Morbid Misdeeds
True crime & dark history across the Mountain West
157 dark chapters of Western history. Handle with care.
157 dark chapters of Western history. Handle with care.
What's Included:
- 157 true crime & tragedy sites
- 10 Western states covered
- Detailed historical timelines
- Primary source documentation
- Respectful, educational approach
- Prison museums & historic jails
- Frontier justice locations
- Cold case sites
- Serial killer hunting grounds
- Massacre & disaster memorials
What You'll Learn
Place-based learning designed for real exploration
After this TripKit, you'll know:
- Navigate the region like a local, not a tourist
- Understand the history and culture that shaped these places
- Make informed decisions about where to go and when
- Avoid common mistakes that waste time and money
Designed with evidence-based instructional design principles.
Real knowledge transfer, not just pretty pictures.
One-time purchase • Lifetime access
✓ 157 destinations
✓ After purchase you'll get instant access via email with your unique code
✓ Lifetime updates included
✓ Secure payment via Stripe
Deep Dive Stories
Ted Bundy in Utah: The Capture, The Escape, The Legacy
Active Period in Utah:
It's a warm summer night in August 1975, and a Utah Highway Patrol sergeant named Bob Hayward is on routine patrol in the Salt Lake City suburb of Granger. At 2:30 AM, a tan Volkswagen Beetle speeds past him, then suddenly turns off its headlights. Hayward gives chase. When he pulls the driver over, the young man is polite, clean-cut, wearing a turtleneck—but something feels wrong. Very wrong. Inside the car, Hayward finds: a ski mask, a crowbar, handcuffs, rope, and an ice pick. The driver gi
The Susan Powell Case: The Disappearance That Changed Everything
Missing:
It's December 7, 2009, a Monday morning in West Valley City, Utah. Susan Powell, a 28-year-old mother of two, doesn't show up for work. Her sons, Charlie (7) and Braden (5), don't arrive at daycare. Concerned coworkers call the police. When officers arrive at the Powell home, they find it empty—except for two fans blowing on a damp spot on the couch. The house is cold. The Christmas tree lights are on. And there's no sign of Susan. Her husband, Josh Powell, returns hours later with the boys. He
Mountain Meadows Massacre: Utah's Darkest Historical Tragedy
Date:
September 7, 1857. A wagon train of approximately 140 emigrants from Arkansas is making its way through southern Utah Territory, headed for California. They're families—men, women, children—seeking new opportunities in the West. They've been traveling for months. They're nearly through Utah. Just a few more days. Four days later, on September 11, 1857, nearly all of them will be dead—murdered in a coordinated attack by Mormon militia members and some Paiute allies. Only 17 small children will s
The Hi-Fi Murders: Ogden's Darkest Night
Date:
It's 6:00 PM on April 22, 1974, in Ogden, Utah—a quiet Monday evening. Inside the Hi-Fi Shop on Washington Boulevard, a small electronics store, sixteen-year-old Cortney Naisbitt is covering the shop for his father while working on a school project. Within the hour, what begins as a robbery will become one of the most brutal crimes in Utah history—a crime so horrific that even seasoned homicide detectives would struggle to process the scene. Three people would be murdered. Two would survive wit
Elizabeth Smart: Kidnapping, Survival, and Becoming a Voice for Others
Abducted:
It's 1:30 AM on June 5, 2002. In a quiet Federal Heights neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Elizabeth Smart, 14, is asleep in the bedroom she shares with her younger sister, Mary Katherine. A man in robes enters through a window he's cut open, holds a knife to Elizabeth's throat, and whispers: "Don't make a sound or I'll kill you and your family." Elizabeth is led out of her home in her red pajamas. Her sister, paralyzed with fear, watches from the bed. It will be 9 months before Elizabeth is seen
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Acoma Massacre
9h 21m from SLC • 578 mi
1599 Spanish attack on Sky City ⚠️ DARK TOURISM ETHICS: This is a real tragedy site. Visit respectfully, speak quietly, and remember that real people suffered here.
💡 Tips from Dan
- •Wear comfortable shoes and clothes suitable for the weather. The mesa can be breezy and cool, even in summer.
- •Remember to respect the community and the site. Keep voices low and follow all guidelines provided by the guides.
- •Photography is encouraged but be sure to ask for permission before taking photos of residents or their homes.
- •Remember, this is a living community so respect all signs and barriers indicating private areas.
- •Plan to spend at least half a day here to take in the full experience and to give yourself time to appreciate all that Acoma has to offer.
More destinations in this TripKit
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Alferd Packer Massacre Sites
Distance: 448 miles from SLC
Amy Wroe Bechtel Disappearance
Distance: 286 miles from SLC
Apache Death Cave
Distance: 640 miles from SLC
+ 150 more destinations in this TripKit
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