C (15:35)

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B (16:10)

According to John Dobie's book, shortly after William was killed, several of his friends overheard Nelson talking about the incident, and not in a mournful way. Nelson was reported to have stated, quote I plugged him. It was a center shot, end quote. Which seems to suggest that Nelson had been aware he was shooting a living person, not a deer or a bear. But who exactly claimed to hear him make those statements, and what the full context of the conversation was is unclear from the available coverage and records in this case. The story did, however, support the prosecution's argument from the start, which was that Nelson Was capable of distinguishing his friend from a deer. Which meant the only alternative reason for Nelson doing what he did Was because he must have had some other reason for wanting William dead. Maybe it was a secret grudge or a vendetta, which in my opinion, is more of an argument for premeditated murder than manslaughter, but whatever. And despite getting the opportunity to present such a narrative during the examination hearing, the county attorney just kind of left a lot to be desired when it came to details about why Nelson would have wanted to harm William. Reading between the lines amongst all the source material, it seems like it was suggested that Nelson may have wanted more of William's land or something, and that could have been his potential motive for the shooting. But again, nothing states that specifically, so we'll never really know. And when the proceeding concluded on December 30, it was decided that Nelson's case would not go to a grand jury because the evidence against him was too insufficient. However, that didn't mean tensions between people in the community who viewed Nelson's culpability very differently dissipated. In fact, the following year, in November 1899, the Minneapolis Journal reported that a grand jury in Beltrami county Did end up reviewing the case and ultimately decided to indict Nelson for murder. Once again, it was William's brothers who'd spearheaded the effort to prosecute Nelson and get the case this far. However, the trial ended with an acquittal which reportedly contributed to Nelson's wife suffering from a stroke right there in court, but not one that was severe enough to kill her. According to one settler who did an interview with author John Dobie, Nelson lived the rest of his life as a free man and moved to the northern end of the state park, where he stayed until his death in November 1912 at the age of 71. Nelson maintained that he'd never intended to kill William, and he considered himself wrongfully accused of the crime. But Nelson's acquittal carved a deep divide between members of the Rust family and William McMullen's associates and loved ones. Literally for decades in the 1930s, which was a long time after the shooting, Nelson's son in law, Martin Heinzelman, Was living in Texas for the winter and sent a delivery of grapefruit to one of William's old friends up in Minnesota. The gift was apparently a gesture of goodwill and sort of a means of burying the hatchet, I guess. Initially, William's friend was really touched by the gift and was even reported to have become emotional when he opened it. But then after he Pulled himself together, he was overheard saying, quote, I bet they are poisoned, end quote. Which just goes to show you how quickly folks who supported the McMullen family were used to reverting back to thinking the worst of people who supported the Rust family. The man who'd received the citrus fruit had been a game warden in Itasca State park for some time in the early 1900s. He'd busted dozens of poachers for illegally killing animals in and around the park and on one occasion had even investigated Martin for that suspected crime. According to John Dobie's book, at some point between 1909 and 1913, while Martin was working as the park's commissioner, he was suspected of owning illegal animal traps and placing them in the park. Now, just to refresh your memory, Martin is Nelson Rust's son in law and likely a person who was Team Rust and not Team McMullen in the ongoing feud between the families who over the deadly shooting in 1898. Anyway, one day, when the game warden who governed the park discovered that a fox had been poached using an illegal trap, which he suspected was one of Martin's traps, he paid money to the guy who'd harvested the pelt and set his sights on building a case to catch Martin when he came looking for the fur. But Martin figured out what this game morden was up to and interfered with his investigation. Basically, Martin traveled some 3 hours and 45 minutes south to St. Paul, Minnesota, at the last minute to purchase a trapping permit before he went to the game warden's office to collect the pelt. So when the warden saw Martin come in and thought he had everything he needed to bust him, Martin produced his very recently obtained trapping permit, and the game warden's plan fell apart. No arrest and no consequences for Martin. But you know what's kind of wild? I found some obscure Texas newspaper