Podcast · True Crime

Blood Trails

Blood Trails is a new investigative podcast from MeatEater, hosted by writer and journalist Jordan Sillars. Each episode digs into true crime stories from the world of hunting and fishing—cases where the woods and the water became the backdrop for violence and mystery. From missing hunters deep in p

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 56 min
Latest: 15 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 6 minNew

S3E1: The Disappearance of Noel Dalluge

On Halloween weekend in 1986, 17-year-old Noel Dalluge traveled to a remote Minnesota hunting cabin with his high school buddies. The plan was simple: party, hunt, and celebrate the end of football season. But early the next morning, Noel vanished into the woods... without a trace. An extensive search turned up nothing, and questions about what really happened that weekend have haunted his family for decades. Now, nearly 40 years later, new interviews and old suspicions raise a disturbing possibility: someone at that cabin knows more than they've ever admitted. Thank you to our sponsor,…

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Earlier episodes 24 most recent

S3 · 8 Oct 2026 · 2 min
Announcing: Blood Trails, Season Three
This season on Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars follows eight brand-new cases: hunting trips gone horribly wrong, decades-old disappearances, suspicious deaths, and crimes hidden deep in the woods. Some cases are ice cold. Others have been solved—at least, according to the law. But every case in Season 3 is still haunted by unanswered questions. Through firsthand interviews, archival audio, court records, and investigative reporting, Blood Trails digs into what happened, what may have been missed, and why these stories still refuse to stay buried. Follow the show now to get notified…
6 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 14 min
Paradise Prison: Chapter 3
Going public may be the Americans’ only chance of escaping Turks and Caicos—but they’ve been warned that doing so could be a death sentence. With years in prison hanging over them, Ryan Watson, Bryan Hagerich, Tyler Wenrich, and their families launch a campaign to expose their treatment to the world. Their story goes viral, drawing millions of supporters and the attention of the United States Congress. But publicity is a double-edged sword. As bomb threats shut down airports and strangers circulate the Americans’ locations online, the men and their loved ones begin…
30 Jul 2026 · 56 min
Paradise Prison: Chapter 2
Before Ryan Watson, Bryan Hagerich, and Tyler Wenrich faced the possibility of 12 years in a Turks and Caicos prison, another American had already lived their nightmare. In 2023, Michael Grim forgot a loaded pistol magazine in his vacation backpack. He never intended to bring ammunition into the country, but after a bewildering court process, he became the first American tourist sentenced to His Majesty’s Prison on Grand Turk. In Chapter 2 of Blood Trails: Paradise Prison, Michael reveals what happened after the prison gates closed behind him. Alone in a foreign country, he enters a…
23 Jul 2026 · 1 hr
Paradise Prison: Chapter 1
In this explosive Blood Trails miniseries, a dream Caribbean vacation becomes every hunter's worst nightmare. When Oklahoma hunter Ryan Watson is stopped at the Turks and Caicos airport after security discovers four forgotten rifle cartridges inside an old duffel bag, he expects to lose the ammunition and catch his flight home. Instead, he and his wife are taken away by plainclothes officers, threatened with 12 years in prison, and thrust into a justice system that will change their lives forever. As more American hunters are caught in the same legal trap, a disturbing pattern begins to…
16 Jul 2026 · 1 min
Announcing: Blood Trails, Paradise Prison
Blood Trails is a true crime podcast born in the outdoors--and in this three-part summer mini-series, Paradise Prison, we're going to follow American hunters and gun owners who were trapped in Turks and Caicos in 2024. The story received international media attention, and you might think you know what happened, but trust us, you don't know the half of it. Follow the show now to get notified when Episode 1 drops, Thursday, July 23rd. Follow Blood Trails on Apple , Spotify , YouTube , iHeart , Pandora , Amazon . Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube…
S2 · 4 Jun 2026 · 56 min
S2E8: The Mysterious Death of Jon Young
In January 2019, retired archeologist Dr. Jon Young was found dead in the smoldering ruins of the adobe home he'd built by hand outside Taos, New Mexico. The fire marshal found evidence of accelerants in five locations. The autopsy flagged a suspicious hole in his skull. A neighbor saw unfamiliar men outside the house minutes before the blaze. And yet, no one has ever been charged — because, incredibly, no law enforcement agency ever opened a homicide investigation. Host Jordan Sillars traces the cold trail left by a fascinating man whose life's work may have gotten him killed, and…
S2 · 28 May 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
S2E7: Finding Justice for Dustin Kjersem
In October of 2024, Dustin Kjersem drove into the mountains south of Bozeman, Montana, to prepare for a romantic weekend of camping. He was never seen alive again. When his girlfriend finally discovered his body, she thought he'd been attacked by a bear. But the truth, it turned out, was far more disturbing. To find Dustin's killer, investigators followed a trail that led through a bloody campsite, a missing axe, two tequila glasses, and a pair of cell phones found by a man who claimed he saw them in a dream. This is a story about finding justice for a man who had never made an enemy —…
