An Extremely Disturbing Camping Story
Summary
TLDRA chilling tale unfolds when an older man named Ricky Williams encounters two men, Scott and Shawn, while camping in the Appalachian Trail. What seems like a friendly encounter takes a sinister turn as Ricky's true identity is revealed to be the infamous Randall Lee Smith, a convicted killer. As the night progresses, a series of violent events occur, leaving Shawn and Scott fighting for their lives. The story delves into the disturbing psyche of Randall, his connection to the trail, and the haunting remnants of his campsite, leaving the audience in a state of unease long after the story ends.
Takeaways
- 🏕 The story revolves around a disturbing camping incident involving Ricky Williams (a pseudonym) on Dismal Creek in the Appalachian Trail.
- 🏁 Ricky, an older, frail man camping with his dog, hoped for assistance from fellow hikers due to dwindling food supplies, emphasizing the community's unwritten code of mutual aid.
- 💬 He encounters Scott Johnston, who offers food and companionship, introducing a sense of relief and camaraderie.
- 🔥 The narrative shifts when Ricky is invited to dine with Scott and his imposing friend Shawn, leading to an unsettling atmosphere at their campsite.
- 🔮 Tension escalates with the introduction of weapons and odd behavior, painting a picture of discomfort and potential danger for Ricky.
- 🎶 Disrespect for the serene wilderness setting by blaring music further alienates Ricky, underscoring a clash of values.
- 💣 A sudden, loud explosion marks a pivotal and shocking moment in the story, heightening suspense.
- 🚨 The aftermath reveals a violent encounter, with Scott and Shawn severely injured, tying back to the infamous murderer Randall Lee Smith.
- 📚 Randall's campsite discoveries (knives, personal items, and a birth certificate) hint at a deeper, darker history on the Appalachian Trail.
- 🔥 Despite surviving the attack, Scott and Shawn's return to Dismal Creek underscores themes of resilience and the enduring allure of nature.
Q & A
What is the story about?
-The story is about a disturbing camping encounter involving an older man named Ricky Williams (later revealed to be Randall Lee Smith), who goes fishing near Dismal Creek and meets two men, Scott and Shawn. After being invited to their campsite for dinner, Ricky opens fire on them, nearly killing them.
Who is Randall Lee Smith?
-Randall Lee Smith is a convicted murderer who had previously killed two hikers near Dismal Creek in 1981. He was paroled in 1996 but later moved back to the Appalachian Trail, where the events of this story took place.
Why did Randall Lee Smith attack Scott and Shawn?
-The exact reason is not clear, but it's suggested that Randall, being mentally unstable, may have felt that Scott and Shawn disrespected the Appalachian Trail, which he considered his sacred place.
What was found in Randall's other campsite?
-In Randall's other campsite, police found a collection of 30 knives, a police scanner, piles of clothing (including women's underwear), eyeglasses, a map of the Appalachian Trail with circled locations, and a cassette tape containing chanting that sounded like a Satanic ritual.
What happened to Scott and Shawn after the attack?
-Scott and Shawn were both seriously injured by Randall's gunshots, but they managed to flee and were found by police. They were taken to the hospital and ultimately survived the attack, though they still bear scars from their injuries.
How did Randall Lee Smith die?
-Four days after being taken into police custody following the attack, Randall Lee Smith died from a blood clot resulting from the truck crash he was involved in while fleeing the scene.
What is the significance of the Appalachian Trail in the story?
-The Appalachian Trail is a famous hiking trail where there is a code among hikers to help each other if needed. Randall Lee Smith viewed the Trail as his sacred place and may have attacked Scott and Shawn for perceived disrespect towards it.
What was the purpose of the other items found in Randall's campsite?
-The purpose of the other items, such as the clothing, eyeglasses, and women's underwear, is not clearly explained. It's suggested that these items could belong to other potential victims of Randall, but DNA testing did not match any missing persons or murder victims in the police database.
What happened to the truck driver who crashed in front of the police?
-The truck driver who crashed in front of the police was revealed to be Ricky Williams, which was actually an alias used by Randall Lee Smith.
How did Scott and Shawn react to Randall initially?
-When Randall first approached them, Scott and Shawn felt sorry for him, thinking he was just an alcoholic drifter living on the Appalachian Trail. They did not feel threatened by him due to his small, frail appearance and invited him to join them for dinner out of kindness.
