Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders
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- Create Date：2022-04-27 06:19:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kathryn Miles
- ISBN：1616209097
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Summary
A riveting deep dive into the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness， a journalist's obsession， and a new theory of who might have done it
In May 1996， Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park， adjacent to the world-famous Appalachian Trail。 The young women were skilled backcountry leaders who had met—and fallen in love—the previous summer while working at a world-renowned outdoor program for women。 But despite an extensive joint investigation by the FBI， the Virginia police， and National Park Service experts， the case remained unsolved for years。
In early 2002， and in response to mounting political pressure， then-Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he would be seeking the death penalty for Darrell David Rice—already in prison for assaulting another woman—in the first capital case tried under new， post-9/11 federal hate crime legislation。 But two years later， the Department of Justice quietly suspended its case against Rice， and the investigation has since grown cold。 Did prosecutors have the right person？
Journalist Kathryn Miles was a professor at Lollie Winans's wilderness college in Maine when the 2002 indictment was announced。 On the 20th anniversary of the murder， she began looking into the lives of these adventurous women—whose loss continued to haunt all who had encountered them—along with the murder investigation and subsequent case against Rice。 As she dives deeper into the case， winning the trust of the victims’ loved ones as well as investigators and gaining access to key documents， Miles becomes increasingly obsessed with the loss of the generous and free-spirited Lollie and Julie， who were just on the brink of adulthood， and at the same time， she discovers evidence of cover-ups， incompetence， and crime-scene sloppiness that seemed part of a larger problem in America’s pursuit of justice in national parks。 She also becomes convinced of Rice’s innocence， and zeroes in on a different likely suspect。
Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders is a riveting， eye-opening， and heartbreaking work， offering a braided narrative about two remarkable women who were murdered doing what they most loved， the forensics of this cold case， and the surprising pervasiveness and long shadows cast by violence against women in the backcountry。
In May 1996， Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park， adjacent to the world-famous Appalachian Trail。 The young women were skilled backcountry leaders who had met—and fallen in love—the previous summer while working at a world-renowned outdoor program for women。 But despite an extensive joint investigation by the FBI， the Virginia police， and National Park Service experts， the case remained unsolved for years。
In early 2002， and in response to mounting political pressure， then-Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he would be seeking the death penalty for Darrell David Rice—already in prison for assaulting another woman—in the first capital case tried under new， post-9/11 federal hate crime legislation。 But two years later， the Department of Justice quietly suspended its case against Rice， and the investigation has since grown cold。 Did prosecutors have the right person？
Journalist Kathryn Miles was a professor at Lollie Winans's wilderness college in Maine when the 2002 indictment was announced。 On the 20th anniversary of the murder， she began looking into the lives of these adventurous women—whose loss continued to haunt all who had encountered them—along with the murder investigation and subsequent case against Rice。 As she dives deeper into the case， winning the trust of the victims’ loved ones as well as investigators and gaining access to key documents， Miles becomes increasingly obsessed with the loss of the generous and free-spirited Lollie and Julie， who were just on the brink of adulthood， and at the same time， she discovers evidence of cover-ups， incompetence， and crime-scene sloppiness that seemed part of a larger problem in America’s pursuit of justice in national parks。 She also becomes convinced of Rice’s innocence， and zeroes in on a different likely suspect。
Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders is a riveting， eye-opening， and heartbreaking work， offering a braided narrative about two remarkable women who were murdered doing what they most loved， the forensics of this cold case， and the surprising pervasiveness and long shadows cast by violence against women in the backcountry。
Reviews
Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe
，
