Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Cold Cases

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park draws millions each year, captivated by its stunning beauty and volcanic wonders. But beneath its dramatic landscapes lie stories of visitors who've gone missing without a trace. This week, we explore cold cases within the park, examining the risks hidden along its rugged trails, active lava flows, and unpredictable coastlines. Join us as we uncover the real dangers of this popular destination—and consider what might have happened to those who ventured out and never returned.

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Hosts: Mike Van de Bogert & Joe Erato

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Thousands of people have mysteriously vanished in America's wilderness. Join
us as we dive into the deep end of the
unexplainable and try to piece together what happened.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
You are listening to Locations Unknown. What's up everybody, and

(00:55):
welcome back to another episode of Locations Unknown. I'm your
co host Joe Erodo and with me is always as
a guy who narrates Morgan Freeman's life, Mike vander Bogart.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
A thank you, Joe, and thank you once again to
all of our loyal listeners for tuning in quickly. We
just want to give a new Patreon shout out to
Karne Manning, so thank you for thank you signing up.
Can't thank you enough. It's like a broken record, so
I'm not gonna go into that spiel, but thank you.
If you want to call the show and leave a
voicemail or text us, you can call two O eight

(01:28):
three nine one six nine one three. The crazier the better.
And we've been getting a lot of voicemails in in anticipation.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
So excited for our livestream show to go through those
with Andy around. Yeah, maybe some other people online like
that's gonna be a lot of fun. I'm so excited
for that.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
So the live stream will be April twenty third, probably
I'll start around seven or eight o'clock Central time. We'll
we'll hammer that out here since it's coming up. Yeah,
we're gonna have a celebration of our studio because we're
getting kicked out, yes, because I keep saying it, because
the building's being turned into condos or apartments. So our

(02:08):
current studio location will be unknown here pretty soon, but
hopefully for not too long. So make sure to tune
in on the twenty third of this month. It should
be fun. We're hoping to you. I know you wrote
it down on the table last night here, but have
you contacted Evan yet?

Speaker 2 (02:25):
I have not.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Okay, yep, maybe right a reminder on the table, doing
it right now.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Okay, Paul, So yeah, you know what's sad he doesn't
listen to our show. I know because he would have
already gotten this note four times now.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, maybe we'll get a North Dakota net or Montana
Mike to have really hope to call and I we
haven't gotten an update on his Sasquatch wife in a while.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
I feel like North Dakota ned or Montana. Mike should
record themselves doing the intro to our show. Yes, and
if they get it to us before the live stream,
that could be the intro to live stream. There we go.
So just saying if you're listening.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Just saying there, North Dakota and net or Montana.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
I want to say, how great of a job you
did on your solo episode, Mike. There's I want to
read a comment I saw on Spotify. It says, much
better show without the other guy. He is dead weight.
Also apparently he is aging out of the game forty
with five laughing. Yeah, so yeah, I think you might
be better off about there.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
That's a tough, tough comment.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean yeah, but it sounds act.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
You know what though, it's a lot of work to
man everything by yourself.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
So I mean, I turned forty, I'm too old. Now
you are getting old. I gotta do AM radio. Yeah,
get a little long in the tooth. I'm gonna join
George Nori and just do coast to coast. Except they're
getting rid of AM radios and cars so like all together, yeah,
why like they're face because no one listens. I mean,
you can go on iHeartRadio and just get the station anyway.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
So with all that out of the way, I'd like
to also mention we've got some other cool shows on
our network that you can check out, Peanut Butter Mountain Podcast,
Off the Trails, The Weirdos we Know who runs this
park and Crime off the Grid. Do you want to
support our show? You can sign up on Patreon. If
you do that before the twenty third, you'll be a
lot We're gonna have a live stream of all our

(04:12):
supporters during the actual big stream, everyone will be able
to watch, but their supporters will be able to interact
with us. And we've done these before us so they're
pretty fun.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
They're a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
So yeah, if you sign up, there's also a lot
of free swag. Not a lot of it, but you
get a bumper sticker if you sign up, or a
coffee cup and.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
He's downside like there's a lot of free swag. Actually
there's not. There's some there's there's some good stuff. But
we're Mike Mikes. You're working on the store and you
got yeah, you should have brought the blanket. Oh, I
forgot I wanted to see that blanket. Darn it. That's okay.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, we have a sixty by eighty inch kind of
plush blanket with our logo on it. That's going to
be on the store, and we'll be offering discount codes
to all our members so you can buy the stuff
at cost Boom as a thank you, You can also
support us on YouTube memberships, premium subscriptions on Apple Speaker.
If you don't have the money to support us, just

(05:07):
tell your friends and family and like us and leave
a comment.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
Wherever you listen I ratings, liking, subscribing, spreading the word.
That's the best thing you can do for us. Wepe
all right, everybody, let's gear up and get out to
explore locations unknown. Beneath the towering volcanoes of Hawaii Volcanoes

(05:40):
National Park, A dark secret lies Buried hikers have vanished
without a trace, their fates forever shrouded in mystery. What
sinister forces lurk in the shadows of these island paradises.
Join us this week as we dive into the chilling
cold cases that haunt these lush, other worldly landscapes. So

(06:22):
we are back to Hawaii Act and I feel like
we were just here, We were just here, We were
just here, but more specifically, just we're gonna do.

Speaker 3 (06:30):
How many cases are we doing? Uh? So we have too. Well,
so we have first cases disappearance, second case is an
unsolved murder. Oh, and the third case is a rescue.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
We are getting dangerously close to being a true crime show.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yes, so we have a disappearance, a murder, and a rescue.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
Okay, this is gonna be a great one. So the
the location we're gonna be hovering around is the Hawaii
Volcanoes National I've.

Speaker 3 (06:55):
Been there in Hawaii.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yes, it was established on a one of nineteen sixteen
and sees roughly well, at least in twenty twenty three
one point six million visitors. Just a little bit about
the habitation history of the area. Human habitation likely began
as early as the thirteenth or fourteenth century, with some
estimates suggesting settlement around six hundred to eight hundred years ago.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
When I was researching this, specifically this part, I could
not get the songs from Mowana out of my head
because from both of them. Yeah, just because having little
kids know, I've seen Molana probably a thousand times at least.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
The music's amazing. Yeah, the songs are very good. Well,
it's from that director do they call you and no
one knows. Now it's stuck in your head. You're welcome.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
Oh but yeah, so this this whole episode. When I
was researching it, I was just humming Moana songs.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
So it just drifts off into Malana lyrics. That's why.

Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Right, So this the six eight year, one hundred years ago,
he says. So this is based on radiocarbon dating of
cultural sites and artifacts found within the park, such as
those along the coast and in the Kiwu Desert. These
early inhabitants were part of a broader Polynesian migration to
the Hawaiian Islands, which started around one thy to twelve

(08:18):
hundred years ago, though the specific timeline for the park's
region aligned with later population expansion on the island of Hawaii.
Some interesting facts about the area. It has the world's
only drive in volcano. You can literally drive up to
the Kilawea Kilauea edge via crater rim drive. When it's open,

(08:39):
eruptions sometimes close it. If you can imagine, it's not
every day you can park your car near an active
volcano and peer into a steaming called dra.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
The funny thing is, when I was hiking in Hawaii,
We tried to go to this spot and it wasn't
erupting at that point. It like erupts all the time
except when we were there, so I didn't actually get
to see it.

