S1 E07: Missing Body

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Your support helps the story continue. To join How I Died Premium, just go to patreon.com slash howidied, or click the link in the show notes below. Thanks for listening and enjoy the episode. Thank you all to the volunteers who have come out today to help with the search. We'll be walking across the wooded section here for approximately six miles to the other side. Line up within arm's length of each other and walk slowly.

Search by your feet and areas around you as you go Please use your walkies if you find anything suspicious Once we're all done with the first walk, we'll take a short break and then line up again further down We've got 11 hours of daylight left, so we should be able to cover most of the woods in this area today. Let's get going. I hope that was loud enough to pick up on the mic.

Today I'm at the Springfield County woods south of town with a group of volunteers from the community and a few of the sheriff's office deputies. Today's a groundswalk looking for missing person Steven Maurer. a 31-year-old local who went hunting with a friend of his, Jake Lellum. Both of them were reported missing after Maurer's car was found in a nearby parking lot. Normally, we'd be looking for both of the missing men,

But a few days ago, the sheriff's office got a tip from another county. They found a person matching Lulam's description. No one's seen or heard from Maurer, and his last known sighting was actually in these woods. You're reporting on everything? Huh? Oh.

Yeah, I am. My name's John. I'm the forensic pathologist with the county, so I'm documenting everything for the case files. That's a great idea. And who knows? Maybe this will turn into a news story and they can air your recording. I really hope not. Why not? Honestly, I'm hoping we find him alive. Well, you and I both know that's not going to happen. You think so? Oh, I know so.

And it's like, what, a 10% chance missing people are found alive after 48 hours? Actually, I think that's stats for kidnappings. Either way, I'm dead, so it doesn't matter. Wait, what did you just say?

You got it on tape, right? Just replay it. Goddammit, you're him. You're Steven. Correct. For someone with the police, you sure aren't observant. Couldn't see your face underneath the baseball cap. You're a ghost, right? I hope so. Otherwise, I'd have starved by now. Shit. I seem crazy now.

You couldn't have said something in the first place. I'm dead, John. This is about the last amount of fun I'll have. Oh, unless there are more people like you. Or actually, can I haunt people? I don't know how this works. So you did die here, huh? Yep. A little ways down. You guys probably won't find my body. And if you do, it'll be hours from now with how slow this group is walking. Alright. Shit. Okay. I'm gonna need you to take me to your body.

This way. No, no. Hold on. We can't just go right there. It's too obvious. I need to come up with a reason to head that way. You don't want to be the hero and find me? No.

If I head straight there, that's incredibly suspicious. Well, if it makes it any better, I wasn't murdered like y'all think. Wait, you weren't? Nah. Actually, I died kind of stupidly. I was shooting at the trees out here, shot a big one that was leaning, turned around to keep walking, and next thing I know, I'm standing next to my body impaled by a tree on top. Ouch. You're telling me. All right, let me think.

Why were you shooting at trees anyway? There ain't shit to hunt here. I was bored. And your buddy, Jake? Ah, he ran. He had priors, man. And technically, we didn't have a license. Okay.

All right. What path did you take? Maybe we can find a clue to alert the sheriff. Right up the road. I put a marker, actually. Fan-fucking-tastic. Do you remember where? I'm hoping it's in line with someone else and they can call it in. Why is that? Again, it looks way too suspicious. If someone else can find the first clue, that would be ideal. Well, we're coming up close to it.

It's a little to the left, closer to that lady. Oh, that's Dr. Gatz. She works at the hospital. Come on, Amelia. Please notice it. What if she doesn't? She will. Come on. Hey! I've got something! Yes. Game on. Everybody stop! Don't move! Wow, so official. Yeah, it's almost like you're a murder victim or something. That just looks like a regular marker. We have no idea if it's recent or even if it's Mr. Mowers. Let's keep going. Wait. What?

What if it is recent? We could find him faster if we followed up on the clues rather than just combing. No offense, Dr. Gatz, but I think I'm in a better position to make that call than you. I know, I just thought- Crowley, why don't I follow up on the lead? I can go with you! It's not a damn... It's not a damn lead! It's nothing, people! Keep moving! You too, Dr. Gatz. Damn it, John.

I've learned to accept your weird hunches recently. But are you going to tell me you want to chase every single fucking marker we find? I just think it's worth exploring. Are there any more markers? Maybe it leads down a path that they took. All right, all right, hold on. Everybody stop. Dr. Spacer and I will be following this marker. I need someone to replace this spot in the walkthrough.

Tighten up a bit and call me on the walkie if anyone finds anything. Anything at all. You better hope that silver spoon up your ass is still shining. I haven't steered you wrong yet, have I? Technically, I'll be steering. Let's go. Audio Media presents How I Died We're a little ways away from the group now. Still haven't really found anything. Hoping maybe we can... There's gotta be something this way. It's kind of an overcast day. Even for the fall. Looks like it's gonna rain.

Let's head deeper in, I guess. Chances are they were looking for a hunting spot, right? Depends where they wound up. Especially if they were drinking or got into an argument. Ours body could have been thrown into the river for all we know. You know. Jake's not a bad dude. We've known each other since middle school, and I still would have bailed if he got crushed by a tree, too. See something? No, not yet. Or at least, I don't think so.

