Blood Trails – Case Update: Bob Christian DNA Results
Podcast Host: Jordan Sillars | MeatEater
Date: March 27, 2026
Episode Overview
This special episode of Blood Trails revisits the decades-old disappearance of Bob Christian, an 18-year-old bowhunter who went missing in Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 1977. Host Jordan Sillars provides a long-awaited update: the results of DNA tests seeking to connect Bob Christian to one of John Wayne Gacy’s unknown victims. The episode details the emotional impact on Bob’s family, especially his sister Amy, and covers fresh leads in the ongoing investigation with Detective Tyler Pointon. The story is told with deep empathy for the family and a sense of urgency as memories fade and witnesses die.
Key Discussion Points
Case Recap: The Disappearance of Bob Christian
Timestamp: 01:34–03:12
- Bob Christian left home on the eve of Wisconsin's 1977 deer opener but never arrived at his buddy’s house in Baraboo.
- His car was found abandoned and stripped, with several strange clues: a nearby nun’s home had been burglarized, Bob's car seen with a suspicious man, and hubcaps found at a quarry.
- Despite multiple leads and local searches, the trail went cold for decades until Detective Tyler Pointon reopened it years later.
The Gacy Connection and DNA Testing
Timestamp: 03:12–04:47
- Serial killer John Wayne Gacy worked in the region as a pharmacy remodeler in mid-1977.
- Given Gacy’s presence and his profile as a killer of young men, authorities compared DNA from Gacy’s unidentified victims to Bob Christian’s family.
Det. Tyler Pointon:
"We had information that he had been in our county doing pharmacy remodel jobs...in July of '77." (03:12)
DNA Result:
"Unfortunately...they did not find a match with the remains from Gacy's house...did not match the DNA profiles of the Christian family." — Det. Pointon (04:23)
Interpreting the DNA Results
Timestamp: 04:47–06:53
- The negative result doesn’t totally eliminate Gacy as a suspect—his true victim total remains unknown, and not all were taken home.
- Some of Gacy’s victims were disposed of far from Chicago; Bob could theoretically have been among them but not among the remains found at Gacy’s house.
Det. Tyler Pointon:
"He may have committed more down there that they don't know about...there's suspicion he didn't give up all of his victims." (05:01)
On local search challenges:
"Devil's Lake...lots of divers, it's very clear water. ...The Wisconsin River, Lake Wisconsin, very dark-stained water...like diving in coffee." (05:45, 06:14)
The Family’s Perspective
Timestamp: 07:16–09:52
- Amy Christian, Bob’s sister, expresses relief that her brother was not one of Gacy’s identified Illinois victims, but also disappointment at the continuing lack of answers.
Amy Christian:
"Some of it was relief...at least he wasn't a victim of that situation. But then there's again the disappointment of not knowing. ...it just means it wasn’t one of the four victims that were found in Illinois. So it doesn't really discount him completely, but it doesn't point right at him either." (07:33)
- She reflects on the impossibility of ever getting further confessions from Gacy, who was executed, and questions whether he could have revealed more if he'd lived.
"He was executed, so there's no way, even if he was alive, would he answer it? ...with somebody like him, it might have been worth keeping him around a little longer. I don't know." (08:18)
- The family’s grief reopens with new investigative activity, likened to “having a band aid ripped off.” (09:52)
"It's opened some of that up." (09:52)
Reflection on the Initial Investigation
Timestamp: 10:17–11:02
- Amy criticizes the original handling of Bob’s disappearance, noting missed interviews and the presumption that Bob ran away.
Amy Christian:
"It's the shoulda, coulda, would haves...I know that certain people...never were interviewed. ...It kind of reinforces what we felt before—that it wasn't investigated and handled well." (10:23)
Remembrance and Family Bonds
Timestamp: 11:02–11:55
- Amy shares memories of Bob and reflects on learning more about her surviving brother Mike and the Christian family’s experience after Bob went missing.
"Mike shared his experience of him getting his first buck and Bob never getting a buck...he was one of my first heroes...somebody that I looked up to." (11:15)
New Investigative Developments
Timestamp: 14:18–16:46
- Detective Pointon has uncovered and interviewed a previously unknown individual from the community around the time Bob vanished.
- This person, tracked down after painstaking research, was able to provide context about others in the area and expand the detective’s list of people to interview.
Det. Tyler Pointon:
"A person who we hadn’t really known about before...was living up there at the time and was able to track that person down...they had a whole lot of good information that we didn’t know about before." (14:32, 16:02)
- Time is the enemy of cold case investigations: “Time’s a killer for this stuff. ...It’s 50 years ago next year.” (16:46)
Call for Community Information
Timestamp: 17:21–18:39
- The episode closes with an appeal for listeners to share any knowledge, however small, tied to Bob Christian’s disappearance.
Amy Christian:
"If anybody remembers anything...give them a call. It's the only hope we really have anymore." (18:02)
Contact:
- Detective Tyler Pointon – Sauk County Sheriff’s Office: 608-355-3205
- Sauk County Crime Stoppers (anonymous): 1-888-847-7285
"You don’t need to have seen Bob’s abduction to have important information. ...If you saw something a little out of the ordinary, heard a rumor from a neighbor, or just had a bad feeling about a stranger walking down the road, get in touch..." (17:21)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “My faith in God is he took care of him. You know, I have to believe that.” — Amy Christian (09:22)
- “Having a band aid ripped off...it opens other things back up again.” — Amy Christian (09:52)
- “Time’s a killer for this stuff...good luck trying to get anybody [in] another 10 years who was alive at that time.” — Det. Pointon (16:46)
- “He was one of my first heroes...somebody that I looked up to.” — Amy Christian (11:15)
Structural Summary: Major Segments and Timestamps
| Segment | Timestamps | Content Summary | |------------------------------------------|--------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Case Recap | 01:34–03:12 | Background on Bob Christian’s disappearance and initial investigation | | Gacy Theory and DNA Results | 03:12–04:47 | Gacy’s ties to the region; DNA comparison update | | Interpreting the Results/Barriers | 04:47–06:53 | Why results don’t rule out Gacy; search obstacles in local geography | | The Christian Family’s Response | 07:16–11:55 | Amy Christian’s emotional journey, family remembrance and frustrations | | New Investigation Leads | 14:18–16:46 | Detective Pointon’s new findings, ongoing search for witnesses | | Call to Action for Public Information | 17:21–18:39 | Plea for any information from the community |
Tone and Style
The episode is reflective and compassionate, blending investigative rigor with the raw, unresolved emotions of a decades-old case. Quotes and commentary from Amy Christian and Det. Pointon keep the story human, urgent, and grounded in the unique pain of not knowing.
This episode is essential listening for those interested in the intersection of true crime and outdoor life, and for anyone who believes that cold cases still deserve new light—no matter how much time has passed.