SO EP:593 Missing: National Park Nightmares Vol.3

I've personally become involved with the Untold Radio Network. The Untold Radio Network is a live streaming podcast network that airs a new show every day across all podcast platforms, YouTube, and more. They have eight different shows on all sorts of exciting topics such as bigfoot, cryptids, UFOs, aliens, and much more. I even have my own show called Weird Encounters, where I talk about all things strange. This is more

than just a podcast network. It's a community that allows me to meet so many amazing people who share their stories and experiences with strange. If you're interested in hearing more of these stories and learning more about the paranormal and encryptids, make sure you check out the Untold Radio Network for all kinds of exciting shows. It's free to subscribe. So what are you waiting for visit www dot untold radionetwork dot com today.

out here? Did you see what it was? It was enough here. Look, come new to window now and I don't need anything. I don't want to go outside. Hello, hit the buddy out here? What quin? I'm out there? It's thought of a mention about text nine. I don't know. Easy ann out there. Yeah, I'm welcome right heay.

sinister becomes impossible to ignore. Tonight, we're starting with a case that's haunted the towering peaks and deep forests of Colorado for more than six decades. It's the heartbreaking and deeply disturbing story of a little boy named Robert Bobby bees Up, a ten year old who've vanished from a Catholic summer camp in the shadow of Rocky Mountain National Park.

What happened to Bobby on that summer afternoon in nineteen fifty eight has never been fully explained, and the more you learn about this case, the more unsettling it becomes. This is a story of innocence lost, a massive search that turned up nothing, and a grim discovery high on Mount Meeker that should have brought answers but instead only deepened the mystery. It's a case that stretches beyond simple tragedy into the dark shadows of betrayal, cover up, and

unanswered questions that persist to this day. So settle in, because Bobby Bisop's story is just the beginning. In the summer of nineteen fifty eight, ten year old Robert Bobby Bezup left his home in Denver, Colorado, for a week at Camp Saint Malo, a Catholic boys camp nestled at the foot of Mount Meeker just outside Rocky Mountain National Park.

Camp Saint Malo was a place of adventure and reflection where boys hiked mountain trails, fished in cold streams, shot rifles at the camp range, and took time each day for spiritual devotion. It was considered a safe, wholesome environment for young Catholic boys to explore the outdoors under the guidance of seminarians and priests. For Bobby, Camp Saint Milo was a familiar place he had visited several times before, despite the challenges he faced. Born to Joe and Connie

buzz Up, Bobby was their only child. He was nearly completely deaf and relied on lip reading, sign language, and a hearing aid in his left ear to communicate. Although he had difficulty speaking, especially when upset or frightened, Bobby was known as a sweet natured, trusting child with an

adventurous spirit. No one could have imagined that Bobby's visit to Camp Saint Milo in August nineteen fifty eight would end in tragedy and spark one of Colorado's most enduring and unsettling mysteries, a story that more than sixty years later would still be raising troubling questions about the circumstances of his death and about those who were responsible for

watching over him. On the afternoon of August fifteenth, nineteen fifty eight, Bobby was part of a group of boys fishing at Cabin Creek, a short hike from the main camp lodge. According to camp staff, the boys had been instructed to return to camp for dinner. Bobby was told by a counselor to head back early. The councilor later claimed that Bobby followed his directions and left the group alone, presumably making his way back along the familiar path, but

Bobby never arrived. By evening. When it became clear he was missing, counselors organized a search. What began as a routine check soon escalated into something far more serious. Night fell and Bobby was nowhere to be found. He was deaf, alone, and vulnerable in the rugged terrain of the Colorado wilderness. As news spread of Bobby's disappearance, an extensive search and rescue effort was launched, it became one of the largest

in Colorado history up to that time. Searchers included the military, National Park Service, personnel, state and local law enforcement, as well as hundreds of volunteers from the surrounding areas. Bloodhounds were brought in to pick up Bobby's scent, and plains flew overhead scouring the forests and mountains for any sign of him. The search covered every inch of ground surrounding Camp Saint Malo and the slopes leading into Rocky Mountain

