S1: E28 – The Mountain Man Murders, Part 1

Summary

American Homicide: S1:E28 – The Mountain Man Murders, Part 1

Podcast Information:

• Title: American Homicide
• Host: Sloan Glass
• Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
• Episode: S1:E28 – The Mountain Man Murders, Part 1
• Release Date: May 1, 2025

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Introduction

In the twenty-eighth episode of American Homicide, journalist Sloan Glass delves into the enigmatic and chilling case known as the Mountain Man Murders. Set against the rugged backdrop of Chulitna, Alaska, this episode meticulously unpacks the mysterious disappearance and subsequent deaths of Rick Beery and Debbie Rehor. Through interviews with family members, investigators, and eyewitnesses, Glass paints a comprehensive picture of a case that remains shrouded in uncertainty and intrigue.

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Background: Chulitna, Alaska

Chulitna is not a typical town but a vast, designated wilderness area approximately 115 miles north of Anchorage and 40 miles north of Talkeetna. The region is characterized by its remote landscapes, including the Chulitna River and the Talkeetna Mountains, making it a haven for those seeking solitude and self-sufficiency. Access to Chulitna is limited to the Parks Highway and the Alaska Railroad, emphasizing its isolation.

• Sloane Glass [03:12]: "Today we're north of the border in Chulitna, Alaska for Part one of the Mountain Man Murders."

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The Beery-Rehor Couple

Rick Beery, a lifelong Alaskan with two stints in the Vietnam War, and his wife Debbie Rehor were known for their love of the wilderness. They spent weekends at their remote cabin in Chulitna, a routine that was suddenly disrupted in Memorial Day weekend of 1997.

• Sloane Glass [06:33]: "Paul Stavignord was just kind of a backwoods man. He had a big bushy beard, long hair, wire-rimmed glasses."

Rick was described as type A—stubborn, gruff, and prone to losing his temper, while Debbie was reserved, quiet, and adept in hunting and fishing.

• True Crime Author [07:15]: "The two loved spending long weekends at their cabin in Chulitna."

Their disappearance raised immediate concerns when Debbie failed to show up at work, an unusual occurrence given her reliable nature. Her brother's visit to the cabin revealed signs of distress—closed doors, scared dogs, a plate of cheese and crackers, and an open beer, all inconsistent with the couple's usual housekeeping standards.

• Debbie's Brother [08:37]: "Rick and Debbie's border collies appeared to be scared and hungry, as if they'd been left alone for an extended period."

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The Investigation Begins

When the Beerys didn't return, their bodies were eventually discovered near their cabin. Rick was found shot execution-style in a creek, while Debbie was later found with similar fatal gunshot wounds and signs of sexual assault.

• True Crime Author [11:00]: "On the Thursday after Memorial Day, troopers found Rick Beery's body in a Creek some 200 yards away from his ATV and two miles from his cabin."
• Captain Don Savage [19:53]: "He's dead, she's missing, she becomes another suspect because it could be some sort of a domestic dispute situation."

The unusual nature of Rick's execution-style murder in the Alaskan wilderness shifted suspicion towards Debbie, challenging the authorities to consider possibilities beyond a simple domestic dispute.

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Suspect 1: Gavin Saha

Initially, a young hiker named Gavin Saha emerged as the primary suspect. Gavin had camped mere yards from Rick's body and was equipped with a .22 rifle, the same caliber believed to be used in the murders.

• Bill Estelle [41:35]: "He was in the place at the time and could easily have been the perpetrator."

Despite holding similar firearms and proximity to the crime scene, Gavin maintained his innocence, claiming ignorance of the murders and attributing his campsite's location to an accident stemming from being lost.

• Gavin Saha [24:39]: "He had gone out there to hike and fish, and he had brought this pair of his girlfriend's or ex-girlfriend's panties along with him."

However, inconsistencies in his account and the presence of women's underwear at his campsite raised further doubts, leading investigators to view Gavin's involvement as circumstantial.

• Assistant DA Bill Estelle [24:26]: "He was a young man who set up camp near a dead body he claimed he didn't know was there, and a pair of women's underwear that he used as a flag at the campsite."

Ultimately, DNA evidence did not link Gavin to the crimes, leading to his exoneration.

• Bill Estelle [32:45]: "They went and asked him for a DNA sample and got his DNA that didn't match."

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Suspect 2: Paul Stavignord

With Gavin cleared, attention turned to Paul Stavignord, Rick and Debbie's neighbor. Paul, a reclusive artist with a contentious relationship with Rick, became a central figure in the investigation.

• Sloane Glass [34:05]: "Paul Stavignord was just kind of a backwoods man. He had a big bushy beard, long hair, wire-rimmed glasses."

Paul's alibi—that he was in Fairbanks during the time of the murders—faced scrutiny due to the lack of physical evidence, such as receipts, to corroborate his story. Further investigation revealed discrepancies in his statements and behavior, including an inconsistent account of his meals and the appearance of his campsite.

• Bill Estelle [35:17]: "He didn't have any receipts from the restaurants where he said he visited on his way to Fairbanks or the gas stations. But that's because Paul, he claims he paid for everything in cash."

