Cause of death: Gunshot wound. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he picked up the telephone. He knew Alice would have to hear it from him. When she answered, her voice sounded exhausted.
“Did you find out what happened?” Rivers swallowed. “Alice… your son didn’t have an accident.” There was silence. “What do you mean?” “He was shot.” Alice made a small sound.
Not quite a cry. Not quite a scream. Then the telephone slipped from her hand. For weeks, she had imagined every terrible possibility.
But she had never imagined that another human being had deliberately taken her son’s life. The investigation changed immediately. Forensic teams returned to the ravine.
Thirty yards from where the body had been discovered, they found a spent cartridge casing. Nearby was a bootprint with an unusual worn heel.
Investigators also located a piece of black plastic possibly belonging to hunting equipment. The evidence suggested another person had been present. Someone familiar with the terrain.
Someone carrying a rifle. Someone who knew how to hide a body. Months of investigation followed. Then Ranger Nathan Cole remembered something.
Around the time Jaden disappeared, he had seen an old pickup truck parked near a restricted forest road. Two men were loading a heavy object wrapped in dark material into the back.
One was tall and stocky. The other was younger and thinner. The taller man appeared to walk with a limp. Rivers remembered the unusual bootprint. A limping man. A hunting rifle.
An unauthorized vehicle. The pieces were beginning to fit. But there were no names. Until October 26. A junior detective named Alan Doyle was inspecting pawn-shop records when he noticed an unusual entry.
A folding knife. Black handle. Leather sheath. Engraved initials. J. G. The knife had belonged to Jaden. The pawn shop had surveillance footage. It showed a man entering the store on October 19.
He placed the knife on the counter. Accepted money. And walked away. He had no idea that he had just provided detectives with their strongest lead.
Investigators identified him as Liam Garrett, a 31-year-old man with a history of poaching and illegal weapons possession. His brother, Mark Garrett, owned an old pickup matching the ranger’s description.
Detective Rivers ordered surveillance. The brothers were watched for weeks. Police observed them entering remote hunting areas. They saw Liam carrying a rifle. But the evidence still wasn’t enough to prove murder.
In November, Liam was questioned. He admitted pawning the knife. “I found it in the woods,” he said calmly. “Good knife. Didn’t see a reason to leave it there.” Rivers leaned forward.
“Did you know Jaden Glenn?” “Never heard of him.” “Do you know how he died?” Liam shrugged. “No.” The detective studied his face. Nothing. No sadness. No fear. No hesitation.
Only silence. By December, the investigation was almost at a dead end. Then Rivers made one final decision. Separate the brothers. On December 22, Mark was brought in for questioning.
He sat alone in a small room while Rivers placed photographs across the table. Jaden. The orange tent. The knife. The bullet. Mark stared at them. His hands began shaking.
Rivers spoke quietly. “Your brother is letting you carry this alone.” Mark looked up. “What?” “Tell me what happened in that forest.” For a long time, the younger man said nothing.
Then tears filled his eyes. He covered his face. And whispered: “We weren’t supposed to kill him.” Detective Rivers stopped writing. “Who shot Jaden?” Mark slowly lifted his head.
And what he said next revealed a betrayal far worse than anyone had imagined.
HE WENT INTO SHASTA FOREST FOR THREE DAYS—62 DAYS LATER, THEY FOUND HIM WRAPPED IN HIS OWN TENT… AND THE TRUTH WAS WORSE THAN ANYONE IMAGINED
