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Blood Trails — 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 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 insight from detectives and hunters, and first-hand accounts from the people who were actually there. For true crime listeners looking for something new—and outdoorsmen who know the thrill and risk of time afield—Blood Trails exposes the stories left behind in the tracks. If you’re a fan of Dateline, Criminal, or Bear Grease but want your true crime set in the wild places you know, this podcast is for you.

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Latest Episodes:

S2E5: The Assassination of Tommy Ballard May 14, 2026

Show notes

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 the Case File.

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S2E4: Catching the Killer of Neil LaFave May 07, 2026

Show notes

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 willing to go to avoid getting caught.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.

Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater

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Blood Trails on Instagram

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2E3: The Murder of Timothy Blyth Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

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, and a group of hunting buddies without the friend they loved.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

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Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2E2: The Search for Bob Smith Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

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 something far more deliberate?

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S2E1: Who Murdered Mike Crites? Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

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 before he disappeared—and later changed his story. More than a decade later, the case finally made it to trial. But even now, the most critical questions remain unanswered.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Announcing: Blood Trails, Season Two Apr 12, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Case Update: Bob Christian DNA Results Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

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.

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S1E8: The Murder of Chong Yang Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

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 “accident”? Or something even darker?

In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars walks you through every twist and misdirection—from the first frantic phone call to the moment detectives finally identified two suspects whose own words may become their undoing. This is the story of a man who survived war, built a life from nothing, and was taken from his family by someone hiding in the same woods he loved.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.

Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater

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Jordan Sillars on Instagram

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E7: Lost in the Dark Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

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 something he shouldn’t have? Or did he experience a darker, far more complex crisis that left even forensic experts baffled?

In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars breaks down the full case file—interviews with Jeff’s hunting partner, GBI agents, forensic specialists, and members of Jeff’s community—to uncover why investigators ultimately reached the most controversial conclusion of all.

This is the story of a death that defies logic, a crime scene that rewrites itself, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried.
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 for free, confidential support.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S1E6: What Happened to Aaron Hedges? Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

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 mystery only deepened. Did Aaron lose his way in the vast, punishing wilderness, or was something far more sinister waiting in the shadows? In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars explores how the line between accident and foul play is thinner than you think.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.

Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Jordan Sillars on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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