True Crime Bullsh**, Season 7 Prep: Celia Darlene Barnes - Part 1

Host: Josh Hallmark
Podcast Date: August 14, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delves into the methodology and possible overlooked victims of serial killer Israel Keyes, focusing specifically on disappearances in and around national and state parks in the Pacific Northwest—many of which might fit Keyes’ MO. Host Josh Hallmark analyzes data, shares case file revelations, and discusses both the challenge of identifying Keyes’ victims and the particular disappearance of Celia Darlene Barnes, setting the stage for a deeper investigation in future episodes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Keyes’ Hunting Ground: National and State Parks

• Low Probability, High Obscurity
  • Despite national parks' popularity, murder within their borders is exceedingly rare (~1 in 2 million visitor chance), making it an ideal setting for undetected crimes.
  • “Picking people out of the woods is about as low profile as it gets for a serial killer.” (Josh Hallmark, 06:21)
• Keyes' Early Methods
  • Exploited outdoor recreation areas; most Washington murders took place on state and federal land.
  • Keyes would often go hunting or fishing, blending in while scouting for opportunities.

    “It’s win-win. I’m out hunting or fishing and if the opportunity comes up, then take it. If it doesn’t, it’s not like you’re out anything.”
    — Keyes (interview excerpt, 02:56)

2. Other Serial Killers & Park Murders

• Multiple other notorious killers used public lands:
  • Gary Michael Hilton (“National Forest Serial Killer”)
  • David Carpenter (“Trailside Killer”)
  • Randall Lee Smith, Ivan Milat, Robert Garrow
• These killers got caught due to mistakes Keyes intentionally avoided (e.g., localized dump sites, known victims).

3. Disappearing Without a Trace

• Hiker and visitor disappearances are frequently attributed to accidents or suicide, obscuring potential crimes.
• Only one of Keyes’ presumed victims has ever been recovered.
• Example: Paul Lemaitre disappearance after a race in Alaska—body never recovered, cited by the FBI as what most Keyes victims may resemble.

4. The Data Crisis and Missing Indigenous Victims

• Lack of sufficient federal data: of 5,712 missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls reported in 2016, only 116 logged in the Department of Justice database.
• Many disappearances go unreported, especially among Indigenous populations living near large, unpoliced expanses where Keyes worked/traveled.
  • Keyes’ job with the Makah tribe granted him access to 30,000+ acres of tribal land.
• “There isn’t a single federal agency that has comprehensive data on how many Indigenous people are murdered or missing.” (13:15)

5. Case Studies: Potential Keyes Victims

• General Observations (19:26–28:09)
  • Most missing in parks were men; many ruled potential suicides.
  • Host details the complexity this brings to identifying potential Keyes victims.
• Detailed Disappearances Matching MO & Timeline
  1. Gilbert Gilman (Olympic National Park, 2006)
     • Extraordinary military and academic background, likely not intent on a dangerous hike.
     • FBI and records rule Keyes out due to marathon alibi (misdated—possible confusion) but host trusts the official exclusion.
  2. Delmar Wayne Sample (Lake Quinault, 2005)
     • Disappearance overlaps with gap in Keyes’ timeline; FBI considered Keyes but found only Sample's DNA in the car.
  3. Gregory Seamans Brown (Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest, 2005)
     • Very little data; dates align with Keyes’ timeline gaps.
  4. Steven Michael Mason (Olympic National Forest, 2006)
     • Camper left on his own after a domestic dispute; Keyes possibly in the area, but no definitive overlap.
  5. Celia Darlene Barnes (House of Mystery, Gold Hill, Oregon, 2002)
     • Went missing after separating from her sister on a hike; scent traced to highway, found walking stick. Family waited 30 hours to report missing due to prior embarrassment over similar incident.
  6. Roy Lauren Stevens (Waldo Lake, Willamette National Forest, 2005)
     • Disappeared after work, car found abandoned, sparse official search, multiple jurisdictions, family alleges lack of police interest due to unsubstantiated drug rumors.

6. Keyes’ Evolution & Alibi Techniques

• Early crimes: blended leisure and opportunity (“either fishing or out hunting. That’s always... the most comfortable scenario.” — Keyes, 02:49)
• Later crimes: less patience and control, more public, leading to capture (e.g., Samantha Koenig).
• Sought anonymity by following news of his crimes generically, never searching names directly unless using anonymous computers.
  • “Virtually nothing. And that’s not to say there isn’t an investigation or whatever, but... nothing was ever high profile like the stuff that happened more recently.” (Keyes, 12:41)

7. Impact of Relationships and Mobility

• Keyes’ relationship with “Kristen” led to frequent travel, often with her and sometimes his daughter, providing cover for crimes committed nationally.
  • “So suddenly Iz found himself traveling to remote corners of the country…with no financial records, spending the majority of his days unoccupied.” (35:56)
• Host questions possibility of Keyes committing crimes while traveling with family—supported by precedent among serial killers.

  “Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer... had his young son in the truck with him. He did kill the woman...”—Guest expert, 38:00

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Law Enforcement Interactions:
  “Honestly, a lot of times that’s what I was doing. Yeah... For as far back as I can remember, that’s where I’d get a lot of ideas. Either fishing or out hunting.”
  — Keyes (02:24)

• On the Public’s Perceived Safety:
  “[Murder in parks is] so minuscule that they’re usually not even worth mentioning. Unless, of course, we’re talking about Israel Keyes.”
  — Hallmark (04:39)

• On Misattributed Deaths:
  “Someone might say, oh, it looks like a boating accident, but you knew... what you read that happened and what I know that actually happened, sometimes it’s almost not even recognizable, really.”
  — Keyes (08:46)

• On Investigating News of His Crimes:
  “I’d type in an area or a newspaper... type in a keyword of something and just scroll down the different stories until I found the one I was looking for.”
  — Keyes (11:09)

Important Timestamps

• 02:18–03:14
  Keyes on how he avoided detection: fishing/hunting provided cover.
• 04:39–06:21
  Hallmark: Park statistics, other serial killers, rareness of murder in public wilderness.
• 13:15–14:42
  Hallmark: Indigenous missing persons crisis, lack of data.
• 19:26–28:32
  Analysis of missing persons cases that may be Keyes victims, including Celia Darlene Barnes.
• 35:56–38:58
  Impact of girlfriend “Kristen” on Keyes’ travel—and discussion of whether he could kill with family present.

Tone & Style

• Serious, methodical, analytical.
• Host Josh Hallmark interweaves statistics, emotional resonance, and investigative skepticism.
• Maintains respect for victims and families, carefully navigating sensitive details.

Episode Significance

This episode sets up one of the season’s key investigations—Celia Darlene Barnes—against the broader challenge of identifying “hidden” Keyes’ victims. It illustrates the statistical, logistical, and cultural obstacles to solving such disappearances and builds suspense for a deeper investigation into Barnes as a possible victim in the upcoming episode.