An eyewitness account placed Paul in the vicinity of the crime scene, contradicting his claim of being in Fairbanks.

• Bill Estelle [37:25]: "So it began to look as if he was fabricating his whole absence."

Eventually, Paul disappeared, leading authorities to believe he might have fled to Canada. Despite extensive search efforts, including assistance from the national television program America's Most Wanted, Paul remained elusive until he voluntarily surrendered.

• Assistant DA Bill Estelle [40:09]: "I believe America's Most Wanted was getting ready to run a special on him when he turned himself in."

Upon searching Paul's cabin, investigators uncovered a journal detailing an affair with Debbie, complicating the case further and raising questions about motive and narrative reliability.

• Bill Estelle [39:27]: "They were having consensual sex."

Despite mounting evidence, including the discovery of Paul's fingerprints on Debbie's belongings, DNA analysis ultimately did not link him to the murders, leaving the case unresolved and shrouded in mystery.

• Bill Estelle [32:33]: "She was raped, shot, and her body just dragged off into the woods."

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Conclusion: A Baffling Mystery

The Mountain Man Murders case has left both the local community and investigators grappling with unanswered questions. The transition of suspicion from Gavin Saha to Paul Stavignord, coupled with inconclusive evidence and conflicting testimonies, has rendered the case one of the most perplexing in Alaskan history.

• True Crime Author [42:19]: "How can somebody go from being a neighbor to being a double murderer at the flip of the switch?"

As the investigation continues, American Homicide sets the stage for a deeper exploration in Part 2, promising to unravel more layers of this complex and haunting case.

• Sloane Glass [42:19]: "I'm Sloan Glass. Join me for the bizarre conclusion of the Mountain Man murders. That's next time on American Homicide."

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Notable Quotes

• Gilbert King [01:09]: "Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil."
• Captain Don Savage [19:53]: "He's dead, she's missing, she becomes another suspect because it could be some sort of a domestic dispute situation."
• Bill Estelle [35:17]: "He didn't have any receipts from the restaurants where he said he visited on his way to Fairbanks or the gas stations. But that's because Paul, he claims he paid for everything in cash."
• Gilbert King [16:08]: "At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer."
• Bill Estelle [32:33]: "She was raped, shot, and her body just dragged off into the woods."

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Final Thoughts

S1:E28 of American Homicide masterfully intertwines meticulous investigation details with personal narratives, offering listeners a gripping account of a case that defies easy explanations. As Sloan Glass navigates through the maze of evidence and human emotion, the Mountain Man Murders stand as a testament to the enduring allure and complexity of true crime storytelling.

For those intrigued by unsolved mysteries and the intricacies of criminal investigations, this episode serves as a compelling entry point into one of Alaska's most haunting cases.

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Transcript

[MIDI Health Representative]

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[Podcast Host]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Podcast Host]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Soledad O'Brien]

I'm Soledad O'Brien and on my new true crime podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to 1964 to the cold case of artist Mary Pinchot Meyer.

[True Crime Author]

She had been shot twice in the head and in the back.

[Soledad O'Brien]

It turns out Mary was connected to a very powerful man.

[John F. Kennedy]

I pledge you that we shall neither commit nor provoke aggression.

[Soledad O'Brien]

John F. Kennedy. Listen to Murder on the towpath with Soledad O'Brien on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Mental Health Advocate]

I want you to ask yourself right now, how am I actually doing? Because it's a question that we rarely ask ourselves. All of May is actually Mental Health Awareness Month, and on the psychology of your 20s, we are taking a vulnerable look at why mental health is so hard to talk about. Prepare for our conversations to go deep. I spent the majority of my teenage years and my twenties just feeling absolutely terrified.

[MIDI Health Representative]

I had a panic attack on a conference call. Knowing that she had six months to live.

[True Crime Author]

I was no longer pretending that this.

[MIDI Health Representative]

Was my best friend.

[Mental Health Advocate]

So this Mental Health Awareness Month, take that extra bit of care of your well being. Listen to the psychology of your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sloan Glass]

Most people who live in the wilderness are prepared to run into wild animals, so they're watchful. But nobody expects a human predator to be hiding behind a tree and start shooting at you.

[True Crime Author]

When a man was found dead and his wife was missing, the Alaskan wilderness turned into a dangerous game of Catch Me if youf Can.

[Sloan Glass]

There are helicopters buzzing overhead every day.

[True Crime Author]

For a month, and the manhunt led investigators to a tent right next to the victim's dead body.

[Sloan Glass]

For a guy who chose to camp right near the corpse, he looked very suspicious.

[True Crime Author]

But did the police have the wrong suspect?

[Sloan Glass]

This just seemed like too big a coincidence for the troopers to swallow, and.

[True Crime Author]

By the time the police made an arrest, no one knew who or what to believe.

[Sloan Glass]

Everywhere you look, this story had strange but fascinating aspects.

