Blood Trails – Ep. 5: A Big Woods Cold Case
MeatEater | Host: Jordan Sillars | Date: November 27, 2025
Overview
In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars investigates one of Maine’s oldest unsolved mysteries: the disappearance of Ludger Belanger, a 25-year-old hunter who went missing during the season’s first snowstorm in 1975. What began as a presumed case of a lost hunter soon revealed itself as a chilling story of violence, drugs, deception, and the unrelenting drive of family and investigators to seek the truth in the wild woods of Maine. Drawing from first-hand accounts, law enforcement insights, and the work of author Darren Wooster, the episode untangles both the known facts and the perennial pain left behind.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Disappearance of Ludger Belanger
- Timeline & Circumstances ([01:29]–[04:59])
- On November 25, 1975, Ludger, his wife Linda, and his brother John went out to hunt deer in heavy snow.
- Linda describes the last time she saw Ludger:
"And then about 9 o'clock, we just said, well, we're gonna go home... But Ludgi wanted to get off at the top of the hill and walk down through the field in the woods to the county road and then home." – Linda Belanger ([02:51])
- Ludger planned to hunt for an hour before returning home to drive Linda to work. He never came back. Concern mounted as a neighbor-led search proved fruitless, prompting a call to game wardens.
- Emotional impact on Linda and her young children is highlighted.
2. Early Investigation & Community Response
- Search and Emotional Toll ([04:59]–[06:08])
- State police ruled out immediate involvement, but wardens committed to the search.
- Linda recalls:
"I kind of got a little messed up emotionally, and they sent me to the hospital in an ambulance." – Linda Belanger ([04:04])
- The community’s support was crucial, but distressing.
3. Turning a Hunting Case into a Cold Case
4. Breakthroughs in the Search
5. Clues in the Snow & A Lucky Break
6. Suspects, Garage Visit, and the Buick Special
7. Tantalizing but Inadmissible Evidence
- Meat in the Freezer, Missing Gun, and Cleared Out Evidence ([22:33]–[25:36])
- Marsh finds warm deer meat in freezer—contradicting suspect's claims.
- Marsh secretly takes a package for testing.
- Officer concern:
"Warden Hennessy was a bit freaked out over that because obviously he would never be admissible in court." – Darren Wooster ([25:05])
8. Destroyed Evidence and Mockery
9. The Elusive Buick and Physical Evidence
- Impounding the Buick ([31:29]–[33:35])
- Buick found cleaned, stripped of incriminating material—but warden finds deer hair in trunk, buckshot pellet with beard hair in spare tire well.
- Forensics at the time unable to definitively tie evidence to Ludger.
10. Theories of the Crime – Informants and Confession
- Suspect B’s Drunken Boast & Family Theories ([33:35]–[36:47])
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Informant claims: suspects picked up Ludger, stole deer, shot him in car after dispute.
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Linda’s theory echoes this account:
"I think that's where he might have made a stink... and then he realized they weren't taking him home. I don't know, but that's where I think they shot him in the back seat." – Linda Belanger ([36:13])
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Investigators remain skeptical—testimony unreliable due to witness’s substance abuse, eventual death, and Supect B’s steadfast denial.
11. Suspects’ Fate and Frustrations
12. The Family’s Ongoing Search for Closure
- Desire to Recover Ludger’s Remains ([41:24]–[42:57])
- Family wants to “lay him to rest with love and dignity.”
- Not seeking vengeance; only peace and answers.
"The only remaining suspect is not well and probably not long for this world... So as far as, like, getting justice, that's not going to happen." – Tracy Belanger ([42:20])
13. Unyielding Search and the Cold Case Movement
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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Linda on Family Pain:
"He wasn't here for the moments, the Special Times, the Daily Times, he just... he was robbed of them." ([06:08])
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Investigative Frustration:
"All the potential evidence the wardens had seen on their previous visit was gone. The hunting clothes, the deer meat, the knife, the gun, the gear, all of it, nowhere to be seen." – Jordan Sillars ([29:29])
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Darren Wooster on Haunted Investigators:
"They all seem to have experiences and stories that sort of haunts them and they can't put away with. This was the case that for John, I could tell he really had some misgivings about and really just had that personal drive." ([44:09])
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Tracy on Why’s That Never Satisfy:
"You're not going to get a why that you go, 'oh, that makes sense.' Because you'd have to be psychotic to agree with that. So a why is never going to be good. It's never going to be okay." ([42:02])
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Linda on Hope for Resolution:
"50 years is a long time. It's been a never ending nightmare. Some days are okay, some days aren't. But to find his remains... and we want to lay him to rest the right way, I can't even explain the feeling." ([46:38])
Important Timestamps & Segments
- [02:51] Linda details last moments with Ludger
- [07:34] Author Darren Wooster introduces his unique access
- [10:12] Breakthrough: neighbor reveals Ludger’s likely hunting spot
- [16:15] Discovery of incriminating garage receipt
- [17:18] Sully the mechanic describes the suspects’ irate visit
- [21:04] Wardens confront Suspect A
- [25:05] Marsh secretly removes deer meat for evidence
- [29:29] All possible evidence wiped from suspect A’s home
- [33:11] Buick found cleaned, but damning items (deer hair, pellet) discovered
- [36:13] Linda’s theory on where Ludger was murdered
- [39:11] Suspect A’s house explosion and subsequent death
- [41:24] Family expresses hopes for a dignified burial, not vengeance
- [43:06] Description of years-long, multi-agency search efforts
- [46:03] Linda recounts establishing Maine’s cold case unit
Action & Contact
- If you have any information — especially about the back seat from a green 1965 Buick Special — contact:
- Maine State Police, Major Crimes Unit, Unsolved Division, at 207-624-7076.
Tone & Style
Jordan Sillars’ narration balances meticulous investigative detail with deeply human empathy for the Belanger family. Contributions from Linda, Tracy, Darren Wooster, and law enforcement bring authenticity, sorrow, and honesty to the podcast’s true-crime-in-the-wild approach.
Conclusion
This episode is a masterclass in investigative storytelling, weaving together forest lore, true crime, and unending human hope. Blood Trails continues its mission of spotlighting real, unsolved outdoor mysteries—reminding listeners that, sometimes, even in the wild, the coldest trails deserve to be followed until the story finds its resting place.