The Trail Went Cold

October 8, 1976. Knoxville, Tennessee. 16-year old Trenny Gibson leaves on a high school field trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park alongside nearly 40 classmates. The students spend the day hiking through the park, but after Trenny is last seen turning off the trail at around 3:00 PM, she vanishes without explanation. During a search of the park, dogs would track Trenny’s scent to a spot next to the roadside, creating speculation that she was abducted. Did Trenny simply wander off and die of exposure, or was she a victim of foul play? And if she was harmed, could other students have been involved? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we chronicle one of the most mysterious unsolved disappearances of the Smoky Mountains. Special thanks to listener Laura for requesting this case. Be sure to visit her blog about Trenny Gibson at https://www.canadiangurl77.com.
Additional Reading:
http://charleyproject.org/case/teresa-lynn-gibson
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/appalachian-unsolved-trenny-gibson-lost-in-the-smokies/51-494178428
“Death in the Great Smoky Mountains: Stories of Accidents and Foolhardness in the Most Popular Park” by Michael R. Bradley
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

May 31, 1975. Hamilton, New Zealand. 18-year old Mona Blades leaves to hitchhike hundreds of kilometres in order to attend her nephew’s birthday in Hastings, but never arrives. After Mona is reported missing, witnesses would recall seeing her inside an orange Datsun station wagon with an unidentified man. Over the years, investigators examine a number of different suspects, including a man who committed suicide only weeks after Mona went missing, a former traffic officer, and a biker gang. Who was actually responsible for Mona Blades’ disappearance? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” covers our first unsolved mystery from New Zealand, which happens to be one of the country’s famous missing persons cases. Special thanks to listener Loquin Britton for providing the opening narration for this episode.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Blades_case
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12099766
http://www.police.govt.nz/stolenwanted/coldcase/2018/mona-elizabeth-blades-1975
http://www.tonybaloney.co.nz/index.html
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

August 28, 2008. Laurel, Maryland. While returning to her apartment after running errands, 28-year old Army veteran and government employee Kanika Powell is shot to death inside the building’s hallway. In the preceding days, Kanika claimed that separate men impersonating an FBI agent and a deliveryman had knocked on her apartment door, but she refused to let them inside. Two-and-half-months later, Sean Nicholas Green, a 31-year old government employee living in Oxon Hill 30 miles away, is shot to death by a masked gunman while parked in traffic. Could the two crimes be connected? Were Kanika and Sean both murdered because they happened to work government jobs requiring top secret clearance? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” examines a pair of baffling, seemingly motiveless unsolved murders which have left investigators stumped for the past decade.
Additional Reading:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090304010_2.html?noredirect=on
https://truecrimedaily.com/2015/10/09/unsolved-national-security-worker-gunned-down-amid-mysterious-circumstances/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/22/AR2008112202015.html
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

August 14, 1986. Myrtle Point, Oregon. 14-year old Jeremy Bright attends a county fair with his younger sister, but after promising to meet her at a scheduled time, he does not show up and is never heard from again. After Jeremy is reported missing, it isn’t long before rumours start circulating throughout the community and many of them involve a group of local troublemakers causing Jeremy’s death and disposing of his body. Two years later, one of these alleged suspects would go to prison for an unrelated murder, but it still fails to turn up any answers about Jeremy’s disappearance. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a frustrating missing persons case which has gone unsolved for three decades, even though there are people out there who might still know the truth about what happened.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jeremy_Bright
https://unsolved.com/gallery/jeremy-bright/
http://charleyproject.org/case/jeremy-doland-bright
https://theworldlink.com/news/local/still-missing-after-years/article_2d8d4350-bd7f-5629-adb9-c8f0fed9ad05.html
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

April 12, 1981. Keddie, California. 36-year old Sue Sharp, her 15-year old son John Sharp, and John’s 17-year old friend, Dana Wingate, are found brutally murdered inside Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort. Sue’s 12-year old daughter, Tina Sharp, is missing and her skeletal remains would be discovered in a remote area three years later. Sue’s two youngest sons, along with a 12-year old family friend named Justin Smartt spent the night in a separate bedroom and were left unharmed. Over the years, the investigation would uncover two promising suspects who happened to live in another cabin at the resort. Were these two men responsible for the Keddie Cabin murders? Was there was a cover-up by law enforcement which allowed them to escape justice? Did Justin Smartt witness the murders and block the event from his memory? Were other suspects involved in the crime? For our special Halloween episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we will be examining an infamous case which was voted on by our listeners. Special thanks to listeners Kelly Campbell, Stuart Davis, and Stephanie Kurtz for narrating sections of today’s episode.
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keddie_murders
http://keddie28.com
https://www.plumasnews.com/keddie-murders-revisited/
https://www.plumasnews.com/keddie-murders-revisited-following-the-clues/
https://www.plumasnews.com/keddie-murders-revisited-part-3-hypnosis-counselors-revelations-mob-connections/
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

Five years ago, Molly Weaver, Bryan Anderson, and Nathan Howell started a podcast focused on the local legend of a monster called The Blackwood Bugman. Quickly, the investigation grows out of their control, as they discover that, not only are the legends seemingly true, many people in Blackwood have turned up dead or disappeared without a trace. Worse, there may be a reason why no one has ever uncovered the truth before. Someone is watching them, willing to do whatever it takes to keep the secret. Their recordings have finally been released.
In this bonus episode, Robin introduces Blackwood and offers up a preview of the show. Click here to subscribe to Blackwood.