[True Crime Author]

Today we're north of the border in Chulitna, Alaska for Part one of the Mountain Man Murders. I'm Sloan Glass and this is American Homicide. And just a note that this episode contains some graphic content. Please take care while listening. Rick Beery and Debbie Rehor were newlyweds who lived and worked just outside of Anchorage, Alaska. But on weekends, the two spent a lot of time at their cabin in the remote woods of Chulitna.

[Sloan Glass]

Chulitna is not a town. It's a designated wilderness area about 115 miles north of Anchorage, or 40 miles north of the town of Talkeetna.

[True Crime Author]

True crime author Robin Barefield wrote Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier.

[Sloan Glass]

The Chulitna river runs through it. The Talkeetna Mountains are near there, and it is just a very wild area. There are no roads that run through Chulitna.

[True Crime Author]

Living there is literally and figuratively off the grid.

[Sloan Glass]

Living off the grid in Alaska means you are responsible for your electricity, you're responsible for your sewer, you're responsible for getting wood to keep warm, and for getting fuel if you need fuel for a ATV or to run a generator.

[True Crime Author]

Chulitna is so far removed from the rest of Alaska that there are only two ways to get there. One is the more traditional route, the Parks Highway.

[Sloan Glass]

The Parks highway is the highway that connects Anchorage to Fairbanks, and you can drive along the highway and pull off the road and then either hike or take an ATV into your cabin. The other way to get into Chulitna is by the Alaska Railroad.

[True Crime Author]

The Alaska Railroad not only runs freight trains, but also operates passenger trains.

[Sloan Glass]

The railroad runs a train On a particular schedule. It varies from season to season, but it goes into this area and it does what is known as a whistle stop or a flag stop, which means that either the train knows they have a passenger on board that wants to get off at a certain stop, or the engineer sees people standing beside the tracks and he stops there.

[True Crime Author]

That train line not only is important for getting from point A to point B, but it's also how locals get their food and supplies. So that gives you an idea of just how far remote Chulitna is and how different life is for people who live there.

[Sloan Glass]

The people who live there live off the grid. They like their peace and quiet and they're very self sufficient.

[True Crime Author]

And that summed up Rick Beery and Debbie Rehore.

[Sloan Glass]

He had lived in Alaska his entire life, except for two stints in the military in Vietnam. But he had no desire to leave. He loved it here. Debbie was good in the wilderness. She liked to hunt, she liked to fish. She loved to get outdoors. So they made a good pair and their personalities offset each other.

[True Crime Author]

Rick was type A and Debbie was reserved and quiet. After years of dating, Rick finally popped the question to Debbie and the two 40 somethings got married in 1995.

[Sloan Glass]

Rick was a confirmed lifelong bachelor, but friends and family say they fell hard for each other.

[True Crime Author]

The two loved spending long weekends at their cabin in Chulitna. And just before Memorial day weekend in 1997, that's what they did. Their plan was always the same. Rick would drive up on Thursday to get the cabin ready. And then after work on Friday, Debbie would drive up and meet him and listen to this adventure from their home in Anchorage. The drive was a few hours north. Then they would park their cars at a lot along the railroad tracks. From there, they'd hop on their ATVs for the final leg of the journey.

[Sloan Glass]

Rick and Debbie's cabin was eight miles from the road. So, you know, it's quite a waste to travel after you get out of.

[True Crime Author]

Your car door to door. It was about a four hour trek for a long weekend of relaxation in the woods. But something happened in Chulitna that Memorial Day weekend because Rick and Debbie made it up there and then vanished.

[Sloan Glass]

When Debbie didn't show up for work on on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, her boss became very concerned because that was unlike Debbie. She was very dependable. And if she was going to be late for work or have to miss work for some reason, she always called Rick.

[True Crime Author]

Also was a no show at work that Tuesday and nobody could get in touch with either of them. So Debbie's boss called Debbie's brother.

[Sloan Glass]

Debbie's brother was a little worried about them running into bears because they went missing right when the bears are coming out of hibernation. So he was concerned about that. But Rick and Debbie were smart and knew how to handle the outdoors, so it was unlikely that they were going to do something to get themselves in trouble. So he went to their cabin in Chulitna. When he arrived, he did not find Rick or Debbie. But the cabin was closed, and the dogs were closed inside. And they'd obviously been closed inside for several hours because they'd gone to the bathroom on the floor.

[True Crime Author]

Rick and Debbie's border collies appeared to be scared and hungry, as if they'd been left alone for an extended period of time. And there were some other things inside the cabin that stood out to Debbie's brother.

[Sloan Glass]

He found a plate of cheese on the table, cheese and crackers and an open beer. And he said that was not like Rick or Debbie either because they were very good housekeepers. So he felt certain something was wrong. As soon as he arrived at the.

[True Crime Author]

Cabin, rick and Debbie's ATVs were also missing. So he waited around the cabin, hoping the two would return. But they didn't.

[Sloan Glass]

And the next morning, he decided he'd go out and look around a little bit. So about two miles from the cabin, he found Rick's ATV on the edge of a creek. But there was no sign of Rick. And then he was really worried, so he called the Alaska State Troopers and said, I know it hasn't been 48 hours, but but there's something wrong here. And the troopers responded immediately.