Speaker 2 (08:59):
The Vandi bogie luck, Yeah, that's that's terrible. My Shotenfreud
is acting up. So the parks got Mike told me
not to make them laugh because he's perpetually sick from children. Yes,
the parks got lava tubes, like the Nahuku Thurston lava tube,
formed by flowing lava that cooled on the outside while

(09:19):
the inside drained out. Some are so massive you could
fit a small crowd inside. Ancient Hawaiians use them for shelter,
water collection and even burials, making them natural time capsules.
There's a plant that stabs back. The Amahu fern found
all over the park has a sneaky defense. Its young
fronds are covered in sharp hairlike spines that can pierce

(09:42):
the skin. Early Hawaiians used the pulu silky fuzz for
stuffing pillows. In the Kawu Desert, there's a spot called
key Oi Ha Lee lee E And if you're from Hawaii,
I apologize. Wear ash from a nineteen seventy kilauea eruption

(10:02):
hardened around fleeing warrior's feet, preserving their last steps. It's
like a volcanic Pompeii. Some say the prince still carry
the mana spiritual power of those caught in the blast.
The volcano has a hair problem Pele's hair. Wispy strands,
a volcanic glass formed when lava gets stretched thin by wind,
litters the park. It's sharp enough to cut you if

(10:23):
you grab it wrong. And it's named after the volcano
goddess Pele, who said to fling it around when she's mad.
Locals worn against taking it home. Bad luck follows. Did
you take any No? Is it protected? Or I assume
that it is just there breaks and it always goes
so like you could.

Speaker 3 (10:40):
Anywhere I've hiked, I've kind of had the mindset of
not taking stuff home with me because I've always kind
of felt like that is bad luck when you take,
like from a park.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
I will now I feel bad. When I was on
the top of kilman Jar, I kept a rock.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
Okay, well that I mean it.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Was a tiny one. Yeah, But I guess if everyone
does that then it's not good.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
I mean, there's lots of rocks.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
I bet I'm in trouble. I didn't think about that.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
Well, has your luck been bad since then?

Speaker 2 (11:08):
I could? I I mean no, but I could make
an argument that it could be better. I mean, you
haven't won the lottery yet, but I haven't, but most
people haven't. You're on this side of the landscaping, so
it's that's true. It's working out okay for you. Yeah,
you know, all right? All right? Yeah, thanks Blake, and
feel a lot. Don't know there you go. I mean
I turned forty. Well that's bad luck. No one can

(11:30):
stop the march of time. I know that's all right,
but I feel like with those it feels like they're
made constantly. Yeah, so like that that seems like something
that's like it's gonna break and shitter on the ground anyway.
So if you see when you can grab it and fine,
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, I mean, I guess I don't know if I mean,
it's like it's cool, but I would go I'd want
to have one in my house, Like, hey, I've got
this sharp piece of like hair.

Speaker 2 (11:55):
Cool.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
I guess it's cool.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
I don't know it's bad luck. So yeah, yeah, obviously, yeah,
all right, I'm gonna look up if you're not supposed
to outside of like the superstition. Okay, all right, So
there was an eruption that sank a submarine, which is
very interesting. During a nineteen fifty five eruption, lava flows
got so intense they reportedly sank a Japanese submarine from
World War Two that had washed ashore years earlier.

Speaker 3 (12:18):
So submarines are not lava proof.

Speaker 2 (12:20):
Not lava proof. Has the world's most active vacano. So
Kilauea isn't just active. It's been erupting almost NonStop since
nineteen eighty three, with brief pauses when Mike shows up.
It's added over five hundred acres of new land of
the island, making it a real real estate developer in
its own right. Though I don't think you'd want to

(12:40):
build your house there. Well, if it can like be
on the top and just flow with it, I guess yeah, lands,
that's how it works, That's how That's what somebody told me.
A crater that swallows itself. So the Halameo Mayo crater
Kilauea Summit has a habit of collapsing and refilling with
lot lakes in twenty eighteen, it grew from two hundred

(13:02):
and eighty feet deep to over sixteen hundred feet in weeks,
swallowing its own floor like a hungry sin coal. Here's
some information about the climate at lower elevations near the
Kilaweya visitor Center, which is around four thousand feet, It's
typically warm and wet, with average highs in the seventies
or twenties celsius. Year round rainfall averages a one hundred

(13:24):
to one hundred and fifty inches annually. Lots of rain,
lots of rain, trade winds from the northeast, keeping humid,
but they also dump most of the rain on the
windward side, so the park's eastern edges get soaked while
the west dries out. Climbing higher, say to Mona Loa's
slopes at seven thousand Mauniloa.

Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, there we go.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
Seveny thirteen thousand feet and its different. World temperatures drop
to the forties and fifties or five to fifteen degrees
celsius during the day, sometimes plunging the freezing at night,
especially in winter, which is December to March. Snow is
isn't rare up here. Mount A Loa can look like
a ski resort in a big storm. Rainfall tapers off, though,

(14:06):
with some spots getting under twenty inches a year, creating
stark aird zones like the Cow Desert where a volcanic
ash and lava dominate. I did not know there were
places that got snow in Hawaii. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (14:17):
We we summoned Mountikia when we were there, which is
at thirteen eight hundred feet, and there's snow at the top.
And we were there in August.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Okay, were you prepared for snow? I knew were not
staying there.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
No, So it wasn't like and we stayed overnight on
top in this little cabin they had built. Okay, I
knew it snowed up there. It wasn't like all snow covered.
It was like patches of snow.

Speaker 2 (14:40):
Okay, but it was still snow.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
Mean and Hawaii seen.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
Snow that is wild. Yeah. So the coast like around Pohuy,
is hot and dry, about eighties or nineties degrees fahrenheit
twenty seven to thirty two degrees celsius with less than
thirty inches of rain annually. It's sunny and breezy, but
the lava fields soak up the heat, making it feel
like an oven uns still days. Seasonally, it's split into
wet November to April and dry Made to October periods,

(15:05):
but dry is relative. Lowlands still gets showers, just less
intense a pie Winter brings more cloud cover and occasional snow,
while summer clears up but stays cool. So a little
bit about the train. The train in Hawaii Volcanoes National
Park is a rugged, diverse brawl shaped by its two
towering volcanoes, Kilaueo and Mauno Lao Mana Loa Mauna Loa, cheese,

(15:30):
and centuries of lava flows. Stretching over three hundred and
twenty three thousand acres, It ranges from sea level to
thirteen thousand, six hundred and seventy nine feet, packing coastal cliffs,
steaming craters, lush forests, and barren deserts into one landscape.

Speaker 3 (15:48):
It's like hiking on Mars. We crossed a lava field
that was probably half a mile wide that had erupted
in like the seventies and the there's no vegetation. It's
just lava fields as far as you can see. It's
like you're on another planet and it just shreds your boots.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
Do they talk about like how long it's gonna take
before it will be like vegetation will start to inhabit.

Speaker 3 (16:14):
I don't remember specifically, but it's like a long long time.
I mean eventually, like the whole island of Hawaii was
a volcano, you know, created by a volcano, and there's
lush because it's.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
A volcanic ash like good for growth. Yeah, it eventually
will not like lava. Yeah, but like after a.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
Recent eruption, you know, decades later, it's still just a
barren wasteland and it's super cool, but yeah, it just
shreds your hiking boots.

Speaker 2 (16:43):
My boots were not like hiking on glass.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
Yeah, it's just it's I mean, have you ever held
city in like lava rock in your hand? How like
porous and yeah, just it's like sandpaper, it's got that
text right to go.