S2 · 21 May 2026 · 54 min
S2E6: The Disappearance of Bill Roland
When Bill Roland went missing from Lake Sam Rayburn in 1997, nothing about the case made sense. Weeks later, his boat turned up hidden in a cove, shot multiple times with a shotgun in an apparent attempt to sink it. His truck was found burned. His trailer was somewhere else entirely. And Bill was nowhere to be found. Investigators were left to piece together a puzzle with missing parts: a fisherman who may have had no enemies… or may have had more than anyone realized. Was this a random encounter on the water or something that started long before he ever launched his boat? Want more…
S2 · 14 May 2026 · 57 min
S2E5: The Assassination of Tommy Ballard
Tommy Ballard refused to let his daughter’s disappearance fade away. After Crystal Rogers vanished in 2015, Ballard became the face of the search. He organized volunteers, worked with investigators, and publicly called out the man he believed was responsible. A year later, while hunting with his grandson, Ballard was shot and killed. The attack was precise. Intentional. And, to many, not a coincidence. As investigators worked to unravel both cases, one question loomed over everything: was Tommy Ballard murdered because he got too close to the truth? Want more Blood Trails? Check out…
S2 · 7 May 2026 · 59 min
S2E4: Catching the Killer of Neil LaFave
On his birthday in 1971, Wisconsin game warden Neil LaFave went out to post “No Hunting” signs. He never came home. The next morning, searchers found his body buried in a shallow grave. The brutality stunned investigators: multiple gunshots, and a horrifying attempt to conceal the crime. Suspicion quickly centered on a young poacher with a history of conflict with LaFave. But proving it would take something new: one of the first wiretaps ever used in a Wisconsin murder case. What followed was a breakthrough that changed the investigation, and revealed just how far someone was…
S2 · 30 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 19 min
S2E3: The Murder of Timothy Blyth
Timothy Blyth was scouting for a hunt in Florida’s St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge when a chance encounter turned deadly. What started as an argument over access and safety escalated into gunfire. Minutes later, Blyth was found dead in the road. The man he’d been arguing with was gone, along with the weapon he'd used. Witnesses described an aggressive confrontation. Evidence tied the suspect to the scene. But his version of events told a different story: self-defense. Whichever version of events you believe, one thing is clear: Tim Blyth's death left a father without a son,…
S2 · 23 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
S2E2: The Search for Bob Smith
Bob Smith stepped into the Maine woods on a November afternoon in 1997 and never came back. His wife heard a single gunshot. Then... nothing. What followed was the largest ground search in the history of the Maine Warden Service. Investigators found clues—a set of boot prints, a strange arrow in the dirt, even a dead moose nearby—but none of them led to Bob. As the search dragged on, rumors surfaced: out-of-state hunters who left early, a story about an accidental shooting, and people who may have known more than they said. Was Bob Smith the victim of a tragic accident… or…
S2 · 16 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 24 min
S2E1: Who Murdered Mike Crites?
Mike Crites wanted to live alone in the Montana mountains. He built a cabin, managed his land for wildlife, and spent his days hunting elk and mule deer. But isolation didn’t mean peace. After years of escalating disputes with neighbors over access roads and property lines, Mike vanished in September 2011. What investigators eventually found was far worse than a missing person case—it was a dismemberment, with remains scattered across both sides of a mountain pass. Two neighbors emerged as key figures. One had a long history of conflict with Mike. The other showed up the day…
S2 · 12 Apr 2026 · 1 min
Announcing: Blood Trails, Season Two
Blood Trails is a true crime podcast born in the outdoors--and in Season 2, we're going even deeper. From the grisly killing of a mountain man in Montana to the cold-blooded murder of a deer hunter in Florida to the strange disappearance of an angler in Texas, these stories delve into the recesses of the wilderness--and the evil of the human heart. Follow the show now to get notified when Episode 1 drops, Thursday, April 16. Follow Blood Trails on Apple , Spotify , YouTube , iHeart , Pandora , Amazon . Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan…
27 Mar 2026 · 15 min
Case Update: Bob Christian DNA Results
Last year, Wisconsin detectives requested that the four unidentified victims of Chicagoland serial killer John Wayne Gacy be compared to a missing 18-year-old hunter named Bob Christian. We covered Bob's story in Episode 1 of Season 1. Those DNA results have finally arrived, and we have all the details in this Case Update. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File . Follow Blood Trails on Apple , Spotify , YouTube , iHeart , Pandora , Amazon . Connect with Jordan Sillars, MeatEater , and Blood Trails MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on…
S1 · 18 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 30 min
S1E8: The Murder of Chong Yang
On November 16, 2018, 68-year-old Chong Mua Yang—a Hmong immigrant, war veteran, and lifelong hunter—was found face-down in the snow, shot in the back of the head. The backpack, knife, and shotgun he'd taken on his deer hunt were missing. His footprints were the only ones leading in… but not the only ones leading out. The investigation would take six years, involve Google geofence warrants, racist text messages, GPS timelines, a can of Scent Killer, and a shocking interview in Miami that turned the entire case upside down. Was this a hate crime? A hunting…