Thank you so much to Algonquin Books， Penguin Audio， and Kathryn Miles for this book that came out on May 3！ I didn’t know anything about this case and I was particularly interested in it because I grew up in the Shenandoah area。 The book was about the brutal murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans while they were backpacking in Virginia。 The case was left unsolved for years and on the 20th anniversary of the murder， journalist Kathryn Miles started looking into the tragedy。 As she dove deep Thank you so much to Algonquin Books， Penguin Audio， and Kathryn Miles for this book that came out on May 3！ I didn’t know anything about this case and I was particularly interested in it because I grew up in the Shenandoah area。 The book was about the brutal murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans while they were backpacking in Virginia。 The case was left unsolved for years and on the 20th anniversary of the murder， journalist Kathryn Miles started looking into the tragedy。 As she dove deeper into the case， she discovered evidence of cover-ups， incompetence， and thought the likely suspect to actually be innocent。 Thoughts: This book really resonated with me because of the aspect of violence against women when they are just trying to live their lives。 It’s so sad that women can’t do normal， everyday things like go on a hike without a threat of violence。 This case was so well researched and the story was told so well。 I listened to the audiobook and the narration was wonderful as well。 I didn’t know much about hiking culture so that was interesting to read about as well。 I really enjoyed the pacing and it made the book feel very quick。 It was hard to hear about the issues with the case and all the things that could have been prevented。 I wish the ending would have given us some more information， but as unsolved cases go， this was a great one to read about。 I think it’s important to know about cases like this so we can fight for situations like this to happen less in the future。 I loved that the book covered DNA testing， CSI， and hair microscopy and the problems with these techniques。 It was very eye-opening- 4 stars！ 。。。more
thereadingowlvina （Elvina Ulrich）
，
Trailed follows the journey of journalist Kathryn Miles as she investigates the murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans who were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in May 1996。 I have not heard of this case before and it was truly an opening one for me。 The amount of research done in this book was phenomenal and I admire the author's determination to seek justice for these women。 Both Julie and Lollie cases interspersed with other murder cases and it m Trailed follows the journey of journalist Kathryn Miles as she investigates the murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans who were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in May 1996。 I have not heard of this case before and it was truly an opening one for me。 The amount of research done in this book was phenomenal and I admire the author's determination to seek justice for these women。 Both Julie and Lollie cases interspersed with other murder cases and it meanders a lot。 The jumpy timelines also made it difficult for me to follow the book and it was a struggle。 I personally think it'd have worked better for me if the information was presented in a more cohesive way。I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narration by Gabra Zackman。 It was well done！ Pub。 Date: May 3rd， 2022***Thank you Libro。fm for this gifted ALC。 All opinions expressed are my own。*** 。。。more
Sarah
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Excellent， thoroughly researched， and engaging。 Although this book tackles horrific crimes， Miles does so with humanity and grace。 I couldn't put it down。 I will also never again hike without pepper spray。 （side note: Miles summarized， in two pages， half of my master's thesis about gender in outdoor magazines and catalogs。。。so， yeah） Excellent， thoroughly researched， and engaging。 Although this book tackles horrific crimes， Miles does so with humanity and grace。 I couldn't put it down。 I will also never again hike without pepper spray。 （side note: Miles summarized， in two pages， half of my master's thesis about gender in outdoor magazines and catalogs。。。so， yeah） 。。。more
Sue
，
I vaguely remember the killing of two young women on the Appalachian Trail in 1996。 Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park。 It got a lot of news headlines in the beginning of the investigation but it disappeared from the headlines when it wasn't quickly solved and became a cold case。 Kathryn Miles went on a quest to learn more about the murders and to try to solve the case。 Along the way， she found some shoddy work done by I vaguely remember the killing of two young women on the Appalachian Trail in 1996。 Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered while backpacking in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park。 It got a lot of news headlines in the beginning of the investigation but it disappeared from the headlines when it wasn't quickly solved and became a cold case。 Kathryn Miles went on a quest to learn more about the murders and to try to solve the case。 Along the way， she found some shoddy work done by the FBI and local police that ended up accusing the wrong person of the crime。 He was arrested but they never had formal charges and they let him out of prison。 He was only considered a person of interest。Both women were skilled backpackers who had met - and fallen in love at an outdoor program for women。 As the FBI case followed leads， the case became a cold case。 In 2002， the federal government decided to prosecute this case as a hate crime due to the women's sexuality。 They decide to try Darrell David Rice and planned to use the death penalty on this crime。 