Tourist vanished in Alaska — 5 days later she was found and told a HORRIFYING STORY…

 

In February 2015, 29-year-old California tourist Emily Warner set off on a winter hike in the vicinity of Denali National Park, full of enthusiasm and trust in a stranger she had met just a few days earlier. 5 days later, rangers found her on the verge of death, naked, tied to a tree in one of the most remote parts of the park, suffering from frostbite, injuries, and memories of how her dream of a mountain adventure turned into a struggle for survival after a horrific crime.

Emily Warner grew up in San Diego, California, in a middle-class family. Her parents worked in education and raised their daughter to be independent and love nature. Emily graduated from university with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and worked for an environmental protection organization. She always loved to travel, especially to wild, sparsely populated regions.

 By the age of 30, she had visited several US national parks, gone trekking, and had basic survival skills. Friends described her as an open, trusting, sometimes overly trusting person who believed in the kindness of strangers. In January 2015, Emily decided to fulfill a longheld dream to visit Alaska in winter and go winter trekking in the vicinity of Denali Park.

 She planned to spend 2 weeks there from early to midFebruary joining an organized group through a travel company. However, a week before departure, the company announced that the group was cancelled due to insufficient participants. Emily could have canled the trip, but she had already taken time off work and bought tickets and equipment.

 So, she decided to go alone, hoping to find travel companions there or simply spend time camping near Anchorage, making day trips to the mountains. On February 7th, 2015, Emily flew to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. She stayed at a small hostel for tourists in the city center, where travelers looking for hiking companions usually gathered.

 The hostel had a common room where guests exchanged experiences, planned routes, and arranged joint trips. It was there, on the evening of February 8th, that Emily met a man who introduced himself as Brandon Killigan. Brandon Killigan, 36 years old, was a man of strong build, medium height, with a short beard, and the mannerisms of an experienced traveler.

 He told Emily that he had been living in Alaska for 5 years, working as a seasonal worker in the oil fields and spending his free time hunting, fishing, and hiking. He seemed knowledgeable, talking about roots, the specifics of winter hiking, and how to avoid dangers. Emily was impressed by his confidence and experience.

 When she mentioned that her group had canled and she was looking for someone to join for a hike in the mountains, Brandon offered to go with her. He said he was planning a 5-day route through remote areas west of Denali Park where there were few tourists and where you could see the real wild Alaska. He assured her that he knew the area and had all the necessary equipment, including a satellite phone for emergencies.

Emily had some doubts. After all, going into the remote mountains with a stranger was risky. But Brandon seemed friendly and professional, and his stories about the beauty of Alaska were so captivating that she gave in to temptation. There were other travelers at the hostel with whom she could have discussed this plan, but most of them already had their own itineraries or were leaving for other areas.

Emily decided to trust Brandon. They agreed to leave on the morning of February 10th. Brandon said he would pick her up in his Jeep. They would drive to a remote area, leave the car in a parking lot at the edge of the forest, and continue on foot. The route involved four nights in tents, and returning to the car in 5 days.

 On February 9th, Emily spent the day preparing for the trip. She bought additional supplies, checked her equipment, and wrote an email to her parents informing them that she was going on a 5-day hike with a travel companion she had met at the hostel. She left a copy of her planned route at the hostel reception desk, a standard precaution recommended to all tourists.

 The hostile administrator wrote down Brandon Kigan’s name and phone number, as well as his expected return date, February 15th. On the morning of February 10th, Brandon arrived at the hostel in an old dark blue Ford Bronco. They loaded their backpacks into the trunk and left Anchorage. The road led north, then turned west onto a dirt track.

 Brandon was talkative, telling her about the places they were passing, the animals they might encounter, and the best spots for photos. Emily felt relaxed and began to trust him even more. After about 3 hours of driving, they turned onto a narrow forest road that led to an abandoned parking lot at the edge of a huge forest. The parking lot was empty.

Almost no one came here in winter. Brandon said that was good because they would be able to enjoy nature in solitude. They unloaded their backpacks, locked the car, and Brandon hid the keys under the front wheel in case something happened and someone needed to get to the car. The first day of the hike was uneventful.

 They walked along a snow-covered trail that led deeper and deeper into the forest and then began to climb into the mountains. The weather was cold, around -15° C, but windless. The snow crunched under their feet, and the air was clean and frosty. Brandon showed Emily the tracks of animals, hairs, foxes, and sometimes moose.