S1 · 11 Dec 2025 · 56 min
S1E7: Lost in the Dark
In September 2012, 35-year-old Jeffrey Gebhardt vanished in the Georgia woods during an early-season deer hunt. A few hours later, search teams discovered his body on the edge of Clarks Hill Lake—hands folded neatly on his chest, gear scattered nearby, and eighteen stab wounds across his torso. What investigators didn’t find was even more disturbing. No defensive wounds. No footprints except Jeff’s. No blood trail, no drag marks, no sign of a struggle. And a knife beneath him containing only his DNA. Was Jeff murdered by someone hiding deep in the forest? Did he witness…
S1 · 4 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
S1E6: What Happened to Aaron Hedges?
This story begins in the wild, unforgiving mountains of Montana. In September of 2014, 38-year-old Aaron Hedges set out with friends for a weeklong elk hunt in the Crazy Mountains. But when he left camp to retrieve supplies from a nearby cache, those friends never saw him again. But instead of searching for him, they went home--right as a snowstorm hit. Search and rescue teams were unable to locate the missing hunter. All they found were a few pieces of gear, including his boots, but no trace of Aaron Hedges. His remains were eventually found miles from where he was supposed to be, but the…
S1 · 27 Nov 2025 · 45 min
S1E5: A Big Woods Cold Case
On a snowy November morning in 1975, 25-year-old hunter Ludger Belanger stepped into the woods with his .30-30 and the hope of backstraps for dinner. But what started as a simple deer hunt quickly became one of Maine’s oldest—and most haunting—unsolved cases. At first, game wardens thought Ludger had lost his way. But the tracks in the snow told another story: a shot deer, a missing rifle, tire marks on a back road, and two strangers in a green Buick. Join host Jordan Sillars as this episode of Blood Trails follows a path that twists into drunken parties, threats,…
S1 · 20 Nov 2025 · 47 min
S1E4: A Family's Hunt for the Truth
Deer hunting is a way of life in central Minnesota, but on November 7th, 2016, the shot that echoed through the forest didn’t mark the end of a deer hunt—it marked the beginning of a mystery that still haunts a family and their community. Terry Brisk, a devoted father of four and lifelong outdoorsman, set out to check his stands—and never returned. His teenage son found him lying in the leaves, shot at close range with his own rifle. What followed was a nightmare of unanswered questions, fractured family bonds, and a community haunted by suspicion. Was Terry killed by a…
S1 · 13 Nov 2025 · 39 min
S1E3: A Monster Among Us, Part 2
Paul Hutchinson's suicide was his final act of cowardice. He saved himself the pain of facing his community, not to mention Danni’s family. Meanwhile, his actions introduced a whole new level of pain and confusion to those who knew him and cared about him. Those people have been left to grapple with questions without the opportunity to ever have them answered. In this episode, we talk to Paul's family, friends, coworkers, and hunting partners to ask whether there was any indication in Paul's character or behavior that he'd killed an innocent girl nearly 30 years ago. We also talk with…
S1 · 6 Nov 2025 · 47 min
S1E2: A Monster Among Us, Part 1
Paul Hutchinson seemed like a regular Montanan—an ex-Marine, a fisheries biologist, a father, and a diehard turkey hunter. But behind that facade lurked a predator, hiding in plain sight. Nearly three decades after the brutal rape and murder of 15-year-old Danni Houchins, investigators uncovered the chilling truth: Hutchinson was her killer. His sudden suicide closed the case but opened a darker question—was Danni his only victim, or did Hutchinson use his hunting trips across America as cover for other crimes? In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars explores the…
S1 · 30 Oct 2025 · 45 min
S1E1: An Opening Day Disappearance
It’s a mystery that’s haunted Wisconsin’s hunting community for nearly 50 years. On September 16, 1977, 18-year-old Bob Christian left home to spend the night at a friend’s house before the opening day of bow season. That night, his future looked bright. He’d just been accepted to the University of Wisconsin as a computer science major, and his friendly, easygoing personality endeared him to family and friends alike. But something happened on that drive, and to this day, no one knows what. His car was later found stripped on a remote dirt road near his childhood…
22 Oct 2025 · 2 min
Introducing: Blood Trails
Blood Trails is a new investigative podcast from MeatEater, hosted by writer and journalist Jordan Sillars. Each episode digs into true crime stories from the world of hunting and fishing—cases where the woods and the water became the backdrop for violence and mystery. From missing hunters deep in public land to poachers turned killers and fishing trips gone fatally wrong, Blood Trails uncovers the moments when outdoor life collides with the darkness of the human heart. But this isn't repackaged Wikipedia. Each story features original reporting you won't hear anywhere else, expert…

About Blood Trails

Blood Trails is a English true crime podcast from MeatEater. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: MeatEater
Language: English
Category: True Crime
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 56 min
Latest episode: 15 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1848185680

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