Two years later， the case was suspended due to lack of information that supported Rice as the killer。The author got deeply involved in the case and talked to the FBI and the local authorities and followed up on many of their leads and met with the two women's family and friends。 The further she got into the case， the more aware she became of cover-ups， incompetence， and crime-scene sloppiness。 The information she gathered did not point to Rice as the murderer and she named the person that her research pointed to。I don't read a lot of non-fiction because it's usually boring to me。 This book was not boring。 In fact， it was difficult to put down。 It read more like a CSI program than an accumulation of data and the author did a fantastic job of letting us see Julie and Lollie and what their lives could have been had they not been murdered。Thanks to the publisher Algonquin Book for a copy of this book to read and review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Melissa Smith
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Kathryn Miles who is a journalist dives into the unsolved murders in Shenandoah National Park。 At the 20 year anniversary Kathryn tries to find out what could've happened to Julie Williams and Lollie Winans in 1996。 I'm a huge true crime fan and have read most of the favourites that are talked about。 I really enjoyed this book as much as I could with the kind of book it is。 I was extremely frustrated with the police and how the murder was originally investigated。Thank you to Netgalley and Algonq Kathryn Miles who is a journalist dives into the unsolved murders in Shenandoah National Park。 At the 20 year anniversary Kathryn tries to find out what could've happened to Julie Williams and Lollie Winans in 1996。 I'm a huge true crime fan and have read most of the favourites that are talked about。 I really enjoyed this book as much as I could with the kind of book it is。 I was extremely frustrated with the police and how the murder was originally investigated。Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for the ARC。 。。。more
Brittany Murhammer
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A look into how National Park Services and FBI work together to solve （or not solve） crimes。 It's incredible to me just how misguided our justice system can be。 A look into how National Park Services and FBI work together to solve （or not solve） crimes。 It's incredible to me just how misguided our justice system can be。 。。。more
Meagan
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Thank you to Libro。fm for the ALC！This book blew me away。 Trailed is creepy and stomach turning and frustrating and tranquil and enlightening and fun in turns。 Miles’s perseverance in her reporting has so much soul， and the way she talks about the back country makes you want to be there even as you question its safety。 I really enjoyed this book， what I learned， and the story I was told。
ElphaReads
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book！TRAILED is the kind of true crime book that goes beyond the oft expected 'let's talk about the seedy details of a terrible tragedy'， and looks at the bigger picture and complexities within the genre。 I liked how Miles was sure to give a lot of time and energy to give voice to the two victims， Lollie and Julie， and to show what wonderful and joyful people they were before they were brutally murdered。 It's not hard for a true crime Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book！TRAILED is the kind of true crime book that goes beyond the oft expected 'let's talk about the seedy details of a terrible tragedy'， and looks at the bigger picture and complexities within the genre。 I liked how Miles was sure to give a lot of time and energy to give voice to the two victims， Lollie and Julie， and to show what wonderful and joyful people they were before they were brutally murdered。 It's not hard for a true crime novel to objectify the victims and to instead focus on the perpetrator， even if unintentional， but Miles is very careful to not go there。 I also liked how she showed the difficulties and flaws that went into the investigation， and how various factors like hesitancy， fear of causing a panic， prejudice towards LGBTQIA+ people， lack of resources in our public lands， and then just plain old legal system and justice system stubbornness has enabled this case to go unsolved。 Miles also makes a VERY good case for why the person the authorities wanted， Darnell Rice， probably didn't do it， and how the accusation， charge， and then quiet dropping of the case still managed to do significant damage to his life after he was released from jail for an unrelated crime （he's gone missing， by the way）。 In fact， she even makes a pretty good case for who probably did do it。 Her research is well done and well laid out， and her pursuit of the truth， while noble， is blockaded by government and justice system tape and roadblocks。 I don't know if this case will ever be solved because of all of this。 But Miles definitely brings a lot of information and light to it。TRAILED is some very well done and complex true crime reporting。 I recommend it for a memorial to two women， as well as an examination of how justice sometimes isn't served because of a faulty system。 。。。more
Natalyn
