Blood Trails, Ep. 7: Lost in the Dark

Podcast: Blood Trails by MeatEater
Host: Jordan Sillars
Release Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
Episode 7, "Lost in the Dark," investigates the 2012 death of 35-year-old Georgia hunter Jeff Gebhart, whose body was discovered stabbed 18 times in a remote wildlife management area. Journalist Jordan Sillars navigates a bewildering case where the evidence both points to homicide and, impossibly, suicide. The episode explores the dark intersection of wilderness, crime, and the unimaginable depths of the human mind.

Purpose:
To unravel the perplexing circumstances surrounding Jeff's death, examine the official investigation, and grapple with unresolved questions—while highlighting the unique complexities when crime and tragedy occur far from civilization.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident: Unexpected and Inexplicable

• Sillars opens by reflecting on how the wilderness is both thrilling and unpredictable, setting up the story of Gebhart's mysterious death ([01:40]).
• Jeff Gebhart, a healthy and experienced hunter, was found dead in the Georgia woods. The details—stab wounds, no signs of robbery, and few clues—leave family, investigators, and loved ones searching for answers.

"Since Jeff Gebhart was found dead in the woods of Northwest Georgia, family, friends and investigators have been trying to explain exactly what happened to the healthy 35 year old hunter. All have failed."
— Jordan Sillars ([01:40])

2. Timeline and Recounting the Events

The Friendship and the Hunt ([02:53]-[11:13])

• Jeff and Dave Smith, fellow hunters and friends, planned a trip to Clarks Hill WMA (a dense, remote area) for an early-season deer hunt.
• The first evening, Jeff gets lost but returns safely with help; next day, they run errands instead of hunting—a detail that struck Sillars as odd.
• On their final evening, Jeff becomes lost again after parting from Dave in the woods.

"If it sounds a little unusual that a 35 year old man could get so turned around trying to get out of an area he just walked into a few hours before, well, it is."
— Jordan Sillars ([09:55])

Night of the Death ([12:58]-[16:18])

• Jeff calls Dave, stressed and "almost hysterical," saying he can't find his way out. Dave directs him to fire rifle shots to help locate him, but Jeff fails to emerge.
• After several failed attempts to find him, Dave calls 911. Game wardens and, soon after, aerial search teams, quickly spot a flashlight on the lakeshore and discover Jeff’s body ([04:02]-[15:04]).

Crime Scene ([16:27]-[38:39])

• Jeff is found lying on his back, hands folded, rifle and gear cast off nearby, a folding knife under him.
• 18 stab wounds, mostly shallow but three deep enough to pierce the heart.
• No defensive wounds, no blood except beneath the body, and only Jeff’s footprints at the scene.

"There was an area that was all very marshy, and you could see all of his footprints. ... There was only his footprint."
— Charla Perdue, forensic scientist ([31:49])

3. Suspicions, Theories, & Evidence Review

Investigators Focus on Dave Smith ([17:45]-[27:27])

• Dave is the most logical suspect—first to call for help, knew where Jeff hunted, and owned many knives.
• Intense interviews, including inquiries about their relationship, possible altercations, and motives (including romantic involvement—awkwardly but methodically probed).
• No forensic evidence links Dave (blood, footprints, timeline established by other hunters' corroboration) to Jeff’s death ([46:21]-[47:07]).

"The person that killed him knew him. Isn't that right? And that person is you?

No, sir, I did not kill him. I do not know anything about it."
— Agent Tony Williamson and Dave Smith ([25:52]-[25:59])

Forensics and Crime Scene Oddities ([31:06]-[38:39])

• No evidence of struggle, no unknown footprints, only Jeff's DNA on the knife.
• Lack of defensive wounds and the placement and depth of most stabs suggest the wounds may not have been delivered by another person.

"If somebody is attacking another person with a knife, ... you'll find wounds on the hands, on the forearms. There were no real defensive wounds that were noted."
— Special Agent Wendell Goodman ([33:19])

4. Autopsy and Shift in Theory: Suicide?

The Medical Examiner's Conclusion ([36:19]-[38:39])

• Most wounds superficial; only three penetrated the heart—all at the same angle, all accessible for a right-handed person (Jeff was right-handed).
• Only Jeff’s DNA on knife. No evidence he was attacked or tried to defend himself.

“If someone is stabbing someone, you’re going to be thrashing about, so your stabs will be all at different angles. His were all at one particular angle.”
— Charla Perdue ([37:21])

Investigators' Difficult Decision ([39:08]-[47:21])

• Ruling of suicide based almost solely on physical evidence, not motive or history.
• Family, friends, and fellow Catholics deeply resistant—stressing both Jeff’s access to a rifle, his devout faith, and the peculiarity (and rarity) of suicide by self-stabbing.

