BWBS Ep:88 Dead Mans Hollow

Vanished in the Sierra - The Mysterious Disappearances of Sandra Johnsen Hughes and Joel ThomazinIn this haunting eighth installment of National Park Nightmares, we delve into two perplexing disappearances that occurred just fourteen months apart in the rugged wilderness of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Join your host as we explore the baffling circumstances surrounding Sandra Johnsen Hughes and Joel Thomazin, two experienced outdoor enthusiasts who entered the wilderness and seemingly vanished without a trace.Our journey begins in the summer of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when 54-year-old Sandra Johnsen Hughes sought solace in the pristine wilderness of Sierra National Forest. A former Hawaii resident with college training as a park ranger, Sandra was no novice to the outdoors. We trace her final known movements from her last contact with family on June 26th through the mysterious discovery of her abandoned campsite on July 2nd—found in complete disarray, a state that contradicted her meticulously organized nature. The mystery deepens as we examine the puzzling sequence of events: her silver Saab crashed at suspiciously low speed, a barefoot sighting with an unexplained bruise on her face, her sleeping bag discovered miles away just inside Yosemite National Park's boundary, and the most baffling element—a reported sighting by hunters over a month after her disappearance. Could Sandra have survived alone in the wilderness for weeks without supplies? And what are we to make of the eerie account from a three-year-old boy who, a year later, claimed to see a woman matching Sandra's description lying face down in a meadow, insisting she was "already dead"?Our episode continues with 31-year-old Joel Thomazin, a U.S. Army reservist and father to a two-year-old son, who set out on what should have been a routine solo hiking and fishing trip in September 2021. With his distinctive bright red inflatable kayak and vintage 1918 Army steel cup, Joel planned a straightforward route from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to Lake Eleanor—a journey of approximately nine miles each way.Last seen by a park ranger on the afternoon of September 6th crossing above O'Shaughnessy Dam, Joel never returned on his scheduled date of September 9th. Despite extensive searches involving teams from multiple agencies, not a single trace of Joel or his distinctive equipment was ever found. We share the heartbreaking words of his wife Amanda, who asked for prayers that Joel would know "he is not alone out there," and examine the painful reality of how families cope with ambiguous loss when no closure is possible.As we conclude this episode, we reflect on the cruel paradox of these cases—how the very wilderness that draws us with its beauty and promise of solitude can also swallow us without witness or explanation. The disappearances of Sandra Johnsen Hughes and Joel Thomazin remain unsolved, joining over thirty cold cases in Yosemite's troubling history. Whether their fates were sealed by tragic accidents, deliberate choices, foul play, or something more mysterious, their stories remind us of the wilderness's power and our ultimate vulnerability within it.If you have any information about either of these cases, please contact the Madera County Sheriff's Office at (559) 675-7770 regarding Sandra Johnsen Hughes or Yosemite Search and Rescue at (209) 238-7046 regarding Joel Thomazin.

4 Touko 52min

Step into the ancient forests of the Olympic Mountains as we present a riveting first-person account that will challenge everything you thought you knew about the natural world. In this episode, we follow Mike Calloway, an experienced hunter whose annual elk hunting trip with his father transforms into something extraordinary—an encounter with an intelligence not recognized by science.Mike's journey begins with the familiar ritual of preparation—checking gear, studying maps, and making the long drive into increasingly remote territory.Having hunted these woods for fifteen years alongside his father Jack, a former Forest Service ranger, Mike knows the Olympic Peninsula intimately. Or at least, he thought he did.Their hunt starts routinely enough, with father and son separating at first light to cover more ground. It's during Mike's solitary trek along a promising ridge that the familiar rhythms of the forest are broken by something unexpected—three distinct knocks against wood, delivered with unmistakable purpose. What follows draws Mike deeper into the wilderness, the knocking seemingly tracking his movements, responding to his presence in ways that defy natural explanation.The culmination of this strange pursuit is a moment that will forever divide Mike's life into before and after: face-to-face with a creature standing eight feet tall, covered in reddish-brown hair, with hands—not paws—and eyes conveying an intelligence that stops his breath. Most astonishing is the deliberate communication, as the creature demonstrates it has been the source of the knocking, even responding to Mike's own tentative attempt at reply.That night brings even greater wonders and terrors when multiple creatures surround their camp, communicating through complex knocking patterns and haunting vocalizations that echo through the mountains.Objects are tossed into their campsite—not as threats, but seemingly as attempts at interaction. By morning, both Mike and his father have glimpsed something that shouldn't exist, something that challenges their understanding of reality itself. The aftermath of this encounter plunges Mike into a crisis of understanding. He tries drinking it away at first, then turns to obsessive research, finding reports of similar experiences spanning decades. A conversation with his father brings partial comfort—at least they share the burden of knowing—but no real answers. The world is bigger, stranger, more mysterious than they've been taught, and perhaps that's not such a terrible thing to discover.Months later, drawn by an irresistible need for understanding, Mike returns to the forest alone. This time, he brings not weapons but tools for communication—recording equipment, and small gifts that might interest creatures possessing obvious intelligence but no exposure to human technology. Over three days, he establishes increasingly complex communication through knocking patterns and receives an extraordinary response—his offered mirror is taken, replaced with a piece of bark polished to create a reflective surface, evidence of tool use and symbolic thinking that transcends mere animal behavior.he story culminates in a deeply personal decision. After witnessing his son's transformation and unable to fully rationalize their shared experience, Mike's father joins him on subsequent trips to the forest. Together over three years, they forge a fragile connection with these beings, learning enough of their percussive language to announce their presence and convey peaceful intentions. They choose to keep their discovery private, protecting these creatures from a world that would inevitably seek to study, categorize, and perhaps destroy what it cannot understand. This profound narrative invites us to consider what other intelligences might share our planet, moving silently at the edges of our awareness, and what responsibilities come with such knowledge. As Mike and his father continue their twice-yearly pilgrimages into the ancient woods, they carry a secret that has fundamentally changed them—a glimpse behind the veil of what we think we know about the world, and the humbling recognition that we are not alone.

2 Touko 1h 29min

In this week's bone-chilling episode, we explore a multi-generational encounter with the unknown deep in the backwoods of Limestone County, Alabama. Our story follows young James Earl Wilkins, who at age 12 in the summer of 1976, experienced a series of terrifying encounters with what locals referred to as "the forest folk" or "wild men" on his family's 80-acre farm.The saga unfolds through James' now 62-year-old perspective as he recounts how his peaceful rural childhood was forever changed when strange howls began echoing from the nearby Cypress Bottom—a foreboding stretch of swampland that locals had long avoided. What began with missing livestock escalated to face-to-face encounters with towering, fur-covered creatures that seemed to possess an uncanny intelligence. His story continues as the family's increasing terror as these beings grew bolder—stealing chickens, appearing at windows in the night, and eventually prompting a community hunting expedition that ended in unexpected confrontation. Most disturbing are the implications that these weren't random encounters, but part of a long-standing and complex relationship between the creatures and the Wilkins family dating back generations.He also explains that historical connections revealed through family stories and county records—including a shocking encounter his grandfather had in the 1930s, and a mysterious clause in the original 1868 property deed requiring seasonal offerings to "previous inhabitants of the land." These revelations suggest an ancient pact that was broken and later unconsciously renewed through his father's annual ritual of leaving deer carcasses at the forest's edge. If you've had an experince and would like to share it on the show email brian@paranormalworldproductions.com

30 Huhti 51min

On April 12, 1966, a family picnic in America's first national park turned into one of the most baffling missing persons cases in American history. Eight-year-old Dennis Johnson was visiting Yellowstone with his parents William and Betty and his three sisters when his seven-year-old sister Mary wandered off.Dennis and his father split up to search for her. William found Mary quickly, but when he returned to the Cascade Picnic Area, Dennis had vanished without a trace.What followed was one of the most intensive search operations in Yellowstone's history – spanning 100 square miles, employing helicopters, bloodhounds, and dozens of searchers. Despite three weeks of exhaustive efforts costing over $14,000 (equivalent to more than $100,000 today), not a single clue was found. No footprints. No clothing. No evidence whatsoever.Fifty-eight years later, Dennis Johnson remains missing, his fate unknown.In This EpisodeThe detailed timeline of April 12, 1966, and how a moment's separation led to decades of mysteryWhy the search for Dennis was particularly challenging, and the technical aspects of a 1960s-era wilderness searchThe baffling behavior of bloodhounds that couldn't pick up any scent trailFive leading theories of what might have happened to Dennis, and why none can fully explain his complete disappearanceHow the Johnson family turned to a psychic in their desperate search for answersWhat makes wilderness disappearances unique, and the concept of "ambiguous loss"The statistical context: how rare cases like Dennis's are compared to millions of safe Yellowstone visitsHow the case has informed modern search and rescue techniques and park safety protocols