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“Trailed” by Kathryn Miles focuses on the Shenandoah Murders。 In May of 1996 Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered off the Appalachian Trail。 On the 20th anniversary of the murders， Miles dives into the case， wondering if the man authorities want to convict is actually the killer。 A study of the safety of minority groups， crime scene investigations， and the hiking culture， “Trailed” is a must read for true crime readers。This book was immensely interesting if you’re into crime s “Trailed” by Kathryn Miles focuses on the Shenandoah Murders。 In May of 1996 Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally murdered off the Appalachian Trail。 On the 20th anniversary of the murders， Miles dives into the case， wondering if the man authorities want to convict is actually the killer。 A study of the safety of minority groups， crime scene investigations， and the hiking culture， “Trailed” is a must read for true crime readers。This book was immensely interesting if you’re into crime scene investigations。 This case seems to be riddled with mistakes and lack of correct procedure。 Miles covers the case thoroughly and without bias， but even she can see the missing links between the case and the accused。Overall， I gave this book 4 stars。 I think stories like these are important to share and create a better view of why women and other groups of people can feel unsafe doing normal， everyday things- like hiking or simply going somewhere alone。 It’s sad that this case still remains unsolved， even with new technology and techniques。Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review！ This book hits the shelves May 3rd！ 。。。more
Erin Mccarty
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Living close to the SNP and being a female who enjoys solo adventures in the wilderness， this book was difficult to read。 It was written extremely well though， and it was a vitally important story to share from many perspectives。
Rhonda
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I read this post surgery so I am not sure this is a fair assessment。 However， I got bogged down by details。 I will need to revisit this book later。 This was a giveaway book I won。
Isis
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Rtc
Coral
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An incredibly heartfelt and well crafted true crime novel。 It always makes me extra sad when it's an unsolved crime。 An incredibly heartfelt and well crafted true crime novel。 It always makes me extra sad when it's an unsolved crime。 。。。more
Natalie
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This starts off immediately with an unsettling crime that is gruesome and shocking because it rips away the perceived safety， freedom， and sanctuary we often associate with nature and the wilderness。 Detailing the brutal double homicide in Shenandoah National Park in 1996， Miles walks us through the crime discovery， botched and strained investigation， and layers in context into the lives of the two women murdered。 Bringing us facts of the case， as well as the realities of the gaps in crime repor This starts off immediately with an unsettling crime that is gruesome and shocking because it rips away the perceived safety， freedom， and sanctuary we often associate with nature and the wilderness。 Detailing the brutal double homicide in Shenandoah National Park in 1996， Miles walks us through the crime discovery， botched and strained investigation， and layers in context into the lives of the two women murdered。 Bringing us facts of the case， as well as the realities of the gaps in crime reporting， tracking， and investigation in our nation's national parks， we see how this event proved pivotal for so many。 Shattering the idyllic viewpoint of enjoying the woods and exposing just how unsafe the trails can be， despite all the camping families and troops， added a level of exposure and shock that I wasn't prepared for。 As an avid hiker to this park myself， and a sometimes solo camper with my pup， this was eye opening。 Truly from how Miles shows us the lack of depth done when hiring rangers and using park volunteers， to knowing the disorganization and chaos our system has created with no one knowing who should take point during violent crimes like this， how to secure a crime scene， and how to track visitors， one wonders how you could ever view the parks safe at all。 I thought the addition of all the interviews was helpful， though I think the aspect of trying to solve the case itself it where this lacked some tight details and writing。 I had to go back to certain parts， especially towards the end， to remember Miles' viewpoint on the true criminal。 Overall， this left me with a feeling of being unfinished and more of a deep dive view on the women murdered and the reasons Darrell David Rice isn't right than actually trying to solve the crime。 Definitely worth a read and very binge worthy - I certainly won't be thinking of the trails the same way。 。。。more
Bianca Rogers
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🤯🙌👏
Cassie Gutman
