The Kidnapping of Kari Swenson episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 2, 2025 · 22 MIN

The Kidnapping of Kari Swenson

from Small Town Mysteries · host Kate, Christine, and Rachael

Send us Fan MailOver 40 years ago, on July 15th, 1984, in the rugged wilderness of the Madison Range in Montana, 22-year-old Kari Swenson went missing. Kari was a recent Montana State University graduate and rising star in the world of biathlon, a sport that combines cross country skiing and rifle shooting. One sunny morning in July, Kari went for a run on a scenic forest trail. She was actually hoping to see a grizzly bear during her run, as it was an animal she’d always wanted to see. But instead of a bear, she encountered two men. Sources: 1) https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/100/newsmakers/mountain-men-kidnap-murder-captured-world-s-attention/article_b7b40ff8-c53e-11e0-b014-001cc4c03286.html 2) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/24/mountain-man-freed-32-years-after-kidnapping-athlete-to-be-sons-bride3) https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28086785/30-30-podcast-how-gender-politics-tragedy-changed-kari-swenson-biathlon-generation4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kari_Swenson Support the show

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 2, 2025

Embed this episode

Send us Fan Mail Over 40 years ago, on July 15th, 1984, in the rugged wilderness of the Madison Range in Montana, 22-year-old Kari Swenson went missing. Kari was a recent Montana State University graduate and rising star in the world of biathlon, a sport that combines cross country skiing and rifle shooting. One sunny morning in July, Kari went for a run on a scenic forest trail. She was actually hoping to see a grizzly bear during her run, as it was an animal she’d always wanted to see...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

The Kidnapping of Kari Swenson

0:00 22:03

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Small Town Mysteries?

This episode is 22 minutes long.

When was this Small Town Mysteries episode published?

This episode was published on September 2, 2025.

Can I download this Small Town Mysteries episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!