clippings from the mid-1940s which detail that Martin himself and his wife Nellie, who was Nelson Rust's daughter, experienced a series of unfortunate events in the latter part of their lives that are very random but also kind of interesting. For example, in early January 1946, Martin, who was 79 years old, was hit by a car while walking on the side of a road and killed instantly. The driver of the vehicle that struck him claimed he'd been blinded by the glare of oncoming headlights and was unable to stop before he hit Martin. It doesn't appear any criminal charges were ever filed. Then a few months later, in August 1946, while Nellie, his widow, was in the hospital, her home was burglarized by a trio of thieves. About three months later, Nelly died. Now, I'm not someone who puts a lot of stock in generational curses or bad luck or whatever you want to call it, but I'm not gonna lie. All of these details and stories I found kind of made me have second thoughts for a minute today. The one undisputed truth in the events from 1898 is that William McMullen lost his life in a violent way. A wooden pole still stands in Itasca State park marking the spot where he's buried. It reads, Wm. McMullen, 1861-1898 Pioneer. Shot Oct. 30 while hunting at Itasca Lake. Peace and memory. Was he a victim of a tragic hunting accident? We'll likely never know. Was he a victim of murder? Only Nelson Rust could answer that question, and he can no longer tell. The next case I'm going to tell you all about happened just a few short years after William McMullen's death, but all the way in eastern Tennessee. Sometime in the winter of 1901, or some sources say 1903, a man who was in his 60s named Jasper Mellinger set out from his home along the Roaring Fork Creek near modern day Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to travel on foot through the Great Smoky Mountains and into western North Carolina. Jasper and his wife Martha's children were all grown up, so it was just the two of them and their animals living on the family farm. The couple's only means of income was selling their crops and Jasper's trade skill as a blacksmith. But in the wintertime, with no harvest on the horizon for a while and demand for metal work in Roaring Fork not super high that time of year, Jasper decided to take a trip across the border because he'd learned that there might be more work for blacksmiths in North Carolina. And his assumption was right because there were a handful of small mining communities in and around the Hazel Creek area that regularly needed blacksmith services. So before departing his house, Jasper tucked a little bit of money into a purse, slung his rifle around him, grabbed his pocket watch and whatever other provisions he needed, and set out in the direction of Hazel Creek. He told Martha that he would return as soon as he was able to. Now, I don't know what the terrain or route was like back in the early 1900s, but if you look on Google Maps today and input that you want to walk from Roaring Fork to Hazel Creek, it estimates it should take you about a day. In his book Death in the Great Smoky Mountains author Michael Bradley explained that when Jasper made this trip, he. He would have tracked the backbone of the Great Smoky Mountains in the direction of the Elkmont, Tennessee area and Cherokee, North Carolina, which would have put him on trails he was familiar with and lessened the amount of elevation he had to climb. Basically, it allowed him to cross the high peaks of the Smokies and be on a more direct path toward Hazel Creek. One of the first farms he stopped at to rest and get out of the snowy weather was owned by the Owenby family, who was known for taking in travelers. Jasper stayed the night there, got a good meal and caught everyone up there on the latest news from back in town. The next morning, he left the Owenbys and made his way further up into the mountains, likely following a number of streams toward Hazel Creek. Meanwhile, back in Roaring Fork, Martha waited patiently for her husband to return and went about her normal daily activities on their farm. When Jasper failed to return after a few days, Martha began to worry. More time went by and she continued to grow concerned that something wasn't right. Then months passed, but Jasper never came home. And other people who'd been to and from Hazel Creek informed her that he wasn't there, never had been. When Martha learned that information, that's when she knew something was very wrong. So a search party of people from Roaring Fork was dispatched to follow Jasper's route through the mountains. But the group only made it about 20 miles to a place called Miry Ridge before losing his tracks. It was like he just disappeared into thin air. Years passed with no updates on her husband's whereabouts. Martha and her children had to eventually accept the fact that something untoward had likely befallen him. But they had no idea what or even when exactly such an event would have occurred. Martha suspected that Jasper had likely never made it to Hazel Creek or else someone would have reported seeing him there. But without his