National Park. Searchers on horseback, on foot, and in the air combed thick forests, steep ravines, and rocky ledges. Yet, despite days and weeks of effort, they found nothing. No footprints, no articles of clothing, not even a hint of where Bobby might have gone. After an exhaustive effort, the search was eventually called off. Bobby was presumed to have gotten lost and perished in the wilderness, his body left somewhere

out of reach of even the most determined searchers. Almost a year later, in July of nineteen fifty nine of hikers, three councilors, and a handful of boys from Camp Saint Malo climbed Mount Meeker directly west of the camp. During the hike, one of them stumbled upon a bone and a scrap of clothing. The councilor who made the discovery was Neil Hewitt, who at the time was in the seminary and had been among the last people to see Bobby alive. Further searches in the area turned up additional

bones and more of Bobby's clothing. Dental records confirmed that the remains were his. His scattered bones were found more than two miles from the camp and nearly two thousand feet higher in elevation on the unforgiving slopes of Mount Meeker. The location was within Rocky Mountain National Park boundaries, in an area that searchers had already canvassed the previous summer. At the time, authorities concluded that Bobby had simply wandered too far and died of exhaustion and exposure. His death

was ruled an accident. He was laid to rest at Fort Logan National Cemetery by his grieving parents, Joe and Comin, who carried the weight of their loss for the rest of their lives for years. That was the official story, A tragic accident in the wild, but in the decades that followed, troubling questions persisted. The area where Bobby's remains

were found had been thoroughly searched the previous year. How could train searchers, the military and National Park rangers have missed his body, especially considering how close it was to previous search grids. More questions surfaced about the terrain itself. Bobby was a ten year old boy with significant hearing loss, unfamiliar with the complexities of the area. How could he have climbed so far over such rugged, steep terrain without

being seen. The answers never came, and with time, the story faded into a painful memory until recently, in twenty twenty one, investigative reporter Kevin Vaughan of nine News and the Nine Wants to Know Team brought new attention to Bobby's case. Their investigation uncovered deeply disturbing revelations about Camp Saint Malo and some of the men who were responsible

for the boys in its care. Neil Hewitt, who had been one of the last people to see Bobby and who later discovered his remains, was later accused of molesting at least nine boys across four Colorado parishes after being ordained in nineteen sixty two. He left the priesthood in nineteen eighty two. Other councilors at Camp Saint Malo in nineteen fifty eight, Harold Robert White and Gerald Roppola, were

also later revealed to be prolific child abusers. White in particular, became one of Colorado's most notorious pedophile priests, with more than seventy known victims. Nine Wants to Know also uncovered inconsistencies in the official timeline. Hewitt reportedly found Bobby's remains on July third, nineteen fifty nine, yet Father Richard Heister, the camp's director, did not report the discovery to the National Park Service until three days later, on July sixth.

The delays, the over lapping testimonies, and the disturbing history of those involved prompted federal authorities to reopen Bobby's case. Then came an even more stunning development. Early in twenty twenty one, federal investigators obtained what is believed to be Bobby Bisup's skull. For decades, it had been in the possession of a Colorado family. Doctor Tom McCloskey of Denver

came forward and turned over the skull to investigators. He revealed that his father, doctor Joseph McCloskey, a prominent member of the Catholic Church and a close friend of father Heister, had originally had the skull in his possession. After his father's death in nineteen eighty, Tom took possession of it, knowing only that it was the skull of a boy

who disappeared from the camp. For years, Tom tried to research its origins but found nothing until he watched the Nine Wants to Know documentary Mystery on Mount Meeker in late December twenty twenty. Realizing the skull might belong to Bobby, he contacted authorities and turned it over. The skull had been kept in a paper sack in his basement for years. DNA testing is now underway to confirm whether it is indeed Bobby's, but records from nineteen fifty nine show that

Bobby's skull was never found during the original recovery. Larry Collins, a seasonal National Park Service employee who helped with the search that year, confirmed this fact. A Park Service report also made no mention of a skull being recovered. This discovery adds a chilling new layer to Bobby's story. The prevailing theory is that father Heaster took possession of the skull after Bobby's remains were found, and later gave it

to his friend, doctor McCloskey. Father Heaster has since passed away, but his nephew told nine wants to know that he finds the situation deeply disturbing and incomprehensible. What were they hiding for? Long time prosecutor rich Orman? The findings are appalling, It's astounding, he said, and to me, it shows a guilty mind. I don't think you do something like this to a family without a guilty mind. Orman is not alone in his belief that there was an intentional effort

to hide critical evidence in Bobby's case. The Archdiocese of Denver has stated they are cooperating with federal investigators and have provided all the materials they have from their archives. But the troubling legacy of clergy abuse at Camp Saint

Malo and the unanswered questions surrounding Bobby's death remain. Why was Bobby's skull hidden, why did it take more than sixty years for it to resurface, and most importantly, what really happened to Bobby Bisop on August fifteenth, nineteen fifty eight. For Bobby's family, the resurfacing of his story after all these years, has reopened old wounds. His cousin, Harriet Dudach said, poor Bobby, he needs justice, you know, laid to rest and rest in peace.