Speaker 2 (16:56):
Yeah, that's cool. So at the coast, you've got black
lava fields meeting the ocean with jagged cliffs and sandy
pockets like Pohue Bay. It's flat but harsh. Fresh lava
flows from Kilawea often spill here, hardening into glassy, smooth
or rough surfaces inland lo lowlands around killaway at four
thousand feet feature rolling volcanic planes dotted with craters like

(17:20):
Kilauea Iiki and steam vents. The caldera itself is a
massive sunken bowl miles wide, hundreds of feet deep, rimmed
by fractured cliffs. When you get higher, the train ships
to the Kawu Desert. Mid elevation stretch is an ash
strewn wasteland, flat but desolate, with lava rock underfoot and
sparse shrubs. Forests kick in around the same altitude. Dense

(17:43):
wet strands of Ohia and koa trees their roots twisting
over old flows. Lava tubes like Nahuko and carve and
carve hidden tunnels bring these some of the big enough
to walk through.

Speaker 3 (17:56):
So I just googled your question about plants on lava.
So it's really dependent on climate and conditions. Okay, if
conditions are really good, it can be a few years.
If it's harsher with you know, higher winds, higher altitude,
it can take thousands of years. Oh, so it really
is just dependent on the condition of the climate that

(18:20):
the lava field is in.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
That makes perfect sense. Yeah, I believe it. Fresh and
ancient lava flows overlap, creating a mosaic of black, red,
and gray rock with cinder cones and fissures breaking the
surface at the peak. It's an alpine expanse, cold, wind
swept and stark, with snow capping in its winter. So
some of the types of dangers active eruptions. Yeah, you

(18:43):
do not want to be caught in anterruption. Kilawe has
been erupting on and off since nineteen eighty three, and
Mauna allows not dominant either, less not dormant either. Last
eruption is nineteen eighty four. Lava flows can shift trails,
block paths, or trap you if you're too close. Even
dormant looking areas can flare up with little warning. That

(19:03):
would be terrifying to die in lava it. Yeah, I
mean no, thank you.

Speaker 3 (19:09):
Yeah, it's uh. I feel yeah, I don't know. I
feel like you'd just be in such shock you wouldn't
feel anything.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
I would hope, so it would just quick.

Speaker 3 (19:19):
It wouldn't be like Terminator where he's going in with
his thumb up remember that sceneminator too.

Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yes, yes, I would try and do that. I guess
if you knew you were just done anyway, Just go
out cool, uh. If the lava doesn't get you, the vog, well,
it's like smog, but worse volcanic smog. Sulfur dioxide from
vents mixes with air deform vog, which can choke you,
stick your eyes, or worse in respiratory issues. It's thickest

(19:44):
when winds windstall, especially near the Hale Mao Mao or
sulfur banks. I know, I said that all wrong. Stop
laughing at me. There are steam vents and fumeroles. These
hot gas outlets dot the landscape. Stepping on a weak
crust could mean burns or a fall into a scalding steam.
They're unpredictable near craters. Lava bench collapse that sounds awful. Yeah.

(20:10):
Coastal trails like the Holy Sea Arc sit on new
lava benches that can crumble into the ocean without notice,
taking hikers with them. The drops often twenty to fifty
feet into rough surf. Not fun, not fun at all.
Sharp lava, the Pahoy Hoy, which is smooth, and the
Aha jagged lava cover much of the park. A slip

(20:32):
on a can slip on can shred or break bones.
It's like hiking on glass sharks. Even the pahoy Hoy
gets slick when wet, and if that's not bad enough,
we have crevasses and tubes, hidden cracks, lava tubes and
sinkholes lurk under thin crusts. A wrong step could drop
you into a pit. Some tubes are deep enough to

(20:54):
trap you. We also have steep slopes. The Mount Alao's
upper trail climbs thousand feet with loose cinder and screen,
making footing treacherous. A tumble could mean a long slide,
and then on top of that, if you survive all
that stuff, there's just trail confusion. So sparse vegetation and

(21:14):
shifting lava mean trails can just vanish. In the Cawu
desert or high on mount Allows, it's easy to get
lost without GPS or markers. So I mean we have
sudden rain. It can make the ground slippery, as you
said before, helping you fall down into lava tubes, or
high altitude cold. When you're not getting cold a high altitudes,

(21:34):
you'll be having dehydration and heat issues at lower altitudes.
There's also feral pigs, yes, that shoot lava out of
their mouths. There's a lot of spiny plants, especially ones
that will intentionally sting you, like we talked about before.
So there's a lot of things that can go wrong
in this park. It's just some for tips for hiking.
You always want to check the conditions, so hit up

(21:54):
the National Park Service website or visitor center for real
time updates on eruptions, trail closures, and weather. Kilauea's activity
shifts fast. Don't assume yesterday's safe zone is still the
save zone today. Plan your route. You want to plick
a pick a trail matching your skill level. Short loops
like kill Aweya's kill awaya Ike four miles or for beginners,

(22:16):
or the brutal mount Allow Summit eighteen plus miles for pros,
and you always want to tell some of your plan.
Gearing up, you want to make sure you pack sturdy boots,
ankle support. Lava's unforgiving, as you says, just can eat
up your shoes. And apparently is it like just like
constantly like shifting side to side in your feet.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
I mean, there were little trails that you could tell
lots of people have walked on, but if you went
off trail at all.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
It's what you're not supposed to do. No, But yeah, it.

Speaker 3 (22:42):
Even on the trail. It's kind of It's tough.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Boots makes sense. You want to bring layers for if
it starts to rain and remove them when it's hot.
Stick to mark paths, don't go off trails. Not only
will protect your ankles, it'll keep your shoes better off.
So watch the ground. You want to test each step
on new lava so you don't fall through into steam vents,
lava pits. Yeah, get a bunch of vog in your
face all the other things that kill you in a

(23:06):
very hot, scalding manner. Yes, monitor the vog. If the
wind dies, you could too pace yourself, especially at high altitude.
You want to make sure you're resting often and watch
for dizziness or nausea. Coastal heats no joke. Either, slow
down and hydrate. Stay visible. You want to make sure
you pack bright clothing. It looks very good against black.
Always be rare of eruption alerts. If sirens blare or

(23:29):
ground shakes, head away from craters. Fast rangers will guide
you if they are near. Lava is slow, but it
is relentless. In last, but not least, coastal caution, stay
back from lava benches like the one we talked about
before Holy Ae. They collapse in the sea without warning,
especially if you have all your gear on you, you could drowned. So, Mike,

(23:50):
how about you kicks off with the first case.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
So the first case. And I can't believe this happened.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
But oh, his name?

Speaker 3 (23:58):
I forgot to put the name in, so I don't know,
Joe talk for a second.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
Okay, I think it was a Lynch, Timothy Lynch, Timothy
Jonathan or Timothy Lynch. We'll cut all this out. That's fine.
I want to see.

Speaker 3 (24:12):
Which Timothy Lynch.

Speaker 2 (24:13):
A right, I got the last name, we got the
first name. There we go. We're such a good team.

