In Part One of our three-part series on Israel Keyes, we examine how preparation became a way of life. Long before any known murder, Israel Keyes was laying groundwork — not impulsively, not emotionally, but deliberately. Raised in extreme isolation and shaped by rigid authority, he learned early how to exist without drawing attention, how to test boundaries quietly, and how to move through the world without leaving impressions. This episode focuses on environment and conditioning: his upbringing in rural Washington, the influence of an insular and authoritarian church, years of unnoticed boundary-testing behavior, military service, and the carefully maintained normalcy of adulthood. We examine what the FBI later described as extensive and unexplained travel, and how distance itself became a form of protection. Part One ends at the point where preparation becomes irreversible — when planning leaves the abstract and becomes physical. Years before anyone knew his name, weapons and tools were already buried in the ground, waiting. No violence has occurred yet. But everything is already in place. Part One: Preparation With Purpose lays the foundation for what comes next.

Flypaper Lyda — Idaho’s First Serial Killer At the turn of the twentieth century, sickness was a part of everyday life. People got ill at home, doctors offered few answers, and deaths—especially slow ones—were rarely questioned. That silence created the perfect conditions for something far more dangerous to hide in plain sight. This episode tells the story of Lyda Southard, often cited as Idaho’s first documented serial killer. Over the course of years, husbands and family members grew sick and died under eerily similar circumstances. Each death, on its own, seemed ordinary. Together, they revealed a pattern no one was prepared to see. We follow Lyda’s life chronologically—from her early years and marriages, through repeated illness and loss, to the moment coincidence finally collapsed and authorities were forced to look back instead of forward. This is a case about trust, domestic spaces, and how violence doesn’t always look violent. Because sometimes the most dangerous harm doesn’t come from strangers in the dark—but from someone you’re taught never to question. Content warning: illness, poisoning, death. Listener discretion advised.

🎄 Winter Was Never Gentle: The Dark Origins of Christmas Folklore Before Christmas became lights, music, and warmth, winter was something people survived — not celebrated. In this special holiday episode of Shadows in the Pines, we step away from our usual case format to explore the brutal, uncomfortable truths behind some of the darkest winter legends ever told. These stories were not meant to entertain. They were meant to enforce discipline, obedience, and survival in a world where cold, hunger, and darkness were unforgiving. We begin with Krampus, the horned enforcer of the Alpine regions — not as a novelty figure, but as a system of fear designed to regulate behavior when winter mistakes could be fatal. We examine how Krampus functioned across regions, why his rituals were tolerated, suppressed, and eventually revived, and why modern culture is drawn back to him during periods of uncertainty. From there, we descend into Icelandic folklore with Grýla, a figure so tied to starvation and consequence that she could never be softened or redeemed. We trace her origins, suppression, and lasting cultural weight — and why she remains one of the most disturbing figures in European folklore. We then break down the Yule Lads, not as playful mischief-makers, but as a coordinated system of household enforcement targeting food security, labor, sleep, tools, and routine — the slow failures that dismantle survival from the inside. Next, we examine the Yule Cat, a creature of visibility and accountability, enforcing contribution through public proof of labor — and what it reveals about class, shame, and survival economies. Finally, we turn to elves, not as helpers, but as dangerous neighbors — boundary enforcers rewritten by industrialization into something harmless, and what was lost when fear was replaced with comfort. This episode is not about nostalgia. It is about why these stories existed — and what they taught when winter offered no forgiveness. Because the monsters were never the point. Winter was.