to piece together the truth. They hope that modern forensic science and new testimony will finally provide the answers that Bobby Bisop's family has long sought. But until then, the tragic story of Bobby Bisop remains one of Colorado's most haunting unsolved cases, a tale of innocence lost in the Colorado Wilderness, of trust betrayed at a place that was supposed to be safe, and of a mystery that refuses

to rest. As we close the file on Bobby's case, a young man whose sudden disappearance and the fragments left behind have haunted investigators and his loved ones alike, were left with a familiar sense of unfinished busines, business, a life paused mid sentence, a mystery that resists resolution. And while Bobby's story raises countless questions about what can go

wrong in the wilderness, it's far from unique. There's something about remote places, vast stretches of untamed land where the rules seem to shift and logic loses its footing mountains, forests and open spaces that seem to swallow people whole, leaving little behind but theories and echoes. And it's in this space, the gray area between fact and folklore, that

we find our next story. This time we travel back to the summer of nineteen eighty one, high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a place known for its rugged beauty, steep granite cliffs and crystalline alpine lakes. It's a place where nature draws you in with its serenity and sometimes refuses to let you go and stay tuned for more Sasquatch ott to see We'll be right back

after these messages. This is where fourteen year old Stacy ann Aaris vanished without a trace in what should have been a simple afternoon walk during a horseback riding trip at Yosemite National Park. But what began as an ordinary outing quickly spiraled into one of the park's most puzzling and enduring mysteries, and nearly half a century later, we're

still asking what happened to Stacy ann Aris. In the summer of nineteen eighty one, a fourteen year old girl named Stacy ann Airis vanished without a trace in one of America's most iconic national parks, Yosemite. Her disappearance remains one of the park's most baffling unsolved mysteries. Stacy was

an active, bright teenager from Saratoga, California. She was a white female, standing five feet five inches tall, weighing about one hundred twenty pounds, with straight shoulder length blonde hair. On the day she went missing, Stacy was wearing a white pullover windbreaker, a white jaur blouse with a square neckline and lace trim shorts with vertical maroon and white stripes, along with intermittent sky blue pin stripes and gray hiking

boots with vibrum soles. She also had a gold tone anklet and wore a dental retainer on her upper teeth. Stacy and her father were on a special father daughter trip, part of a guided four day High Sierra Loop tour. The group, totaling ten people, was riding mules through Yosemite's breathtaking wilderness. On July seventeenth, nineteen eighty one, they arrived at Sunrise High Sierra Camp, situated at an elevation of

roughly ninety four hundred feet, around three pm. This remote camp offers sweeping views of alpine meadows and lakes and serves as a stopover for hikers and mule riders. After arriving, Stacy took a shower and settled into her cabin. She expressed interest in stretching her legs after the mule ride and decided to take a short hike. Her plan was to walk to nearby Sunrise Lakes, a popular scenic spot about one and a half miles from the camp. Stacy

wasn't planning to hike Alane. She invited a seventy seven year old man from their group to a companier They started off together, but the man quickly tired and sat down to rest not far from the trail. Stacey continued walking a short distance ahead. At one point, the guide who had led the mule group, who was tending to the animals at the camp corral, spotted Stacy standing on a rock about fifty yards south of the trail. He later said she appeared to be either admiring the view

or possibly taking photographs. Stacy had reportedly brought a small camera on the hike. That brief glimpse was the last confirmed sighting of her. When Stacy didn't return promptly, her father and others in the group became concerned. By evening, a formal search was initiated. The search for Stacy was immediate and extensive. Yosemite's search and rescue team was quickly mobilized.

Over the following days, more than one hundred personnel were involved, including ground teams, dog handlers, mounted units, helicopters, and even divers. Searchers meticulously combed the rugged alpine terrain, covering cliffs, lakes, and dense forest areas around the camp and along the trail to Sunrise Lakes. Despite the massive effort and ideal weather conditions at the time. No significant clues were ever found, no clothing, no camera, no personal items, and not a

single track or sign of Stacy turned up. The search was ultimately scaled back after about nine days and Stacy was declared missing. Several factors make Stacy's disappearance especially puzzling. She was last seen within sight of the camp, in an open area, not far from others. It wasn't a remote or isolated trail. Her intended hike was a short one and a half mile round trip. Stacy was reportedly

in good physical condition and accustomed to the outdoors. Despite thorough search using dogs and aerial support, not even a hint of evidence was found, no footprints, belongings, or clues indicating where she went. She simply vanished silently, with no one hearing calls for help or signs of an accident, which is strange in an area where sound travels easily.