Speaker 3 (24:16):
Good team. Forgot the name. So first subject of tonight's
episode is Timothy Lynch. Date of birth was April twelfth,
nineteen fifty nine. He went missing on June sixth of
two thousand and three. His remains have not been found.
He was a male aged forty four. His height was

(24:37):
five foot eight to five foot ten, and he weighed
around one hundred and eighty to one hundred ninety pounds.
He had brown hair, brown eyes, possibly had a goatee.
He was last seen in gray silver cross training sneakers.
He had a black shoulder bag, likely for carrying a
camera or personal items as he was taking photographs. We

(24:59):
don't have any more information on specific clothing beyond what
I just talked about. And out of the three cases,
this one was the sparsest with information, so there just
was not a lot of information on them. But so
the location of where he went missing is the Chain
of Craters Road, so it ends near the coast where

(25:19):
ki Kilauea's lava flows were active in June two thousand
and three. It just was kind of a hazardous area,
so thin crossover molten lava, hidden fissures, and lava tubes.
So Lynch arrives in Hawaii late May to early June
two thousand and three. We're not sure on the exact time.

(25:40):
He likely was staying at a hotel on the Big
Island near Hawaii Volcanos National Park. He rented a car.
We don't know much more about what he did before
he went to the park. It's now June fifth, two
thousand and three. This is a rough estimate based on
all the information I could find. So he was presumably

(26:01):
exploring Hawaii Volcano's National Park, possibly visiting the killaway of
volcano or the chain of Craters road.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
Look at this, it's like you're on another planet. That
is wild. Yeah, this is like, uh, what's the movie
where he like he's on the top of the waterfall.
It's an alien he drinks the thing and he Prometheus.
That's what it makes me think of Prometheus. Yeah, yeah,
it's crazy, that's cool. Is this what you were hiking across?

Speaker 3 (26:30):
No, no, I'm not.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
Like this specifically, but this type of terrain.

Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, okay, yeah, it looked like that. It was rhetoric.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
It was older, so interesting, this looks fresher. So does
it get redder because it's like the iron start to rust.
I think just over time it the color changes, so.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
Like well, obviously.

Speaker 2 (26:49):
Fresh lava flow I believe is darker, blacker. Okay, so
I'll look that up.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
Yeah, I mean look up some of the Monarchia hikes
and I can see if I remember any of the spots.
I was gonna put some pictures from the hike on there,
and I forgot. So it's now June sixth, two thousand
and three, so this would be the last day he
was actually seen. So he was last seen hiking and
taking photographs at the end of the chain of craters

(27:17):
road in the park.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
On you reversed it. Older ones are dark, Newer ones
are red. Oh so, old lava flows absorbed light in
all three wavelengths, so they appear dark. Molten lava and
to a lesser extent, freshly solidified lava glows in short
wave infrared light but absorbs near infrared and green light,
so it appears red. There you go. You're walking on

(27:42):
a dangerous one and you thought it was an older one.
It's more red. It's fine, were fine, This is hot underneath.
That's why it's red. Maybe that's relative like active, yeah, recently, Okay,
go on.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
So, like I said, he was at the area. It's
a remote area where the road terminates near the active
lava flows in to the Pacific Ocean. And he was alone.
He was carrying, like I said, the black shoulder bag
and wearing gray and silver cross train trainer sneakers, witnesses,
likely other tourists, and park staff report this as his

(28:16):
last confirmed activity, though the exact time of day was
not specified. Later that day, he failed to board his
scheduled return flight to Indiana, which raised initial concern this
really marks the point where he officially becomes unaccounted for.
So it's now June seventh to the twelfth of two

(28:39):
thousand and three. Lynch doesn't check out of his hotel,
nor does he contact family or friends. His rental car
remains unreturned. It's now June thirteenth, two thousand and three.
His rental car is found abandoned at the park entrance
near the chain of Creator's Road, close to active lava
flows along the Volcanos Coast. The car is located by

(29:03):
park rangers, parked in an area accessible tourist but near,
like I said, the hazardous trains. There were no signs
of struggle or Lynch's presence noted around the car, so
at this time National Park Rangers began in immediate search
of the surrounding area. The Hawaii Police Department is notified.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
Yeah, it's a little bit more vegetative. Okay, this is
a hard ba area to get lost in. Yeah, Like,
I feel like that's a person up there. There's nothing
to hide.

Speaker 3 (29:41):
Yeah, I mean when I was hiking out there, it
seemed like a place you could get lost, but like
it's not. I mean, I don't know, it's hard to
describe unless you've been there. And obviously our third case,
the guy did get lost, yeah, for several days, but
like I said, the Hawaii Police Department was notified and

(30:02):
the case was logged as a missing persons incident. It's
now June fourteenth to June twentieth, two thousand and three,
and extensive search is conducted by park rangers involving foot
patrols along the chain of Craters Road and the coastal
lava fields. The rugged volcanic train with active lava flows, fissures,

(30:23):
and unstable ground complicate search efforts. While specific details are
hard to come by, standard protocol for such incidents would
have included helicopters to cover the vast area of the park,
which is over three hundred twenty three thousand acres, and
possibly search dogs, though we don't have any confirmations of

(30:45):
specific search techniques on this case.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
It just looks so flat, yeah, and so lacking of vegetation.
I can't imagine why it would be so difficult to
find somebody if they were there. Yeah, like look at this. Oh,
we'll go into some theories. If I was wearing yellow,
you could see me from across the entire park. Yeah,
I'm not saying he was wearing yellow, but flying over

(31:09):
this with a helicopter, I feel like I'd be able
to spot somebody unless they were wearing all black, ashy
clothes and laying on the ground. Yeah, all right, go on.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
So, during two thousand and three, the volcano was active
and intermittently erupting, so it did pose a risk to
searchers and hikers in the area. So late June two
thousand and three, after weeks of searching with no findings,
the active search transitioned to a passive investigation. Again, we

(31:39):
don't know the exact date this happened, but the extensive
search that did happen yielded no trace of Lynch, no body,
no clothing, none of his not his bag. The Hawaii
Police Department, in coordination with Indiana authorities, so Warwick County
Sheriff's Apartment, took over the case, treating it as an
unsolved missing person's incident. So from July to December of

(32:04):
two thousand and three, authorities follow up on Lynch's hotel belongings.
Most items were left behind, suggesting no intent to flee,
rental car records and flight details. They also determined there
was no evidence of foul play or voluntary disappearance. So
between two thousand and four and two thousand and five,

(32:26):
periodic reviews by Hawaii and Indiana police occur, but no
new leads surface. The case grows cold due to lack
of evidence and the challenging environment of the disappearance site.
In December two thousand and five, Lynch's estranged wife files
a petition with Warwick County, Indiana, to have him declared

(32:47):
legally dead. This is granted likely under Indiana law allowing
such declarations after prolonged absence. And as of today, April second,
twenty twenty five, the case remains unsolved and there's been
no new evidence, sightings, or remains on this case. And

(33:10):
this is why I picked it for a cold case,
because it's an interesting case, but there's just not a
lot of information.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
Like look at how easy to see those two years.
They're pretty far away and you can just pick them out,
like I saw him from this far away, Like, oh,
look at that pixeltz different.

Speaker 3 (33:25):
Well, here let's go into likely theories.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
Okay, so I thought this was fire coming out at.

Speaker 3 (33:30):
First, right, So first theory that a lot of people
believe is What happened is accidental death due to volcanic terrain.
Lynch could have fallen into a lava tube, crevass, or
unstable volcanic ground while hiking or for photographing near chain
of craters road where active lava flows were present. Lynch

(33:54):
was taking photographs, which may have distracted him or led
him to venture closer to dangerous edges for a better shit.
His cross training sneakers would have offered limited traction on
the jagged volcanic rock, increasing the risk of a slip
or fall, and then lava flows or subsequent eruptions could
have covered or destroyed his body, explaining the lack of

(34:16):
evidence despite an extensive search. Now the counterpoints to this theory,
which there were no witnesses reported. No witnesses reported seeing
him fall, though the area he was in is pretty
remote and search efforts, while extensive, may not have covered
every possible cross or tube due to the you know,

(34:36):
the landscape shifting constantly when it's active.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
So all of these guys are sunk in there?