🎄 Winter Was Never Gentle: The Dark Origins of Christmas Folklore Before Christmas became lights, music, and warmth, winter was something people survived — not celebrated. In this special holiday episode of Shadows in the Pines, we step away from our usual case format to explore the brutal, uncomfortable truths behind some of the darkest winter legends ever told. These stories were not meant to entertain. They were meant to enforce discipline, obedience, and survival in a world where cold, hunger, and darkness were unforgiving. We begin with Krampus, the horned enforcer of the Alpine regions — not as a novelty figure, but as a system of fear designed to regulate behavior when winter mistakes could be fatal. We examine how Krampus functioned across regions, why his rituals were tolerated, suppressed, and eventually revived, and why modern culture is drawn back to him during periods of uncertainty. From there, we descend into Icelandic folklore with Grýla, a figure so tied to starvation and consequence that she could never be softened or redeemed. We trace her origins, suppression, and lasting cultural weight — and why she remains one of the most disturbing figures in European folklore. We then break down the Yule Lads, not as playful mischief-makers, but as a coordinated system of household enforcement targeting food security, labor, sleep, tools, and routine — the slow failures that dismantle survival from the inside. Next, we examine the Yule Cat, a creature of visibility and accountability, enforcing contribution through public proof of labor — and what it reveals about class, shame, and survival economies. Finally, we turn to elves, not as helpers, but as dangerous neighbors — boundary enforcers rewritten by industrialization into something harmless, and what was lost when fear was replaced with comfort. This episode is not about nostalgia. It is about why these stories existed — and what they taught when winter offered no forgiveness. Because the monsters were never the point. Winter was.

Between late 2022 and mid-2023, the bodies of multiple women were discovered across Oregon and southern Washington—found weeks apart, across jurisdictions, and under circumstances that initially appeared unrelated. In this episode of Shadows in the Pines, we examine the case of Jesse Lee Calhoun, an Oregon man charged with the murders of four women, with a fifth death remaining legally uncharged. This episode unfolds deliberately and chronologically. We begin with the fragmented early discoveries and the slow convergence of investigations across county and state lines. We then take a deep dive into who Jesse Lee Calhoun is—what is publicly known about his criminal history, incarceration, early release through gubernatorial commutation, and the institutional record that now defines his public identity. From there, we center the women at the heart of this case through extensive victim sections: •Kristin Smith (22) — reported missing in December 2022 and later found in southeast Portland •Joanna Speaks (32) — found in Ridgefield, Washington, with her death ruled a homicide •Charity Lynn Perry (24) — discovered near a culvert outside Ainsworth State Park •Bridget Leann Webster (31) — found along a rural roadway in Polk County •Ashley Real (22) — whose death remains uncharged, but whose name appears in the broader investigation due to documented prior contact with Calhoun We also examine the legal posture surrounding Ashley Real’s case, including how and why additional charges could be filed—and why they have not been yet. This episode avoids speculation and rumor. No motive has been publicly established, and that absence is addressed directly. We focus instead on what has been charged, what remains unresolved, and how multi-jurisdiction homicide cases are built quietly long before they reach a courtroom. At the time of recording, Jesse Lee Calhoun has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial has not yet begun, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This is not a verdict. It is a record of what is known so far—and the lives at the center of it.

Donna Perry — Part Two: The Investigation Closes In In Part Two of the Donna Perry case, investigators begin to connect what first appeared to be isolated tragedies along the Spokane River. As tips surface and witness statements sharpen, law enforcement zeroes in on a suspect whose movements, behaviors, and history raise disturbing red flags. This episode follows the methodical unraveling of the case — from the early investigative missteps and public fear, to the breakthrough moments that finally give detectives a direction forward. We examine how forensic evidence, survivor testimony, and behavioral analysis converge, leading to an arrest that shocks the community. Part Two also explores the lasting impact of the crimes: the fear that gripped Spokane, the voices of those who were nearly lost, and the long road toward accountability. This is the conclusion of a case defined by persistence, unanswered questions, and the slow tightening of the investigative net. Shadows in the Pines is a Pacific Northwest true crime podcast.