body or any sign of him like his belongings to prove that theory, she was just left with more questions than answers. That is, until two men from the Owenby family took a hunting trip in the woods and stumbled upon a gruesome discovery. When you have four new tires, every drive feels fresh. And this spring, getting that four tire feeling is easier than ever. Right now, buy three select tires and get one for just a dollar during the Cadillac Certified Service Fresh Start Tire event at participating USGM dealers only. Highest or equal value tire will be $1. Not available with other offers. Visit cadillac.comservice offers or see dealer for full details. Offer ends 5312025 when living with cancer, it's important to be informed and know what to expect. But finding the right information can feel overwhelming. That's why understandcancertogether.com is here to help. We've gathered practical information and resources based on where you are in your cancer journey so that you can focus on the important conversations and decisions of today. UnderstandCancerTogether.com helping you navigate life with cancer one moment at a time. According to author Michael Bradley's book, in September of 1905, two men named Bauss and Stuart Owenby. Yes, members of the same O and B family that Jasper Bellinger had stayed with, were on a hunting trip in the Great Smoky Mountains when they stopped at a natural pool they suspected game animals were using as a source of water. While walking along the edge of the pool, searching for animal tracks to follow, they discovered something unexpected. A bear trap and several bones. And not just any kind of bones, human bones. On the ground near the remains in Steeltrap was a pair of eyeglasses, a knife, a pocket watch, a few dollars in coins, and a rifle that had the initials JM etched into the side of it. After making this unsettling discovery, the OMBs alerted the Sevier county sheriff, and an officer was dispatched to the scene to investigate. Unfortunately, due to the state of the remains, it was impossible to ascertain exactly how the person had died. But one thing was clear. Whoever the person was, they appeared to have stepped into the bear trap unknowingly and shattered one of their leg bones. Now, naturally, folks in Roaring Fork suspected the human remains belonged to Jasper Mellinger, especially considering the fact that the rifle which had been found near the bones bore his initials. But without the luxury of DNA confirmation, which was close to 90 years away, still, the identity of the remains were a mystery. Eventually, though, the gun, pocket watch, and money were brought down from the mountains and given to Martha, who identified them as belonging to her husband. After that, the Sevier county coroner held a formal inquest into the matter and determined that Jasper's right leg had been broken above the ankle. Other than that, nothing else super substantial came out of the inquest, and authorities decided not to present the case to a grand jury for further review. The widely accepted version of events at that time was that Jasper had mistakenly stepped into a bear trap which had severely damaged his leg, and then he'd slowly died of exposure and starvation because he'd been unable to walk or get help. According to historical documents, that scenario seemed the most likely because a snowstorm had descended on the mountains Right after Jasper left for his trip, Making it highly unlikely he could have survived the elements While lying injured on the cold ground. After the coroner's inquest concluded, the Mellinger family laid Jasper's remains to rest at their family burial plot and put up a tombstone there, Marking it as his official grave. In the aftermath of losing her husband, Martha was unable to keep their farm afloat and wound up having to abandon the property and move to what is stated to be the sevier county poor farm, Basically a place where impoverished residents could live who had nowhere else to go. Sources state that she stayed there for about 20 years until her death in 1925. Before she passed away, though, there were a handful of significant developments in her husband's case that got the community fairly riled up. According to news coverage and a handful of historical documents from the national park service, about four years after Jasper's death, A young man from Ware's cove, Tennessee, which is about 20 miles west of roaring fork, came forward and confessed to having a hand in Jasper's death. This young man's first name is unknown, but his last name was beasley, so that's what I'll refer to him by. Anyway. Turns out Beasley had become very ill and was literally on his deathbed. And before things got too bad, he announced that he wanted to make a confession to his family and minister. He said that several years earlier, he and his father, John Beasley, had been illegally hunting and trapping bears in the great smoky mountains. They'd set a number of traps on trails that weren't frequently traveled and would periodically go back and check them, like every other day or so. During one of those trips, the younger Beasley said that he