Footprints From the Frozen Lake That Walked Into a Locked Door

Footprints From the Frozen Lake That Walked Into a Locked Door

A barefoot trail crossed frozen Coldwater Lake, walked straight across snow to a locked cabin door, and ended-no prints returning, no sign of forced entry. The temperature had stayed below 28°F for five days and the lone observer photographed the scene 17 times; who vanished when the footprints stopped at the threshold?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events recorded by Vernon Riley, the meter reader who discovered the prints, and follow how that single morning reverberated into the small routines of a township-raising the question: what happened between the lake and the locked door?

Person: Vernon Riley Location: Coldwater Lake, Renner Township Date: April 9 (morning discovery), events referenced April 4-9 Status: Cabin locked, no forced entry; footprints unreturned Topic: Bare human footprints ending at a locked door

- 17 photographs were taken by Vernon of the footprints and scene. - Temperature did not climb above 28°F between April 4 and April 9. - Overnight low on April 6 was recorded as 9°F. - The footprints were bare adult feet with an even, unhurried stride and a longer left foot. - The prints began at the lake's edge and ended at the back stoop with no impressions on the stoop or any return trail.

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