Mike Crites wanted to live alone in the Montana mountains. He built a cabin, managed his land for wildlife, and spent his days hunting elk and mule deer. But isolation didn’t mean peace. After years of escalating disputes with neighbors over access roads and property lines, Mike vanished in September 2011. What investigators eventually found was far worse than a missing person case—it was a dismemberment, with remains scattered across both sides of a mountain pass. Two neighbors emerged as key figures. One had a long history of conflict with Mike. The other showed up the day before he disappeared—and later changed his story. More than a decade later, the case finally made it to trial. But even now, the most critical questions remain unanswered. Want more Blood Trails? Check out the case files for the episode: https://www.themeateater.com/series/blood-trails-case-files Follow Blood Trails on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blood-trails/id1848185680 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3WRqMmdRVZ3MjOZb0uK0ob?si=e9a15992ce65400a iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-blood-trails-301855865 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/85c4a194-a3e7-435c-bd54-9f8653bce49b/blood-trails ---------------- Check out the gear the MeatEater Crew uses in the field here: https://store.themeateater.com Follow us: Web: https://www.themeateater.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/meateater Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater