Blood Trails

On November 16, 2018, 68-year-old Chong Mua Yang—a Hmong immigrant, war veteran, and lifelong hunter—was found face-down in the snow, shot in the back of the head. The backpack, knife, and shotgun he'd taken on his deer hunt were missing. His footprints were the only ones leading in… but not the only ones leading out. The investigation would take six years, involve Google geofence warrants, racist text messages, GPS timelines, a can of Scent Killer, and a shocking interview in Miami that turned the entire case upside down. Was this a hate crime? A hunting “accident”? Or something even darker? In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars walks you through every twist and misdirection—from the first frantic phone call to the moment detectives finally identified two suspects whose own words may become their undoing. This is the story of a man who survived war, built a life from nothing, and was taken from his family by someone hiding in the same woods he loved. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In September 2012, 35-year-old Jeffrey Gebhardt vanished in the Georgia woods during an early-season deer hunt. A few hours later, search teams discovered his body on the edge of Clarks Hill Lake—hands folded neatly on his chest, gear scattered nearby, and eighteen stab wounds across his torso. What investigators didn’t find was even more disturbing. No defensive wounds. No footprints except Jeff’s. No blood trail, no drag marks, no sign of a struggle. And a knife beneath him containing only his DNA. Was Jeff murdered by someone hiding deep in the forest? Did he witness something he shouldn’t have? Or did he experience a darker, far more complex crisis that left even forensic experts baffled? In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars breaks down the full case file—interviews with Jeff’s hunting partner, GBI agents, forensic specialists, and members of Jeff’s community—to uncover why investigators ultimately reached the most controversial conclusion of all. This is the story of a death that defies logic, a crime scene that rewrites itself, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried.Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 for free, confidential support. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This story begins in the wild, unforgiving mountains of Montana. In September of 2014, 38-year-old Aaron Hedges set out with friends for a weeklong elk hunt in the Crazy Mountains. But when he left camp to retrieve supplies from a nearby cache, those friends never saw him again. But instead of searching for him, they went home--right as a snowstorm hit. Search and rescue teams were unable to locate the missing hunter. All they found were a few pieces of gear, including his boots, but no trace of Aaron Hedges. His remains were eventually found miles from where he was supposed to be, but the mystery only deepened. Did Aaron lose his way in the vast, punishing wilderness, or was something far more sinister waiting in the shadows? In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars explores how the line between accident and foul play is thinner than you think. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a snowy November morning in 1975, 25-year-old hunter Ludger Belanger stepped into the woods with his .30-30 and the hope of backstraps for dinner. But what started as a simple deer hunt quickly became one of Maine’s oldest—and most haunting—unsolved cases. At first, game wardens thought Ludger had lost his way. But the tracks in the snow told another story: a shot deer, a missing rifle, tire marks on a back road, and two strangers in a green Buick. Join host Jordan Sillars as this episode of Blood Trails follows a path that twists into drunken parties, threats, explosions, and suspects who always seemed one step ahead. Nearly fifty years later, Ludger’s wife, children, and grandchildren are still searching for the truth—and for the body of the man stolen from them. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deer hunting is a way of life in central Minnesota, but on November 7th, 2016, the shot that echoed through the forest didn’t mark the end of a deer hunt—it marked the beginning of a mystery that still haunts a family and their community. Terry Brisk, a devoted father of four and lifelong outdoorsman, set out to check his stands—and never returned. His teenage son found him lying in the leaves, shot at close range with his own rifle. What followed was a nightmare of unanswered questions, fractured family bonds, and a community haunted by suspicion. Was Terry killed by a trespasser caught on his land? Or was the threat closer—inside the circle of people he trusted most? In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars tackles these questions and more as nearly a decade later, rumors, grief, and fear still hang over Morrison County like fog. These days, in these woods, the silence speaks louder than the gunfire that killed Terry Brisk. Want more Blood Trails? Check out this episode's Case File. Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube ClipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.