The Prosecutors: The Disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde – Part 2
Podcast: The Prosecutors (PodcastOne)
Episode: 327
Release Date: September 9, 2025
Hosts: Brett and Alice
Brief Overview
In this second part of the Glen and Bessie Hyde disappearance, Brett and Alice complete their detailed true crime investigation into one of the Grand Canyon's most perplexing cold cases. The hosts trace the aftermath of the Hydes' last sighting in November 1928, the frantic search efforts, discovery and mystery of their untouched boat, and the decades of speculation, bizarre twists, and conspiracy theories that followed. Multiple possible outcomes are discussed, ranging from tragic accident to murder to vanishing for a new life, while reminding listeners of the enduring appeal and cautionary nature of real-world adventure.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Recap of the Case & The Setting
- The hosts note the treacherous nature of Glen and Bessie’s trip down the Colorado River, emphasizing how hard it is to comprehend the risks taken with a handmade boat and no life jackets.
- Alice (01:46): "All I can say is I kept thinking about this case and how terrifying it is... I can't even do if it were a lazy river, much less what Glenn and Bessie are doing with a hundred year ago handmade boat."
- Brett (02:44): "They're on this like wooden thing. They don't even have life jackets. I just can't even imagine."
2. Discovery of the Disappearance & Search Efforts
- The Hydes were last seen November 18, 1928. Glen’s father expected a telegram by Glen’s 30th birthday, December 9, but none arrived.
- Brett (03:27): "It takes a while for anyone to even know there's a problem because no one expects to hear from them."
- Glen's father, R.C. Hyde, personally spearheaded river, land, and air searches—rallying officials and adventurers alike.
- Alice (05:57): "He organized three river searches, dozens of land searches, and was working to set up an air search. Despite his efforts, he initially found absolutely no sign of them."
- The involvement of Emory Kolb, famed canyon photographer and river runner, was crucial in search efforts.
3. Discovery of the Boat & Initial Mysteries
- On December 19, 1928, search planes spotted the Hydes’ “scow” at mile 237—upright and apparently undamaged, with all belongings still aboard.
- Brett (06:58): "The Belongings, the food, everything still appears to be on board."
- On Christmas Day 1928, searchers confirmed all personal items—including diaries, camera, food, Bessie's boots and Glenn’s gun—were undisturbed. The last diary entry was November 30, nearly a month prior.
- Alice (12:37): "They had left their warm jackets and hiking boots on board, as well as their food and Glenn's gun... The last entry was dated November 30."
- Criticism arose for cutting the boat free, removing their only survival supplies if the couple had actually been alive and returned.
- Despite air and ground efforts, no evidence of the Hydes was found and the official search was called off at year’s end.
4. Case Goes Cold & Wild Rumors Begin
- Despite the search’s end, Glen’s and Bessie’s families continued their efforts, but were unsuccessful. The national media began heavily sensationalizing the case, with Bessie’s sister attempting to correct rumors.
5. Decades of Bizarre Twists and Claims
a. Liz Cutler Claims to be Bessie (1971)
- On a river tour, an elderly professor declared, "I'm Bessie Hyde," and claimed she’d killed Glenn in self-defense. This was soon dismissed due to physical and documentary evidence.
- Alice (22:52): "'I know this story... because I'm Bessie Hyde.' She went on to say that Glen was abusive and stabbed her on the trip. So she escaped the canyon on her own. But when authorities caught up with the woman, she claimed she'd never told the story."
- This story became an enduring myth, even airing on Unsolved Mysteries.
b. The Kolb Skeleton Discovery (1977)
- After Emory Kolb’s death, a skeleton with a bullet hole in its head was found in his garage—sparking a frenzy that it might be Glen Hyde himself.
- Brett (28:33): "They find a skeleton, a human skeleton in this boat in Emory Kolb's garage… a hole in its head that was determined to have been a .22 caliber revolver round."
- DNA and evidence later proved this was not Glenn Hyde; the remains most likely belonged to a suicide victim Kolb had stored.
c. Georgie Clark and the Marriage Certificate (1992)
- Celebrated rafter "Georgie Clark" died and left behind a pistol (matching Glenn's) and the Hydes' marriage certificate—plus a birth certificate revealing her real name as Bessie.
