October 8, 1976. Knoxville, Tennessee. 16-year old Trenny Gibson leaves on a high school field trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park alongside nearly 40 classmates. The students spend the day hiking through the park, but after Trenny is last seen turning off the trail at around 3:00 PM, she vanishes without explanation. During a search of the park, dogs would track Trenny’s scent to a spot next to the roadside, creating speculation that she was abducted. Did Trenny simply wander off and die of exposure, or was she a victim of foul play? And if she was harmed, could other students have been involved? On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we chronicle one of the most mysterious unsolved disappearances of the Smoky Mountains. Special thanks to listener Laura for requesting this case. Be sure to visit her blog about Trenny Gibson at https://www.canadiangurl77.com.

Additional Reading:

http://charleyproject.org/case/teresa-lynn-gibson

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/appalachian-unsolved-trenny-gibson-lost-in-the-smokies/51-494178428

“Death in the Great Smoky Mountains: Stories of Accidents and Foolhardness in the Most Popular Park” by Michael R. Bradley

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The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.