October 31, 2002. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 21-year old university student Chris Jenkins celebrates Halloween by going to a local bar with friends. After he is ejected from the establishment, Chris vanishes without a trace and his body is found in the Mississippi River four months later. While police initially believe that Chris’ death was an accidental drowning, his family uncovers disturbing discrepancies to suggest his body was not in the river the entire time he was missing and that he was a victim of foul play. After four years, the Minneapolis police chief reopens the investigation, reclassifies Chris’ death as a homicide, and issues an apology to the Jenkins family. What actually happened to Chris Jenkins after he left the bar? Could his death somehow be connected to the infamous “Smiley face murder theory”? This week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” examines a truly baffling Halloween night mystery.
Additional Reading:
http://www.startribune.com/strange-case-of-son-s-death-propels-mom-on-tireless-quest/82751737/
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2006/11/20/jenkins
https://www.twincities.com/2007/07/31/no-charges-for-now-against-suspect-in-college-students-02-death/
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38601514/ns/solve_my_mystery/t/investigators-notes/#.W8jIv2hKhO-
“Case Studies in Drowning Forensics” by Kevin Gannon & D. Lee Gilbertson
“Footprints of Courage: Our Family’s Struggle for Justice – Inside the Chris Jenkins Murder Investigation” by Jan Jenkins
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

October 24, 1953. La Crosse, Wisconsin. The father of 15-year old Evelyn Hartley attempts to phone her while she is babysitting an infant child, but there is no answer at the house. After travelling there to check on her, he discovers that Evelyn has disappeared and the evidence suggests she was the victim of a violent abduction by an intruder. Days later, pieces of blood-stained clothing are found outside of town which are believed to belong to Evelyn and her abductor. Over the next several decades, there would be a number of developments, including a possible connection to notorious murderer Ed Gein and the discovery of a tape-recorded confession implicating multiple suspects in the crime, but Evelyn is never found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we examine what is considered to be one of the most terrifying unsolved missing persons cases of all time.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Evelyn_Hartley
http://charleyproject.org/case/evelyn-grace-hartley
http://jg-tc.com/news/old-tape-gives-new-clues-in-half-century-old-death/article_39f757c9-23d6-5f35-ae47-56809db3483c.html
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
We would like to thank Shudder for supporting The Trail Went Cold. Try Shudder free for 30 days by visiting www.shudder.com/podcast and using the promo code “cold”.
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

October 31, 1979. Williamson County, Texas. The nude body of a young woman is discovered in a concrete culvert next to Interstate 35. She has been strangled to death and is only clad in a pair of orange socks, but since she cannot be identified, “Orange Socks” becomes her nickname. Notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas eventually confesses to her murder and is sentenced to death, but there is strong evidence to suggest he was not actually responsible.
November 1, 1980. Walker County, Texas. The nude body of another young woman is discovered next to Interstate 45. She has also been strangled to death and sexually assaulted with a blunt instrument. Witnesses would recognize the victim and recall speaking with her the previous night as she asked for directions to the Ellis Prison Unit. In spite of some promising clues, investigators are unable to uncover the victim’s identity, so she simply becomes known as the “Walker County Jane Doe”.
Could the same perpetrator have been responsible for both these crimes? On this week’s episode of "The Trail Went Cold", we examine two unsolved cold cases about young women who were murdered in Texas one year apart, but have never been identified.
Please check out the Doe Network profile pages for “Orange Socks” and the “Walker County Jane Doe”, which contain facial reconstructions for both victims, their vital statistics, and contact information for the proper authorities should you happen to know who they are…
Orange Socks: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/33uftx.html
Walker County Jane Doe: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/91uftx.html
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Socks
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Identity-of-Orange-Socks-remains-a-mystery-1972763.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_County_Jane_Doe
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon! Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.

The courtroom can be a battlefield over money, people’s rights, and even their lives. For some cases, the consequences can affect us long after the verdict is read. Based on extensive interviews and court transcripts, Wondery’s new podcast LEGAL WARS puts you inside the jury box of some of the most famous court cases in American history, including Hulk Hogan’s courtroom wrestling match with Gawker, the battle for free speech on the internet, and the Rodney King trial that set off the LA Riots. Host Hill Harper, actor and Harvard Law School graduate, brings you the drama, the larger-than-life characters, and the real-world impact these cases had on our society.
In this bonus episode, Robin introduces Legal Wars and offers up a preview of the show. To subscribe to Legal Wars on Apple Podcasts, click here.