Maybe some debris here. I guess it looks like it could have been walked on recently. How often are people in these woods? I know you don't get out that much, but I'd imagine people walk the trails pretty regularly. Although, this isn't supposed to be a hunting zone, so keep an eye out for any casings and the like. Huh. What about a beer can? Could be anybody's. This is a pretty popular spot.

Especially for underage kids. Springfield Light Ale. Sounds... Like I said, underage kids with no taste. Hey. That's a man's beer for a sophisticated palate. Thank you very much. Huh. Look. Another tree notch. Guess this is the right way. Yeah. Guess so. Say, Crowley, can I ask you a question? Is it related to the case? No, not really. Then I'd prefer if you didn't. Very funny.

I'm asking anyway. Why do you think so many people die in Springfield? Well, if I'm being honest, I don't know. People believe in curses and bad luck. Do you? I didn't always, but over the past few years, I guess I came around to the curse. Is it about the incident in 1989? You heard about that, huh? Just a bit. Well, I can't tell you much more than what you've probably already heard. Ready to launch your business?

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The Springfield core plant blew up. Some people thought it was a bomb planted by one of the protesting environmentalists or someone like that. Oh yeah, I remember hearing that. And it caused a big power outage. That's what most people think, but... There was a huge storm coming in that night. Biggest I've ever seen. So wait, you think that's what knocked out the power? No. I'm saying that's what blew up the plant. Seriously? A thunderstorm? Ew.

It wasn't just any old storm. The sky was lit up orange in the middle of the night like it was a damn summer heat wave. I saw flames in midair touch down on the ground. Most people didn't see it, but I was working late shift that night. Jeez. So a big storm, an exploding research facility, and then what? All of a sudden weird shit starts happening in town?

That sounds like a science fiction novel. I don't believe in that crap. No? No ghosts or aliens? Not all country folk believe in aliens, John. You believe in curses. You just said so a minute ago. Yeah, well, when you see fire rain down from the sky a second time... You start to believe in anything. A second time? I got something. Take a look at this tree. What is that? Holes from a 22. You think we're close? Yeah, this looks kind of familiar.

This way. Wait, back up. You said fire rained from the sky a second time. When was there a second time? I... I misspoke. Was it... was it in 2014? What are you getting at? I've just noticed a pattern of deaths around 1988 and 2014. Drop it, John. Probably I... I looked at some old case files. I said drop it. Look, I don't know what I can do to help, but maybe if you told me a little bit about it... I am not going to talk...

to you about this shit. You can't do anything to help, so mind your damn business, okay? Oh my god. What? Did I stutter? No. That's my head.

That's my head on a spike. Not that. Look. Over there. Why is that? Hurry. Mother of God. We've got a 1054, 1055 mutilated body on the south side of Springfield County woods in a small clearing. About 800 feet in. Where did my body go? What in the... That is not... That is not what we're supposed to find. Holy shit, man. Oh my god. The body's completely separated from the head. I mean, this pole looks like it could be from a campsite or something like that, but it doesn't...

Line up the... I repeat. Body found. Or part of a body found. Just send some people down here, damn it. Oh my god. The rate of decomp looks like it lines up with when we thought he died, but there's no tearing on the skin. Hold on. Look down here. From what I can tell... Looks like the bone was cut cleanly. There's no kerf marks almost at all. I need some gloves to be able to look a little bit further, but...

This doesn't look like it was a hack job. It was done by some clean instrument. Nice smooth cut. John! Yeah, yeah, sorry. I, uh, let me run back. I need to get my go bag. I'll be right back. You know how to get back here? Yeah. Yeah, I'll alert the deputies. What's going on? You tell me.

That's not how I died. I saw my body. I looked at it like yesterday. I was whole. You think your buddy came back? No. He wouldn't do that. This was some twisted asshole. Those markings. That is not something a normal person could do. Move and dissect a body like that? Isn't that what you do? No. It's different, but maybe those markings looked kind of familiar. Look, you gotta convince the sheriff that Jake didn't do this. I know he couldn't have. Someone else did. I'll try, but...

Right now, I just need to get the tools and get back. This is much more than we were expecting. That body. I can't get the thought out of my mind. It's crazy. I need to... Yeah. Hey, guys. Over here. John, did you find something? Yeah, we found something for sure. Alright girls, this is the place. We'll get everything loaded over to the boat and we'll lock up the truck. Don't leave anything behind. Wait, is that it? That's where we're going?

Yeah, that's it. Seal Skin Rock. Wow. Return to the mysteries in Don't Mind, Seal Skin Rock. Subscribe now to catch the premiere, and we'll see you on The Rock. I am being transported by the Ecclesiastes vessel Markava to stand trial for heresy of the highest order. But I will not renounce my work, and to my last breath I will speak the truth of this plague-ridden world, that ours is not a loving God.

And we are not its favored children. The Heresies of Radolf Buntwein Chapter 2. Now available throughout the known world.