Outlines
🌲 Camping Story Introduction: A Disturbing Encounter in the Woods
The episode opens with a creepy camping story set on May 6th, 2008, featuring 54-year-old Ricky Williams fishing at dismal Creek, Virginia. Ricky, camping for weeks with his dog and running low on supplies, hopes to catch fish. He's aware of the Appalachian Trail's code of mutual assistance among hikers and secretly hopes for help. As his dog senses a presence, a man named Scott Johnston approaches. Initially uneasy due to past murders on the trail, Ricky relaxes when Scott seems harmless and offers food. They fish together, and Scott invites Ricky to join him and a friend at their campsite.
🌃 Tense Encounter at the Campsite: Unsettling Vibes
Ricky accepts Scott's invitation to dine at the campsite. Upon arrival, Ricky encounters a large, intimidating man, presumably Scott's friend, who reacts aggressively before Scott arrives to ease the situation. The atmosphere at the campsite feels off to Ricky, with loud music and the men's dismissive attitude. Despite feeling unwelcome and uneasy, particularly with Scott and his friend handling knives while preparing fish, Ricky stays for the meal due to his hunger. He attempts to engage in conversation about his love for nature and the Appalachian Trail, but senses judgment from the men.
🚨 Chaos and Violence Unfold: A Surprising Attack
After dinner, Ricky quickly leaves the campsite, feeling uneasy. Shortly after, he hears a loud explosion and sees the men in shock. In a surprising turn, Ricky, previously portrayed as a victim, is revealed to be Randall Lee Smith, the assailant who shoots both men. Shawn, despite being shot, manages to escape with Scott in a jeep, seeking help at a nearby house. The police, alerted by the incident, find Ricky's crashed truck and detain him. They also discover a bizarre campsite with unsettling items, suggesting Randall's unstable mental state.
🔍 Unraveling the Mystery: Randall Lee Smith's Dark Past
The episode reveals that 'Ricky Williams' is actually Randall Lee Smith, previously convicted for a double homicide near dismal Creek in 1981 and released in 1996. Living in the woods, he targets Shawn and Scott, perceiving them as intruders. Shawn and Scott survive the attack, and Randall dies in custody, leaving many questions unanswered. Despite the harrowing experience, Shawn and Scott continue to visit dismal Creek. The episode concludes with a promotion for the podcast 'run fool', hosted by Rodney Barnes.
🎙️ Podcast Promotion and Conclusion: Inviting Listeners to 'run fool'
The script concludes with a promotion for 'run fool', a horror podcast with a unique narrative style and expert sound design, hosted by Rodney Barnes. The podcast is praised for its immersive storytelling and suspenseful plot twists. The episode ends with an invitation to the audience to follow and listen to the podcast, along with a teaser clip from a recent episode, emphasizing its engaging and eerie narrative.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Camping
💡Appalachian Trail
💡Homicide
💡Dismal Creek
💡Hospitality
💡Satanic
💡Adrenaline Rush
💡Parole
💡Mentally Unwell
💡Custody
Highlights
Introduction to a creepy and highly disturbing camping story.
Ricky Williams' struggle for survival while fishing at dismal Creek.
The special code of mutual assistance among hikers on the Appalachian Trail.
Ricky's encounter with Scott Johnston and the unexpected act of kindness.
The suspenseful moment as Ricky approaches Scott's campsite.
The tense and uncomfortable dinner at the campsite with Scott and his friend Shawn.
Ricky's reflection on the beauty and peace of nature disrupted by blaring country music.
The unsettling discovery of a campsite indicating a mentally unstable and potentially dangerous person.
Police investigation reveals a chilling tape and a birth certificate belonging to Randall Lee Smith.
The shocking revelation that Ricky Williams is actually Randall Lee Smith, a known murderer.
The aftermath of Randall's attack on Shawn and Scott, leading to a desperate escape for help.
Randall's death in police custody, leaving unanswered questions about other potential victims.
Shawn and Scott's resilience and return to dismal Creek despite their traumatic experience.
A teaser for an episode of the Run Fool podcast, introducing another layer of horror storytelling.
The invitation to explore more strange, dark, and mysterious stories on the Mr Ballin podcast.