Stepping inside St. Ignatius Hospital isn’t like walking into a building… it’s like walking into everything it refused to forget. 🕯️ Shadows in the Pines returns to Colfax with our full paranormal case file. If you love abandoned places, this one stays with you. #stignatius #stignatiushospital #colfaxwa #hauntedhospital #pnwhaunted #paranormalpodcast #shadowsinthepines #minipines #truecrimepodcast #ghoststories #hauntedplaces

Donna Perry: The Spokane River Murders In the early 1990s, a series of women vanished along the margins of Spokane’s sex-work corridor. Their bodies surfaced near the riverbanks—discarded, unidentified, and quickly forgotten by a system that never protected them. For decades, the files sat unsolved. No witnesses. No fingerprints. No suspect who made sense. But time has a way of exposing what people try to bury. This episode follows the case from the discovery of the first victim, through the slow, meticulous investigative steps that finally revealed a name detectives didn’t expect—and a past that had been deliberately rewritten. Before the arrests, before the headlines, before the courtroom debates over identity and motive, there were three women whose lives were stolen and whose stories were almost lost. We bring their names forward. We walk through the evidence as investigators found it. And we follow the path that eventually led to the person responsible for the Spokane River Murders. This is the Donna Perry case—an examination of the victims, the investigation, and the truth that emerged when detectives refused to let these women disappear into the pines.

Step beneath the canopy and into the shadows of the Pacific Northwest, where the forest breathes, the silence listens, and the land remembers every story ever buried beneath its trees. In this extended 45-minute feature hosted by Bekah, Mini Pines goes deeper than ever into the region’s oldest folklore — from the silent zones where sound disappears, to the watchers who stand between the trees, to the mimic voices and whistlers that lure travelers off the path. We explore the Still Ones of the old logging camps, the strange lights that drift through the forest at night, the spirits believed to guard the mountains, and the waters that hold their own dark memory. These aren’t campfire tales — they’re the warnings, beliefs, and lived experiences passed down for thousands of years by the people who survived this land long before any of us did. Atmospheric, immersive, and rooted in real PNW history and legend, this is the lore that shaped the place where so many of our true-crime stories unfold. Mini Pines: dark folklore, Northwest mysteries, and the thin places where the forest waits. And remember… keep your eyes open, and your footsteps light — because in the pines, the truth never stays buried.

Forest Park carries darkness in a way that feels deliberate. On the weekend after Thanksgiving, 1960, nineteen-year-olds Larry Peyton and Beverly Allan left for an ordinary night at Portland’s brand-new Lloyd Center…and never made it home. By the next day, Larry’s Ford was found abandoned off a remote turnout in Forest Park, his body inside, the driver’s door ajar. Beverly was gone. In this episode of Shadows in the Pines, we trace the case from that silent turnout above the city to a ravine along US-26 where Beverly’s body was found weeks later. We walk through the crime scene reconstruction, the methodical investigation, the green nylon cord that tied Forest Park to a suspect’s bedroom, and the slow tightening of the net around Edward “Ed” Sabin — a young man whose presence in the woods was anything but innocent. This is the story of two ordinary teenagers, an isolated forest road, and a crime that rewrote the way Portland looked at its own hillsides. 🎧 Listen now, and remember: Keep your eyes open and your footsteps light… because in the pines, the truth never stays buried.

Due to unforeseen circumstances outside of our control we are unable to upload this weeks episode on Saturday as planned, we are working hard to release it asap

In this episode we rap up the case of Jerry Brudos, The Oregon Lust Killer.

In Part Two of The Jerry Brudos Case, Dan Morgan and Bekah Haler take you deeper into the cold heart of Oregon’s most disturbing serial killer. This episode traces the escalation — from Jan Susan Whitney’s disappearance to the abduction and murder of Karen Sprinker, and finally, Linda Salee. We break down the patterns, the staging, the trophies, and the chilling rituals carried out inside Brudos’s garage while his family lived just feet away. You’ll follow the victims’ stories, the growing panic in Salem, the early investigative missteps, and the moment detectives realized they were facing something far darker than a string of isolated disappearances. Respectful. Detailed. Unflinching. This is the middle chapter of a case that changed the Pacific Northwest forever. Because in the pines… the truth never stays buried.