Many theories have been suggested over the years. Some believe Stacy fell or became injured in a hard to reach area, perhaps falling into one of the steep granite shoots or hidden crevices that litter the region. Others wonder if an animal attack was responsible, though there were no signs of a struggle or remains. More speculative theories suggest Stacy might have been abducted, although no evidence supports this theory either.

Some paranormal enthusiasts have even tied her case to mysterious disappearances in wilderness areas, often linked to the so called missing four one one phenomena. Officially, Stacy ann ARUs is still classified as missing. Her case remains open with the now National Park Service and law enforcement agencies. Over the years, there have been no credible leads or developments, No remains have ever been recovered, and no physical evidence has surfaced

to shed light on what happened to her. In the years since her disappearance, Yosemite officials have been reluctant to release detailed reports about the case, which has fueled further mystery and speculation among researchers in the public. Stacy's disappearance is often cited as one of the strangest and most chilling cases of a person vanishing in a national park. It serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly and quietly someone can go missing, even in the presence of

others and under seemingly safe conditions. Her family never gave up hope, and her story continues to be told in an effort to find answers, or at least bring closure. The case of Stacy ARUs remains one of the most haunting disappearances in the history of our national parks. A young woman full of life and potential vanishes se aemingly

without a trace on a bright afternoon in Yosemite. No clear evidence, no definitive answers, just a string of agonizing questions for her family and for those who continued to

search for meaning in these remote wilderness vanishings. And while Stacy's story took place in nineteen eighty one, decades before and in a different park altogether, it's impossible to hear it and not draw comparisons to another puzzling case, this one much more recent, but no less mysterious, a case that unfolded hundreds of miles away in one of the most iconic and treacherous landscapes in America, the Grand Canyon.

On March thirty first, twenty eleven, Adam Clayton Lyle Jones, a twenty three year old from Gulf Breeze, Florida, left his family home and embarked on a cross country road trip. Like Stacy, Adam was young, independent, and familiar with travel. His family described him as quiet but thoughtful, intelligent, and creative. His parents, who remained largely private about their lives, raised him in a close knit household in the small coastal town of Gulf Breeze. Nothing in his background suggested he

was impulsive or reckless. Yet, for reasons that still aren't clear, Adam set out alone, driving west in his light blue Oldsmobile Delta eighty eight, a car that was already a bit of a relic. Much like his decision to travel without a cell phone, he packed light, taking only his laptop. He didn't mention any concerns. He simply said goodbye and left. For more than a month, no one heard from Adam, and then, on May fifth, twenty eleven, his car was found abandoned by a park ranger at the South Rim

visitor Center in Grand Canyon National Park. Oddly, Adam had not yet been reported missing. It was the ranger's discovery in the subsequent contact with Adam's parents that set the official search in motion. Inside his car, searchers found an itinerary detailing stops in California and Colorado, but nothing else to suggest where Adam might have gone once he reached the Grand Canyon. Just like with Stacy, no physical evidence has ever turned up to indicate what happened after Adam's arrival.

He had no phone on him, no way to communicate if something went wrong, and the Grand Canyon, much like Yosemite, is a vast and unforgiving wilderness where a wrong step or a sudden change in weather can mean disaster. Yet in Adam's case, there were no signs of distress, no reports of someone fitting his description seen on the trails, and no personal belongings were covered in any nearby areas.

The similarities are hard to ignore. Both cases involve young adults who vanish without a trace in popular national parks under circumstances that defy easy explanation. In both cases, there were thorough searches, yet nothing substantial was ever found, and both cases have left families grappling with the ache of uncertainty, still searching for answers all these years later. But Adam's

case also raises some unique questions. Why was his car parked at the visitor center for days, maybe weeks before anyone noticed. Did he follow his planned itinerary or did he veer off course? Was he perhaps seeking solitude or something spiritual, as some have speculated, or was he the victim of a tragic accident or something more sinister. Some even wonder whether foul play could have been involved, although

there's been no direct evidence of that. Others theorize he may have chosen to disappear intentionally, but his close ties to his family make that theory harder to believe. Today, Adam Clayton Lyle Jones remains missing. His case, much like Stacy ann Aris's, is a chilling reminder of how easy it is to vanish in the wild, even in places that are supposed to be safe and well traveled, And for both their families, the hope for answers has never faded.