Transcripts
today's episode is a very creepy and
highly disturbing camping story but
before we get into that story if you're
a fan of the strange dark and mysterious
delivered in story format and you come
to the right place because that's all we
do and we upload once a week so if
that's of interest to you the next time
the like button is asleep go to their
front yard and spell the words I hate my
neighbors in gasoline all across their
front yard and then light it on fire
also please subscribe to our Channel and
turn on all notifications so you don't
miss any of our weekly uploads okay
let's get into today's
[Music]
story on the afternoon of May 6th 2008 a
54-year-old man called Ricky Williams
stood on the River Bank casting out his
line into the Waters of dismal Creek in
Western Virginia Ricky was hoping to get
lucky and catch some trout but he'd been
out here fishing for 30 minutes so far
and there were no bites normally Ricky
wouldn't care because he loved just
fishing for hours and hours at a time
but today he and his dog who was right
with him were really hungry because
they'd been out in these Woods camping
for several weeks now and their food
supply was finally dwindling down to the
end and so if they didn't catch any fish
today they might not eat now for context
where Ricky was fishing dismal Creek
despite its Bleak name it was actually a
beautiful secluded spot on top of a
mountain that was on the Appalachian
Trail the Appalachian Trail is a very
famous 2200m long trail that runs up and
down the east coast of the United States
and why that is relevant is because
there's this special code for people
that hike on the Appalachian Trail and
the code which all hikers know is
basically if you come across another
hiker on the Appalachian Trail it is
your responsibility to help them if they
need help and it is their respons
responsibility to help you if you need
help so it's this community of hikers
that are always looking to help each
other and so Ricky was very aware of
this code on the Appalachian Trail and
he was secretly hoping as he cast his
line over and over again and didn't get
any bites that a hiker or a group of
hikers might come by this area and maybe
they would see him and come down and
learn that he needed food and they might
just give him some of their food but
another half hour passed and no hikers
came by and still Ricky could not catch
any f but then suddenly Ricky's dog who
was right next to him began to whine and
kind of began shifting around like it
was sensing a predator in the area or
something but as Ricky was trying to
calm his dog down he began to hear a
voice in the woods right behind him
somebody was moving towards him and when
Ricky heard this voice on the one hand
he was pretty excited because maybe this
is a hiker who can give him some food
but on the other hand Ricky couldn't
help but feel really uneasy now you need
to understand that Ricky was an older
guy he was kind of frail and over over
the past few weeks that he'd been
camping with his dog you know as his
food supply had run down he had become
skinnier and skinnier and skinnier and
so he really did not pose any sort of
threat to anybody he's like this weak
older man now generally speaking the
Appalachian Trail was a very safe place
but over the last few decades there had
actually been several murders that took
place on the Appalachian Trail and in
fact one of those killings took place
less than 2 miles away from where Ricky
was fishing with his dog and in that
double homicide a very well-known killer
named Randall Lee Smith had stabbed and
shot to death two hikers and so while
Ricky was really looking for help from
fellow hikers at the same time he
couldn't help but feel somewhat
apprehensive because again Ricky was
like this small frail guy and Ricky was
well aware of these murders and he was
well aware of the fact that he was super
close to one of the murder sites and so
Ricky was totally on edge as he's
listening to this male voice get closer
and closer and then finally this man in
his early 30s steps out from the tree
line and he looks over and he sees Ricky
and for a second the two men just kind
of look at each other but then this guy
just grinned at Ricky and said hey how
you doing and immediately Ricky felt
relieved because he could tell just from
looking at this guy that very likely he
was not a threat the man introduced
himself as Scott Johnston and he told
Ricky he was actually camping in the
area with a friend of his and they were
out here fishing just like Ricky and
Ricky pretty much immediately said oh
great nice to meet you do you have any
food for me and Scott was like
absolutely and he dug into his bag that
he had with him and he pulled out a
couple energy bars and a bag of chips
and he threw them over to Ricky and he
also gave some fresh bait to Ricky so he
too could cast out again and for the
next couple of hours Scott and Ricky
just stood on the river bank and fished
together and after a while the trout did
start biting and they did start catching
fish so the day kind of turned into a
great outing for Ricky and it got even
better because as soon as the men were
done fishing Scott asked Ricky if he
wanted to join him and his friend back