 They stopped for breaks, drank hot tea from a thermos, and ate energy bars. By evening, they came to a small clearing where Brandon suggested setting up their first camp. Brandon pitched his tent and Emily pitched hers nearby. He built a fire and cooked dinner, freeze-dried food, and canned goods.

 They sat by the fire talking about travel and life. Brandon told stories about his adventures in Alaska, some of which sounded unbelievable, but Emily believed him. When it got dark, the temperature dropped even lower, and they went to their tents. The night passed quietly. The second day was also normal. They continued their ascent into the mountains, reaching a ridge with a stunning view of snowcapped peaks and valleys.

 Emily took photos and marveled at the beauty. Brandon was attentive, helping to carry some of her equipment when the climb became steep. By evening, they had set up a second camp in a windprotected hollow. Again, there was a campfire, dinner, and conversation. But that night, Emily noticed that Brandon was behaving differently.

 He sat closer to her by the fire than he had on the first night. He touched her hand several times when passing her a mug of tea. He complimented her appearance and said she was a brave and interesting woman. Emily felt uncomfortable, but didn’t want to seem rude. She responded politely, but tried to keep her distance.

 When she said she was tired and wanted to sleep, Brandon suggested she move to his tent because it was warmer there. Emily refused, saying that her tent was quite comfortable. Brandon didn’t insist, but his gaze changed. It became harder, colder. The third day began tensely. Brandon was silent, walking ahead at a fast pace, not turning around, not suggesting breaks.

 Emily tried to keep up, but she felt that something had changed. By noon, they had reached a particularly remote part of the route, where the trail had almost disappeared under deep snow, and there was not a soul around for miles. When Emily asked to stop for lunch, Brandon turned abruptly and said that they would continue as he decided, not as she wanted.

 There was a threat in his voice. Emily was frightened. She tried to remain calm and said that if he was uncomfortable walking with her, they could turn back. Brandon laughed, but it was an unpleasant, cruel laugh. He said they weren’t going back anywhere until he decided. Emily realized she was trapped. They were dozens of miles from the nearest habitation without communication, and the only person who could help them was now a threat.

 By the evening of the third day, Brandon had chosen a place to camp in a particularly isolated section of the forest, surrounded by dense trees. Emily felt a growing panic, but tried not to show her fear. She helped set up the tents and build a fire, hoping that if she acted calm and friendly, Brandon would relax and they could return safely.

 But after dinner, when it was dark, Brandon approached her and grabbed her arm without warning. He said he liked her and that she should be grateful he brought her here. Emily tried to break free, but his grip was strong. She screamed, pushed him away, and ran toward the forest. Brandon caught up with her in seconds and knocked her down in the snow.

 Emily fought, scratched, and screamed, but there was only forest around her, and no one could hear her. Brandon hit her in the face, ordering her to be quiet. What happened next was a nightmare. Brandon dragged her back to the camp and tied her hands and feet with rope from his backpack.

 Emily screamed, begged him to stop, but he didn’t listen. He raped her, ignoring her please and resistance. It lasted what seemed like an eternity. When he was done, Emily lay in the snow, beaten in shock, unable to move. Brandon sat by the fire as if nothing had happened. He smoked a cigarette and stared into the flames.

 Then he turned to Emily and said that if she told anyone what had happened, he would find her and kill her. He said that no one would believe her because she had agreed to go with him. Emily didn’t answer. She just lay there trying to cope with the pain and shock. The night was agonizing. Brandon left her tied up, threw a sleeping bag over her, but she was in clothes that were wet from snow and sweat.

 The temperature dropped to minus 20. Emily was shivering. Her teeth were chattering and she couldn’t sleep. Brandon slept in his tent as if nothing had happened. On the morning of the fourth day, Brandon untied her. He said they would continue on their route and that if she tried to run away or do something stupid, he would kill her and leave her body in the woods where no one would ever find it.

Emily was too weak and scared to resist. She put on her backpack and followed him. They walked in silence all day. Emily thought about running away, but she knew that in her condition, without a map or GPS, running away in such terrain would be tantamount to suicide. By the evening of the fourth day, they had reached an even more remote area where there were hardly any animal tracks.

Brandon set up camp and ordered Emily to sit by a tree. He tied her hands behind her back, wrapping the rope around the tree trunk. Then he began to undress her, pulling off her jacket, sweater, and thermal underwear. Emily screamed, begged him not to do it, said she would freeze, but Brandon did not respond.