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~3。5 starsThe front half of this book was exceptional， telling the story of the horrible murder case of two women in the Shenandoah National forest。 The author centered the victims and the lives of the victims in the stories and did not overly discuss gruesome details of the case where unnecessary。 I especially enjoyed the history of crimes in national parks， the history of safety while hiking， and the socialization of hikers that were portrayed in this book。 By the end， in the more crime-solvin ~3。5 starsThe front half of this book was exceptional， telling the story of the horrible murder case of two women in the Shenandoah National forest。 The author centered the victims and the lives of the victims in the stories and did not overly discuss gruesome details of the case where unnecessary。 I especially enjoyed the history of crimes in national parks， the history of safety while hiking， and the socialization of hikers that were portrayed in this book。 By the end， in the more crime-solving-focused portion of the book， I felt it lost focus a little and wasn't much of a "solving a true crime" case。 It was more debunking the one suspect held by authorities， which is fine， but I do think the book presented as "Solving the case" is a bit of a misleader。 That said， I did really like most of it for its history and discussion on safety and crime in parks and do think it's worth a read， but it's not a traditional investigative true crime book I think a lot of people are coming to expect。 CW: murder/death， rape and sexual assault and detailed descriptions of them （both of adults and of minors）， kidnapping 。。。more
Jody Blanchette
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This is a True Crime story I have never heard of， but was huge at its time。 Two women were murdered， on a trail at Shenandoah State Park， and their killer was never found。 It was thought to be a hate crime， one of the firsts of 90s。 The writer of this book， Kathryn Miles， was an avid outdoors woman who felt a strong connection to the case。 Her obsession lead to this book。 I’m a huge fan of the obsessed arm chair sleuths， trying to solve a case that no one else can。 Miles has a journalist backgr This is a True Crime story I have never heard of， but was huge at its time。 Two women were murdered， on a trail at Shenandoah State Park， and their killer was never found。 It was thought to be a hate crime， one of the firsts of 90s。 The writer of this book， Kathryn Miles， was an avid outdoors woman who felt a strong connection to the case。 Her obsession lead to this book。 I’m a huge fan of the obsessed arm chair sleuths， trying to solve a case that no one else can。 Miles has a journalist background， and definitely used it to her advantage when finding sources and following leads。 There are times when they don’t pan out， but then there are the few that helped her immensely。 She interviewed anyone and everyone she could who may have been in the park， worked at the park， or was near the park at the time of the murders。 The hours and years she gave to this case is exhausting。 But still， the case is not solved。 There is no happy ending to this book。 A couple serious suspects are named， the investigation is picked apart， and the victims families are still left without answers。 Miles spends a good portion of the book breaking down the victim’s relationship， and all aspects of the hate crime conclusion。 At times the book is very dry， but extremely factual。 Don’t go into this book for any wow factor， but for straight up information。 I listened to this book thanks to @librofm and their influencer program。 I think if I had read a print copy I may have put it down， with the insane amount of facts being drilled into me。 As an audiobook， I felt like I was listening to the writer tell me about her research， and could hear the frantic need to solve the case。 It was much easier to absorb this way。 。。。more
wellreadtraveler
，
I love stories about true crime。 Author Kathryn Miles does such an amazing job of telling the reader all about her investigation while also being extremely respectful of the victims families。 So many times I listen to podcast and I'm cringing as the host laugh and tell funny stories around a crime that was committed。 Maybe when you deal with this kind of thing on a regular basis you forget that these people your speaking about have family， and they will be heartbroken if they were to hear you ta I love stories about true crime。 Author Kathryn Miles does such an amazing job of telling the reader all about her investigation while also being extremely respectful of the victims families。 So many times I listen to podcast and I'm cringing as the host laugh and tell funny stories around a crime that was committed。 Maybe when you deal with this kind of thing on a regular basis you forget that these people your speaking about have family， and they will be heartbroken if they were to hear you take light of what happened。 The book was long but every page felt important to the story to explain all the research， all the man hours， and the sure will to solve the case for the victims and their families。 I had never heard of this case prior to reading the book but was really happy that I had the chance to read the story and learn about the Shenandoah murders。 。。。more
Beth
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This was amazing and deserves a wide readership， which I hope then leads to pressure to reexamine the case （since the author convinced me she has solved it）。 Very similar to The Third Rainbow Girl by Emma Copley Eisenberg， which I also loved。
Alessandra | Naturemamareads
