Show Notes
With all the buzz surrounding the Gwen Hasselquist case and the upcoming Crime Junkie episode (releasing October 27, 2025), we thought it was the perfect time to re-release our original four-part series on Gwen’s story, first published in 2021. For Gwen’s family, friends, and everyone who cared deeply for her, we’re truly grateful her case is finally receiving the attention it deserves.
That said, we need to get something off our chests. We first discovered Gwen’s case in September 2021, when one of our co-hosts happened to meet a lawyer in Chicago who was quietly investigating it on his own time. What he shared shocked us, there was no coverage anywhere. No news articles, no Reddit threads, no social media discussions. Gwen’s story had been completely forgotten.
We decided to change that. Over the following years, we poured countless hours into investigating this case, speaking with dozens of people close to Gwen (many of whom still haven’t given permission for their accounts to be made public), filing FOIA requests, and combing through hundreds of pages of messages and correspondence. The result was over six hours of in-depth reporting, released across four episodes between November 2021 and August 2022. To this day, people continue to reach out to us about Gwen’s story.
Unfortunately, Crime Junkie has now released an episode claiming they “discovered” and “investigated” the case. That is simply not true. Their work appears to have been directly lifted from our years of research and a Reddit (post), without any acknowledgment or attempt to contact us. Sadly, this behavior is not new for Crime Junkie, which has previously faced plagiarism accusations from several other creators, including On the Case with Paula Zahn, The Trail Went Cold, Trace Evidence, Once Upon a Crime, and Dealing Justice.
What’s most disappointing is that we genuinely believe the hosts of Crime Junkie share our ultimate goal, to give Gwen’s story the attention it deserves. We’re not backed by a mega corporation with an army of researchers; we’re an independent show run by two guys with full-time jobs and families who simply love telling meaningful stories.
At the end of the day, if their episode helps spread awareness about Gwen, that’s a win for her and her loved ones, and that’s what matters most.
We hope you’ll take this opportunity to listen (or re-listen) to our updated and remastered four-part series on the disappearance of Gwen Hasselquist, releasing this weekend. And don’t worry, Part 2 of Lost in the Shadow of the Rockies is still scheduled for release on October 31.
Thank you for continuing to support independent podcasts like ours. We truly appreciate every one of you.
Original episode summary:
In Episode 50, we learned about a suspicious death, a husband who remarried within months, who then fled the country. With very little coverage of the death, and even less information about the events leading up to her death, we submitted FOIA requests to fill in the gaps. Recently, one of our FOIA requests was completed and a 21-page police report on Gwen's death was sent to us. Join us this week as we continue to investigate the death of Gwen Hasselquist.
Gwen Hasselquist Part 1 - The Original Investigation (Orig. Released 11/8/2021) Gwen Hasselquist Part 2 - The Police Report (Orig. Released 12/27/2021) Gwen Hasselquist Part 3 - Interview with Gwen's Best Friend, Dawn (Orig. Released 07/25/2022) Gwen Hasselquist Part 4 - Interview with Gwen's Step Sister, Dora (Orig. Released 08/22/2022)
Learn more about Locations Unknown: https://linktr.ee/LocationsUnknown
Check out our other shows on the Unknown Media Network: Crime Off The Grid Off The Trails The Weirdos We Know Who Runs This Park
Get 35% of all orders at The Hiker's Cache, the official store of Locations Unknown, by becoming a member on Patreon!
Want to help the show out and get even more Locations Unknown content! For as little as $5 a month, you can become a Patron of Locations U
More from Locations Unknown
July 1966 to September 2010: an eight-year-old boy vanishes while searching for his sister, an outdoorsman and his dog disappear on an antler collecting trip, and two visitors leave behind abandoned vehicles. Across Yellowstone National Park, four families are left without answers. What do these cases reveal about risk, isolation, and the challenges of searching this vast wilderness? Join us this week as we investigate four Yellowstone National Park cold cases. Cases covered: Dennis Eugene Johnson, Daniel Campbell, Bruce Parker Pike, & Stuart Isaac.
April 26th 2003, an experienced Colorado outdoorsman sets out alone on a day trip through Utah’s remote Bluejohn Canyon. He leaves no detailed itinerary. Deep inside a narrow passage, a boulder shifts, pinning his right arm against the canyon wall. For five nights, he battles thirst, cold, and exhaustion. Meanwhile, his family and friends scramble to piece together where he went. With his water gone and no sign of help, he faces an unimaginable decision. Join us this week as we explore Aron Ralston’s harrowing fight to survive.
September 17th, 2013: an experienced Colorado hiker sets out alone on a five-day backpacking trip into the wilderness of the San Isabel National Forest. He planned to climb some of the rugged fourteeners of the Crestone Group. He leaves no detailed itinerary, carries no cell phone or emergency beacon, and never returns home. Searchers find his vehicle at the trailhead and later locate his camp. After a grueling eight-days through snow, ice, and dangerous alpine terrain, they suspended the search. Join us this week as we investigate the disappearance of Mark Stice.
May 27th, 2020, a hiker is flown into the remote Carey Lake region of Denali National Park for a months-long solo expedition. He stays in contact with his wife through a Garmin inReach until mid-June, then suddenly goes silent. When he misses his September pickup, searchers find his supplies near the lake and a collapsed camp several miles away. Inside are his satellite communicator and a damaged diary whose final readable entry says he left to get water. No body, clothing, or clear trail is found. Join us this week as we investigate the disappearance of Nathan Issiac Campbell.
July 28th, 2011, experienced Australian hiker Eric Robinson begins a ten-day solo trek across Utah’s remote Uinta Highline Trail. Along the way, he encounters dangerous snowfields, leaves the established route more than once, and is last seen by a Boy Scout group deep in the backcountry. Days later, he fails to appear at the western trailhead. Search teams on foot, horseback, and by helicopter scour vast stretches of rugged alpine terrain, but find no clear trace of where he went. Join us this week as we investigate the disappearance of Eric Robinson.