Two Tourists Vanished in Appalachians — 10 Years Later Bones Found in Well Without Skulls… | HO!!!!

September 2013: For most, it was the start of another fall. But for Joan and Harry Savage, it was the beginning of an adventure they had spent a lifetime preparing for. Both in their mid-60s, the Savages were not strangers to the wild. Their marriage had spanned 45 years, most of them spent hiking the trails of North America. They were experienced, methodical, and cautious—qualities that made their disappearance in Virginia’s Appalachian wilderness all the more baffling.

This is not a story about novices lost in the woods. It is a story of two seasoned hikers who vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that would haunt their family and investigators for a decade. What happened to Joan and Harry Savage? The answer, when it finally came, was even more chilling than anyone could have imagined.

The Disappearance

The Appalachian Trail stretches nearly 2,200 miles (3,500 km) along the East Coast, drawing thousands each year. The Savages didn’t aim to conquer the whole trail, but selected picturesque sections—this time, a rugged stretch in Virginia. They planned meticulously: new gear, updated first aid kits, mapped routes, and left a detailed itinerary with their adult children. Joan, eight years post-hip replacement, was in good health, and Harry was fit as ever.

On September 6, 2013, they parked their Ford at the trailhead, signed the visitor log (“Harry and Joan Savage heading north. Estimated time of return, 14 days.”), and set off. For a week, all went according to plan. They covered 15-20 km daily, greeted fellow hikers, and were remembered as friendly, lively, and unremarkable.

On September 12, they stopped in the small town of Pearisburg to resupply, do laundry, and call their son. Joan sent her sister a postcard: “Dearest, everything is wonderful here. The views are breathtaking. Our legs are sore, but we are happy. We’ll be moving on soon. Love, Joan and Harry.”

That was the last anyone heard from them.

They were supposed to check in again around September 20-21. When the days passed with no word, their son grew anxious. By September 23, he contacted the National Park Service. The search began.

The Search

The operation was massive: rangers, volunteers, dogs, helicopters. Their car was still at the trailhead. The search combed the route, ravines, and rocky ledges. Helicopters scanned for tents or bright jackets. Dogs traced the trail. But nothing—no backpacks, no tent, not even a discarded wrapper. Even in the worst-case scenario—accident, animal attack, drowning—something should have remained.

With no evidence of accident or animal attack, police began to investigate criminal possibilities. The Appalachian Trail, for all its beauty, is not immune to crime. Investigators questioned hikers, but nobody saw anything suspicious. Robbery seemed unlikely; the Savages were not wealthy. If they had been robbed and killed, why take everything—including worn-out boots—and leave no trace?

After weeks, the search was called off. The official version: “Missing, presumed dead in an accident in the wilderness.” But for their family, the lack of evidence was unsettling. The case went cold. Photos of the smiling couple remained on bulletin boards and missing persons websites. Years passed—2013, 2014, 2015. Hope faded. The mystery of Joan and Harry Savage became Appalachian legend: the couple who walked into the woods and vanished.

The Discovery

Ten years later, in July 2023, a chance discovery shattered the silence. On an abandoned farm five kilometers from the trail, a construction crew clearing land for cottages unearthed a rusty metal plate covering a concrete well. Inside, they found two neat piles of bones—human bones. There were no skulls. No clothing, no shoes, no gear. Just bones.

Police arrived quickly. Forensics recovered the remains, noting two disturbing details: the absence of skulls and the complete lack of clothing or personal items. The bones were clean, with no traces of fabric, metal, or plastic. The bodies had been placed in the well naked, stripped of all belongings.

The remains were sent to the state medical examiner. With no skulls, dental records were useless. But on the female skeleton, a metal pin was found—Joan’s titanium hip replacement, serial number intact. Investigators traced it to a Pennsylvania hospital where Joan Savage had surgery in 2005. DNA samples from the Savage children confirmed the identities: Joan and Harry Savage.

After a decade of agony, the family finally knew where their parents were. But the answers raised even darker questions.

The Investigation

The medical examiner’s report was grim. Both skulls were missing. Thin, smooth cuts on the upper cervical vertebrae indicated the heads had been deliberately severed with a sharp instrument. This was not the work of animals or accident. It was murder.

The absence of clothing and equipment was equally troubling. Synthetic materials and metal zippers should have survived a decade in a protected well. Their absence meant the bodies were placed in the well completely naked.

The cause of death remained uncertain. No bullet marks or fractures were found. The method of killing—shooting, stabbing, or strangling—remains unknown. But the manner of disposal was clear: someone killed Joan and Harry Savage, stripped them, decapitated them, and hid their bodies in an abandoned well.

The case was reclassified as a double homicide. The search for missing tourists ended; the hunt for a killer began.

The Suspect

Detectives started with the crime scene: the abandoned farm and well. They combed property records within a ten-kilometer radius from 2012-2015, mapping who lived nearby during the critical period. One name stood out: Randall Lee Rogers.

Rogers lived in a dilapidated trailer adjacent to the farm, mere yards from the well. He had a criminal record—convicted of aggravated assault with a knife in 2010, released in 2012, and moved into the trailer. The medical examiner’s conclusion that the heads were removed with a sharp instrument matched Rogers’s history.

But Rogers had left Virginia in 2015. After weeks, police found him in another state, working as a handyman. He was questioned for hours. His answers were vague: “It was 10 years ago, officer. My memory isn’t what it used to be.” He acknowledged living near the farm but denied any involvement. He had no alibi—“I was alone”—and no one could confirm his whereabouts.

Police searched his home for trophies or souvenirs—skulls, personal items, anything. They found nothing. No murder weapon, no DNA, no witnesses, no confession. Suspicion and coincidence, even glaring ones, are not enough for a conviction.

Rogers was released. The Savage case remains classified as murder by an unknown person. The prosecutor could not bring charges without hope of proving guilt in court.

Unanswered Questions

The Savage family received their parents’ remains, but not justice. They know where their loved ones are, but not who took their lives or why. The most likely suspect remains free. The mystery of the Appalachian Trail is only partially solved. We know how Joan and Harry Savage died, but not why.

Their story is a chilling reminder: sometimes evil has no explanation. Sometimes it lurks in the shadows, in abandoned places, in the minds of lonely, embittered people. And sometimes justice cannot reach it, leaving behind only cold cases and unhealed wounds.

Conclusion

The disappearance and murder of Joan and Harry Savage is a story of adventure turned nightmare, of a cold case cracked open but never fully resolved. It is a cautionary tale for all who walk the wild trails, a reminder that even the most experienced can fall victim to darkness. The Appalachian Trail keeps its secrets, and for the Savage family, closure comes with the knowledge of where—but not who, or why.

As hikers gather around campfires and whisper the legend of the Savages, one truth remains: the woods are beautiful, but they are not always safe. And sometimes, the answers we seek only lead to deeper mysteries.