In May 1996, the bodies of two women were found in Shenandoah National Park in a remote campsite. These young women, Julie Williams and Lollie Winans, had met and fallen in love at an outdoor skills camp and were preparing for a life full of adventure together when they met their brutal and tragic end. A thoughtful mix of true crime and sociology, Kathryn Miles asks why women and LGBTQIA+ folk are so much more at risk in the wilderness and even explicitly targeted for daring to access our shared public lands. Were these women targeted for their sexuality? Their gender? Their resolve to not be intimidated by men who claimed the wilderness as their own? She explores these questions in depth to better understand the motivations of the killer and instead walks into the startling realization that the man arrested could very well be the wrong guy. If you enjoyed I'll Be Gone In the Dark by Michelle McNamara, this book is for you.Publisher's description:
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, this is a love story and a call to justice, and a searching and urgent plea to make wilderness a safe space for women.