Where Did Michael Bullinger Go? Inside Crime Junkie’s On-the-Ground Search

Episode Overview

• This episode documents a collaborative cold-case field investigation in the Wyoming backcountry to determine whether triple-homicide suspect Michael Bullinger died in the wilderness after vanishing in June 2017 or used his skills as a pilot and experienced survivalist to escape and start a new life.
• Crime Junkie host Ashley Flowers and investigative reporter Emily Mieure (with cameramen Tate and Luke) join law enforcement across two states—including Detective Landon Call, Director of Aviation Operations Jon Bourke, Adam, and former Detective David (Dave) from the Teton County Sheriff's Office, Captain Chuck Gentry (the original quasi-detective on the case) from the Canyon County Sheriff's Office, and Prosecuting Attorney Dick—alongside professional canine handlers Bret Sayer and Kacy Robinson, M.S., founders of Fide Canem Cold Case.
• The narrative traces the 2017 timeline—from the murders of Bullinger's wife (Cheryl Baker), girlfriend (Nadja Medley), and her 14-year-old daughter (Payton Medley), to his abandoned car and a July 1 witness sighting—before following the current search team across Pacific Creek to investigate a clandestine warming fire ring.
• Viewers learn about the specialized methodology of search-and-rescue (SAR) cadaver dogs, the environmental challenges of backcountry forensics, the recovery of buried physical clues, and the administrative failure that led to the destruction of a potentially linked firearm found in 2018.
• No commercial sponsors or external funding are disclosed in the episode; Bret Sayer notes that his canine team sacrifices their own "time, money, planning, time away from families" to conduct these searches, and Ashley Flowers shares her organization's tip line (tips@audiochuck.com).

Key Concepts

• Timeline of the 2017 Disappearance and Sighting: After Bullinger lived a double life and murdered three people in June 2017, he was seen at a bank wearing khaki shorts and a polo, and possibly a hat later or a street shoe like a Nike at the park entrance. On July 1, 2017—roughly "2 weeks-ish" after Bullinger got up there—Forest Service employees saw a disheveled man with no gear, disheveled clothing, and disheveled hair who wouldn't look at them and left the trail near the outlet of Whetstone and the intersection of Pacific Creek. Because his car was not found until July 11 (with the first search team going in after the holiday on July 12 or 13, and witnesses reporting the July 1 sighting on July 16 after media coverage ran), law enforcement put no pressure on him until July 11 or 12.
• Evidence Weighing Against a Planned Escape: Although Bullinger worked for a commercial outfitter when he was young—which former Detective David hedges was in "the southern region, even maybe the Thoroughfare, but it was at least Yellowstone National Park"—and Detective Call notes he had been in the Thoroughfare area previously ("To what degree, I can't say, but I do know he's been up here before"), physical evidence left at the trailhead challenges the theory that he planned to start a new life. Captain Gentry points out that Bullinger abandoned his car along with "3 grand" ($3,000) in the trunk; the only item that looked missing from the car was a potential handgun out of a holster, though it was well known he had plenty of guns and could have taken "3 other guns" with him.
• SAR Cadaver K-9 Capabilities and Handler Dynamics: Founders Bret Sayer (handler of SAR K-9 Cortana) and Kacy Robinson, M.S. (handler of SAR K-9s Annapurna and Machhu) explain that their retrievers alert on anything containing human DNA—including a tooth, fingernail, hair, clothes, a piece of scalp, finger bones, blood, or bodily fluids—while walking right past animal bones or animal decay. Cortana responds to the command spelled "B-O-N-E-S" by sitting and barking at the source, whereas Robinson's dogs use the command "Locard" and sit at the source, preceded by a change in animation, circling, doing "negatives" (going in other directions and coming back), and sometimes pawing. Because the leash and connection act like a lightning rod and the dogs mirror their handlers' emotions, handlers must remain neutral and positive.
• Backcountry Environmental Challenges and Speculative Theories: Searching the Teton wilderness presents extreme physical obstacles: in 2017, a high snow year meant Pacific Creek was moving fast and cold (potentially hip-deep during heavy runoff, compared to "mid-thigh" during the current team's earlier trip, which on-screen text labels as "JUNE 2026"). Furthermore, Detective Call explains that thick tree canopies can hide "20 people over there and you wouldn't even see them," preventing helicopter or aerial infrared/thermal detection if a person's heat index matches their surroundings, while years of predation by grizzly bears, wolves, foxes, birds, and insects could have moved remains "quite a distance," making the search like looking for a "needle in a haystack." Consequently, Call emphasizes that theories about Bullinger's mindset, gear ("who knows what he brought with him"), whether his car was a point of return, and whether he died at the fire ring or "4 miles to the wherever" remain speculative.
• Field Excavations and Forensics Limitations: Across the river and "3/4 of the way up the top of this mountain" off the main Whetstone Trail, investigators examine a small warming fire ring of native rocks containing charcoal under a top layer of dirt and a sapling growing out of the middle consistent with "9 years or less of growth." Nearby on a grassy bench, the team fully excavates an orangish decaying material (first spotted on the earlier search, darker orange where protected by soil) that feels like a tent, rainfly, hunting vest, tarp, rain jacket, or poncho, placing it in a plastic bag to unfold in a controlled environment. Cortana also points out a partially buried, rusted metal Vienna sausage or "beanie weenie" can, though Captain Gentry and Emily Mieure note that outside elements are horrible for preserving DNA and it is "very unlikely to get anything off of that." The hazards of the remote terrain are underscored when Captain Gentry suddenly stops during the hike and says, "I just heard a gunshot. Did you hear that?" prompting a radio check to ensure the search teams are okay.
• Administrative Loss of Potential Evidence: Investigators reveal that a gun discovered in the search area in 2018 was logged as "found property" rather than under the 2017 "assist other agency" manhunt file; even though Corporal Goring connected it to the missing person case and sent it to investigations, the agency destroyed the weapon around 2021 under a routine property room destruction order. Detective Call hedges on how this occurred, stating he still has questions, that "maybe it's something simple that I'm missing," and that "it doesn't make sense in my head."