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Every once in awhile you come across a book you weren’t expecting but just completely absorbs you。 Yeah， this was that。🥾TRAILED by Kathryn MilesCovers a 26 year unsolved murder on the famous Appalachian Trail。 The story of Julie Williams & Lollie Winans was something I was familiar with when I worked in Shenandoah in 2010 - And every time I stepped out of my cabin alone to go for a trail run that summer， I was on edge。This book addresses so much and is masterfully written。 Not only does it dive Every once in awhile you come across a book you weren’t expecting but just completely absorbs you。 Yeah， this was that。🥾TRAILED by Kathryn MilesCovers a 26 year unsolved murder on the famous Appalachian Trail。 The story of Julie Williams & Lollie Winans was something I was familiar with when I worked in Shenandoah in 2010 - And every time I stepped out of my cabin alone to go for a trail run that summer， I was on edge。This book addresses so much and is masterfully written。 Not only does it dive into the rich vibrant lives of the two women and their tragic end， it covers the mind of serial killers and the bloody history on the AT， and it also takes on the enormous task of directly calling out violence inflicted on queer people， women， and people of color in outdoor spaces。 If you identify as a part of any of those groups， you know the thoughts & feelings that arise when thinking about embarking on any outdoor experience。 We don’t feel safe。As someone who worked in many National Parks， and has travelled and backpacked alone more often than not - this book was just such a great outflow of all the feelings I’ve ever felt。 And recalling close calls Ive had in the past left me eternally grateful。 Will I stop exploring nature？ No。 Will I leave detailed plans with family always？ Yes。 Trust your gut out there。Read this book if you like:🥾investigative journalism🥾true crime🥾outdoors🥾National Parks🥾queer love🥾a deep look at the flaws of systems that are supposed to protect us。CW: this book is extremely graphic & violent。#trailed #at #applachaintrail #thruhikers #sheexplores 。。。more
Dana
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I am a total true crime junkie。 Dateline， podcasts，documentaries。。。 you name it if someone was killed， raped， kidnapped or drawn into a cult。。。 I am interested。 So when I saw this one pop up on Libro。fm's ALC choices for the month， I prioritized it。 I need more true crime books in my life。 Listening to it via audiobook sounded like it would fit right into my podcast junkie heart。 Journalist Kathryn Miles tells us the story of the investigation into the murders of Julie and Lollie， two avid hiker I am a total true crime junkie。 Dateline， podcasts，documentaries。。。 you name it if someone was killed， raped， kidnapped or drawn into a cult。。。 I am interested。 So when I saw this one pop up on Libro。fm's ALC choices for the month， I prioritized it。 I need more true crime books in my life。 Listening to it via audiobook sounded like it would fit right into my podcast junkie heart。 Journalist Kathryn Miles tells us the story of the investigation into the murders of Julie and Lollie， two avid hikers who were brutally murdered in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park。 Kathryn is drawn to the story because of the way the case was treated。 Julie and Lollie were gay and became the poster children for Ashcroft's new hate crime legislation。 Miles tells us how inadequately the murders were investigated due to the politics of national parks。 Then she has us follow the prosecution of the main suspect which was dubious at best。I wanted to like this one more than I did。 It mired itself in too much political rhetoric which added necessary context but often meandered a bit。 I didn't need so much content on how anti-feminist the hiker community is。 I found the politics of national parks interesting but perhaps it didn't need to be an entirely negative portrayal of how they are run。 I just felt like this one had a lot of rants that I didn't need。 Also， the ending was not one。 Not a fan of that。 Hope some day it gets an epilogue with a real answer。Thanks to Libro。FM for access。 All opinions above are my own。 。。。more
Steph
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This was an interesting but frustrating and heartbreaking look into the unsolved 1996 double homicide of two young women in Shenandoah National Park。 There was a tremendous amount of research done by the author and it was obvious how much the author wanted to get justice for the victims and their families。 The flawed investigation and refusal of the FBI even now to release information or re-examine the evidence is so frustrating。 I thought her book did a great job showing the mismanagement and s This was an interesting but frustrating and heartbreaking look into the unsolved 1996 double homicide of two young women in Shenandoah National Park。 There was a tremendous amount of research done by the author and it was obvious how much the author wanted to get justice for the victims and their families。 The flawed investigation and refusal of the FBI even now to release information or re-examine the evidence is so frustrating。 I thought her book did a great job showing the mismanagement and subsequent cover up done by the investigation teams。 I did think the inclusion of the author’s experiences were interesting， but also made it harder to track on audio because of the many jumps between the victims pasts， the crime timeline， the present with her interviews and her past experiences。 The narrator for this did an excellent job， and I’d definitely recommend the audiobook version to true crime fans。 Thanks to @Libro。FM and @hachetteaudio for the #Gifted ALC。 Trailed will be out on May 3！ 。。。more
