An Opening Day Disappearance

It’s a mystery that’s haunted Wisconsin’s hunting community for nearly 50 years. On September 16, 1977, 18-year-old Bob Christian left home to spend the night at a friend’s house before the opening day of bow season. That night, his future looked bright. He’d just been accepted to the University of Wisconsin as a computer science major, and his friendly, easygoing personality endeared him to family and friends alike.

But something happened on that drive, and to this day, no one knows what. His car was later found stripped on a remote dirt road near his childhood hunting grounds, and nearly five decades later, Bob’s whereabouts remain unknown.

Join us for this episode of BLood Trails as we unravel a tangle of clues that spans small-town secrets, mysterious headlights, a convent break-in, the Ringling Brothers Circus—and even a possible connection to the infamous John Wayne Gacy. Through the eyes of hunters, family, and detectives, this is a story of woods that keep their secrets and friendships frozen in time.

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