 He took off all her clothes, leaving her completely naked in the cold. He said she deserved it for resisting, for not being grateful. He raped her again, tied to the tree, beating her every time she tried to resist. When he was done, he took her clothes, put them in his backpack, and said he would leave her there.

 If she survived until morning, maybe he would come back. Emily sobbed, begged him not to leave her, said she would die. Brandon smirked, said it was her problem, and left, taking both backpacks, all the equipment, food, and tents with him. Emily was left alone, tied to a tree, completely naked in temperatures of minus22° C.

 She tried to free herself by pulling on the ropes, but the knots were tight, and her hands were quickly losing sensitivity from the cold. She screamed and called for help, but there was only forest, silence, and darkness around her, which was growing with every passing minute. Hypothermia set in almost immediately. At first, she shivered uncontrollably and her teeth chattered so hard that she was afraid they would break.

 Then the shivering became weaker. This was a bad sign. She knew from survival courses that when the body stopped shivering, it means that hypothermia is entering a critical stage. Her fingers and toes went numb. Her skin turned purple, then blue. She felt the cold penetrating deeper into her chest, into her stomach.

 slowing her heartbeat. The night was endless. Emily lost consciousness and came to again, not knowing how much time had passed. She dreamed of her parents, her warm home in San Diego, the sun on the beach. Then she would open her eyes and see darkness, snow, trees, and feel pain and cold.

 Several times she thought she was dying, and she prayed for it to happen quickly so she wouldn’t suffer. Sometime in the early morning of the fifth day, she heard sounds. At first, she thought it was a hallucination, footsteps in the snow, voices. But the sounds grew louder. She tried to scream, but her voice was weak and horsearo. She tried again, gathering all her remaining strength.

 The voices were getting closer. Then lantern lights appeared in the darkness, and she saw figures in park ranger uniforms. The Ranger Patrol happened to be in the area. They were conducting winter monitoring of the condition of trails and wildlife, which they did every few weeks, even in the most remote areas. Senior Ranger David Wilson, 42 years old, with 20 years of experience working in Alaska, led the group of three.

 They were following their route when one of the rangers noticed something strange near a tree ahead. A dark figure that wasn’t moving. As they got closer, they saw Emily naked, tied to a tree, covered in frost, her skin blue, barely breathing. David Wilson later said in an interview that he had seen many terrible things in all his years on the job, but this was one of the worst.

 They immediately called for emergency assistance on the radio, gave their coordinates, and reported that a medical helicopter was needed. The rangers quickly cut the ropes, freed Emily, wrapped her in their jackets and sleeping bags, and built a fire. She was conscious but unable to speak, only moaning softly.

 They gave her warm drinks and massaged her limbs, trying to restore blood circulation, but carefully, knowing that sudden warming could be dangerous in cases of severe frostbite. One of the rangers who had medical training examined her. multiple abrasions, bruises, signs of beating, signs of sexual assault, second and third degree frostbite on her fingers and toes, and on her face.

 The helicopter arrived 40 minutes later. Emily was transported to a hospital in Anchorage. She lost consciousness on the way. At the hospital, she was immediately placed in intensive care. Diagnosis: Severe hypothermia, frostbite of the extremities, multiple injuries, effects of sexual assault, dehydration, exhaustion.

 Doctors fought for her life for several days. The fingers on her left hand and three toes on her right foot had to be amputated due to tissue necrosis. But she survived. When Emily regained consciousness and was able to speak, she told the police everything that had happened. She gave a detailed description of Brandon Killigan, told them about the route and where he had left the car.

 The police immediately began a search. They found a Ford Bronco SUV in the same abandoned parking lot where Brandon and Emily had started their hike. The car was unlocked and inside they found some of Emily’s gear, her backpack, clothes, and documents. The search for Brandon Killigan began. A database check showed that this man was registered as a resident of Alaska, had a driver’s license, but had no criminal record.

 However, when investigators began to dig deeper, it turned out that Brandon Killigan was not his real name. His real name was Greg Thomas Martin, and he was wanted in Washington State on charges of sexual assault and attempted murder committed 3 years earlier. He had been hiding in Alaska under a false name. A nationwide manhunt was launched.

