Vanished in the Wild: The Chilling Unsolved Murders of Lollie Winans and Julie Williams
When 26-year-old Laura “Lollie” Winans and 24-year-old Julianne “Julie” Williams embarked on what should have been an idyllic wilderness adventure in Shenandoah National Park, they had no idea it would end in a gruesome tragedy that remains unsolved to this day. Their brutal murders in 1996 sent shockwaves across the nation, raising troubling questions about safety in the great outdoors and the shadowy specter of hate crimes in America.
But what if the real killer has been hiding in plain sight while an innocent man remains under suspicion? Acclaimed journalist Kathryn Miles explores this unsettling possibility in her book Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders. Miles argues that for years, investigators have unjustly focused on Darrell Rice, despite forensic evidence clearing his name. Federal prosecutors dropped all charges against him in 2004, yet authorities still haven’t publicly ruled him out as a suspect. Meanwhile, a chilling alternative emerges: Could a serial predator have committed the crime and slipped through the cracks of the investigation?
The Fractured Investigation: FBI vs. National Park Service
While investigating the case, Miles interviewed FBI officials who insisted they had the right man. But why were they so eager to close the case despite mounting evidence to the contrary? Even more bizarrely, the FBI appeared to shift blame onto the National Park Service, insinuating that its rangers lacked the expertise to conduct a proper forensic investigation.
Yet, as Miles points out, law enforcement rangers are highly trained in wilderness crime-solving, sometimes even more so than FBI agents, who typically focus on urban cases. Could this bureaucratic tension have hindered the pursuit of justice? More importantly, did it allow the real killer to walk free?
The Nightmare of Investigating a Wilderness Murder
Unlike city homicides, crimes in the backcountry present unique and overwhelming challenges. A traditional crime scene is secured with locked doors and controlled perimeters. But in the vast wilderness? There are no boundaries. Weather erases evidence, wildlife disturbs crime scenes, and investigators can only guess at where the violence truly began.
Miles delved into how crime reporting in national parks is alarmingly inconsistent. The National Park Service doesn’t maintain a comprehensive database of violent crimes, leaving crucial cases overlooked and unreported. Through exhaustive research, Miles unearthed troubling patterns—patterns that suggest the dangers of America’s national parks are far greater than officials acknowledge.
Was This a Hate Crime?
Lollie and Julie’s love story was abruptly thrust into the public eye in the most tragic way possible. Their families were shocked to learn that the couple’s sexuality became a focal point in media coverage—even before they had a chance to grieve privately. But was their murder truly a hate crime, or was it simply another heinous act of violence in an unforgiving landscape?
While other murders along the Appalachian Trail have targeted victims based on gender and sexuality, the truth remains elusive. Until the perpetrator is identified, the true motive remains a chilling question mark.
The DNA That Could Change Everything
Despite overwhelming forensic evidence exonerating Darrell Rice, law enforcement refuses to close the book on him. Meanwhile, DNA evidence from the crime scene closely matches another man—a convicted serial killer, Richard Evonitz. His genetic material aligns in 799 out of 800 positions with the DNA found at the crime scene, yet authorities chose not to pursue him as a suspect. Instead, they continued their tunnel-vision pursuit of Rice.
Miles highlights how the FBI blatantly ignored their own lab’s recommendation to retest Evonitz’s DNA. Why? Was it political pressure? A desperate attempt to assure the public that national parks were safe? Or was it simply a matter of pride, an unwillingness to admit they had made a mistake?
A Case That Refuses to Fade
In the aftermath of 9/11, Attorney General John Ashcroft was under pressure to prove his commitment to prosecuting hate crimes. He bizarrely framed Rice’s indictment as a symbolic step toward national healing—an absurd political maneuver that further muddied the pursuit of justice.
Meanwhile, investigators dismissed Evonitz as merely a pedophile, overlooking the fact that violent predators often escalate their crimes. Could he have viewed Lollie and Julie as targets? And if so, why wasn’t he fully investigated before his 2002 suicide?
Why This Case Still Haunts Us
Unlike the countless true crime cases that satisfy our need for resolution, Lollie and Julie’s story offers no neat ending. The mystery persists, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions. With a mix of investigative rigor and personal reflection, Miles’s book forces us to confront uncomfortable truths: How many wrongful convictions have resulted from investigative bias? How many crimes in national parks have been erased by bureaucratic neglect? And most disturbingly, how many serial killers have slipped away unnoticed?
For Kathryn Miles, this case isn’t just another true crime puzzle—it’s personal. A sexual assault survivor herself, she once found solace in the wilderness. But Lollie and Julie’s deaths shattered that sanctuary, making her question whether America’s most beautiful landscapes are as safe and accessible as we’d like to believe.
The Fight for Justice Continues
As we reflect on this chilling case, one thing remains clear: The woods belong to everyone. The great outdoors should be a place of freedom, not fear. But until justice is served, until we acknowledge the systemic failures in our investigative processes, the wilderness will remain a place where some vanish without a trace—and their killers remain in the shadows.