- Alice (32:07): "...her friends found a pistol and a piece of paper. The pistol was consistent with the one that Glen Hyde carried with him. And the piece of paper, Glen and Bessie’s marriage certificate. And then they found Georgie's birth certificate... her name wasn't Georgie, it was Bessie."
- Investigation rapidly debunked the theory she was the missing Bessie Hyde, as her true origins and life were well documented.
6. Analysis of Motives, Relationships, and Theories
a. Bessie’s State of Mind
- Multiple anecdotes, including Bessie’s comment about "wearing pretty shoes" again and photographs showing increasing distress, led to speculation that she’d grown weary or desperate to end the trip.
- Brett (36:13): "As Bessie was leaving Emory Kolbs, she made a cryptic comment... 'I wonder if I shall ever wear pretty shoes again.'"
- The hosts emphasize ambiguity, noting that Glenn was generally viewed as caring, and there’s little reliable evidence of discord.
b. Theories on What Happened
- Murder by Outsiders: Dismissed as too improbable due to the utter remoteness.
- Alice (40:41): "Who was gonna murder them? Nobody was even there."
- Murder or Escape due to Marital Conflict: No physical evidence, reliable testimony, or sightings support this. Stories of fights are traced by the hosts to unreliable, third-hand sources.
- Kolb Brothers Involvement: No apparent motive, and speculation likely stems from later oddities—mainly the discovery of a skeleton.
- Brett (50:12): "Definitely the sexiest theory... is that the Kolb brothers did it... A lot of speculation, nothing solid there."
- Accidental Death/Disappearance: Most plausible, given the risks, inexperience (especially Bessie’s), and historical fatality rates among river runners. Their boat could have ridden rapids without them after a mishap.
- Brett (54:46): "...of the dozen people who weren't wearing life jackets [at that time], only one body was ever found."
- Failed Escape on Foot: Unlikely as essentials were all left behind.
7. Memorable Quotes & Reflections
- On the nature of adventure:
- Brett (58:08): "There happen to be some people in the world who do such things for the love of it... Such are Mr. And Mrs. Hyde. They cared enough for that sort of adventure to take a chance."
- Alice (58:39): "But that is the whole point of adventure, right? You do adventurous things... because there is risk. If it were riskless, then it wouldn't be nearly as thrilling to do it."
- On accidental deaths:
- Alice (55:45): "That's what's under there. It's an entire, like, ecosystem of rocks... Bodies can get submerged and stuck... much deeper than anything we could see."
Notable Timestamps
- 00:43 – Formal start and recap of Part 1, risks of the river, setting the stakes
- 03:27 – Disappearance discovered; expectations for communication and the initial wait
- 05:57 – Glen’s father's search & Emory Kolb’s involvement
- 12:37 – Searchers find the boat with all belongings intact
- 22:52 – The "Liz Cutler is Bessie Hyde" campfire confession (debunked)
- 28:33 – The Kolb skeleton discovery; initial uproar and subsequent debunking
- 32:07 – Georgie Clark’s mysterious possessions and wild speculation
- 36:13 – Bessie's feelings/thoughts, cryptic diary entries, speculation on her resolve
- 39:56 – Analysis and elimination of outsider murder and marital murder/escape theories
- 50:12 – Kolb brothers conspiracy, theory-building, but little evidence
- 54:46 – Statistical evidence on river deaths and body recovery
- 58:08 – Reflection on the human drive for adventure and the Hydes' legacy
Conclusion
The episode synthesizes nearly a century of rumor, misdirection, and speculation about the Hydes’ fate. Brett and Alice advocate that the most likely—and most tragically ordinary—solution is that Glen and Bessie died in a river accident, their bodies unrecoverable in the canyon’s treacherous currents and jagged rocks. They urge listeners to avoid projecting dark motives onto the principals without real evidence, and to appreciate both the allure and cost of real-world adventure. The strange aftershocks—impersonators, mysterious skeletons, odd memorabilia—are highlighted as testament to the enduring grip of the Hydes’ legend on the American imagination.
Recommended Follow-up:
- Sunk Without a Sound – a first-hand recreation of the Hydes’ journey, revealing both the original danger and modern attempts to understand the case.