He called himself a photographer. But what Jerry Brudos was really capturing… was control. In The Oregon Lust Killer – Part One, we trace the disturbing evolution of a man whose quiet suburban life hid a violent obsession. From a childhood twisted by resentment and shame, to his escalating fixation on women’s shoes, underwear, and power — this episode dives deep into the making of a predator. Then, in 1968, nineteen-year-old Linda Kay Slawson knocked on his door selling encyclopedias. She never walked back out. This is where the murders began. This is where the Pacific Northwest’s most disturbing story takes shape. 🎙️ Shadows in the Pines – True Crime from the Pacific Northwest. New episodes every Friday. Because the shadows… remember.

🎙️ Episode 4 – The Tube Sock Killings Description: In the winter forests of Washington, couples vanished without a sound. Their bodies surfaced miles apart, staged, and bound by a single detail — a white tube sock. Between 1985 and 1986, two double murders shocked the Pacific Northwest and left investigators chasing a phantom through miles of logging roads, rivers, and rain-soaked timberland. No suspect. No motive. No closure. This episode of Shadows in the Pines unravels the complete story of the Tube Sock Killings — from the last known moments of Steven Harkins and Ruth Cooper to the discovery of Michael Reichert and Diana Robertson — and follows the detectives who spent decades searching the woods for a killer who seemed to live there. Meticulous, haunting, and unsolved to this day. Because in Washington’s forests, some shadows never fade.

In the early 1980s, Spokane’s quiet South Hill neighborhood became the hunting ground of one of the most notorious sexual predators in Pacific Northwest history. Women were attacked in broad daylight, ambushed on familiar streets, and left terrified of walking alone in their own city. This episode of Shadows in the Pines unravels the chilling story of Kevin Coe—the so-called “South Hill Rapist.” Through court records, victim testimony, and investigative reporting, we trace his double life as a polished, privileged local who hid a monstrous secret. From the first assaults to the community-wide panic, from his sensational trial to his decades of civil commitment at McNeil Island, this case remains a haunting study in deception, control, and the scars left behind. Join us as we examine the evidence, the psychology, and the aftermath of a predator who forever changed Spokane’s sense of safety. ⸻ 🎧 Stream now on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. 🔎 Follow us for upcoming episodes of Shadows in the Pines—true crime from the dark heart of the Pacific Northwest.

  🎙️  Shadows in the Pines: The King Road Murders – Part Two     Title: The Investigation Begins   After four lives are brutally taken inside an off-campus home on King Road, the quiet college town of Moscow, Idaho, is left in shock — and searching for answers.   In Part Two, Shadows in the Pines pulls back the curtain on the early days of the investigation: the frantic search for clues, the white Elantra that would ignite national attention, and the digital breadcrumbs that began to narrow the scope of the manhunt.   This episode traces the path from confusion to focus — revealing how investigators zeroed in on a suspect living just across the border at Washington State University. Through detailed reporting, psychological insight, and verified case records, hosts Dan Morgan and Rebekah Haler examine the mind and methods of Bryan Kohberger — his upbringing, his life at WSU, and the patterns that made him stand out long before his arrest.   In the conclusion, we follow the case through its turning points — from his arrest and extradition to Idaho, to the plea deal that stunned the nation, and the aftermath behind prison walls. Listeners will hear how families, investigators, and the public continue to grapple with the search for meaning in the wake of unimaginable loss.   Cold. Clinical. Unflinching. This is the case that gripped the nation — and the story is far from over.   🎧 Now streaming wherever you listen to podcasts.   #TrueCrime #ShadowsInThePines #KingRoadMurders #BryanKohberger #MoscowIdaho #TrueCrimePodcast #PNWCrime #JusticeForTheVictims