Crime Junkie: WANTED – Michael Bullinger (September 22, 2025)
Episode Overview
In this gripping episode, host Ashley Flowers – joined by Maggie – unpacks the wild, still-unsolved case of Michael Bullinger: a fugitive pilot accused of executing his wife, lover, and teenage stepdaughter before vanishing into the wilderness of Wyoming. The episode reveals exclusive new investigative details and amplifies a key tip from a true Crime Junkie listener, illustrating how one person’s instincts can change the course of an investigation. Ashley navigates the tangled double life of Bullinger, the mysterious crime scene, and the ongoing manhunt, all while honoring the lives lost and posing the ultimate question: Did Michael Bullinger die in the backcountry, or is he out there living a third life?
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Discovery of the Car and Crime Junkie Listener’s Role
- [02:38] 17-year-old Gina Hun, a local campground worker and true crime fan, notices an abandoned white Ford Focus at Pacific Creek Campground near Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
- Gina suspects foul play due to the dusty car and grizzly bear territory, takes photos, and later discovers via a Google search that it’s linked to a triple homicide: “Trust your gut, folks. Sometimes it’s nothing, but sometimes you break a case…” – Ashley ([04:07])
- Gina reports her findings, triggering immediate multi-agency police action.
2. Timeline Leading Up to the Discovery
- [05:08] Three weeks before, on June 18, 2017, Caldwell (Idaho) police respond to welfare checks for Mike Bullinger and his wife Cheryl. The next day, a friend calls again about Nadia Medley and her daughter Peyton.
- On investigation, police discover three decomposed bodies in Bullinger's shed: Cheryl Baker (wife), Nadia Medley (girlfriend), and Peyton Medley (Nadia’s daughter). All shot in the head, “the most grisly crime scene [the deputy] had investigated in 20 years.” ([Bullet point memo, [05:40]])
3. Mike Bullinger's Double Life
- Bullinger had been living a double life: one as Cheryl's husband in Utah, another as Nadia’s partner/stepfather in Idaho.
- Cheryl’s brother and Nadia’s relatives describe shock at learning the truth. “Nadia sure didn’t act like their relationship was a secret or anything.” ([08:55])
- Previous cheating and abuse allegations surfaced from Bullinger’s first wife.
4. The Colliding Worlds and the Homicide
- [16:38] Cheryl appears unannounced at the Caldwell house, possibly suspecting Mike’s infidelity.
- At some point June 8th or 9th, Mike “marched all three women to the shed and executed them.” He then methodically plans his getaway, even enjoying breakfast alone at a local diner before leaving Idaho.
- Executes a complex travel plan: leaves truck in Utah, bikes to retrieve Ford Focus from the shop, sends suspicious texts from Cheryl’s phone:
“Take care of my dogs. I don’t know if I’m coming back.” – Ashley recounting the message ([18:25])
- Surveillance confirms his movements across states, ending with park entry at Grand Teton on June 11.
5. Exclusive Details: The Abandoned Car
- [21:42] Ashley shares exclusive investigative paperwork (never before public):
- Car contained full camping/survival gear, $3,600 cash, and Bullinger’s ID/documents.
- Found: emptied holster (for a large revolver), fully loaded .357 revolver, all victims’ and Bullinger's cell phones, women’s purses/IDs.
- “It's the empty gun holster that makes [police] believe wherever Mike is now, he is quite literally armed and dangerous.” – Ashley ([25:00])
6. The Manhunt and Wilderness Search
- Bullinger, a skilled pilot and backcountry guide with deep knowledge of the region, is believed by some to have disappeared into the most remote area outside Alaska: “the thoroughfare.”
- Multi-agency effort: dogs, helicopters, horseback search, flight log checks, tips from around the US.
- Notable sighting: July 1, 2017, a hiker spots a man matching Bullinger’s description near Pacific Creek trail ([31:41]):
“On a scale from one to 10 how certain she was it was him, she said seven or eight.”
- Police treat this sighting as credible and search extensively, with no further evidence found.
