Would you take a 2-year-old camping at midnight in a blinding snowstorm?

​That was the alibi Josh Powell gave police when his wife, Susan Cox Powell, vanished from their home in West Valley City, Utah, in December 2009. He claimed he had no idea where she was because he had spontaneously decided to drive his young sons into the freezing West Desert to roast s'mores.

​But the evidence told a darker story. From a secret "If I die" letter hidden in a safety deposit box to a terrifying statement from their 4-year-old son about "where the crystals grow," every clue pointed to a carefully calculated murder.

​In this deep-dive episode of Crime Beneath the Pine, we unravel the timeline of one of the most heartbreaking mysteries in the Pacific Northwest.

We are told there is safety in numbers. But in the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest, that rule doesn't always apply.

​In this episode, we unzip the tent on three nightmares that happened just beyond the treeline:

• ​A family of six hunted by a stranger who watched them for days.
• ​A serial killer who left a bizarre signature on his victims that baffled police for decades.
• ​A campsite found frozen in time—dinner on the stove, money on the table, but the family gone without a trace.

​Plus, a lighter story to end the New Year on a good note.

​Step into the silence of the trees... if you dare.

​⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains sensitive topics, including crimes against children. Listener discretion is strictly advised.

How does a decorated Army helicopter pilot and father of five become one of Washington State’s most prolific serial killers? Robert Lee Yates was the ultimate "wolf in sheep’s clothing." While his colleagues saw a disciplined soldier and his neighbors saw a devoted family man, Yates was stalking the streets of Spokane, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. In this episode, we peel back the layers of his double life—from his early crimes in 1975 to the "grocery bag" signature that eventually led to his downfall. We explore the chilling reality of how evil can hide in plain sight, earning medals by day and committing atrocities by night.