In June 2012, three college friends—Kevin Hartman, Alyssa Gordon, and Preston Gil—set off for a backpacking adventure in Yosemite National Park, their hearts full of excitement and their packs brimming with dreams. The trio, bound by a love for the wilderness, planned a three-day trek along the Merced River, chasing stunning vistas and the thrill of exploration. But they never reached their pickup point, vanishing into the vast park without a trace. For 11 agonizing years, their families clung to fading hope. In 2023, a hikers’ discovery of a collapsed tent—containing a bloodstained shirt and a haunting journal entry—unraveled a chilling tale of pursuit and murder, finally revealing the tragic fate of these young adventurers.
Kevin, 20, was a charismatic photographer whose lens captured the world’s beauty. Alyssa, 19, radiated energy, her laughter lighting up any trail. Preston, also 19, was the group’s quiet artist, sketching the wilderness that called to him. Childhood friends from California, they shared a passion for adventure that led them to Yosemite’s rugged backcountry. Their June 16, 2012, trip was meticulously planned: a challenging route through remote trails, camping by the Merced River, and a pickup by Kevin’s father, Lawrence, on June 18. Home videos show them packing, faces alight with anticipation, unaware of the horror awaiting them.
The first day brought texts to family, describing breathtaking scenery. By June 17, communication stopped. When Lawrence arrived at the pickup point, the trio was gone. Panic set in, and he alerted park rangers, triggering a massive search. Helicopters buzzed over Yosemite’s cliffs, while rangers, volunteers, and search dogs scoured dense forests and riverbanks. The park’s vastness—steep ravines, swift currents, and thick undergrowth—thwarted efforts. Weeks passed with no sign of the students, their car untouched at the trailhead, holding packed lunches and gear. Hope waned, and the official search ended, leaving families in a torment of uncertainty.
Ranger Jacqueline Puit led the investigation, her knowledge of Yosemite’s terrain unmatched. She mapped the trio’s route, interviewed hikers, and explored theories: a cliff fall, a river mishap, or a wildlife attack. No evidence supported these ideas. The students’ close-knit bond and responsible nature ruled out voluntary disappearance. Their car held no clues, and no gear was found along the trail. Media coverage surged, with news outlets labeling it the “Yosemite Three” mystery, but tips led nowhere. The families—Lawrence and Ellen Hartman, Susan Gordon, and Maria Gil—faced endless grief, marking birthdays with tears instead of celebrations, their lives frozen in 2012.
Years rolled by, the case growing cold. Ranger Puit kept it alive, chasing rumors of sightings or similar park vanishings, but Yosemite’s secrets stayed buried. The families preserved memories through photos and videos, Kevin’s camera shots, Alyssa’s vibrant smile, and Preston’s sketches haunting their homes. Theories of off-grid communities or a serial killer surfaced, but none held up. Other Yosemite cases, some decades old, offered no connections. The park’s beauty masked its dangers, and the students’ fate seemed destined to remain a mystery, a cautionary tale of wilderness unpredictability.
In October 2023, a group of seasoned hikers ventured off-trail near the Merced River, miles from established paths. They spotted a silt-covered depression, revealing a collapsed blue-and-gray tent, its fabric brittle from years of exposure. Inside, amidst decayed gear, lay a bloodstained shirt and a water-damaged journal. A torn page bore a chilling sentence: “We are being chased by men.” Shocked, the hikers alerted rangers, providing photos of the eerie scene. Ranger Puit, now a veteran, felt a surge of dread and hope. The find, after 11 years, was the first solid clue in the case.
The site became a forensic hub. Experts secured the tent, shirt, and journal, rushing them to a lab. DNA from the shirt confirmed it was Kevin Hartman’s blood, shifting the investigation to foul play. The journal’s cryptic note suggested a deadly encounter. Puit’s team revisited 2012 records, focusing on suspicious activity near the Merced River, an area known for illegal marijuana grows. A name emerged: Marcus Weller, a local guide who’d offered to lead the students. Lawrence recalled Weller’s charisma and park knowledge, but no red flags had surfaced then.
Investigators tracked Weller, still in the area, and questioned him. He denied involvement, claiming only brief contact with the students. But inconsistencies and the tent’s evidence raised suspicions. Under intense interrogation, Weller broke, admitting he’d led the trio into a remote area, stumbling upon an illegal grow operation. The armed growers, paranoid about exposure, mistook the students for threats. Preston slashed the tent to escape, but gunfire erupted, killing all three. Weller, terrified, helped bury their bodies in shallow graves by the river, hiding their gear to fake a continued journey.
Weller led authorities to the site, a hidden riverbank spot. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Nicole Kerry excavated the graves, recovering remains identified as Kevin, Alyssa, and Preston via dental records. Her analysis confirmed gunshot wounds, matching Weller’s account. Personal items—Kevin’s camera, Alyssa’s necklace, Preston’s sketchbook—brought tears to families at the scene. The somber recovery, amidst whispering willows, marked the end of 11 years of uncertainty. Weller’s confession detailed a horrifying standoff, his fear-driven complicity, and years of silence, haunted by guilt.
In 2024, Weller’s trial unfolded in a packed courtroom. He pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder, tearfully apologizing. Prosecutors detailed his role in leading the students to danger and covering up the crime. The defense argued coercion, but Weller received a 15-year sentence, reflecting his cooperation. The families, present for the verdict, felt relief tinged with sorrow. The truth, though painful, allowed them to grieve fully, holding memorial services with recovered items as cherished keepsakes.
The case reshaped Yosemite’s safety measures. Park officials boosted backcountry patrols, targeting grow sites, and tightened guide regulations. A public campaign urged hikers to stick to trails and carry GPS trackers. The families created the Hartman-Gordon-Gil Scholarship, funding young artists and adventurers, ensuring the trio’s passions lived on. Their story, a blend of tragedy and resolution, warns of hidden wilderness dangers while celebrating the enduring hope that cracked an 11-year mystery.
