11/16/hector-flores-jr-re-arrested-as-he-appeals-judgment-in-bbnp-child-endangerment-case/U.S. District Court Western District of Texas (San Antonio)CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 5:21-cr-00245-XR-1

In the news: an arrest is made in the case of 2 teens found dead in an Arizona National Forest; Convictions for illegal BASE jumping in Yosemite; Hikers take cover as shots fly over their heads in a wilderness area in California; Seeking information for an assault at an NPS campground; Justice served for the murder of a man found dead in a wilderness area in Colorado; A man arrested for murdering his girlfriend and disposing her body in a National Forest.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

In Yosemite National Park, Tenaya Canyon is known as both stunning and cursed. Legend says Chief Tenaya, the last leader of the Ahwahneechee, placed a curse on the land after his people’s destruction. Ever since, hikers and explorers who enter the canyon have met with strange accidents and misfortune — earning it the name “the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite.”Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookSources:Tempting the Curse of Chief Tenaya - Tahoe QuarterlyThe Far Side of the Sky - Christopher E. Brennenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenaya_Canyon

Deep in Alaska’s Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, the abandoned Kennicott Mines stand as a ghost town frozen in time. Once a thriving copper operation, it now draws visitors for another reason — the echoes of those who never left. From mysterious footsteps to ghostly figures in the windows, this is the haunting story of Alaska’s most famous mining town.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookSources: https://www.adn.com/features/article/teeth-chattering-tales-kennecott-copper-mines-keeps-government-officials-away/2013/10/31/  https://www.cnet.com/culture/ghosts-of-kennecott-exploring-an-abandoned-copper-mine-in-alaska/https://www.nps.gov/wrst/learn/historyculture/kennecott-mines-national-historic-landmark.htmhttps://www.adn.com/features/article/teeth-chattering-tales-kennecott-copper-mines-keeps-government-officials-away/2013/10/31/

Deep beneath the crystal-blue waters of Lake Crescent lies one of Olympic National Park’s darkest secrets. In 1940, a body surfaced—wrapped in blankets, bound with rope, and perfectly preserved by the icy depths. Locals called her the Lady of the Lake, but investigators would uncover her true identity as a woman who vanished three years earlier.  Left behind are whispers that still haunt the lake today. Join us as we dive into the eerie beauty, grim history, and ghostly legends of Lake Crescent—the lake that doesn’t give up its dead.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookSources: https://www.historylink.org/File/8599 https://www.myolympicpark.com/park/history/the-lady-of-crescent-lake/ https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/03/23/lady-of-the-lake/ https://thebadassintrovert.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/weird-history-part-5-washington-state-and-the-lady-of-the-lake/

Ranger Butch Farabee shares a post script to his Ranger Tale.  In other words, the Rest of the Story! PS, this is part 2. Don't listen to this until you listened to the first part.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

A plane carrying 3 tons of marijuana crash in a lake deep in the high country of Yosemite.  Listen to the ranger in charge of the dive operations that recovered 2 tons of the wet weed, the bodies, as well as his role as a deputy coroner on scene.  And wait until you hear what happened to the other ton of weed!Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

Ranger Chris shares his tale of rescue at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area where a dramatic fall from the sky should have meant a young woman didn't survive.  But Chris and his partner arrived in time, and one year later, they learned the real circumstances surrounding the incident.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

The stories in the news this month include a huge bust in the illegal marijuana cultivation of a popular National Park, an update on a murder (a push off the cliff) in a southeastern National Preserve, a ranger faked his own attack in a Colorado State Park, an unusual thief on the lamb in Grand Teton NP, and an update on the Travis Decker manhunt.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookLearn more about Nicole https://www.nicolesnell.com/https://www.nicolesnell.com/girls-fight-back

Join the conversation with Nicole Snell, an award-winning international speaker, CEO of Girls Fight Back, founder of Outdoor Defence, trainer, TEDx speaker, self defense expert, backcountry adventurer, super fun badass, and oh so much more, as she shares her strategies feel and be safe and confident in the great outdoors. Listen and share this episode with someone you know who recreates in outdoor and wild places!Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) FacebookLearn more about Nicole https://www.nicolesnell.com/https://www.nicolesnell.com/girls-fight-back

This week, we’re joined by the hosts of the Locations Unknown Podcast, Joe and Mike, as our special guests on Crime Off the Grid. Together we dig into the darker side of the outdoors—where disappearances and true crime quite possibly collide. You won’t want to miss this crossover conversation!Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

A woman, who’s an inexperienced hiker, goes on a “thigh killing” trail to the top of Bear Mountain. She goes off the edge resulting in her death. What really happened? Was it an accident or the perfect crime in the wild? You decide.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebookhttps://nypost.com/2024/06/29/us-news/womans-brother-claims-husband-behind-fatal-fall-off-mountain-cliff-just-a-cruel-man/https://www.ocregister.com/2024/07/25/police-try-to-unravel-mysterious-death-of-huntington-beach-woman-on-arizona-hiking-trail/https://idahonews.com/news/nation-world/mother-falls-to-her-death-from-cliff-arizona-mountain-sedona-yavapai-county-sheriffs-office-40-year-olf-zaynab-joseph-california-airbnb-husband-infant-hikers-helicopter#https://www.facebook.com/658670549/posts/10163657103765550/?mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=HEIldu90XMlkrIV3 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us/202004/how-many-people-who-die-suicide-first-kill-their-pets  RESOURCES: National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/Call 800.799.SAFE Text START to 88788

Today’s story takes us to the remote and breathtaking Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, a place where there are deep, colorful canyons and unique rock formations, and the red cliffs drop into deep, cold water… and where, in 1996, a family trip turned into something far darker.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

Today's stories include a murdered paddle boarder, a man charged with stalking and assault in Yellowstone and is caught in Grand Teton NP, a Yosemite man wanted for assault is missing, a child is attacked by a mountain lion in Olympic NP, 3 teens have been found murdered in a National Forest,and the USFS has been busy with rescues.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook

Five men, all enjoying the outdoors—hunting, fishing, hiking, jogging—killed in cold blood across rural Ohio. No witnesses. No  motive. No suspect. This is the story of Thomas Lee Dillon, the sniper who hunted outdoorsmen. And for years, no one even knew he existed.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook Sources: https://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/dillonthomas.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dillon