up at the camp site for dinner and
remember Ricky had no food so this was
an amazing invitation and he said yes of
course I'd love to join you so the two
men packed up their stuff right as the
sun was going down and then they began
walking back into the forest where Scott
had emerged from and as they were
walking Scott's fishing pole got tangled
on a low hanging branch and he was
really struggling to get it out of the
tree and so finally he just told Ricky
to you know go on ahead my campsite is
right up there it's a straight shot just
go up the hill and you'll see it Ricky
asked Scott he was sure and Scott said
no it's totally fine go ahead so Ricky
said okay and he walked the rest of the
way up the hill and then when he walked
out of the tree line into the clearing
where Scott's campsite was immediately
what Ricky noticed was this enormous man
who was like twice the size of Scott and
so four times the size of Ricky kind of
hunched over the campfire and this huge
man who presumably was Scott's friend he
heard Ricky walk into the circle and
remember it's nighttime and they're kind
of in the middle of nowhere and so this
guy he turns his head around and sees
this strange man just standing there and
Scott's nowhere to be found and so this
guy he grabs a club like a piece of wood
and he looks at Ricky kind of menacingly
like what are you doing here and Ricky
who was so caught off guard by just how
big this guy was he put his hands up and
he said I'm so sorry Scott sent me up
here I don't know if this is the right
sight I'm sorry but just at that moment
Scott had finished untangling his
fishing line and he came out of the tree
line and he patted Ricky on the back and
he said oh you've already met my friend
Shawn and as soon as he said that Shawn
looked like he basically let his guard
down you know he put the wood down and
he stopped glaring directly at Ricky but
Ricky felt like Shawn was not happy that
Ricky was in his campsite even though
clearly Scott is the reason that Ricky
is in this campsite and so Ricky just
felt really uncomfortable and at the
same time Scott is ushering Ricky closer
to the campfire to take a seat next to
Shawn you know Sean's a great cook he'll
cook up this fish for us it's going to
be great you know take a seat Ricky felt
kind of annoyed that Scott was really
forcing him to stay but Ricky didn't
want to be rude and just kind of
abruptly leave so he did take a seat
next to Shawn who definitely was not
excited to be sitting next to Ricky and
Ricky just kind of sat there waiting to
see what would happen next and what
happened next is Scott walked over to
Shawn and handed off all the fish that
he and Ricky had caught so that Shawn
could begin to prepare them to cook them
and then as Ricky is still just sitting
there right next to Shawn Scott walked
away from the campfire up to his truck
which was parked right next to Shawn's
Jeep and Scott turned on the radio and
began blasting country music and when
Ricky heard this music he kind of winced
because to him you know part of the
reason the outdoors the Appalachian
Trail you know being out in nature part
of the reason it was so wonderful was
for the peace and quiet and so it felt
kind of like borderline disrespectful to
be out in the middle of this beautiful
place blaring country music and so to
Ricky he just couldn't help but feel
like there's something off about these
two guys they just seem really
disrespectful and kind of pushy and
maybe aggressive and so Ricky is just
not happy but again Ricky didn't say
anything and didn't attempt to leave
because again he's really hungry and so
is his dog and he needs to eat that fish
a moment later Scott walked back from
the truck and took a seat next to Shawn
and then he along with Shawn pulled out
their knives and began deboning the fish
and as they were doing this Ricky again
is just kind of sitting there doing
nothing and so he kind of meagerly asked
you know hey can you give me a knife and
I'll clean a fish but Sean and SC kind
of waved him off and said don't worry we
got this and so Ricky just continued to
sit there nervously it's all he could
watch was the flashing of the light
bouncing off their blades but eventually
Scott and Shawn finished deboning all
the fish and they put their knives away
and at that point they began cooking the
fish over the Open Flame and suddenly
for Ricky it felt like you know the mood
had shifted a little bit at least now
the two men were not fiddling around
with weapons you know it felt kind of
safe again and so Ricky began making
some small talk in hopes that would kind
of you know settle his nerves and so
Ricky told the two men about how much he
loved the Appalachian Trail and how he
came out here all the time for weeks at
a time with his dog and Ricky would tell
the men that you know sometimes he felt
more at home out in the wild than he did
at home it was almost like being out in
nature was a religious experience for
Ricky and he would even tell Sean and
Scott that sometimes when he was out in
nature he would meditate and pray and
even do some chanting like part of a
ritual I mean he was really trying to be
in tune with mother nature but as Ricky
continued to tell Shawn and Scott about
