Crime Off The Grid
Crime Off The Grid
Crime Off The Grid
Crime Off the Grid is a podcast with true crime stories from our National Parks, National Forests, and other wild places. The hosts, Tara and Nancy, bring over 30 years of experience each working as law enforcement rangers in National Parks and National Forests (in Nancy's case).  Our guests are rangers, investigators, prosecutors, victim specialists, and other first responders who have dedicated their careers to justice and safety in places off the grid. Join the hosts as they discuss cases, listen to Ranger Tales; real rangers telling real stories that you just can't make up, and...report news and commentary from wild places from the Crime Off the Grid Newsroom!
California Coast: Dude, Where’s the Chill?
Dude. Chillin’. Good vibes. Right?That's the image most of us have of surfers. But what happens when the waves get crowded, tempers flare, and someone decides they've had enough?In this episode of Crime Off the Grid, we're heading to the California coast for a very different kind of surf story. From Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge to Rodeo Beach in Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Morro Strand State Beach, we'll look at cases where arguments over waves escalated into serious violence— and victims who found themselves fighting for more than the next wave.Sources:Probation for 2 surfers in wave rage assault / Judge says turf battles must cease Three surfers arrested for assaulting fellow wave-rider Fort Point surfin' turf tiff turns gnarly / 3 charged with 'ocean rage' beating Complaint-Filed-Andrew-Eric-Gustafson.pdf Paddleboarder rams and holds female surfer underwater: DA https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/DeakinLawRw/2004/29.html?utm_source=chatgpt.comSupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Sep 28
27 min
Yosemite National Park; A "Killer" Hike
Yosemite in 1974.  A young couple was hiking back to Bridalveil Campground after camping by a Ostrander lake when one of them was shot and killed.  Was it murder? or an accident? The deceased was found by hikers propped up beside the trail and they wondered... was this person alive or dead? At the scene, there was a pamphlet on the ground nearby called Spiritualism, Sorcery, and Witchcraft.  An arrest was eventually made and at the trial, a spiritual guide (or maybe a witch?) put a curse on Yosemite's Law Enforcement Specialist.  You can't make this stuff up!Sources: Michael P. Ghiglieri and Charles R. “Butch” Farabee, Jr., *Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite*, Chapter 14: “Homicide,” pp. 526–529 . Published by Puma Press; 2007https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-dec-06-1974-5961456/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/   https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-dec-06-1974-5961471/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/   https://newspaperarchive.com/san-mateo-times-oct-15-1974-p-39/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_page/   https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-oct-15-1974-5961480/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/ https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-oct-16-1974-5961485/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/ https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-mar-31-1975-5961486/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/  Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Sep 21
38 min
Yellowstone National Park: One More Pass
When three people at Carey Hot Springs in Blaine County, Idaho, witnessed something involving a young child that deeply concerned them, they didn’t look away—they called 911. Their decision set off an investigation that eventually led hundreds of miles away to Yellowstone National Park. This is a story of how three witnesses who “saw something and said something” set a chain of events in motion, and how Yellowstone rangers worked to locate the suspect and ensure the safety and welfare of a young child as they made "one more pass."Sources:https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/marquette-man-charged-in-idaho-for-sex-crime-against-child/ar-AA1NjhYPhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/update-marquette-man-acquitted-of-child-sex-crime-charges-following-idaho-trial/ar-AA1NjhYPFirst hand account from Yellowstone RangerSupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Sep 14
23 min
COTG Newsroom September 2026
From the Crime Off the Grid Newsroom this week; A man in a Delaware State Park is arrested on multiple firearms charges; SNAKES, snakes, and more snakes; West Side Story meets Glacier National Park; Update about the Grand Canyon devastaing flooding; and threats in an Acadia NP campground.Watch the hikers confrontation at Glacier here:https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/viral-video-shows-confrontation-over-hikers-approaching-mountain-goats-in-gnp?fbclid=IwdGRleAUPAcRwZG9mAWZkaWQWUOKGdbb3cNPOqf3eWI1981CTLB_uV2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR75ka1WNYzqTCfjt5N0gmEPisXKCJ8MO_3DUzGdYQiBb4V3tT2zhWXGSUnUqg_aem_Ipzh4f5pHlih8XmN-aT-NgSupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Sep 7
37 min
Havasu Canyon; Attacked Eight Miles Down
What was supposed to be an epic birthday adventure at Havasu Falls turned into a terrifying fight for survival. Two women traveled deep into the remote Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona to experience the turquoise waters and spectacular waterfalls of Havasu Canyon. But after the friends became separated near the village of Supai, one of them was followed and viciously attacked. With no roads into Supai and only one BIA law enforcement officer in the village that morning, the investigation unfolded in one of the most isolated communities in the country. CORRECTION:  If you listened to this episode on the first day, we had some information wrong about getting a permit to visit the Havasupai Reservation.  We made the correction in the audio and the corrected info is this... According to the Havasupai Tribal Website, the Campground permits are $455 per person for a 3-night reservation and lodge permits are $2,277 for a 3-night reservation (allows up to 4 people per reservation). Visit www.havasupaireservations.com to purchase your permits on the opening date, which is usually Feb 1.Sources:UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF ARIZONACASE NUMBER: 26-4256 MJ CDBhttps://www.abc15.com/news/crime/tourist-attacked-on-havasupai-reservation-trail-by-convicted-felonhttps://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/tourist-assaulted-havasupai-reservation-supai-suspect-custodySupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Aug 31
