SHOCKING: Italian Tourist’s Tent Found in Kings Canyon — Inside Were Remains of His ᴛᴏɴɢᴜᴇ… | HO

KING’S CANYON NATIONAL PARK, CA — In one of the most remote and breathtaking corners of California’s wilderness, a mystery has unfolded that continues to haunt investigators, hikers, and the family of a missing tourist. Nearly a year after the disappearance of 32-year-old Italian national and software developer, Ethan Miller, his tent was discovered in a hidden ravine—its contents more disturbing than anyone could have imagined.

The discovery has reignited questions about what happened in the wild granite heart of King’s Canyon, and whether the truth behind Miller’s fate will ever be known.

A Routine Hike Turns Into a Cold Case

Ethan Miller, an experienced solo hiker and recent transplant from Milan to San Francisco, was no stranger to the challenges of the Sierra Nevada. On Friday, September 16, 2022, Miller parked his silver Subaru at the King’s Canyon Trailhead, left a permit on his dashboard, and set out for a three-day trek along the Rae Lakes Loop—a well-known but demanding route.

“He was methodical, careful, never reckless,” recalls his sister, Emily Miller, who still lives in Milan. “He always checked in, always told us his plans.”

That Friday evening, Emily received what would be the last message from her brother: “Made it to Rae Lakes. Everything according to plan. Views are unreal. Will be in touch on Sunday evening.”

Sunday came and went with no word. By Monday morning, Emily’s concern had turned to panic. She called the King’s Canyon National Park Rangers. A patrol was dispatched. Miller’s car was still in the lot, his permit in place. By Tuesday, September 20, a full-scale search was underway.

For two weeks, dozens of rangers, volunteers, and search dogs combed the rugged terrain. Helicopters swept the skies. Other hikers recalled seeing Miller, alone but in good spirits, heading toward Glen Pass. But after Friday, he vanished. No trace—no gear, no clothing, no signs of struggle—was ever found. As autumn descended, the search was called off. Miller’s case was classified as a likely accident: a tragic but not uncommon fate in the unforgiving Sierra wilderness.

A Gruesome Discovery

For nearly a year, the case faded from public memory—until August 25, 2023. Mark and Sarah, a Sacramento couple, decided to explore a little-used side canyon near Rae Lakes. Half a mile off the main trail, they spotted a faded blue tent, half-buried under rocks and pine needles, in a location no seasoned hiker would choose to camp.

Approaching cautiously, Mark called out. Silence. The tent’s zipper was closed. When he opened it, a metallic odor—old, dried blood—greeted him. Inside, a sleeping bag was spread neatly on a pad, its fabric stained nearly black with blood. Atop the bag was a small transparent pouch containing a piece of human flesh.

“It took us a few seconds to realize what we were looking at,” Sarah later told authorities. “Then it hit us. It was a piece of tongue. Human tongue.”

Above the tent’s entrance, two words had been carved with a knife into the fabric: “FOLLOW ME.”

The couple, shaken, immediately used their satellite communicator to call for help.

The Crime Scene

Rangers and Fresno County deputies arrived by helicopter, cordoning off the site as a crime scene. The tent and all its contents were carefully collected for forensic analysis.

Investigators were struck by the orderliness of the scene. Aside from the blood, nothing was out of place. Cooking gear was cleaned and packed away. Spare clothing was neatly folded. Miller’s multi-tool, a small folding knife, lay closed beside the sleeping bag. There were no signs of a struggle, no scattered belongings, no evidence of a robbery or animal attack.

The tent’s location—hidden, remote, and invisible from any trail—suggested deliberate concealment. But by whom?

Forensic Mysteries

In the Fresno County crime lab, the case only grew stranger. The flesh in the pouch was confirmed to be human tongue. DNA analysis matched it to Ethan Miller. The cut was precise, clean, and likely made with a very sharp blade—a level of surgical skill not easily self-inflicted, especially under duress.

Miller’s multi-tool bore traces of his blood and fibers from the tent. Forensic experts concluded it was the instrument used both to sever the tongue and carve the words. Yet only Miller’s fingerprints were found—no trace of another person, no hair, no foreign DNA.

“It’s as if a ghost committed the crime,” said one investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Theories and Dead Ends

With the tent’s discovery, the investigation shifted from a missing person to a homicide. Yet no body was found. Search teams, equipped with metal detectors and cadaver dogs, scoured the ravine and surrounding slopes. The dogs, oddly, would approach the tent, circle, and then lose the scent entirely. No remains, no clothing, no backpack—nothing.

Several theories emerged within the sheriff’s office:

Murder by an Unknown Assailant: Perhaps Miller was attacked by another hiker or a mentally unstable individual who tortured, killed, and then expertly hid the body. But why leave valuables behind? And how did the killer erase every trace of their presence?

Ritual Killing: The severed tongue, the cryptic message, and the meticulous scene suggested a symbolic act—perhaps the work of a cult or ritualist. But no evidence of such groups existed in the area, and no similar cases had ever been reported.

Self-Mutilation and Disappearance: Could Miller, in a state of psychosis or despair, have mutilated himself, left a message, and vanished into the wilderness to die? Forensic experts doubted this, citing the precision of the injury and the lack of any sign of self-harm elsewhere.

With no leads, the case went cold again, joining the grim annals of unsolved wilderness disappearances.

The Lingering Questions

To this day, the only physical remains of Ethan Miller are the fragment of his tongue, now stored as evidence. His body has never been found. The tent, sleeping bag, and knife sit in the evidence room—a mute testament to a tragedy that defies explanation.

The words “FOLLOW ME” carved into the tent remain an enigma. Were they a clue to the body’s location? A taunt from a killer? Or the desperate scrawl of a man in his final moments?

For Emily Miller, the pain of not knowing is a wound that never heals. “I just want answers,” she says. “I want to bring my brother home.”

As the sun sets over the silent granite ridges of King’s Canyon, the mystery of Ethan Miller lingers—a chilling reminder of the secrets the wilderness can keep.

If you have information about the Ethan Miller case, contact the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at [number] or the King’s Canyon National Park tip line at [number].