27 Huhti 1h 25min

Tonight, Brian shares the never-before-told story of Thomas, a fur trapper whose life was forever changed after a terrifying encounter with sasquatch in the remote Canadian wilderness during February 1987.This first-hand account challenges everything we think we know about these mysterious creatures. What Mercer experienced reveals them to be intelligent, communicative, and potentially dangerous beings with complex social structures and territorial behaviors. His haunting experience raises profound questions about what these creatures truly are and our responsibility toward them.The story begins as Thomas, a third-generation fur trapper, flies his bush plane to his remote family cabin in the Northwest Territories to begin his winter trapping season. Almost immediately upon arrival, Mercer discovers massive, human-like footprints circling his cabin—nearly 20 inches long with a stride length twice that of a human.Over the following days, Mercer encounters increasingly bizarre evidence: traps carefully disarmed with ritualistic arrangements of objects nearby, complex vocal communications between multiple creatures echoing through the forest, and deliberate attempts to test his cabin's defenses through systematic tapping and probing of the structure.Most chilling of all, the creatures attempt direct communication.First through arrangements of natural objects in geometric patterns, then through mimicked human speech—even speaking Mercer's name and referring to his deceased father. In broken English, they suggest they need an "alliance" against other humans hunting them, hinting at a government or private organization aware of their existence.When Mercer attempts to escape in his plane, he's forced to shoot one of the creatures that charges him from behind. In a moment that has haunted him for decades, the wounded sasquatch looks him in the eye and asks simply, "Why?"In the thirty years since this encounter, Mercer has dedicated his life to sasquatch research, building one of the most comprehensive private databases of encounters in North America.Through his research, he discovered another harrowing account from the Olympic Peninsula, where a logging crew's encounter ended in a gruesome death—evidence that these beings aren't always the gentle forest giants of popular imagination.We should note that this episode contains descriptions of violence and disturbing content that may not be suitable for all listeners. Discretion is advised.Thomas Mercer, whose name has been changed at his request, was 25 years old during his encounter in 1987. Now in his sixties, he's spent decades researching similar encounters while maintaining his anonymity. This marks the first time he's shared his complete story publicly.

25 Huhti 1h 2min

In today's special storytelling episode, I'm thrilled to share an original tale I've created called "The Unlikely Guardians:  Bigfoot Saves Easter. This heartwarming adventure follows Bartholomew, the last Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest, whose carefully isolated life is upended when he discovers a set of unusual footprints in the late winter snow. Following them leads to an encounter with none other than Edmund Cottontail, the Easter Bunny himself, who is in desperate need of help. The magical Egg of Renewal has been stolen by Jack Frost, threatening to trap the world in endless winter and prevent Easter from happening at all.What follows is a journey across magical landscapes as these natural opposites—a reclusive wilderness dweller and the embodiment of spring celebration—form an unlikely alliance. Their adventure takes them through ancient forests, across frozen plains, and eventually to the edge of reality itself as they confront not just Jack Frost but the shadowy powers manipulating him. Throughout their quest, Bart and Edmund discover that their differences actually create a perfect harmony when combined with Jack's winter magic, forming a balanced force capable of restoring nature's cycles.The story explores how friendship can emerge in the most unexpected places, and how the balance between wilderness, winter, and renewal is essential for the natural world to flourish. We witness Bart's transformation from a solitary observer who has hidden from the world for centuries into someone who finds purpose in connection and community. It's a modern fairy tale about how isolation ends when we open ourselves to new possibilities and how seemingly opposite forces can unite for a greater purpose.

