On June 5, 1996, headlines across the country carried the story with stark, unflinching language: “Two hikers’ throats cut, FBI reports” — Richmond Times-Dispatch “Murder Invades Idyllic World of Backpackers” — Los Angeles Times “Women’s deaths spark fear on Appalachian Trail” — Associated Press

In May 1996, before smartphones, before GPS, when road trips started with a paper map and a full tank of gas, two young women loaded their gear, their dog, and their dreams into a red Toyota Tercel in Burlington, Vermont. Twelve hours of highway lay between them and Shenandoah National Park.