50 min
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve:  Mail Day Massacre
In the remote Alaska community of McCarthy, winter means isolation—and one day in March 1983, that isolation became deadly. Louis D. Hastings had come to Alaska searching for pristine wilderness, but his growing obsession with development, environmental destruction, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System led him to devise a horrific plan. When the weekly mail plane arrived in McCarthy, Hastings launched a deadly attack that left six people dead and two wounded. In this episode of Crime Off the Grid, we travel to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve to uncover the McCarthy murders, Hastings’ chilling plan, and the remote Alaskan community that survived one of the state's most shocking mass killings.Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Aug 24
52 min
Ranger Tales; Wild Rescues with Kevin Grange
Kevin Grange, an award-winning author, firefighter/paramedic, and an all-hazards writer who brings a boots-on-the-ground truth to stories involving EMS, firefighting, search & rescue, helicopter EMS, along with urban and rural medicine joins us in this Ranger Tales episode.Kevin has been a ranger paramedic in 3 of the most iconic National Parks, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Teton.  The experiences that he had working in these iconic places inspired his book, Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Kevin's latest book, Grizzly Confidential,  is all about bears, but also the inspiring people who look after them, and we touch on that book at the end. We hope to have him back to discuss Grizzly Confidential in more detail!Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Aug 17
49 min
Ranger Vault: Yellowstone National Park - The Fugitives Final Crossing
Ranger Keith is the sole ranger on shift in all of Yellowstone National Park in the wee hours of the morning when he encounters very dangerous fugitives who were on a crosscountry crime spree.  His quick thinking, and expertise saved his life, and the lives of other would be victims.  If you heard this a long time ago, it's definitely worth another listen.  We had already forgotten how crazy this story is and happy to listen again!!Support the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Aug 10
1 hr
Hunted in the Alaskan Wilderness: The Butcher Baker
Robert Hansen, better known as the "Butcher Baker," is one of the most notorious serial killers in Alaska and one of the most disturbing predators in American true crime history. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Hansen abducted women from Anchorage, flew them into the remote wilderness along the Knik River, and hunted them through the Alaskan backcountry before murdering them. His killing spree finally came to an end after the courageous escape of 17-year-old Cindy Paulson, whose determination helped unravel a case that had baffled investigators for years.In this episode of Crime Off the Grid, retired National Park Rangers Tara and Nancy examine the crimes of Robert Hansen, the FBI profile that pointed investigators toward an unlikely suspect, and the role Alaska's vast wilderness played in both concealing and ultimately exposing his horrific crimes. Join us as we explore one of the most chilling Alaska true crime cases ever investigated and the dark history hidden in one of America's most breathtaking landscapes.Listener discretion is advised. This episode contains discussions of murder, sexual violence, and other disturbing crimes.Sources:https://lelandhale.com/butcherbaker/wordpress/2017/11/07/sherry-morrow-found-autopsy/ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1536504218776961 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/22/alaska-serial-killer-dies/14426941/ https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/true-crime-in-the-outdoors/category/Robert+Hansen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hansen#Murders_and_capture https://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hansen-robert.htmSupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Aug 3
44 min
Shasta-Trinity National Forest; Gumboot Lake Hostage Crisis
In the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, two USFS biologists were just doing their job conducting research at Gumboot Lake, when a man carrying an AR-15 appears and takes them hostage. The largest multi-agency response in that area occurred to bring the USFS workers to safety.Sources:UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the Eastern District of California, case no. 2:26-mj-0106 SCR https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/fbi-forest-service-hostage-22354161.php?utm_campaign=trueanthem%2B3984&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&fbclid=PAVERFWATM_GtwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp27BQ1k6iFum2yMyODm0qZwdtb2-anc_o2rTUsH65moeSC32xqCrIqXOlX8l_aem_tI170IFwYEGvbWk2tYCQ8Ahttps://kymkemp.com/2026/07/18/gumboot-lake-kidnapping-suspect-has-documented-mental-health-concerns-prior-hate-crime-case-in-washington-state/?fbclid=IwdGRleATMyPZwZG9mBWZkaWQWUK_3w7mqFI7MZkqomhxdrnEIsrrlMGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7BqvqUveW6PDRxCqlFDwgCGnlxs71g_VXbEoOXOVZ0VEEEsI71BCyQ9gUhVw_aem_QWMgNjrQMUZrCfXbtuE8GQSupport the show!For bonus content join our Patreon!patreon.com/CrimeOfftheGridFor a one time donation:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgFor more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/Check out our Merch!!  https://in-wild-places.square.site/s/shopFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crimeoffthegridpodcast/ and  (1) Facebook
Jul 27
34 min
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