Speaker 3 (34:42):
Yeah, oh no, So the plausibility of this theory, I
would say is high. The volcanic environment is inherently dangerous,
an accidental fall are a documented risk in the park,
especially for solo hikers unfamiliar with the area. Another possible
theory was he was swept away by the ocean. I

(35:04):
don't know about this specific.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Lay views on one of those lava shelves. Yeah, I
could have fallen off.

Speaker 3 (35:10):
I don't know about this specific area in Hawaii, but
when we were on the island of Kawai, on the
north side of the island, they warned us about riptides.
We're really, really strong. So there's a chance if he
fell in to the ocean, you know, maybe you could
have hit your head or something fallen in sure, and
he could have been swept out to sea and no

(35:31):
one is ever going to find him. So you know,
Lynch approached the coastline near where lava meets the sea
and was swept away by a road wave or lost
his footing on wet, slippery rocks, like we said. The
Chain of Craters road terminates near the Pacific Ocean, where
the lava flows create dynamic and treacherous coastal cliffs. The
area is also known for unpredictable waves and strong currents,

(35:53):
especially during summer months, which could easily pull someone into
the sea and his interest in capturing scenic shots have
drawn him to the water's edge, which is a common
spot for tourists, and like I said, if his body
fell into the ocean, it would get carried away. Possibly Again,
the counterpoints to this were, no one witnessed him fall

(36:16):
in and there was no specific evidence on the coastline
like a dropped camera or a bag or anything like that.
So I mean, he could have just fallen in completely
with all his stuff, but there was no evidence that
he fell in. So plausibility this one. I would say,
moderate to high coastal accidents are a thing in this

(36:40):
part of Hawaii, so it does happen, and the lack
of remains aligns with an ocean related instant, though it's
not really tied directly to volcanic activity. It's just more
he slipped and fell in, and you were looking at
pictures of the coastline, it's it's jagged, rough surf. Yeah,
it's not like a you know, a beach at, you know,

(37:00):
a resort. I think this one's pretty plausible. Another theory
that people had was he was overcome by volcanic fumes,
So Lynch what would have been incapacitated by toxic volcanic
gases omitted from active events near the road, leading to
disorientation or death, with his body later obscured by lava

(37:22):
or terrain. Like I said, the volcano was active this
time of year when he was there, he had no
one else with him to assist him if something had happened,
and you could even say, like if he got messed
up in the head from these fumes, he could have
just walked off the cliff. So I mean it could
have caused an injury like that, just due to him

(37:45):
not thinking clearly because of the fumes. Again, there actually
were no reports of strong gas emissions specifically on June
sixth of two thousand and three, though conditions very daily
and are poorly documented around that time, So it's possible
there were gas emissions and it just wasn't documented, Okay,

(38:09):
in searchers would have been equipped to handle such equick conditions,
and they still found no trace, suggesting he wasn't near
a major event. Plausibility of this one is probably a moderate.
It's possible, but this theory relies on specific environmental conditions
not explicitly confirmed, so it's making it less likely than

(38:32):
a physical accident. I think I would agree with that. Yeah,
I think that's less likely. Then you have voluntary disappearance.
So even law enforcement said this one was not very likely.
So the theory goes Lynch intentionally stage disappearance to start
a new life, abandoning his rental card belongings to avoid detection.
I would say the plausibility of this one is low.

(38:54):
Without concrete signs or of intent or a trail of
post disappearance, this theory lacks the substance. And with the
episode I did last week, there was some post disappearance evidence.
The lady Thelma A check was cashed in her name

(39:15):
seven months after she disappeared and it law enforcement examined
the check and they said it was signed by her
like and this was in the eighties, so they.

Speaker 2 (39:26):
Are someone who's really good at her signature or that.

Speaker 3 (39:30):
But there were a lot of other signs. Her husband
had ailing health and was much older than her, she
was going through depression for loss of her mother recently,
and there were rumors based on things her pastor said
that she was having an affair with someone else. So
that was maybe the first case we've ever done where
I've actually thought voluntary disappearance was the most likely theory. Okay,

(39:55):
so I don't think this is at all likely in
this case. I don't think it's.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
No sign or reasons no.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
Uh, and then the least likeliest foul play. So the
theory would you go? Lynch was attacked, robbed, or killed
by another person in the park with his body disposed
of or hidden. Now, the funny thing is the next
case is a murder in this park. But uh, and
what would be more convenient than an active lava flow too.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
I was gonna steal a body. Yeah, it's gonna I
mean literally get rid of all the evidence. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
So but in law enforcement said they they ruled out
fall play in this and the lack of any forensic
clues or witness accounts makes the probably more of a
natural cause like a fall or something like that, not
a murder.

Speaker 2 (40:43):
So yeah, I would agree with that. I think there's
I think you had to have fallen into something just
because of how easily you'd be able to see a body.

Speaker 3 (40:51):
Yeah, I I of.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
All the ones I've looked at, you know, there's some
areas that are more vegetative, but there's like very clearly
marked trails and a lot of people seem to be
on them. I think he either, like you said, fell
into something or fell into the ocean. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (41:07):
I think those are the two most likely icenarios that
would be something. Yeah, And I think I think the
fall into the ocean would align with him trying to
get a good shot, Like maybe he was trying to
get close to where the lava goes into the ocean
and he was trying to get like that perfect shot
and just slipped.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
Yeah, fell in and just like or prummelled the shelf
broke out.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
And think like even if people are around, someone could
fall in so quick and if he didn't make a
sound doing it, you would never know. You just look
back like, oh, he must have hiked somewhere else.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (41:38):
Like I'm not that aware. Like when I've been hiking,
I'm not that aware of like other hikers off in
the distance, So I don't know that I would necessarily
if someone was there one minute and then I look
back and they were gone, that I would be like, oh,
where'd they go?

Speaker 2 (41:50):
I just think like they agree with that. So I've
had that happen. Yeah, right, I've seen somebody and that
I turn around and then they're like gone, and like, oh,
they could have went around the corner. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (41:58):
So yeah, interesting case, still unsolved all these years later.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
You cannot take Pele's hair, Yeah, you can't. You cannot, Okay,
I figured that strict about stuff like that. Well, I
think most national parks are saying like, don't take stuff.
I just didn't know if that was Like you know,
sometimes I feel like there's things that like get produced
so frequently that if everybody took as much they could,
it would still it would always be there. I was

(42:26):
wondering if it was something like that, is it more rare, Well,
it's not more rare, it's just kind of pointless to
take because they're really wispy. Yeah, and they break. They said,
like it's in your eyes. Yeah, Like well it's like yeah,
so like they would they It almost seems like you
wouldn't have to make it illegal because nobody would want it.
It just like you know, when you get fiberglass in

(42:47):
your fingers. Yeah, it seems like from what I'm writing,
it's just that. Yeah, it's like just grabbing fiberglass. Yeah,
it's just like no, yeah, you know, it's just good.

Speaker 3 (42:55):
Advice never to take stuff out of the national park.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
Yeah, apparently especially not that yes.

