About this episode
The episode explores the mysterious disappearance of Bob Smith in the Maine woods in 1997 and the extensive search that followed.
Bob Smith stepped into the Maine woods on a November afternoon in 1997 and never came back. His wife heard a single gunshot. Then... nothing. What followed was the largest ground search in the history of the Maine Warden Service. Investigators found clues—a set of boot prints, a strange arrow in the dirt, even a dead moose nearby—but none of them led to Bob. As the search dragged on, rumors surfaced: out-of-state hunters who left early, a story about an accidental shooting, and people who may have known more than they said. Was Bob Smith the victim of a tragic accident… or something far more deliberate? Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File . Follow Blood Trails on Apple , Spotify , YouTube , iHeart , Pandora , Amazon . Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Blood Trails on Instagram Jordan Sillars on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Jordan Sillars
Topics covered
- disappearance
- investigation
- search
- rumors
- accident
- true crime
Keywords
- Bob Smith
- Maine woods
- disappearance
- search
- gunshot
- investigation
- true crime
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Maine Warden Service
Places: Maine
More episodes of Blood Trails
- S2E8: The Mysterious Death of Jon Young · June 4, 2026 · 56 min
- S2E7: Finding Justice for Dustin Kjersem · May 28, 2026 · 1h 6m
- S2E6: The Disappearance of Bill Roland · May 21, 2026 · 54 min
- S2E5: The Assassination of Tommy Ballard · May 14, 2026 · 57 min
- S2E4: Catching the Killer of Neil LaFave · May 7, 2026 · 59 min
- S2E3: The Murder of Timothy Blyth · April 30, 2026 · 1h 20m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Blood Trails podcast page.