20 Huhti 3h 18min

In this haunting episode, we delve into one of Yellowstone National Park's most perplexing cold cases — the 1991 disappearance of Dan Campbell and his loyal dog Freckles.Our journey begins with Dan Campbell, a 42-year-old Montana man whose life had reached a crossroads by the spring of 1991. Living in Big Timber and struggling with mounting financial troubles, Campbell was looking for a way out. Standing 5'8" and weighing about 165 pounds, with the weathered face of someone comfortable in the outdoors, he had recently begun making plans to relocate to White Sulphur Springs, but needed money to finance the move.According to his brother Billy, Dan had started "running with some pretty shady characters" who introduced him to the lucrative world of illegal shed hunting — a dangerous underground economy that would ultimately lead to his disappearance.The dark underbelly of shed hunting in Yellowstone had evolved into what insiders called "the antler wars" by the early 1990s. With elk antlers selling for up to $15 per pound on the black market, what began as an innocent springtime hobby had transformed into a fiercely competitive criminal enterprise. Reports from the time suggest that certain areas of the park had been carved up into informal territories by competing groups of poachers, some allegedly carrying semiautomatic weapons to guard their claimed hunting grounds. Into this dangerous world stepped Dan Campbell, desperately seeking quick cash.On April 4, 1991, Campbell set off with his Australian shepherd-heeler mix named Freckles from the Hellroaring trailhead, planning a four-day trek to exit near Jardine, Montana, where his girlfriend Tracy Erb would pick him up on April 8. Dressed in blue Levi's jeans and a blue coat, he carried basic survival supplies in his backpack, along with the expectation of returning with valuable shed antlers. What he couldn't have anticipated was the treacherous journey that awaited him.The Hellroaring Trail itself presents a formidable challenge even to experienced hikers. Beginning with a steep 600-foot descent over switchbacks to reach a suspension bridge spanning the Yellowstone River, the trail then traverses an expansive sagebrush plateau before dropping down to Hellroaring Creek. As Campbell navigated this difficult terrain, a powerful spring storm moved in on April 5th, dumping up to a foot of fresh snow across portions of the park and sending temperatures plummeting.This sudden weather change would not only challenge Campbell's wilderness skills but would later severely hamper search efforts.When April 8 arrived with no sign of Campbell at the designated pickup location, Tracy Erb reported him missing. Park rangers immediately launched what's known in search and rescue terminology as a "bastard search" — checking obvious locations to confirm he wasn't simply elsewhere — before initiating a full-scale operation. Ground teams and, when weather permitted, aerial search units scoured Campbell's planned route, battling the aftermath of the snowstorm that had left up to a foot of fresh snow obscuring any tracks or evidence.Despite weeks of intensive searching across multiple locations, not a single trace of Campbell or his dog was ever found — no backpack, no clothing, no equipment, and perhaps most tellingly, not even Freckles.This complete absence of evidence pushed Campbell's brothers to consider darker possibilities. As the search transitioned to an investigation, Rod and Bill Campbell, along with their third brother, transformed from grieving family members into relentless advocates. Bill's own investigation uncovered that there had reportedly been 14 other horn hunters in the area on the day Dan went missing, and one of them claimed to have heard two gunshots. This discovery aligned with the family's growing suspicion that Dan had been murdered by rival shed hunters protecting their territory. The Campbell brothers' frustration with official efforts peaked in July 1991 when they filed a lawsuit against Park County Montana Sheriff Charlie Johnson, seeking $100,000 each for what they claimed was a botched investigation. They were particularly outraged by the sheriff's decision to return potential evidence — ammunition and spent cartridges confiscated from two horn hunters legally camping outside the park's northern boundaries — without subjecting these items to forensic testing. "If Dan's in the park, he's buried," Rod Campbell told reporters, reflecting their conviction that their brother met with foul play rather than a wilderness accident.As investigators weighed the evidence, three main theories emerged about Campbell's fate. The natural causes theory suggested he might have succumbed to hypothermia during the snowstorm, suffered a fatal injury on the rugged terrain, or encountered a grizzly bear emerging hungry from hibernation. The voluntary disappearance theory, which law enforcement initially considered due to Campbell's financial troubles, proposed that he might have staged his own disappearance to escape mounting debts. The foul play theory, championed by Campbell's family, posited that he had been murdered by rival shed hunters, with the snowstorm providing ideal cover for the crime and hampering subsequent searches.Each theory had strengths and weaknesses. The natural causes explanation failed to account for the complete absence of any trace, including the dog. The voluntary disappearance scenario seemed unlikely given Campbell's attachment to Freckles and his concrete plans for the future.The foul play theory addressed many puzzling aspects of the case but lacked definitive evidence. This ambiguity has allowed the mystery to persist for more than three decades, making it one of Yellowstone's most enduring cold cases.Today, Campbell's disappearance stands as a sobering reminder of both the wilderness dangers and human hazards that persist in Yellowstone. The illegal shed antler trade continues, with recent cases demonstrating its evolution and the ongoing risks it presents. In 2023, an Idaho man was charged with attempting to transport and sell more than 1,000 pounds of poached antlers valued at approximately $18,000, resulting in substantial fines and a hunting ban. While regulations have tightened and enforcement has improved since Campbell's day, the fundamental dynamics that may have contributed to his disappearance remain: valuable natural resources, limited oversight capacity, and the human willingness to risk legal penalties for financial gain.For those who venture into Yellowstone's backcountry today, Campbell's story serves as a haunting reminder that beneath the park's spectacular beauty lies a landscape that can still harbor both natural perils and human darkness. As we conclude our exploration of this mysterious disappearance, we're left with the same questions that have troubled investigators and family members for decades: What really happened to Dan Campbell and Freckles on that April journey in 1991? And will we ever know the truth?Our research for this episode draws on extensive sources, including original search and rescue reports, interviews with former park rangers, newspaper archives from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Freedom of Information Act documents released by the Department of Interior, Campbell family statements, and expert analysis on Yellowstone terrain, weather patterns, and wildlife behavior. Yet despite this wealth of information, Dan Campbell's fate remains one of the park's most persistent mysteries — a story that continues to fascinate and disturb more than thirty years after he vanished without a trace.

20 Huhti 1h 7min