When five teens visit a remote Iowa preserve but only one leaves alive, authorities are determined to catch three killers who have seemingly gotten away with a brutal crime. View source material and photos for this episode at: parkpredators.com/the-campfire Park Predators is an audiochuck production. Connect with us on social media:Instagram: @parkpredators | @audiochuckTwitter: @ParkPredators | @audiochuckFacebook: /ParkPredators | /audiochuckllcTikTok: @audiochuck
What is the story behind the Gitche Manitou State Preserve murders?
Hi, park enthusiasts. I'm your host, Delia D'Ambra, and the story I'm going to tell you about today is a harrowing one. It happened more than 50 years ago, but still remains one of the most notorious multi-victim homicide cases in the state of Iowa. At least two books have been written about it, and television programs for Oxygen and Investigation Discovery have both covered it.
A listener wrote to me last year and suggested I feature the case because it seemed like a story that was appropriate for this audience, and after researching the details of the crime, I can say that they were absolutely right.
I was simultaneously heartbroken and riveted with the information I read about because, despite four people losing their lives in what I can only describe as something out of a nightmare, there was someone who survived this terrible tragedy. An individual that, to this day, is nothing short of a hero for ensuring justice was served so many decades ago.
It takes place in Gitche Manitou State Preserve, which is located in the far northwest corner of Iowa, right along the South Dakota border. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the preserve is 91 acres and considered one of the most remote places in the state.
It's widely known for having a lot of pink quartzite, an extremely hard rock that begins its lifespan as sandstone, but over time transforms into a really durable substance after being exposed to a lot of heat and pressure. Gitche Manitou is an indigenous phrase that, when translated into English, means great force of nature or great spirit.
And I imagine anyone who's been to this recreation space would agree with that moniker. It truly is a force of nature with its stunning views, unique geological formations, and more than 130 species of plants. It's also a fitting description for the lone survivor in this story.
so
On Sunday, November 18th, 1973, a man and woman driving through Gitche Manitou State Preserve in Iowa were having a normal morning test driving a car they were thinking about buying when suddenly they noticed something strange laying in a patch of thick grass on the side of the road.
As they got closer to the mysterious objects, the more they slowed their car down until finally the man behind the wheel pulled over and got out. He instructed his wife to just stay put in the car while he walked toward the section of tall weeds to investigate.
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