Quotes

• At 1:01 - "When Michael Bullinger vanished, he left behind more questions than answers. Did he die somewhere in the vast Wyoming backcountry? Or did this skilled pilot and experienced survivalist somehow use his abilities to disappear and start a new life?" - Ashley Flowers framing the central mystery of the episode following the June 2017 triple homicide.
• At 5:36 - "But for somebody to come by with no gear, disheveled clothing, disheveled hair, maybe fatigued, weird body and character, you know, movements, it's worth talking about." - Detective Landon Call explaining why the July 1, 2017 witness sighting by Forest Service employees near the outlet of Whetstone and Pacific Creek remains a critical lead.
• At 6:41 - "So they'll alert on anything with human DNA on it. So if there's a tooth, if there's a fingernail, a hair, clothes—Yes, yeah, they can do hair. So like if we have a little piece of a scalp, finger bones, little bones, blood, bodily fluids. They do not alert on animal bones. So any kind of animal decay, they do not—they'll walk right past it." - Bret Sayer detailing the exact forensic capabilities and selectivity of the Fide Canem Cold Case search-and-rescue K-9s.
• At 10:28 - "So obviously it was a fire ring that was used. This sapling has since grown in, and I would say that that's consistent with nine years of, or less, of growth. So it's very reasonable that this grew in after this fire ring was used, and obviously hasn't been used for quite some time." - Detective Landon Call analyzing the botanical timeline of the clandestine warming fire ring located off the Whetstone Trail.
• At 22:36 - "And if it was to escape out of here, there's his car. That would have been very handy to escape with. Right? Or even, even if he was thinking of an endgame, why would you leave three grand in the freaking trunk of the car? The only thing that looks missing is a potential handgun out of a holster." - Captain Chuck Gentry pointing out the counterintuitive evidence left behind in Bullinger's vehicle that challenges theories of a planned escape.

Takeaways

• Submit Cold Case Tips Regardless of Time Elapsed: Because investigative reporting and public tips directly brought Captain Gentry and Detective Call together (starting discussions in "January or sooner") to launch this new physical search, anyone with even seemingly insignificant information about Michael Bullinger should email tips@audiochuck.com or contact the Canyon County (Idaho) or Teton County (Wyoming) authorities.
• Preserve Fragile Field Evidence for Controlled Environments: When recovering degraded items buried in soil—such as the decaying orange fabric found near the warming fire ring—investigators should excavate the item carefully and seal it in a plastic bag to unfold in a controlled environment, while recognizing that exposed items like rusted metal cans are unlikely to yield viable DNA due to harsh outdoor elements.
• Maintain Neutral Handler Demeanor During K-9 Searches: When working with search-and-rescue detection dogs, handlers must consciously keep their emotions neutral and positive because the leash connection acts as a lightning rod and the dogs mirror their handlers' emotions.