Trailed

One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders

By: Kathryn Miles

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

A riveting, "beautifully written" deep dive into the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness (John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author), a journalist's obsession—and a new theory of who might have done it.​

They must have been followed. That’s the thought I return to after all these years . . .

In May 1996, two skilled backcountry leaders, Lollie Winans and Julie Williams, entered Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park for a week-long backcountry camping trip. The free-spirited and remarkable young couple had met and fallen in love the previous summer while working at a world-renowned outdoor program for women. During their final days in the park, they descended the narrow remnants of a trail and pitched their tent in a hidden spot. After the pair didn’t return home as planned, park rangers found a scene of horror at their campsite, their tent slashed open, their beloved dog missing, and both women dead in their sleeping bags. The unsolved murders of Winans and Williams continue to haunt all who had encountered them or knew their story.

When award-winning journalist and outdoors expert Kathryn Miles begins looking into the case, she discovers conflicting evidence, mismatched timelines, and details that just don’t add up. With unprecedented access to crucial crime-scene forensics and key witnesses—and with a growing sense of both mission and obsession—she begins to uncover the truth. An innocent man, Miles is convinced, has been under suspicion for decades, while the true culprit is a known serial killer, if only authorities would take a closer look.

Intimate, page-turning, and brilliantly reported, Trailed is a love story and a call to justice—and a searching and urgent plea to make wilderness a safe space for women—destined to become a true crime classic.

Compelling

Prose/story a bit much at times; perf is excellent at smoothing over some navel gazing

True crime that gives life to victims

This is a good true crime book that delves into what it is, and what it was, to be a young queer outdoorswoman, both in the 1990s and now. Miles gives ample weight and attention to the interior lives, the relationships, the highs and lows, and the vibrant youthfulness of the women at the center of this story. Little time is spent on overly horrific details of the crimes committed against the two women. Where many true-crime tales rely on arm’s-length rehashing of the brutal violence— a focus on the taking of a life, Miles instead focuses on the lives that were lived, and how deeply the women were loved.
There were plenty of points in this book where I thought “I could have known those women. I could have been those women. Sometimes, I was those women,” and even if the reader isn’t a contemporary of Julie and Lollie and can’t quite see themselves reflected in the Indigo Girls soundtracked backyard college parties of the mid-90s, Miles presents portraits of Lollie and Julie to the reader that engage visceral empathy and universally in their journey.

This book is beautiful in its heartbreak.

I have listened to hundreds of titles over the past decade, and this is the first book that has compelled me to offer my humble opinion. There’s so much more to this book than the deaths of Lollie and Julie. It is also about their lives and their loves. It is about injustice for the sake of justice. I listened, then I listened again. Thank you, Kathryn Miles, for such a beautifully written book.

True Crime- wish it wasn't true

I listened to this book in only a couple of days and wanted very much to learn who the killer was. I won't ruin the end - the story is true and so very sad - but I will admit to a little frustration. I've been through some of the Appalachian areas and it is very beautiful country. Unfortunately, there are sick and dangerous individuals everywhere.

One of the top true crime & justice books I’ve recently listened to

There is a fantastic amount of detail, thought, and beauty in this book about a terribly ugly crime and the serious issues with its investigation. I highly recommend this for the genuine insight into the victims and their families, the clarity in covering scientific and legal issues, and the beautiful writing.