and his dad had returned to a device they'd set along a less traveled trail, but discovered a barely conscious man caught in it, and one of his legs had been crushed. The younger Beasley said that his father instructed him to bludgeon the wounded man to death with a blunt object. Some sources differ on whether it was a club, a log, or a rock. And the younger Beasley was supposed to do this in order to get the man from reporting their illegal hunting activities to authorities and as an act of mercy, to put him out of his misery. The son didn't want to at first, but eventually relented to his father's commands. Reports vary as to whether the Beasleys then threw their victim off a cliff or buried him in a shallow grave. But whatever the case was, it was clear to everyone listening to the younger Beasley Story that the situation he was talking about was related to Jasper Mellinger. Eventually, after the younger Beasley recovered from his illness, his father was arrested for the crime, but later acquitted of any wrongdoing due to lack of evidence. The source material doesn't specifically say if the son was prosecuted or not, or like what any outcome of potential proceedings were for him. But during this time there were people who said they doubted the legitimacy of the son's confession, stating that in their opinion, it didn't totally align with the physical evidence. In addition to those folks doubts, there were other people who alleged an entirely different theory. That a local resident and trapper named Art Huskey was actually the responsible party. I couldn't find much out there about Art though, or why his name came into the picture in the Mellinger case, other than author Michael Bradley stating in his book that he was just one of those people in town who seemed to have a lot of enemies that wanted to take him down. I did find another source that claimed Art and his son were later tried for the crime and acquitted, But I was unable to find anything else that corroborates that account. And that's the tricky thing when it comes to researching cases like this that are so old, when you try to distill fact from fiction, details start to get kind of muddy. The brass tacks of it is some people felt strongly that Jasper Mellinger was murdered, while others remained convinced he was a victim of the elements. No foul play whatsoever. The fact of the matter is the terrain he was hiking in from Roaring Fork toward Hazel Creek wasn't for the faint of heart. Author Michael Bradley explains in his book that there were sheer rock faces, slopes, gulches, and even waterfalls along that route, none of which were particularly safe. There were also many ridges that required a person to hike up and down on. So theoretically, Jasper could have gotten stuck in any number of trapper's devices in terrain like that. Something that stands out to me though is that Jasper was reportedly supposed to be a fan, fearless and strong man, who by all accounts was very familiar with the trails he was walking. So the suggestion that he succumbed to the elements without doing everything in his power to signal for help or free himself from the trap and get home doesn't quite align with the most common characterizations of him. Then again, anything can happen in the woods, even to the best of us. Many years after his death, the state of Tennessee passed two laws that ban the use of steel traps. Interestingly, when she was still alive, this was legislation that Martha Mellinger had hoped would eventually come to fruition. In the early 1940s, the National Park Service and U.S. department of the Interior officially recognized the area where Jasper's remains were found as Mellinger Death Ridge. That title is what the landmark is called to this day, and in my opinion, it's an appropriate name, one that I imagine has likely made many people pause before taking their next steps upward. Park Predators is an Audio Chuck production. You can view a list of all the source material for this episode on our website parkpredators.com and you can also follow parkpredators on Instagram arcpredators. So what do you think Chuck? Do you approve?

A (36:46)

In the summer, all of Oregon is our playground thanks to our incredible park system. That's why it's so cool that Oregon Lottery gameplay like video lottery or Cash Pop helps support tons of parks projects statewide, like accessible trails at Silver Falls State park or upgrades to your favorite dog park in Newburgh. It's just one way a little lottery play for many Oregonians can add up to a lot of good the Oregon Lottery. Together we do good things. Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only. Must be 18 or older to play.

C (37:18)

When you have four new tires, every drive feels fresh and this spring getting that four tire feeling is easier than ever. Right now, buy three select tires and get one for just a dollar during the Chevy Certified Service Fresh Start Tire event at participating USGM dealers only. Highest or equal value tire will be $1. Not available with other offers. Visit chevrolet.comserviceoffers or see dealer for full details. Offerings 531 2025.