Rachel （bookmamareviews）
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3。5 rounded up。 Full disclosure: I lost interest about 50% in。 Please forgive my rating for that reason。
Rachael Hall
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Wow！ Thank you to Libro。FM for an advanced listening copy of this wonderful book， "Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders" by Kathryn Miles。 This book was a wonderful journey that was very thorough in investigating what happened to Julie and Lollie。 I hope that their murders are finally solved one day， as it is important to bring justice， not only for these two wonderful women who died so young， but for all those vulnerable women who are attacked in the wilderness。 Nature sho Wow！ Thank you to Libro。FM for an advanced listening copy of this wonderful book， "Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders" by Kathryn Miles。 This book was a wonderful journey that was very thorough in investigating what happened to Julie and Lollie。 I hope that their murders are finally solved one day， as it is important to bring justice， not only for these two wonderful women who died so young， but for all those vulnerable women who are attacked in the wilderness。 Nature should be a safe haven for all， but women know it isn't always。 Thank you Kathryn Miles for approaching this book with empathy and conviction to tell the story in a respectful way。 Highly recommend "Trailed" - pick it up as of May 2nd， 2022。 。。。more
JennShesBooked
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Not what I wanted from a true crime book。 I really though a murder was going to be solved。 But it was a lot of history， a lot of acronyms and a lot of other cases。 This， unfortunately， was a flop for me。
Amy Imogene Reads
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Chills。 A powerful entry into the nonfiction true crime canon and the fight for justice against murdered women in America。 I highly recommend the audiobook。Audiobook narration: ★★★★★Pacing: ★★★★★Storytelling: ★★★★★I am tired of hearing stories of women being raped and murdered while trying to exist on this planet。I am enraged at the audacity of the white men who kill them and other marginalized communities。*And I am here for every expose， every carefully researched dagger into the canon of retri Chills。 A powerful entry into the nonfiction true crime canon and the fight for justice against murdered women in America。 I highly recommend the audiobook。Audiobook narration: ★★★★★Pacing: ★★★★★Storytelling: ★★★★★I am tired of hearing stories of women being raped and murdered while trying to exist on this planet。I am enraged at the audacity of the white men who kill them and other marginalized communities。*And I am here for every expose， every carefully researched dagger into the canon of retribution and justice served in the hands of other voices who are determined to be heard and determined to change history。 Welcome to Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders。In May 1996， two young women， Lollie Winans and Julie Williams， were murdered in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia。 They were in their mid-20s， they were much in love with each other， and they loved being in the wilderness。 They were experienced trail hikers and they had done this many times before。 But this time， they never made it out of the woods。 In the years that followed their brutal murder， the National Park Service （NPS） and the Federal Bureau of Investigation （FBI） spent countless man hours hunting for their killer。 They settled pretty quickly on Damien Rice。 Rice had assaulted another woman in the park。 He seemed unstable。 He was in the area for the time period of their deaths。 The case seemed black and white。。。to the investigators。 It didn't seem to matter that the perpetrator's DNA left on the crime scene didn't match Damien Rice's countless DNA records。 It didn't seem to matter that this very organized and sexuality-based hate crime did not fit Rice's M。O。 by any description。 And it didn't seem to matter that there were several eyewitness testimonies that appeared to contradict the official timeline of Lollie and Julie's final days alive。Journalist Kathryn Miles was working as a college professor at Unity College， an environmental science and wilderness leader in the country， when she discovered the emotional footprint left on the campus by its former student， Lollie Winans。 One of the murdered women from Shenandoah。 The college continued to grieve Lollie's loss， and Miles found herself pulled into the case with its emotional resonance and endless question marks about validity of the investigating team's justice。 Kathryn Miles decided to do some digging。 And then she couldn't stop。 Meticulously researched， engrossing described， and involving a cast of characters spanning professions， states， and decades， Trailed is a memorable piece of long-form reporting。 I devoured it in two days， listening to the audiobook in every spare moment of my day。 True crime and mystery audiobook fans will recognize the narrator—Gabra Zackman's voice echoes from her previous works in I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara and other crime stories centered around women such as Sadie by Courtney Summers and The Night Before by Wendy Walker。 A tragic story， but one that needed to see the light。 Rest in peace， Julie and Lollie。 We hope you have found justice here。Thank you to Algonquin Books and Libro。fm for my copies in exchange for an honest review。*The statistics show the murderers skew alarmingly toward cis-het white men， I am not making a personal judgement with that fact。 It is also illuminated within this nonfiction text。 。。。more