"When a guy that has a loaded rifle toting it through the woods, are you actually gonna pull out your knife and kill yourself? ... isn't it easier just to put a bullet through yourself?"
— Russell Cornell ([39:21])

5. Struggling with the Explanation

Expert and Family Doubts ([42:24]-[44:13])

• Forensic psychologist Dr. Jeff Kalchevsky finds the theory that Jeff staged a homicide for religious reasons "pretty sophisticated" and hard to accept. He notes that people in acute crisis rarely act with such calculation ([42:52]).
• Both family and Catholic acquaintances contend this is "not possible," citing both faith and practicalities (knife wounds, lack of suicidal signs).

"If it was a suicide, it's one of the oddest suicides I've ever seen or heard of, for sure."
— Dr. Jeff Kalchevsky ([53:38])

• Charlotte Perdue, though reviewing on behalf of the family, supports the suicide theory—based purely on forensic evidence and absence of any sign of another assailant ([45:12]).

The “Death Hunt” and Unsettling Pattern ([56:14]-[56:41])

• Game warden Matt Garthright notes a freakish pattern of deaths during this annual hunt—though usually natural causes (heart attacks), not suspicious violence.

"This particular hunt happens every year, and for several years, there's been a death on this hunt."
— Sgt. Matt Garthright ([56:14])

6. Mental Health, The Unknowable Motive, and Open Questions

Mental Health Questions ([49:36]-[55:55])

• No documented mental health problems, suicidal ideation, or explanations from loved ones. No evidence of a suicide note.
• However, as Sillars notes, some suicides happen with no warning to family and friends. Dr. Kalchevsky and Charla Perdue both caution that some signals may be missed or unspoken.
• Theories about a psychotic break or panic from being lost are floated but found wanting by experts.

"You just don't walk through the woods and then 10 minutes later have a psychotic break and kill yourself. ... If this indeed was a suicide, this was definitely not impulsive."
— Dr. Jeff Kalchevsky ([54:42])

7. Resolution—If You Can Call It That

Officially Closed, But Emotionally Unsettled ([47:41]-[59:33])

• District attorney’s review and a grand jury rule Jeff’s death a suicide.
• Family remains unconvinced. Russell Cornell rallies for the case to remain open and opposed to the ruling.

"Somebody is guilty of this crime that they've done to this man, Jeff, and it needs to be opened. ..."
— Russell Cornell ([48:36])

• Both the host and investigators express empathy for the family and acknowledge that the truth may never be fully illuminated.

"It's possible the GBI missed something or is hiding something, but that's not really what I'm talking about. Even if we acknowledge that Jeff stabbed himself 18 times, we still don't know why."
— Jordan Sillars ([58:13])

• The final word is one of ambiguity and an uneasy sense that, despite science and thorough reporting, some stories remain essentially unsolvable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Unsolvable Mysteries:
  "The only person who really knows the answers is the one person who can't answer them."
  — Charla Perdue ([59:22])

• On the Need for Closure:
  "Everybody just wants some form of resolve. And in these types of cases you don't always get it."
  — Special Agent Wendell Goodman ([59:02])

• The Initial Call for Help:
  "He said he was in tall grass and I thought he was saying something about a fence, and then he said something about mud."
  — Dave Smith ([13:30])

• On the Scene's Inexplicability:
  "It just, it. It defied forensic sense."
  — Charla Perdue ([31:26])

Major Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------| | 01:40 | Warning/disclaimer & episode premise | | 02:31 | Interview clips: Investigators speak to Dave | | 03:12 | Jeff’s call for help and details of getting lost | | 04:02 | Discovery of Jeff’s body | | 04:42 | Confirmation this was a homicide (initially) | | 07:01 | Dave’s relationship with Jeff and background | | 11:02 | Jeff and Dave’s routine before the incident | | 13:10 | Audio from phone calls—Jeff lost and stressed | | 16:27 | Sergeant Garthright: processing the body/scene | | 19:05 | Investigators ask Dave about knives | | 23:07 | Relationship/motive questions for Dave | | 31:06 | Crime scene analysis with Charla Perdue | | 36:19 | Autopsy and shift to suicide theory | | 39:08 | Reactions: family and religious beliefs | | 42:52 | Dr. Kalchevsky on suicide plausibility | | 46:21 | Timeline/vindication for Dave; case is closed | | 49:36 | No mental health history, possible explanations | | 53:54 | The “Death Hunt” pattern | | 58:13 | Final reflections—no good answers | | 59:22 | Closing words from Charla and Goodman |

Tone

• Serious, respectful, analytical.
• Jordan Sillars maintains a forensic, investigative style rooted in compassion, skepticism, and honesty.
• Insights from experts and affected individuals bring both emotional weight and clinical perspective.

Summary Takeaway

"Lost in the Dark" lays out a haunting case in which neither official findings nor alternative explanations can bring true resolution. Through gripping narrative journalism, Sillars spotlights how the wild can become a stage for the most baffling acts—and reminds listeners that for some questions, especially when it comes to the mind and the wilderness, there may be no final answers.

Blood Trails encourages those struggling with mental health to reach out for help. Crisis lines and resources are shared in the episode.