[True Crime Author]

Rick Beery served two tours in Vietnam, so this wasn't someone the troopers expected to get lost in the woods or attacked by wildlife. A search crew, including 15 Alaska State Troopers and multiple tracking dogs fanned out around Hulitna. But finding Rick and Debbie was a challenge. It was summertime in Alaska, meaning the forest was thick, the ground was muddy, and the air was filled with mosquitoes. So troopers also took to the sky and sent two search helicopters to the area. And that's when they located Rick.

[Sloan Glass]

The troopers found Rick fairly quickly. As soon as they began looking, he wasn't far from his atv. He was in the creek in a deep hole.

[True Crime Author]

On the Thursday after Memorial Day, troopers found Rick Beery's body in a Creek some 200 yards away from his ATV and two miles from his cabin.

[Sloan Glass]

And he had been shot once in the head, execution style.

[True Crime Author]

It was a gruesome and puzzling Discovery for troopers. Murders rarely happen in the Alaska wilderness, especially an execution style murder. And that's when the focus shifted to Rick's wife, Debbie.

[Sloan Glass]

They didn't find Debbie's body or her atv, so she immediately became a suspect in the case. To the troopers, it looked like this could have been a love spat that went off the rails and she shot him and then took off.

[True Crime Author]

But no one wanted to believe that Debbie rehort, the person her co workers called sweetheart, would do any harm towards Rick. If anything, it might have been the other way around.

[Sloan Glass]

Rick was a big guy who could have a hot temper. He lost his temper fairly easily, and he didn't hold back from telling people what he thought.

[True Crime Author]

People described Rick as stubborn and gruff and said he sometimes questioned authority. In fact, that's how he got in trouble with the feds back in the 80s.

[Sloan Glass]

He tried to butt heads with the IRS, and it didn't work out so well for him. So he did about 11 months in jail. Not too long after he and Debbie were beginning to date. But she hung in there with him and waited for him to get out of jail, and they moved on with their lives.

[True Crime Author]

The mystery over what happened to Rick and Debbie that Memorial Day weekend baffled troopers and people who lived in the area.

[Sloan Glass]

I think this was a big story in Alaska and elsewhere because this is an unusual way to die in the wilderness. You don't expect somebody in the Alaska wilderness to be shot by another human, execution style.

[True Crime Author]

As search crews continued to comb through the miles of forest in the area looking for Debbie, investigators searched for clues. They focused heavily on the railroad tracks that cut through Chulitna. The railroad has their own police force who patrol those tracks, but there were no reports of anything suspicious.

[Sloan Glass]

There were electrical workers working along the railroad tracks in the area. They were installing fiber optic cable. And the troopers questioned them, and they said there was a campsite in the area near where they found Rick's body.

[True Crime Author]

And those workers reported hearing gunshots coming from that area.

[Sloan Glass]

The campsite was kind of a mess that looked like it had been used fairly recently. And whoever was staying there had made a makeshift flag flying a pair of women's underwear.

[True Crime Author]

So we have a mysterious campsite near the creek where Rick's dead body turned up. And not only that, but there is also the bizarre detail of a pair of women's underwear hanging on a tree branch. What's that about? Alaska state troopers also had a lot of questions.

[MIDI Health Representative]

It's true that some things change as we get older, but if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain. You don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MIDI Health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MITI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause, and MITI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of MITI patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual visit today@join MIDI.com that's join M I D I.com something unexpected.

[Podcast Host]

Happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season one.

[Captain Don Savage]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Podcast Host]

Long silent voices from his past came.

[Soledad O'Brien]

Forward and he was just staring at me.

[Podcast Host]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Gilbert King]

Gilbert King I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott.

[Podcast Host]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Podcast Host]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Podcast Host]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Podcast Host]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy, Jeremy, I.

[True Crime Author]

Want to tell you something.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on.

[Soledad O'Brien]

Apple Podcasts, I'm Soledad O'Brien and on my podcast Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to the 1960s. Mary Pinchot Meyer was a painter who lived lived in Georgetown in Washington, DC. Every day she took a daily walk along a tow path near the E and O Canal. So when she was killed in a.

[True Crime Author]

Wealthy neighborhood, she had been shot twice in the head and in the back, behind the heart.

[Soledad O'Brien]

The police arrived in a heartbeat. Within 40 minutes, a man named Raymond Crump Jr. Was arrested. He was found nearby, soaking wet and he was black. Only one woman dared defend him. Civil rights lawyer Dovey Roundtree. Join me as we unravel this story with a crazy twist, because what most people didn't know is that Mary was connected to a very powerful man.

[John F. Kennedy]

I pledge you that we shall neither commit nor provoke aggression.

[Soledad O'Brien]

John F. Kennedy. Listen to Murder on the towpath with Soledad O'Brien on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[True Crime Author]

The seasons in Alaska are extreme. After a harsh winter, things quickly change during the months of May. That's when Alaska emerges from its hibernation. Warmer temperatures arrive, the ground begins to thaw, and daylight extends well past bedtime.

[Bill Estelle]

One week there's ice on the lake, the next week the ice is gone. And the following week the leaves are out.

