Episode Overview

In this pivotal and emotionally heavy episode, host Kate Colvin shares newly disclosed details and geographic context regarding the ongoing 1996 investigation into the murder of Hazel. Kate breaks down the physical evidence—including Hazel's fuzzy pink slippers and the recovery of her bedding—and applies aerodynamic physics and fluid dynamics to reconstruct the timeline and suspect movement. She also reveals crucial information about an initial, temporary disposal site near Jerome Creek and a suspicious vehicle sighting during early air search efforts.

• The Slippers & Physics of the Pickup Truck:

  • Hazel's slippers (pink, snug-fitting, with heel wraps and non-slip grippers) were found along Highway 6 near the Old River Road intersection on the first morning of search-and-rescue efforts.

  • Kate explains why the slippers likely did not fall off during a slow turn, but rather blew out of an open pickup truck bed due to aerodynamic drag, lift forces, and trapped vortices as the vehicle accelerated onto the highway.

• The Palouse River & Discarded Bedding:

  • Bedding was originally found tangled near Bennett’s Lumber Mill.

  • Analyzing river fluid dynamics during the violent February 1996 Pineapple Express flood, Kate demonstrates why saturated fabrics would quickly sink, catch on undertows, or snag on underwater hazards (such as submerged cattle fencing wire).

  • Re-evaluating the entry point, Kate posits the bedding was likely thrown off the bridge near O’Reilly Road / Boone’s Swimming Hole—much closer to where it was discovered—rather than miles upstream.

• Jerome Creek (The Initial Disposal Location):

  • Critical Disclosure: Evidence confirms Hazel’s body was temporarily placed in an area off Jerome Creek before later being moved to the White Pine Drive location where partial remains were later recovered.

  • Jerome Creek’s upper elevation (around 2,585+ feet) was remote, rugged, and heavily snowcapped in May 1996. Accessing this specific spot required intimate, local knowledge of backroads, logging routes, or wood-cutting sites.

• The Aerial Search Sighting:

  • During low-visibility aerial searches on the Sunday following Hazel's disappearance, a plane spotter observed a dark, single-cab pickup truck parked near the Jerome Creek location.

  • Spotters noted 2 to 3 men running for cover as the aircraft circled. By the time ground teams could reach the terrain, the truck was gone.

  • Kate shares her hypothesis: the perpetrators were spooked into moving Hazel's body after the slippers and bedding were discovered so quickly.

• Who was intimately familiar with the Jerome Creek logging routes, wood-cutting areas, and off-roading trails in May 1996?

• Who knew the backroads connecting Jerome Creek to White Pine Drive without needing to travel main stretches of Highway 6?

• Did you see any suspicious vehicles pulled off near the Palouse River between Bennett’s Lumber Mill and Old River Road late Friday, May 17, 1996, or early Saturday, May 18, 1996?

• Active Investigation: Hazel’s case remains an active homicide investigation. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

• Digitization Progress: Family members recently met with the lead detective. Law enforcement has received the first digitized box of case files, which are undergoing page-by-page verification against physical records.

If you have any information—no matter how small—regarding the disappearance of Hazel, suspicious vehicle sightings, or individuals familiar with Jerome Creek in 1996, please submit a tip:

• Latah County Sheriff's Office: Contact directly via official law enforcement channels.

• Crime Stoppers of Idaho: Anonymous tips can be submitted online or via phone (see the FAQ page at HazelsLastHand.com for direct links).

• Host, Writer, & Producer: Kate Colvin

• Sound Design: John Boswell & Holly Boswell

• Research Assistance: Andrea Rourick, Bonnie Scoles, Cretia Bunny, Paula Frazier, Whitney Dixon, & Ellie Helbing

• Writing Assistance: Brian Potter