Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders

(Hardback)

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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.

They must have been followed. Thats the thought I return to after all these years . . .

In May 1996, two skilled backcountry leaders, Lollie Winans and Julie Williams, entered Virginias 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 didnt 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 dont 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.

Reviews

'A beautifully written account of a great American tragedythe unsolved murders of an undetermined number of young women, all by the same serial killer, who got away. The truth is still buried. I couldnt put it down.'
John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Disturbing and provocativeGripping and thoughtful, this book will appeal to those with an interest in true-crime stories and unsettling truths about places deemed safe for all.
Kirkus Reviews

In an outdoor atmosphere where women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ individuals are working hard for equal footing,Trailedexplores the root of sexism and bigotry in the outdoor community and becomes a rallying cry for moving forward together.
Jennifer Pharr Davis, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author ofThe Pursuit of Endurance

Beyond an illumination of the murders of two young queer women, this book is a deeply empathetic inquiry into who has the right to venture into the woods and to do so safely. Miles' book is nothing less than a parsing of the forces that have long stood between women and queer people and their physical freedom.
Emma Copley Eisenberg, author of The Third Rainbow Girl

"Trailedisa beautiful story about a female journalist seeking clarity and life for two women she never knew, and looking to restore the wilderness as a place of healing and safety for all women in the process.An established backcountry hiker herself, Miles follows a serpentine trail of misogyny and the resilience and joy of women in spite of it. Trailedis also a love story. You will turn pages as fast as you can."
Lacy Crawford, author ofNotes on a Silencing

A tragic story of young lovers, gone too soon. A #metoo reckoning, long overdue. A study of traumas ripple effects, extending for decades. Trailed is meticulously investigated, achingly intimate, and doggedly persistent in the pursuit of justice.
Robert Kolker, bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road

This is a sleepless night of a book, a toss-and-turn story about a double homicide near America's legendary footpath thatwrestles with intimacy, anger, and our ideas of safety. We get the fascinating, uncomfortable opportunity to join an increasingly-obsessed journalist on her quest to puzzle out what happens when a wild and peaceful place is shattered by violence.
Ben Montgomery, author ofA Shot in the Moonlightand theNew York TimesbestsellingGrandma Gatewoods Walk


"Trailedis a beautifully written account of a great American tragedythe unsolved murders of an undetermined number of young women, all by the same serial killer, who got away. The truth is still buried. I couldnt put it down."
John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A tragic story of young lovers, gone too soon. A #metoo reckoning, long overdue. A study of traumas ripple effects, extending for decades.Trailedis meticulously investigated, achingly intimate, and doggedly persistent in the pursuit of justice."
Robert Kolker, bestselling author ofHidden Valley Road

Engrossing . . . Miles takes a comprehensive look at police procedures in federal parks and violence against women in rural areas . . . A must for true crime buffs.
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Mesmerizing journalism Utterly engaging and always respectful, Trailed is highly recommended for true crime fans.
Booklist (starred review)

Disturbing and provocativeGripping and thoughtful, this book will appeal to those with an interest in true-crime stories and unsettling truths about places deemed safe for all.
Kirkus Reviews

In an outdoor atmosphere where women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ individuals are working hard for equal footing,Trailedexplores the root of sexism and bigotry in the outdoor community and becomes a rallying cry for moving forward together.
Jennifer Pharr Davis, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author ofThe Pursuit of Endurance

Beyond an illumination of the murders of two young queer women, this book is a deeply empathetic inquiry into who has the right to venture into the woods and to do so safely. Miles' book is nothing less than a parsing of the forces that have long stood between women and queer people and their physical freedom.
Emma Copley Eisenberg, author of The Third Rainbow Girl

"Trailedisa beautiful story about a female journalist seeking clarity and life for two women she never knew, and looking to restore the wilderness as a place of healing and safety for all women in the process.An established backcountry hiker herself, Miles follows a serpentine trail of misogyny and the resilience and joy of women in spite of it. Trailedis also a love story. You will turn pages as fast as you can."
Lacy Crawford, author ofNotes on a Silencing