Martin’s photo was sent to all police stations in Alaska and neighboring states. Rangers and search parties combed the forests, checking all cabins, bases, and campsites. But Martin seemed to have vanished into thin air. Weeks and months passed and he was not found. It was assumed that he had either died in the forest from the cold or managed to leave Alaska under a different name.

Emily spent two months in the hospital. Her physical wounds gradually healed, but her psychological wounds were deeper. She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She suffered from nightmares, panic attacks, couldn’t sleep in the dark, and was afraid of men. Psychologists worked with her daily, but her recovery was slow and painful.

Emily’s parents flew to Alaska as soon as they heard what had happened. They were overwhelmed with guilt for not dissuading their daughter from going on the trip. Even though they understood that it was her decision. When Emily was discharged from the hospital, they took her home to San Diego. She never returned to Alaska.

 In June 2015, 4 months after the crime, a hunter in a remote area on the border between Alaska and Canada, stumbled upon a man’s body in the woods. The body was partially decomposed, but clothing and documents identified him as Greg Thomas Martin, also known as Brendan Killigan. A forensic examination showed that death was caused by hypothermia and exhaustion approximately 2 weeks after the attack on Emily.

 Apparently, he got lost in the woods, used up his supplies, couldn’t find his way out, and froze to death. It was a strange kind of justice. Martin died from the same cold he had subjected his victim to. But for Emily, the news brought no relief. She told psychologists that she wanted him to stand trial, be convicted, and go to prison, not just die in the woods.

 She wanted justice, not just the death of the criminal. The case was closed as solved with theostumous identification of the perpetrator. The prosecutor’s office drew up a formal indictment against Greg Thomas Martin on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, attempted murder, and unlawful imprisonment. Emily testified, although there was no trial.

 Her testimony was included in the case file as documentary evidence of the crime. Emily Warner’s story became public knowledge. The media wrote dozens of articles about the tourist who survived a nightmare in Alaska. Her photo taken before the trip, where she is smiling, full of hope, was placed next to photos of snowcapped mountains and headlines like dream turned into hell.

Emily did not give interviews for a long time, but a year after the events, she agreed to one for a program about survivors of violence. She wanted her story to serve as a warning to others. In the interview, she said, “I trusted him because he seemed normal, experienced, reliable. I thought I knew how to read people, but I was wrong.

 The scariest thing is that these people look like everyone else. They smile, joke, help carry your backpack. And only when you’re alone with them, far away from everyone else, do they show their true colors.” I want women to know, don’t go to remote places with strangers, even if they seem safe. Always tell someone your detailed itinerary, carry communication devices, and don’t rely on other people’s promises.

I survived only by chance. The rangers happened to be in that place. If it weren’t for them, I would have died tied to that tree. The rangers who rescued Emily received awards for heroism from the National Park Administration. David Wilson said they were just doing their job, but admitted that this incident changed his view of how dangerous people rather than wild animals can be.

 It took Emily years to recover. She underwent lengthy psychotherapy, took anti-depressants, and attended support groups for victims of violence. Gradually, she began to return to normal life. Although it is impossible to fully recover from such trauma, she no longer works for a conservation organization. She cannot bring herself to think about the wild without fear.

 Instead, she became a volunteer at an organization that helps victims of sexual violence, helping other women cope with the aftermath. Physically, she has adapted to the loss of her fingers. She has learned to live with prosthetics and perform everyday tasks. But the scars remain, not only physical, but psychological.

 She admits that she is still afraid of winter, afraid of the cold, cannot sleep in complete darkness, and avoids places that resemble the forest. Emily Wernern’s story is one of those tragedies that remind us that danger can come not from nature, but from people. Alaska is a harsh place where mistakes can cost you your life. But sometimes the biggest mistake is trusting the wrong person.

Emily dreamed of the beauty of the mountains, of adventure, of freedom. Instead, she suffered trauma that will stay with her forever. But no precautions can completely eliminate the risk. People like Greg Martin exist and they know how to disguise themselves, gain trust, and create an impression of reliability.

The only thing you can do is be careful, listen to your instincts, and remember that trust must be earned over time and through testing, not just with a pleasant smile and confident stories. Emily Warner survived. That’s the main thing. She went through hell and came back not whole, not the same as before, but alive.

 And her story is not only the story of a victim, but also the story of a survivor who found the strength to continue living, to help others, and to remind the world that a nightmare can hide beneath the beautiful shell of adventure. And that true strength is the ability to survive that nightmare and not give up.