- Three main theories emerge:
- Hiding in the backcountry undetected
- Suicide (body not found)
- Vanished and started a new life
7. Forensic Psychology and Motive
- Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Frazier, forensic psychologist:
- Suggests Bullinger’s rigid upbringing and insecure attachment style raise risk in crisis.
- Points to lack of empathy; like infamous family annihilator John List.
- “Bullinger is more likely to be violent because he doesn’t have those same barriers between a logical solution and homicide.” – Dr. Frazier ([34:55])
8. The “Bear Gun” Discovery & Coincidences
- [38:10] In summer 2018, hiker finds a stainless Ruger revolver (“bear gun”) under a log in a creek near a previous Bullinger sighting.
- Serendipitously registered to another Utah man, not directly to Bullinger; unclear if it’s relevant.
- “If this gun was Michael Bullinger’s, I think we would be able to say that he didn’t die by suicide…” – Ashley ([41:09])
- Gun eventually destroyed by authorities, adding further mystery.
9. Ongoing Mystery and Theories
- “If he died out there in the wilderness…how have they done all this searching and found zero trace of him?” – Ashley ([43:21])
- Competing family and investigator theories: some convinced of suicide, others that Bullinger’s ego means he escaped.
- Theories complicated by Bullinger’s pilot status, connections, and knowledge of how to disappear.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- [04:07] “Trust your gut, folks. Sometimes it’s nothing, but sometimes you break a case, because who knows if anyone would have connected the dots otherwise?” – Ashley Flowers
- [05:40] Quoting the police memo:
“Most grisly crime scene he has investigated in 20 years. Bodies were dumped in a pile…shot in the head, covered in hay in an outbuilding.”
- [25:00] “It’s the empty gun holster that they found that makes them believe wherever Mike is now, he is quite literally armed and dangerous.” – Ashley
- [31:57] “On a scale from one to 10 how certain she was it was him, she said seven or eight.” – describing the credible hiker sighting
- [34:55] “Bullinger is more likely to be violent because he doesn’t have those same barriers between a logical solution and homicide.” – Dr. Jeffrey Frazier
- [43:21] “If he died out there in the wilderness, like so many people still believe, how have they done all this searching and found zero trace of him?” – Ashley
Timeline & Timestamps for Major Segments
| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |:----------:|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:53 | Ashley introduces the Bullinger case and Gina Hun’s discovery | | 02:38 | Details on Gina’s background and her crucial tip | | 05:08 | Welfare checks and discovery of the triple homicide | | 09:04 | Bullinger’s double life exposed; backgrounds on relationships | | 16:38 | Timeline of homicides and Bullinger’s calculated escape | | 21:42 | Exclusive: Detailed car contents and police investigation highlights | | 25:00 | Manhunt logistics; Bullinger’s survival skills and possible plans | | 31:41 | Credible sighting on Pacific Creek trail | | 34:35 | Forensic psychology breakdown from Dr. Jeffrey Frazier | | 38:10 | 2018 find: “Bear gun” near campground—coincidence or clue? | | 41:30 | Gun’s provenance questions; lack of closure | | 43:21 | Competing theories; why no trace | | 46:30 | Families’ divided views on escape vs. suicide; police readiness | | 47:15 | Call for tips and continued hope for closure |
Tone & Style
True to Crime Junkie tradition, Ashley’s storytelling is energetic, empathetic, and focused on the humanity of the victims. She uses direct engagement (“Listen, I’m no gun expert… DM me!”), references to show lore (“crime junkies are born, not made”), and balances fact with poignant rhetorical questioning.
Final Reflections & Call to Action
The fate of Michael Bullinger remains one of American true crime’s unsolved sagas. This episode not only amplifies a listener’s crucial intervention but highlights the power of public vigilance and trauma for those left behind.
If you have information:
- Contact Canyon County Sheriff’s Office (Idaho)
- Or Teton County Sheriff’s (Wyoming) for Pacific Creek / Bridger Teton findings
“At this point, what everyone wants, family and police, is just some closure, some finality to this whole saga. Let’s hope they get it one way or another.” – Ashley ([47:20])
Resources & Further Reading:
Visit CrimeJunkiePodcast.com for episode sources, tip lines, and bonus field notes for fan club members.