Speaker 3 (43:01):
So our next case is Armine Bernard Johnson. Date of
birth was roughly nineteen sixty or nineteen sixty one. He
was last seen alive on April eleventh, two thousand and five.
His remains were found on April thirteenth of two thousand
and five. He was a male, age forty four. We

(43:24):
don't really have any description of body type on this one.
At the time his body was found, he was wearing
a tank top, swim shorts, socks, and slipper sandals, So
right away, that tells me that he wasn't intending to
hike in Volcanoes National Park, So just keep that in
the back of your head as I'm going through this.

(43:47):
The lack of protective gear or heavier clothing obviously might
imply he didn't anticipate danger or a prolonged tan in
the park. So something weird happened here. Personality, so, this
guy was a radio DJ, so he was described by
friends and commune members as a generous, well liked, vibrant person.
He was known for his positive demeanor, reflected in his

(44:11):
roles as a reggae radio host and volunteer athletic trainer.
He was very social and community orientated, with a reputation
for helping others, as noted in his work with the
high school sports teams and involvement in solid rock ministries.
Some reports suggest he was laid back and possibly involved

(44:33):
in recreational drug use, though this is not you.

Speaker 2 (44:37):
Mean, are you telling me that the reggae DJ on
the radio may or may not in Hawaii, may or
may not be on illiced drugs. That's what I'm telling you.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
I'm so shocked, right.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
Though this is.

Speaker 3 (44:53):
Not confirmed as a factor in his death, his outgoing
nature might have he made him trusting, potentially leaven him
vulnerable to somebody with malicious intent. So keep that in mind.

Speaker 2 (45:05):
Okay, we don't know about.

Speaker 3 (45:06):
Any medical issues he might have had. Like I said,
he was also a reggae radio show host on KWXX
weekend program. He also was a massage therapist at local resorts,
and like I said, he was a volunteer athletic trainer
for high school sports teams.

Speaker 2 (45:24):
That dude was like living the life. He was living
the life.

Speaker 3 (45:28):
The location where his body was found was a Hawaii
Volcanos National Park. The sub location was the Kahuku Ranch
area located on the southern edge of the park, west
of the main visitor area, like the Kilauea Visitor Center,

(45:49):
so historically this section was part of a large cattle
ranch before being acquired by the National Park Service in
two thousand and three, just two years before his death.
Sorry it was acquired by the Park Service just two
years before his death. It's less developed and less frequented
by tourists compared to the park's central volcanic zones. Johnson's

(46:12):
body was discovered approximately one hundred yards or roughly ninety
one meters off the Mama La Hua used to do
it Highwaian, near the seventy one mile marker. This places
it in a relatively remote, open area with scrubland and
possibly some forested patches, a typical of this area. So

(46:35):
we'll start the timeline April eleventh, two thousand and five.
This is his last known sighting, so he is reportedly
last seen alive, leaving his workplace, likely either the massage
therapy job or the radio station. He tells the coworker
he is headed home, though his lack of a fixed
address leaves his intended destination unclear. On April thirti, teenth

(47:00):
of two thousand and five at approximately around midday. The
exact time is not specified. A passer by discovers Johnson's
body near the seventy one mile marker of Mama Laha Highway.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
In the This is nothing to do the case. It's
like somebody who's playing sim city on Hawaii?

Speaker 3 (47:23):
Are those all roads?

Speaker 2 (47:24):
These are roads? Oh?

Speaker 1 (47:26):
Like?

Speaker 2 (47:26):
Literally look it and there's only like a couple of
houses per block. Yeah, and every now and then they
have like this thing going on. Interested someone got the
they like held shift and made roads just a grid
of roads? Why is that? Don't do that? Hawaii?

Speaker 3 (47:44):
Stop it? So, like I said, they found his body
near like seriously, what is You're really hung up by this?

Speaker 2 (47:52):
I am, because it's dumb and there's only like two
houses on each edge.

Speaker 3 (47:59):
Maybe they planned on more well.

Speaker 2 (48:02):
Obviously, but who wants to live in a grid?

Speaker 3 (48:05):
I don't know why.

Speaker 2 (48:07):
And some somehow it's weirder than a normal city grid.
All right, wouldn't you agree?

Speaker 3 (48:13):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (48:14):
I don't know. I don't know. All right, Sorry, go on, Okay,
I'm really upset by this.

Speaker 3 (48:18):
So, like I said, his body was found on the
seventy one mile marker of that Highway near the Ranch
area of Volcanoes National Park, about one hundred yards off
the road. He was found wearing like I said is
tank top, swim shirts, socks, and slipper sandals, and the

(48:40):
National Park Service and local authorities are notified and start
an investigation. Between April fourteenth and April fifteenth, and autopsy
is performed. The medical examiner determines Johnson died from a
single gunshot wound to the upper back or neck fired
from a handgun. The wounds look patient trajectory suggests an

(49:01):
execution style killing. Authorities conclude the murder occurred at the
discovery site, not elsewhere, based on fiscal evidence like blood patterns.
Between April fifteenth and April thirtieth, the FBI and the
National Park Service's Investigative Services Branch take over the case.
Due to the federal jurisdiction of the National Park. Investigators

(49:25):
canvass the area, interview friends and coworkers, and search for
Johnson's vehicle, which is reported missing. No immediate sub suspects
or motive emerged.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
So now.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
His vehicle's also missing. So he's found dead execution style
and his cars missing. Community speculation begins with some suggesting
a possible drug related connection. That's immediately what I thought,
due to his recreational drug use, though no evidence supported
this late, so it's not late. April to December two
thousand and five, the investigation continues without significant breakthrough. Johnson's vehicle,

(50:01):
a key piece of evidence, remains unlocated and raises questions
about whether it was hidden or destroyed. Friends described him
as a generous, well liked person, deepening the mystery of
why he was targeted. So between two thousand and five
and twenty fourteen, the investigation stalls. Periodic appeals for information

(50:23):
yield no actional leads. The case is added to the
National Park Services List of unsolved homicides, reflecting its status
as a cold case, and over time, sadly, his death
fades from the immediate public attention, but does remain a
topic of discussion in that community now. Interestingly, on March

(50:46):
eleventh of twenty fifteen, the FBI National Park Service jointly
announced a ten thousand dollars reward for information leading to
the arrest and conviction of Johnson's killer. FBI Special Asian
and Charge Paul D. Delacort, and National Park Service officials
renewed calls for witnesses, hoping the decade since the murder

(51:07):
might encourage someone to come forward. The announcement was covered
by local media, including Big Island Now and the Honolulu
Star Advertiser, but since twenty fifteen to two today, despite
the reward and the ongoing efforts, no arrests were made.
The case is periodically highlighted in cold case features like

(51:31):
locations unknown, with authorities maintaining active tip lines. So since
this is actually is still it's an unsolved murder, you
can call Honolulu FBI at eight oh eight five sixty
six four to three zero zero, or you could call
the National Park Service tip line at eight eight eight
six' five three zero zero zero. Nine if you are

(51:53):
listening and have information on this, murder.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
What do you think it?

Speaker 3 (51:57):
Is, well HERE i got some notes on the case
before we go into, theories just to kind of. Recap
so we don't know an exact time of, death so
that is. Uncertain the exact time of death was Between
april Eleventh april. Thirteenth the two day gap between his
last sighting and the discovery suggests he may have been

(52:19):
killed on the, twelfth with the body line undiscovered until
the following. Day but this is a remote, location so
we just don't. Know we've got the vehicle mysteries so
that you know where's his. Vehicle the absence suggests it
may have been taken by the killer or abandoned, elsewhere
potentially holding forensic evidence like fingerprints OR. Dna and the

(52:43):
thing About, hawaii The Big island is it's an. Island
the car is on the island. Somewhere where is the, Car,
YES i mean it was an old kind of like junker,
car so it's not like someone took.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
It it's in a. GARAGE i, mean it's not like
gone in sixty seconds where they ship him on to
containers and They're that's What i'm, saying whoever gotten probably
Take that.