his personal life he noticed the two men
were definitely paying attention and
kind of nodding along at appropriate
points in the story but at the same time
Ricky felt like these two men were also
kind of looking at him like Ricky was
kind of weird as if they were not
prepared to come out and say it but
after hearing all these things about his
life it was like huh what's going on
with this guy and so Ricky suddenly felt
really embarrassed about being so open
with these two guys who once again just
seem like they don't quite like him or
even really want him here but luckily
right at that moment the fish were done
and so the men just sat there in silence
and wolfed down the food by the time
they finished right about 8:00 p.m. it
was very dark outside and Ricky at this
point is just ready to go you know he
just felt so uneasy here and so after
putting down his plate and his
silverware and saying thank you to Shawn
and Scott for their Hospitality he
quickly got up and grabbed his dog and
he began walking into the woods towards
his campsite but after Ricky and his dog
had walked maybe 10 or 15 ft away from
this campsite two things happened in
Rapid succession number one Ricky
suddenly stopped and turned around and
looked back at the campsite and number
two right as he did this there was this
enormous bang sound like a small
explosion that echoed through the
forest okay so if you're not listening
to our show called run fool then you are
really missing out on a truly special
and unique podcast now it's technically
a horror podcast but honestly it's so
much more every episode is a fresh take
on terrifying lore like a modern ghost
story wrapped up in a tightly spun
narrative also remember run fool is a
ball in studios podcast which means
there's always going to be a big plot
twist or reveal at the end Rodney Barnes
is the iconic host of run fo and every
story he tells on there it feels like
this fully immersive horror movie also
the sound design on the show is is like
expert level Barnes really knows what
he's doing even if you never watch the
show you should tune in just for a
second at least once just to hear
barnes's radio voice it is like the best
most soothing voice I think I've ever
heard so if run fo feels like a show you
might like go run and follow the show
and start listening also be sure you
stick around till the end of today's
video because we're going to play a clip
from last week's episode of
runp
about 30 minutes later and about 4 miles
away from where Ricky and Shawn and
Scott had been there were these two
women who were in their house eating
dinner when they heard the sudden
frantic knocking on their front door now
these women live in a very isolated part
of the country and so the women were
very concerned one of them rushed over
to the phone just to be ready to call
the police while the other very
carefully made their way towards the
front of the house and they kind of
peered out the window but they couldn't
see anything outside it was too dark and
so they went to their door which was
still getting pounded on by whoever was
out there and the woman she unlocked the
door and she opened it just a crack and
what she saw nearly made her faint there
was a man standing on her porch who was
absolutely covered in blood as if he had
been fully submerged in a tank of blood
I mean he is all red and the man had his
hand over his neck and the woman who
opened the door she looked at him and
she saw that there was this rhythmic
pulsing of blood pumping out of his neck
that was into time with his heart this
man is clearly bleeding to death and so
the woman she screamed for The Other
Woman to please call 911 we have someone
who's dying here and so she began
calling 911 and then the man on the
porch just said please help me and then
he said something about dismal Creek and
then he collapsed and this was so
shocking for the woman who had opened
the door that she just stood there
staring having no idea what to do but
then she happened to look up and she
noticed there was a jeep that was idling
out on the road in front of her house
that she hadn't even registered until
now and so either this guy got dropped
off or he drove that jeep but before she
could even begin to understand what had
just happened an ambulance and a whole
bunch of police cars came screaming up
and parked in front of her house and
then the Medics got out they rushed up
and they grabbed the bleeding man and
they put him in the ambulance and they
rushed him off meanwhile not far from
the house police officers were speeding
towards dismal Creek because when the
women called 911 they said you know this
guy who shown up on the porch bleeding
said something about dmal Creek but they
had no idea what it was about and so
instead of trying to wait to figure out
what was even going on police had
basically said let's just go to dismal
Creek and look around and see if we can
figure out you know why someone would
leave that area and show up at this
house covered in blood but as the police
were making their way up this winding
Mountain Road they saw a truck bombing
down the road coming straight at them
and the truck they initially hit their
brakes and did kind of attempt to get
out of the way of the police cars but