In May 2008, two lifelong friends, Scott Johnston and Sean Farmer, headed into the woods of Giles County, Virginia, for a simple fishing trip. They met a friendly stranger named “Ricky” and shared dinner by a campfire. But within hours, they were fighting for their lives, bleeding from gunshot wounds, and navigating a dark mountain road with one man steering from the passenger seat and the other working the pedals.

This wasn’t the killer’s first time on the trail. Nearly three decades earlier, the same man committed the first documented double homicide on the Appalachian Trail, murdering two hikers from Maine.

In this episode, we unpack both crimes, discuss the bizarre handwritten note that broke the case, and ride along on the frantic escape down Brushy Mountain.

Check out the companion Substack article ...