Speaker 3 (53:08):
Was the THING i was thinking of when they said
the vehicle was. Missing i'm, like, well you're on an,
island like it's.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
There someone whoever killed him was probably in a car
with him who brought him.

Speaker 3 (53:19):
Out, yeah but the, CAR i, mean it's so long
since this, case it's probably the car has been destroyed by.
Now but at the time of his, death the car
was on the island. Somewhere i'm sure the authorities obviously
know this that they live on an, ISLAND i.

Speaker 2 (53:34):
Would, hope, so So i'm sure.

Speaker 3 (53:36):
They probably, had you, know bulletins out to other law
enforcement agencies like look for this. Car, yeah but either,
way the. Car not having the car is a crucial
piece of evidence, missing so you, know many of THE
dna that would be in the car and public. RECORDS
i don't know the, make model or color of the
car because it really wasn't publicly made, Available SO i

(53:57):
don't know much other than that we have no motive or,
suspect so there's still no clear. Motive established theories include personal,
conflict a random act of, violence drug related. Incident so
because it was an execution style, KILLING i think that
could narrow it. Down jumping right in the, theories these

(54:21):
are not really listed in any specific, order but we've
got a personal dispute or targeted. Killing So johnson was
killed by someone he knew due to a personal, conflict grudge,
betrayal and executed in a, deliberate targeted. Manner the single
gunshot wounds to the upper back or neck, describes like we,
said the execution style by friends and community, members and

(54:43):
it obviously suggests intent and. Premeditation he was a well
like figure with a wide social, circle radio post, therapist,
volunteer not a, therapist massage, therapist and a, volunteer so
he may have unknowingly crossed with someone that had a
problem with, him and his missing vehicle could indicate the

(55:05):
killer took it to cover their. Tracks counterpoints to this
is there's no specific enemies or conflicts have been publicly,
identified despite the prominence in the, community and friends described
him as a generous conflict averse, person and the remote
location might suggest a planned lure rather than a spontaneous.

(55:26):
Altercation the next, theory WHICH i think is maybe the most,
likely is drug, related So johnson's death was. Connected this
theory Goes johnson's death was connected to recreational drug use
or a drug deal gone, wrong possibly involving a supplier or.
Acquaintance community discussions mentioned some unconfirmed reports of his recreational drug,

(55:50):
use suggesting he might have been involved in a subculture
where disputes could. Arise that's a diplomatic way of saying, It,
Yeah i'm on that.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
Train. Yeah the isolated location.

Speaker 3 (56:01):
Of the murder would align with a clandestine meeting such
as a drug transaction away from prying, eyes and the
execution style killing fits scenarios where debts or disagreements and
drug circles lead to, swift decisive. Action, now the counterpoints
this theory, are there's no concrete emence that links his

(56:21):
death to, drugs no drugs were found on his, body
and his lifestyle doesn't strongly suggest deep involvement in drug.

Speaker 2 (56:29):
Traffic of, course no drugs were from his, body because
they would have taken him back.

Speaker 3 (56:32):
Well AND i don't think druggis found like in his system.
EITHER i.

Speaker 2 (56:37):
DON'T i didn't read anywhere that would doubt. That what
they're they're saying definitively they tested them for Drug.

Speaker 3 (56:44):
No But i'm saying the lack of that information being
publicly announced implies that he didn't have drugs in his.
SYSTEM i feel like that's a CRUCIAL i don't. Think i'm,
No but if you're trying to figure out what the motive,
is if he had like cocaine in his system or,
heroin you could narrow it. Down i'm, like all, right

(57:06):
this probably is drug.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
RELATED i. Disagree you, think, okay if it's just a, sale, okay.

Speaker 3 (57:13):
But are you going to get? Killed executions. Style if
you're just buying some drugs for recreational use.

Speaker 2 (57:20):
Or, YEAH i, mean if you're buying a lot and
they want to just take the drugs back in the.
Cash what, if like a, junkie like they sold it to,
him he's walking away and he shoots him and then
takes the drugs.

Speaker 3 (57:29):
Back and what about, This so he's a massage, therapist
he's probably a lot of rich people on the. Island
what if he is a higher level trafficker of drugs
and he's using and something happened where there's a disagreement
and that's why he was. Killed but it wasn't just

(57:51):
for personal. Use he was actually maybe a bigger seller
of drugs than people. Knew and because he's you, know
you know around a lot of richer people that massage
therapy and you, know maybe that's his inn where he's
selling drugs to. People.

Speaker 2 (58:06):
YEAH i have no evidence of. This i'm just that's
why we're in. Theories it's a. Theory you don't need
evidence in a. Theory so, YEAH i don't.

Speaker 3 (58:14):
Know the attire he was in makes it seem like
he wasn't voluntarily out there tank topped swim shorts and.
Sandals it more sounds like he was matched.

Speaker 2 (58:27):
Or if he parked on the side of the, road
was going off the road to make this, Deal, yeah
and intended to walk back to his, car or they're
both in the. Car that one makes. Sense why would
they go far away if they're both in the. Car,
Yeah AND i, mean you're already in a remote. Area
why go another one hundred yards? Off unless they had
him a gun point made him walk out. There i'm
thinking he was at, home like chilling In, hawaii like swim,

(58:50):
shorts tank top and whoever he pissed off showed up
and said you're coming for a, ride, okay and then
they took him out there and walked him off the.

Speaker 3 (58:59):
Road AND i think it's drug.

Speaker 2 (59:03):
RELATED i think it drugs has to. Be, yeah it
just seems like there's no other reason why a reggae
RADIO dj would that's widely, liked would be. Executed, Yeah
like it seems Like AND i don't think the money related.
THING i don't think it's just like he buys drugs for.

Speaker 3 (59:21):
HIMSELF i think it had to be a large amount higher,
up maybe in the, chain owed, money owed, money like
he bought a bunch of drugs to sell and then
never paid him for.

Speaker 2 (59:31):
IT i, mean, really what they could have killed him
somewhere else and dump him.

Speaker 3 (59:34):
There, well the law enforcement, said based on the blood
splatter around where his body was, found they believe he
was killed in the spot his body was.

Speaker 2 (59:42):
Found, okay so, YEAH i THINK i think he was snatched.
Up he's a much larger cog in a drug. Machine
some guys showed up with guns like you're coming for a,
Ride you're coming with, us saying finally like, That, yeah
they haven't been told it's not the.

Speaker 3 (01:00:01):
Thirties the other theory is were random act of, violence wrong,
place wrong, time and stranger with a grudge against a public.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Persona those last ones make no. Sense, No that's WHY
i didn't really spend a lot of time on. Him all, Right,
okay on how much we're at one? Hour, oh, okay
we'll cut that. Out, okay another, one all, right final,
case and this is a positive. ONE a.