As we close the chapter on the strange and unsettling case of Adam Jones, a young man whose vanishing act left more questions than answers, we moved now to another case, one that echoes with many of the same eerie silences, baffling details, and lingering mysteries. But this time our story winds its way into the misty heart of one of America's most visited, and some would say most haunted wildernesses the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was early spring

twenty twelve. The Smokies were just beginning to stir from their long winter. Hush ice gave way to trickling streams, and leafless branches stood like dark fingers against a gray sky. On March the seventeenth of that year, twenty four year old Derek Joseph Luking, known to his friends as DROC or simply DJ, stepped out of his hotel room at

the Microtail Inn in Suites in Cherokee, North Carolina. It was around four am, and security cameras captured his final known movements as he left quietly into the still dark mourning, carrying only a small day pack on his back. No fanfare, no witnesses, no clear destination. What followed was a mystery that has tormented his family, baffled investigators, and sparked endless speculation. But before we get to that, we have to ask who was Derek Luking. Born and raised in northern Virginia,

Derek was a kind hearted, introspective young man. He graduated from Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee with a degree in Bible studies and worked as an orderly at Peninsula Behavioral Health Center. His friends and family described him as dependable and easy going, though in the months before his disappearance they began to notice subtle changes. His father, Tim Luking, observed that Derek had started drinking, smoking, behaviors out of character for a young man who had once held himself

to a stricter moral code. He was restless, uncertain about his future, and, as many recent graduates can attest, grappling with the weight of adulthood's expectations. Still, nothing could have prepared his family for what would come next. On March fifteenth, Derek didn't show up for work. His roommate, Ryan Molden, was the first to raise the alarm after Derek failed to answer repeated calls and texts. Concern turned into dread as Ryan contacted Derek's family, who immediately left their home

in Virginia and drove through the night to Tennessee. Searching Derek's computer and personal effects, they discovered his plans searches related to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hotel reservations in Cherokee. It seemed Derek was heading for the wilderness. By March seventeenth, Derek's family found his white Ford Escape parked in the lower lot at Newfound Gap, a scenic

overlook straddling the Tennessee North Carolina state line. Newfound Gap is a place where the Appalachian Trail crosses the mountains, offering both awe inspiring views and beyond the trailheads a vast unforgive wilderness. But what they found inside Derek's vehicle

only deepened the mystery. The suv contained more than one thousand dollars worth of newly purchased survival gear, a tent, sleeping bag, pack, axe, compass, pocket knife, knife, sharpener, lamp, granola bars, one hundred feet of black parachute cord, a survival belt with a multi toool, flashlight and firestarter. He had pages torn from a military survival manual, his wallet with cash still inside, and five empty Walmart bags from

recent purchases. The car keys were there. Everything he would have needed for an extended stay in the wild had been left untouched. It was as if Derek had carefully gathered the tools for a serious backcountry adventure and then changed his mind at the last second. Then came the note, simple cryptic, don't try to follow me. Those five words sent a chill through his loved ones and would shape the trajectory of the search to come. Was it a farewell,

a warning, a misdirection? No one could say. Despite the ominous message, Derek's family and park rangers pressed on. Search and rescue teams mobilized quickly. They combed the area around Newfound Gap with dog teams, helicopters, and trained personnel. Rangers spoke with campers, hikers, and anyone else who might have crossed paths with Derek that day, but no one had seen him. On what was a sunny, bustling day in the park, Derek Luking might as well have vanished into

thin air. Some speculated that he left the trail immediately after parking, possibly heading off trail to avoid being seen. Others wondered whether he might have attempted to emulate his survival hero bear grills, testing himself against nature with minimal gear,

something his family feared he wasn't equipped to do. Despite his interest in survival shows, Derek wasn't known to be an experienced outdoorsman, and the Smokies beautiful as they are, are dangerous place to get lost, and stay tuned for more sasquatch ot to see, We'll be right back. After these messages, rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, and dense rhododendron thickets can disorient even the most seasoned hiker. There was a potential siding along Newfound Gap Road shortly after his car

was discovered, but it led nowhere. Search teams walked over seventy miles of trail in the surrounding areas, often pushing deep into impassable brush and cliff side ravines. They used every clue and hunch they could find, Yet no footprints, no clothing scraps, no broken branches or disturbances. Nothing. Weeks passed than months. The case took another strange twist when, during the continued search for Derek, rangers discovered human remains