This is a sleepless night of a book, a toss-and-turn story about a double homicide near America's legendary footpath thatwrestles with intimacy, anger, and our ideas of safety. We get the fascinating, uncomfortable opportunity to join an increasingly-obsessed journalist on her quest to puzzle out what happens when a wild and peaceful place is shattered by violence.
Ben Montgomery, author ofA Shot in the Moonlightand theNew York TimesbestsellingGrandma Gatewoods Walk


"Trailedis a beautifully written account of a great American tragedythe unsolved murders of an undetermined number of young women, all by the same serial killer, who got away. The truth is still buried. I couldnt put it down."
John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A tragic story of young lovers, gone too soon. A #metoo reckoning, long overdue. A study of traumas ripple effects, extending for decades.Trailedis meticulously investigated, achingly intimate, and doggedly persistent in the pursuit of justice."
Robert Kolker, bestselling author ofHidden Valley Road

Engrossing . . . Miles takes a comprehensive look at police procedures in federal parks and violence against women in rural areas . . . A must for true crime buffs.
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Mesmerizing journalism Utterly engaging and always respectful, Trailed is highly recommended for true crime fans.
Booklist (starred review)

Disturbing and provocativeGripping and thoughtful, this book will appeal to those with an interest in true-crime stories and unsettling truths about places deemed safe for all.
Kirkus Reviews

A beautiful story about a female journalist seeking clarity and life for two women she never knew, and looking to restore the wilderness as a place of healing and safety for all women in the process.An established backcountry hiker herself, Miles follows a serpentine trail of misogyny and the resilience and joy of women in spite of it.Trailedis also a love story. You will turn pages as fast as you can.
Lacy Crawford, author ofNotes on a Silencing

In an outdoor atmosphere where women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ individuals are working hard for equal footing,Trailedexplores the root of sexism and bigotry in the outdoor community and becomes a rallying cry for moving forward together.
Jennifer Pharr Davis, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author ofThe Pursuit of Endurance

Beyond an illumination of the murders of two young queer women, this book is a deeply empathetic inquiry into who has the right to venture into the woods and to do so safely. Miles' book is nothing less than a parsing of the forces that have long stood between women and queer people and their physical freedom.
Emma Copley Eisenberg, author of The Third Rainbow Girl

"Trailedisa beautiful story about a female journalist seeking clarity and life for two women she never knew, and looking to restore the wilderness as a place of healing and safety for all women in the process.An established backcountry hiker herself, Miles follows a serpentine trail of misogyny and the resilience and joy of women in spite of it. Trailedis also a love story. You will turn pages as fast as you can."
Lacy Crawford, author ofNotes on a Silencing

This is a sleepless night of a book, a toss-and-turn story about a double homicide near America's legendary footpath thatwrestles with intimacy, anger, and our ideas of safety. We get the fascinating, uncomfortable opportunity to join an increasingly-obsessed journalist on her quest to puzzle out what happens when a wild and peaceful place is shattered by violence.
Ben Montgomery, author ofA Shot in the Moonlightand theNew York TimesbestsellingGrandma Gatewoods Walk


"Trailedis a beautifully written account of a great American tragedythe unsolved murders of an undetermined number of young women, all by the same serial killer, who got away. The truth is still buried. I couldnt put it down."
John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A tragic story of young lovers, gone too soon. A #metoo reckoning, long overdue. A study of traumas ripple effects, extending for decades.Trailedis meticulously investigated, achingly intimate, and doggedly persistent in the pursuit of justice."
Robert Kolker, bestselling author ofHidden Valley Road

Engrossing .

Author Bio

Kathryn Milesis the author of five books.Her essays and articles have appeared in publications such asAudubon,Best American Essays,Best American Sports Writing, theBostonGlobe, theNew York Times,Outside,Politico, andTime.A contributing editor atDown Eastmagazine, Miles also serves as a scholar-in-residence for the Maine Humanities Council and as a faculty member in several MFA programs.