[True Crime Author]

Bill Estelle was the assistant district attorney in Palmer, Alaska.

[Bill Estelle]

Spring comes in May, and by Memorial Day, it's 18 hours of daylight and summer is underway. Most people around Memorial Day will take an extra day off and have a three or four day weekend and get things ready for summer.

[True Crime Author]

And that's what husband and wife Rick Beery and Debbie Vrihor did. Over Memorial day weekend in 1997, they headed to their cabin in the rural Alaskan area of Chulitna. But they never returned.

[Bill Estelle]

Their four wheelers were gone and they had just seemingly disappeared.

[True Crime Author]

An exhaustive search through the remote area by foot was followed by an aerial search. And that's when a helicopter pilot noticed something.

[Bill Estelle]

When the troopers are out there with the helicopter, the helicopter pilot is getting ready to leave and does one more circle and out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glint of sunlight off something in a beaver pond. And that's where Rick Berry's body was found. He was killed with a shot to the head from a.22 rifle. And it appears that his body would have floated downstream, settled to the bottom, and probably would not have been found but for the coincidental sighting.

[True Crime Author]

The 48 year old had taken a single bullet to the head, execution style. Meanwhile, Rick's wife Debbie was nowhere to be found.

[Bill Estelle]

He's dead, she's missing, she becomes another suspect because it could be some sort of a domestic dispute situation. And they're pulling out all the stops at this point to bring more investigative resources to search about for her or for any clue as to where she might have gone.

[True Crime Author]

Since Chulitna didn't have a police force of their own, the Alaska state troopers handled the investigation. But getting statements wasn't easy because there were only a dozen or so cabins in the area.

[Bill Estelle]

It was very sparsely populated and the people that had cabins there tended to be recreational cabins or they were retirees, but very few full time residents with.

[True Crime Author]

So few people in the area. Investigators then turned to local railroad employees for help because those railroad tracks were how most people made their way in and out of Chuletna.

[Bill Estelle]

They learned in interviewing the railroad personnel that somebody had seen somebody walking in the area carrying a rifle. And it turned out to be a person that was going fishing. And they found traces of his campsite and his use of a.22 firearm.

[True Crime Author]

And here's the crazy part. This person had set up camp right where they found rick's body. Enter 21 year old Gavin Saha. He came forward to investigators and told them how over Memorial Day weekend he was backpacking along the railroad tracks through Tulitna.

[Bill Estelle]

Gavin Saha had been walking in the area carrying a rifle and had been shooting his.22.22 rifle was the murder weapon.

[True Crime Author]

This was a huge lead. Gavin Saha owned the same type of gun as the murder weapon. Not to mention he had camped virtually right next to Rick's dead body. The troopers felt like they were making progress, but Gavin denied having any idea he set up his tent near a murder scene. The troopers push back because at that time of the year in Alaska, the sun merely dips below the horizon and then comes back up. That means there's light for most of the day. So the fact that Gavin didn't notice he set up his camp right next.

[Bill Estelle]

To Rick's dead body, it was just inconceivable. And so he became sort of the prime suspect as they were sorting out what actually happened.

[True Crime Author]

One thing to remember is Gavin was the one who went to the police.

[Captain Don Savage]

There is a young man who came forward to us and said, you know, I was out in that area. I was camping and fishing and so forth.

[True Crime Author]

Captain Don Savage was part of the team of Alaskan state troopers who investigated.

[Captain Don Savage]

He was camped right along the railroad tracks. I think it was within a couple of hundred yards of where Rick was found and its four wheeler was found.

[True Crime Author]

Keep in mind, Chulitna is not easily accessible unless you came by train or atv, neither of which the the suspect did.

[Captain Don Savage]

His mom had apparently dropped him off somewhere so he could hike up the railroad tracks and that's where he was camping. And he had a.22 rifle with him. And we knew that the murder weapon had been a.22.

[True Crime Author]

Gavin explained that during his hiking excursion, he quickly found himself in over his head. He mistakenly left his map at home and Got lost. A day and a half into his trek, Gavin said he stumbled upon a four wheeler. Troopers believe it belonged to Debbie. It was partially submerged in a creek and looked to be stuck in the mud. Off the back of it, he noticed a backpack. After fishing the bag off the four wheeler, Gavin found a purse, some clothes, and some other things. Inside the bag, he had found the.

[Captain Don Savage]

Pepsi and some chewing gum.

[True Crime Author]

I believe Gavin told troopers he took that 2 liter bottle of Pepsi and gum.

[Captain Don Savage]

But he denied taking anything else, and he denied seeing Rick's body.

[True Crime Author]

For every question the troopers asked, Gavin had a reasonable answer. And that's when they zeroed in on Gavin's campsite.

[Captain Don Savage]

His campsite was, I guess, notoriously messy. And for whatever reason, he had a pair of red underwear along with him.

[True Crime Author]

Flying on a tree branch above Gavin's campsite was a pair of women's underwear. The underwear waved in the wind, kind of like a flag. But Gavin told investigators he had an explanation for that as well.