in the park. At first, there was hope grim though it may be that Derek had been found, but the remains belonged to another missing young man, Michael Giovanni Cocchini, just twenty three years old, who had disappeared only days after Derek. Couccini's car was found parked along Newfound Gap Road, and his skull fragment was later located less than a mile from his vehicle. Like Derek, Cocchini had seemingly wandered

into the wilderness and never returned. Two young men similar ages disappearing within days of each other from the same park pure coincidence or was something more sinister at play in these mountains? For Derek's family, theories abound. Some believe he planned to end his life, marking his grandfather's death anniversary with his own vanishing act. But why buy so much survival gear? Why leave behind tools that might have helped him survive? Others suspect foul play. Was Derek forced

to leave the note? Did he meet someone in the woods that day who wished him harm? Despite hundreds of miles of trail searchesmultiple dog teams, helicopters, and persistent efforts by both park rangers and volunteers, no definitive trace of Derek Luking has ever been found. His family still holds out hope. They maintain a Facebook page help find Derek Luking and continue to spread awareness, hoping one day a hiker, a camper, or perhaps even Derek himself might come forward

with answers. His father posted a letter regarding his son's disappearance on Help Find Derek a Facebook page, saying I know many of you have questions concerning Derek's disappearance and have seen conflicting information in the news reports. I have put together the following information in the hopes of clarifying questions you may have. Derek went missing Wednesday, March fourteenth,

from his home in Louisville, Tennessee. Over the next two days, he purchased over one thousand dollars in camping supplies from Bass Pro Shop, Knife Works, and Coalman's. We believe he stayed at the Motel six on the fourteenth, Smokemont Campground in the Park on the fifteenth, and the Microtail Hotel

and Cherokee on the sixteenth. His car was found March seventeenth at eight thirty am at Newfound Gap in the Smoky Mountains after family saw him leave the Microtail Hotel alone in Cherokee, North Carolina through video footage at four am. A note stating only don't look for me was found in his car, along with wallet and car key. The note was not addressed to anyone, so it could have

been for us or the rangers. The Great Smoky Mountain Park Service has never quit searching for Derek, as they repelled down some high cliffs March twenty ninth and did not find anything. The rangers, park employees, volunteers, and trail runner continue to look for him. Rangers are also still looking into the investigation aspect of this case, following up purchases he made and trying to find out if there are any other significant clues in the recent past. We

are extremely grateful for their continued efforts. Derek was a of the survivalist Bear Grill's TV show, and theoretically he did have the necessary supplies to live in the woods for a long period of time, but he did not

take all the camping gear he purchased. We believe he had at least a backpack, a waterproof watch, a Bear Grills survival tool pack including a multitool, small flashlight, firestarter rod, a gerber pack axe, several pages of a military survival manual, a knife sharpener, a compass thermometer, one hundred feet of black parachute cord, a headlamp, pocket knife, iPod touch, and some granola bars. He also purchased additional supplies from Walmart

for cash. Five empty bags were found in the car with open packaging listing Walmart, but we have not been able to confirm what he purchased. Appalachian Trail hikers who have talked to the family have said that Derek could survive for a long time with the supplies he had. Searchers have hiked hundreds of miles of trails the weeks after his disappearance, which include using multiple dog scent trackers,

three different days using helicopters, and one night helicopter. Unfortunately, no significant clues were found leading to Derek, but rangers still believe he is in the park somewhere, possibly off trail. The Park Service initially asked our family not to search directly for Derek to avoid contaminating clues, and wanted trained Park Service searcher on the trails, so we handed out a flyer with Derek's picture to everyone who hit the trails.

As the Park Services direct search wound down, we started. Our family and friends, along with other concerned people, gathered the twenty fourth and twenty fifth of March to search for Derek. A total of over sixty people show up to hike and hand out flyers. Hikers that showed up hiked a total of about one hundred and seventy five miles of trail, and people handed out about three thousand flyers to people in the park and the surrounding areas. There is still the possibility that Derek is not in

the Great Smoky National Park. We would like to make sure the information about him is available to the public. The family has not given up hope on finding Derek and is doing anything in their power to work with and help the rangers who are investigating, as well as trying to make sure the information is out in the world as well. There is a Facebook page Find Derek Luking that the family is keeping up to inform anyone

interested about the case. Please help spread the word to anyone hiking in the Smoky Mountain area to keep an eye out for Derek, and so the Smoky Mountains keep their secrets. The fog rolls in at dusk, swallowing the trail, The wind whispers through the ancient trees, and somewhere out there, Derek J. Luking's story remains unfinished. To do in sh to p