Elizabeth | _its_liz_reading
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3。5 stars
Leah M
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Thank you to libro。fm for providing me with an ALC of this book。This is one of those true crime stories that reads like a fictional story - it kept me intrigued right from the start， even though I wasn't aware of these murders when they were actually news。 The author clearly explores the hiking life， the lives of the women who were murdered， the murders themselves， the investigation， and her revisiting of these cases two decades later。 The complete mishandling of these cases was appalling， as we Thank you to libro。fm for providing me with an ALC of this book。This is one of those true crime stories that reads like a fictional story - it kept me intrigued right from the start， even though I wasn't aware of these murders when they were actually news。 The author clearly explores the hiking life， the lives of the women who were murdered， the murders themselves， the investigation， and her revisiting of these cases two decades later。 The complete mishandling of these cases was appalling， as well as the serious efforts that are still taken to cover up how poorly this case was managed。 I couldn't believe how many mess-ups were involved in the investigation， as well as how it is still being somewhat covered up。 While the cases are considered solved， and this book doesn't change the outcome， I was so intrigued with the author's alternative suspect theory。 I couldn't help but wonder how the investigators missed all this information - it doesn't look good for them， but the author did such a good job of laying out her theory and providing valid evidence to the best of her abilities。My only problem with this as an audiobook was that it jumped back and forth a bit， between the author's experiences， the lives of the victims， and the past， when the crimes were actively being committed。 But other than that， I was hooked in the story and couldn't stop listening。 。。。more
Cookie
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In 1996， Julie Williams and Lollie Winans， two women who were in a romantic relationship， were murdered while backpacking in the Shenandoah National Park。 Although a suspect was indicted for the murders， the case against that accused assailant was suspended two years later。 To this day， this case has not been solved。 In this true crime nonfiction book， Kathryn Miles delves into the case， exploring Julie and Lollie's history， the days leading up to their murders， and the failed investigation afte In 1996， Julie Williams and Lollie Winans， two women who were in a romantic relationship， were murdered while backpacking in the Shenandoah National Park。 Although a suspect was indicted for the murders， the case against that accused assailant was suspended two years later。 To this day， this case has not been solved。 In this true crime nonfiction book， Kathryn Miles delves into the case， exploring Julie and Lollie's history， the days leading up to their murders， and the failed investigation after their bodies were found。 Miles also provides a compelling theory that points towards a new suspect。 I have been looking for another true crime book for a while and as soon as I saw this book in libro。fm's audiobook options， I grabbed it。 This book turned out much more than I expected it to be。 It not only dives into the particular case of Julie & Lollie， but it also covers many more captivating topics。 She talks about DNA testing， hair microscopy， and other crime scenes investigation techniques， and their shortfalls。 She discusses forensic psychology and how that played into this case。 She talks about trail and hiking culture， a topic that I limited knowledge of。 She talks about how women and people who identify as LGBTQ+ are disproportionately more likely to be a victim of crimes in the wilderness than men。 She also talks about hate crimes and the history of legislation and prosecution of hate crimes。 I was left feeling heartbroken for Julie， Lollie， and the mother other victims mentioned in this book。 It is sad that their families don't have closure or answers to their many questions about why they were killed。 The discussion of the wrongly convicted perpetrators was especially unsettling， knowing that many people's lives have been ruined by inept investigative techniques and politically-driven prosecution motives。I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrator did an excellent job of narrating。 There is a lot to unpack from this book but I can guarantee you if you are true crime fan， this book will grab your attention。 ⚠️: child sexual abuse & molestation， murder， rape， pedophilia， anxiety， panic attacks， paranoia， suicide， missing persons 。。。more
Amelia
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