Speaker 3 (01:00:26):
Rescue we don't do rescues very often because we're locations.
Unknown the subject of this case Is Gilbert Dewey deci the.
Third he was approximately born on nineteen sixty. Four he
went Missing july, seventeenth two thousand and, five and he

(01:00:46):
was Found july twenty second of two thousand and. Five
he's a, male age forty. One we don't know anything
about his body Description, again clothing gear he was last seen.
In he was casual. Hiking entire specifics are not, detailed
but in implied light weight and for a warm. Climate
he carried. Flashlight he also had a camera with a

(01:01:12):
mirror used to signal a. Helicopter he wore. Shoes we
don't know what, kind but it was noted that was
shredded by the. Lava oh and there's a picture of.

Speaker 2 (01:01:20):
Him i'm not showing it. Yet, oh there you. Go
there he. Is everyone's at the exact same. Picture. Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
Personality he was described as, adventurous so he drove alone
at night to see lava, flows ignoring staff. Warnings he was.
Resilient he obviously survived out there for five. Days, resourceful
very family, orientated. Motivated he was motivated by thoughts of
his two young, daughters and he was very optimistic post rescue.

(01:01:57):
Occupation he was a computer consultant From. Texas he was an.
Entrepreneur he he was A ceo of A mingle's Per
crunch base experience in the. WILDERNESS a lot of news,
Outlets Chicago, TRIBUNE Cbs news consistently called him, experienced implying

(01:02:19):
prior wilderness. Experience so and obviously he demonstrated. Competence you,
know once he got, LOST i mean he got, lost
but then he was able to. Survive so that's pretty
tough to. Do so timeline for this two. Thousand july
two thousand and, five he travels To Hawaii's Big island for.

(01:02:41):
VACATION i believe he's From, Austin. Texas he was.

Speaker 2 (01:02:44):
Staying at The Kala, Niho New Ah. Retreat, yeah you
totally nailed that. One.

Speaker 3 (01:02:50):
Thanks near The Pahua let me let me do that.
Again he was staying at The Kahalani Punaha retreat Near,
pua about twenty miles southeast Of. Hilo his goal was
to Observe kilauea's volcanoes active lava, flows obviously a popular.

(01:03:11):
Attraction On july, seventeenth two thousand and, five this is
the day of his. Disappearance it's afternoon, evening so he
spoke to cafeteria workers at the retreat about wanting to
See kilauea's lava. Flows he purchased a flashlight from the
retreats gift, shop indicating he planned to night. Hike staff

(01:03:33):
strongly advised against going alone due to the dark uneven lava,
fields but he, proceeded so it's now. Night approximately eight
to ten, pm he drove his rented car to the
end of The Kalapana, road a two point five mile
stretch built in two thousand and one for lava viewing

(01:03:53):
but closed when flows. Shifted he parked near an old
lava flow on the eastern edge Of Hawaii Volcanos National,
park left his keys near the, car and hiked towards
the act of. Lava after seeing the, glow he turned,
back but missed his car in the, dark becoming. Lost
it's Now july eighteenth of two thousand and, five so

(01:04:13):
it's the morning he awoke lost in the lava, fields
expecting to find the road by hiking. Inland, instead he
wandered deeper into the three hundred and thirty three thousand
acre parks rugged. Terrain by, afternoon staff at the retreat
reported and missing after he didn't. Return his rented car
was found that. Day the keys nearby showing no signs

(01:04:36):
of foul. Play By july nineteenth of two thousand and,
five the search. Began firefighters From Waikia Fire, station park
rangers and volunteers launched a ground search on foot and.
Horseback helicopters scanned the, area but the vast landscape yielded no. Trace,
meanwhile he survived by licking moisture from vine. Leaves it's

(01:05:01):
Now july twentieth of two thousand and, five so while
he was stuck out, there he discovered moss on trees
and vegetation pockets and he'd squeeze squeeze them for muddy green.
Water this would be his primary hydration. Source he estimated
walking ten miles over five, days mostly seeking water and

(01:05:24):
as the lava shredded his shoes and cut his hands and.
Feet during this, time the search efforts continued and intensified
with no. Leads his, Sister Tracy, smith flew From houston To,
hawaii Arriving, thursday and made public pleas for. Help On
july twenty, first two thousand and, Five tracy appeared on

(01:05:46):
LOCAL tv and the family hired The TEXAS Eku Search
Mounted search And Recovery team to Assist at this time
he built a makeshift camp after two, days conserving energy
while helicopters passed, overhead their noise offering, hope but no

(01:06:06):
rescue due too cloud cover blocking his. Signals it's Now
july twenty second of two thousand and, five so it's the.
Morning the search persisted with at least eight firefighters and aerial,
support and at this time his condition worsened, dehydration, exhaustion and,
limping but he pressed, on using his camera mirrort to. Signal,

(01:06:30):
Finally friday, Afternoon july twenty second of two thousand and,
five approximately three to five pm local, Time Peter, frank
a fifteen year old From, Pasadena, california on A Blue
Hawaiian helicopters tour with his, family noticed a glint like
a toy pinwheel in the lava field near the fifteen

(01:06:51):
hundred foot a near fifteen hundred feet of. Elevation he
alerted the, Pilot, cliffmosey who circled, closer Revealing gilbert waving
a dark orange fabric and flashing his. Mirror so how
funny is that that a fifteen year old kid on
a tour was the one who spotted? Him so that's

(01:07:15):
amazing that the cloud cover finally broke and helicopter able
to get, visibility BECAUSE i feel like he probably wouldn't
have lasted too much. Longer it sounds like he was
in pretty rough shape at this, time primarily due to
his feet being shredded and. Dehydration so at this, time

(01:07:40):
once he was, Found frank's Sister hannah and a friend
dropped water bottles wrapped in air sickness, Bags moosey Radioed
gilbert's coordinates to, authorities returned his passengers To hilu A
Heilo International, airport then flew back to Retrieve. Gilbert gilbert
walked to the hell, copter dehydrated but. Stable he landed

(01:08:02):
at The Helo, airport where medical crews, awaited and he
was taken to The Helo Medical center for a three
hour evaluation and released that. Evening so in the following,
interviews he spoke with media INCLUDING cnn and THE. Ap
describing his, ordeal he, said it was, muddy, green mossy,

(01:08:22):
water but it. Worked if it weren't for my, Feet
i'd be dancing a. Jig he Thanked Peter, frank calling
him a great, kid and met him on the runway
to shake. Hands his condition at this, time his feet
were severely blistered and. Infected hands were cut but otherwise,
intact and he credited his daughters for keeping him motivated to.
Survive following this, ordeal he rested for a few more

(01:08:47):
days before flying home The. Texas there was a lot
of national coverage at the. Time Los Angeles, Times Chicago
tribune highlighted the, rescues, serendipity and the survival. Ingenuity but
since all that kind of tied, down he's really stayed
out of the limelight and there's really not been any

(01:09:07):
new information about how he's. Doing but kind of an
amazing scenario and what are your? Theories this is WHAT
i would expect for someone going missing on a lava
field that you get. Found, YEAH i, agree Although i'm
surprised it took that. Long, YEAH i mean cloud cover
sounds like it was cloudy for. Days and thankfully for,

(01:09:29):
Him LIKE i don't know how many more days he
could have made.

Speaker 2 (01:09:32):
It, yeah it seemed like with his foot being, infected
you're getting pretty close just seeing the. End, Yeah so
it's a good and on a positive, note, absolutely and
thank you all again for tuning into our. Show we
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(01:09:55):
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Speaker 3 (01:10:02):
Merch?

Speaker 2 (01:10:03):
Yes, additionally you can subscribe to our patron, Account YouTube And,
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(01:10:24):
walk always remember to leave no. Trace thanks and we
will see you all next time you