[Captain Don Savage]

He had gone out there to hike and fish, and he had brought this pair of his girlfriend's or ex girlfriend's panties along with him. For whatever reason, they. He thought it would be humorous to put that out there so the passengers on the train could see the red underwear as they went by.

[True Crime Author]

So we have a young man who set up camp near a dead body he claimed he didn't know was there, and a pair of women's underwear that he used as a flag at the campsite. Keep in mind, the victim's wife, Debbie, was still missing.

[Captain Don Savage]

It's almost too cooperative at this point in time.

[True Crime Author]

But Gavin Saha told investigators he didn't know Rick Beery or Debbie rehor. And more importantly, he had nothing to do with Rick's murder. It was all circumstantial.

[Bill Estelle]

He said it was the wrong place at the wrong time.

[True Crime Author]

That's assistant D.A. bill Estelle.

[Bill Estelle]

And that didn't add up and didn't make sense with the other things he had said.

[True Crime Author]

So what would have been been Gavin's motive to kill? The troopers didn't know and were still questioning him when a disturbing update rolled in. Investigators had finally located Debbie, and the news wasn't good.

[Bill Estelle]

She was shot and her body just dragged off into the woods and covered with grass and sticks. When they found her body, it was clear that they had both been killed by shots to the head. And it appeared that they were both likely killed at the same time in the same place.

[True Crime Author]

Nearly a week after Rick's body turned up in a creek, troopers found Debbie's body along that same creek. And just like her husband, Debbie had taken a fatal gunshot to the head. And that's where the similarities ended. Here's Captain Don Savage again.

[Captain Don Savage]

She was found in the brush. She was naked from the waist down, which is not normal for if you're traveling or any of those circumstances in a remote area like that. So that raised some concerns about sexual assault.

[True Crime Author]

Debbie's body was turned over to the medical examiner, who confirmed the trooper's worst fears. Debbie had been sexually assaulted.

[Captain Don Savage]

The determination, as I recall, is that it was quite likely that it was post mortem that she had that sexual contact.

[MIDI Health Representative]

It's true that some things change as we get older. But if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain, you don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MITI health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MITI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause. And MITI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of MITI patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual visit today@join MIDI.com that's join M I D I.com something unexpected.

[Podcast Host]

Happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley season one.

[Captain Don Savage]

I just knew him as a kid.

[Podcast Host]

Long, silent voices from his past came.

[Soledad O'Brien]

Forward, and he was just staring at me.

[Podcast Host]

And they had secrets of their own to share.

[Gilbert King]

Gilbert King. I'm the son of Jeremy Lynch Cross.

[Podcast Host]

I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Podcast Host]

I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

If the cops and everything would have done the job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed.

[Podcast Host]

I never expected to find myself in this place. Now I need to tell you how I got here.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Podcast Host]

Bone Valley Season 2 Jeremy.

[Gilbert King]

Jeremy, I want to tell you something.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on.

[Soledad O'Brien]

Apple Podcasts, I'm Soledad O'Brien and on my podcast Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to the 1960s. Mary Pinchot Meyer was a painter who lived in Georgetown in Washington D.C. every day she took a daily walk along a tow path near the E and O Canal. So when she was killed in a.

[True Crime Author]

Wealthy neighborhood, she had been shot twice in the head and in the back behind the heart.

[Soledad O'Brien]

The police arrived in a heartbeat. Within 40 minutes, a man named Raymond Crump Jr. Was arrested. He was found nearby, soaking wet, and he was black. Only one woman dared defend him, civil rights lawyer Dovey Roundtree. Join me as we unravel this story with a crazy twist, because what most people didn't know is that Mary was connected to a very powerful man.

[John F. Kennedy]

I pledge you that we shall neither commit nor provoke aggression.

[Soledad O'Brien]

John F. Kennedy. Listen to Murder on the towpath with Soledad O'Brien on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[True Crime Author]

On the same weekend Rick Beery and Debbie Re were murdered, a young hiker named Gavin Saha set up his campsite a few yards away from Rick's body.

[Bill Estelle]

He was in the place at the time and could easily have been the perpetrator.

[True Crime Author]

That's Assistant District Attorney Bill Estelle.

[Bill Estelle]

Gavin Saha had some things in his past that made the troopers pay attention to him.

[True Crime Author]

21 year old Gavin Saha was the trooper's main suspect. And then investigators were still processing the discovery of Debbie Rehor. Troopers found her body along the same creek that they had found her husband. Debbie had contusions and abrasions on her legs and was naked from the waist down.

[Bill Estelle]

There were bullet wounds and signs of sexual assault and it was a very tragic situation.

[True Crime Author]

Gavin's fingerprints were also all over a backpack that contained Debbie's wallet and clothing. But Gavin denied killing Rick and Debbie.

[Bill Estelle]

She was raped, shot, and her body just dragged off into the woods. And she was left there partially undressed, covered with grass and sticks. They found DNA.

[True Crime Author]

Did that DNA belong to Gavin Saha?

[Bill Estelle]

They went and asked him for a DNA sample and got his DNA that didn't match.

[True Crime Author]

Even with all that circumstantial evidence, Gavin was cleared. It was a major blow to the investigation that was about to get some help from a national TV program.

[John F. Kennedy]

Now from our Washington Crime Center, John Walsh.

[Sloan Glass]

Good evening Our first case tonight is outrageous. It's about a man who worked hard.

[True Crime Author]

With a killer and a rapist on the loose in the Alaskan wilderness. And the original suspect cleared. The television show America's Most Wanted got involved. The show sent a team to start filming near Chulitna. By then, the Alaska state troopers had turned their attention towards someone else.

[Sloan Glass]

Rick and Debbie's nearest neighbor, about a mile away from their cabin was Paul Stavignord.

[True Crime Author]

Author Robyn Barefield wrote about the case. And I will mention that you'll hear Paul's last name pronounced a couple different ways. For the sake of simplicity, we'll call him Stavignard.

[Sloan Glass]

Paul Stavignord was just kind of a backwoods man. He had a big bushy beard, long hair, wire rimmed glasses.

[True Crime Author]

Unlike Rick and Debbie, Paul Stavignord lived in his Chulitna cabin year round. He had spent 20 years working for the Alaska Railroad, but hurt his back. That's when he quit his job and focused on his artwork.

[Sloan Glass]

He liked to make little pewter animals and he carved intricate flutes. And he not only carved these flutes, but he played the flute very well. And he wrote flute music. And he had done three albums of flute music as a matter of fact. And he seemed like a piece peaceful, easygoing type.

[True Crime Author]

So why were the troopers focusing on this peace loving and flute playing guy?

[Sloan Glass]

When the troopers began talking to Rick and Debbie's other neighbors in the area, they told them that Rick and Debbie got along with everyone except for Paul Stavignord. Paul and Rick in particular had a very contentious relationship.

[True Crime Author]

The troopers learned that Paul and Rick were not friends and how their relationship soured when Rick accused Paul Savignard of stealing things from his cabin.

[Sloan Glass]

And we know that Rick wasn't the kind of person to back away from a fight. So he had a reputation for being a bit of a hothead.

[True Crime Author]

So the troopers questioned Paul. But Paul said that Memorial Day weekend when Rick and Debbie were murdered, he wasn't even in town. He said he had left his cabin in Chulitna and traveled some four hours north.

[Sloan Glass]

He said he'd gone to Fairbanks for the weekend. And he even gave them the names of restaurants where he stopped, places where he stopped to get gas or stopped to get snacks.

[True Crime Author]

But here's where Paul had trouble backing up his alibi.

[Sloan Glass]

He didn't have any receipts from the restaurants where he said he visited on his way to Fairbanks or the gas stations. But that's because Paul, he claims he paid for everything in cash.

[True Crime Author]

And this is where it's important to learn some backstory on Paul Savignord.

[John F. Kennedy]

Paul lived a life as close to the mountain man as anybody we have in Alaska.

[True Crime Author]

That's Paul's friend Keith Beja.

[John F. Kennedy]

He was comfortable in a wilderness setting, built his cabin, and lived off the grid, if you will. No electricity, no television. None of the things that most of us Americans are used to as part.

[True Crime Author]

Of Paul's mountain man lifestyle. He didn't wear a watch, he told investigators. He also didn't use credit cards, which is why none of those businesses Paul visited over Memorial Day weekend had a record of him. But the more the troopers looked into Paul's story, the more holes they found. For example, he claimed to have had a steak for lunch at a restaurant. But troopers learned that restaurant did not serve steak for lunch. And once again, Paul said maybe he was actually there around dinner time. He didn't know for sure because he didn't wear a watch. But the Alaska state troopers thought Paul was lying.

[John F. Kennedy]

I don't believe Paul would do something like that.

[True Crime Author]

Then an eyewitness came forward. A railroad employee claimed he saw Paul driving a four wheeler in Chulitna on the Saturday before Memorial Day. And remember, Paul claimed he was in Fairbanks that day.

[Bill Estelle]

He said he was out of town. And the more they investigated, the less that panned out.

[True Crime Author]

That's assistant DA Bill Estelle.

[Bill Estelle]

So it began to look as if he was fabricating his whole absence.

[True Crime Author]

By that time, the troopers were focused squarely on Paul Stavignord. And if you remember, Debbie Rehor had been sexually assaulted, and there was DNA evidence on her. So they asked Paul to provide a DNA sample.

[Bill Estelle]

He refused, which heightened their suspicions. So they got a warrant.

[True Crime Author]

That's when the investigation switched gears.

[John F. Kennedy]

Paul disappeared.

[True Crime Author]

His friend Keith Beja was concerned they.

[John F. Kennedy]

Were looking for Paul. Couldn't find him. I think panic may have kicked in, and he. He went to where he was comfortable. The woods. That doesn't surprise me. He's a quality woodsman.

[True Crime Author]

And for the next few weeks, Paul managed to hide from the authorities.

[John F. Kennedy]

I don't know what he did during that period of time other than just survive out there.

[True Crime Author]

Wanted signs with Paul's picture went up all over the area. But Alaska state troopers said the person they're looking for didn't match that photo. They believed Paul had cut his long hair, shaved off his big bushy beard, and hopped a few freight train out of town.

[Bill Estelle]

He also worked for the railroad, so he was very familiar with how to hop a freight train, how to get on, get off, how to Avoid detection. So we got a search warrant to search his cabin.

[True Crime Author]

Inside Paul Stavignard's cabin, troopers first came across a handful of.22 rifles. Then they found a journal in the most unlikely of spots.

[Bill Estelle]

He had hidden this somewhere in the rafters of his house. There was one of the troopers climbing around up there that found it hidden in a crack between a couple of boards.

[True Crime Author]

What Paul wrote inside that journal contains some graphic information about his relationship with his neighbor, Debbie Rehor.

[Bill Estelle]

They were having consensual sex.

[True Crime Author]

Paul's journal spelled out details of his affair with Debbie.

[Bill Estelle]

Everything about it became inconsistent with what people knew about Rick and Debbie and what they knew about the relationship with Stavangerd himself.

[True Crime Author]

Were Debbie and Paul having an affair, or was it Paul's attempt to create an alibi? And if it was his attempt to create an alibi, why hide the journal? By then, the Alaska state troopers feared that Paul was long gone and had possibly entered Canada. But then, nearly a month after Paul disappeared, he got in touch with the troopers.

[Bill Estelle]

I believe America's most wanted was getting ready to run a special on him when he turned himself in.

[True Crime Author]

Paul had hired a high profile defense lawyer and said he was ready to talk with investigators. Here's his friend, Keith Beja.

[John F. Kennedy]

He did apparently get to a telephone after several weeks and talk to a friend who was responsible for getting him connected with an attorney. And the attorney convinced him he needed to turn himself in.

[True Crime Author]

Paul Stavignard was booked and charged with the murders of Rick Beery and his wife, Debbie Rehore.

[John F. Kennedy]

You know, I just didn't really accept it. Paul's not the kind of guy that ambushes people or shoots people or he's very safe with firearms. Paul was special in that he was likable, not just to me, but to everybody.

[True Crime Author]

Paul Stavignord claimed he was an innocent man, and he said there was a reason he hopped a freight train and left town.

[John F. Kennedy]

He had had unfortunate experience with law enforcement prior to this event, so trusting policemen was probably not his first reaction.

[True Crime Author]

So what was this unfortunate experience with law enforcement that caused Paul to go on the run? And who killed Rick and Debbie?

[Podcast Host]

I never could quite make a decision as to whether he was a dangerous.

[True Crime Author]

Man or whether something snapped. It ultimately led to one of the most hotly contested trials Alaska has ever seen.

[Bill Estelle]

How can somebody go from being a neighbor to being a double murderer at the flip of the switch?

[True Crime Author]

And when it was all over, the lawyers would switch sides.

[John F. Kennedy]

This is a travesty of justice.

[True Crime Author]

I'm Sloan Glass. Join me for the bizarre conclusion of the Mountain man murders. That's next time on American Homicide. You can contact the American Homicide team by emailing [e-mail] that's AmericanHomicidePodmail.com American Homicide is hosted and written by me Sloan Glass and is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with I Heart Podcast Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz. The series is also written and produced by Todd Ganz with additional writing by Ben Fetterman and Andrea Gunning. Our Associate producer is Kristin Melchuri. Our iHeart team is ally Perry and Jessica Krynchak. Audio editing, mixing and mastering by Nico Aruka. American Homicide's theme song was composed by Oliver Baines of Noiser Music Library, provided by MyMusic. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts and please rate and review American Homicide. Your five star review goes a long way towards helping others find this show. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[MIDI Health Representative]

It's true that some things change as we get older. But if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain, you don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MITI Health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MITI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause, and MITI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of MITI patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual Visit [e-mail] that's joinmidi.com.

[Podcast Host]

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in in Bone Valley Season one.

[Gilbert King]

Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.

[Podcast Host]

I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known.

[Gilbert King]

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to new episodes of bone Valley Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Soledad O'Brien]

I'm Soledad O'Brien. And on my new true crime podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you Back to in 1964 to the cold case of artist Mary Pinchot Meyer.

[True Crime Author]

She had been shot twice in the head and in the back.

[Soledad O'Brien]

It turns out Mary was connected to a very powerful man.

[John F. Kennedy]

I pledge you that we shall neither commit nor provoke aggression.

[Soledad O'Brien]

John F. Kennedy Listen to Murder on the towpath with Soledad O'Brien on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Mental Health Advocate]

I want you to ask yourself right now, how am I actually doing? Because it's a question that we rarely ask ourselves. All of May is actually Mental Health Awareness Month and on the psychology of your 20s, we are taking a vulnerable look at why mental health is so hard to talk about. Prepare for our conversations to go deep. I spent the majority of my teenage years and my twenties just feeling absolutely terrified.

[MIDI Health Representative]

I had a panic attack on a conference call.

[True Crime Author]

Knowing that she had six months to live. I was no longer pretending that this.

[MIDI Health Representative]

Was my best friend.

[Mental Health Advocate]

So this Mental Health Awareness Month, take that extra bit of care of your well being. Listen to the psychology of your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.