An Extremely Disturbing Camping Story

MrBallen
3 Mar 202426:31

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

  • ๐Ÿ• The story revolves around a disturbing camping incident involving Ricky Williams (a pseudonym) on Dismal Creek in the Appalachian Trail.
  • ๐Ÿ 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.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ He encounters Scott Johnston, who offers food and companionship, introducing a sense of relief and camaraderie.
  • ๐Ÿ”ฅ The narrative shifts when Ricky is invited to dine with Scott and his imposing friend Shawn, leading to an unsettling atmosphere at their campsite.
  • ๐Ÿ”ฎ Tension escalates with the introduction of weapons and odd behavior, painting a picture of discomfort and potential danger for Ricky.
  • ๐ŸŽถ Disrespect for the serene wilderness setting by blaring music further alienates Ricky, underscoring a clash of values.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฃ A sudden, loud explosion marks a pivotal and shocking moment in the story, heightening suspense.
  • ๐Ÿšจ The aftermath reveals a violent encounter, with Scott and Shawn severely injured, tying back to the infamous murderer Randall Lee Smith.
  • ๐Ÿ“š Randall's campsite discoveries (knives, personal items, and a birth certificate) hint at a deeper, darker history on the Appalachian Trail.
  • ๐Ÿ”ฅ 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

00:00

๐ŸŒฒ 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.

05:01

๐ŸŒƒ 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.

10:03

๐Ÿšจ 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.

15:03

๐Ÿ” 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.

20:04

๐ŸŽ™๏ธ 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

๐Ÿ’กCamping

Camping refers to the activity of spending time outdoors, away from urban areas, in a tent or other temporary shelter. In the video, camping is central to the story, as Ricky Williams had been camping for several weeks on the Appalachian Trail before the disturbing events unfolded. Camping is portrayed as a way for Ricky to connect with nature and find solace in the outdoors.

๐Ÿ’กAppalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a famous hiking trail that stretches over 2,200 miles along the Appalachian mountain range on the East Coast of the United States. In the video, the Appalachian Trail serves as the setting for the story and is described as having a 'special code' among hikers to help one another. The trail's remote and rugged nature also contributes to the sense of isolation and potential danger.

๐Ÿ’กHomicide

Homicide refers to the deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another. The video mentions past homicides that have occurred on the Appalachian Trail, including a double homicide by a killer named Randall Lee Smith. The threat of homicide looms over the story, creating a sense of unease and suspense.

๐Ÿ’กDismal Creek

Dismal Creek is the specific location on the Appalachian Trail where the events of the story take place. Despite its gloomy name, it is described as a beautiful and secluded spot. The creek serves as the site of the encounter between Ricky, Scott, and Shawn, and later becomes a crime scene when Randall Lee Smith attacks Scott and Shawn.

๐Ÿ’กHospitality

Hospitality refers to the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests or strangers. In the video, Scott initially extends hospitality to Ricky by offering him food and inviting him to their campsite for dinner. However, Ricky's experience of their hospitality is tainted by a sense of unease and discomfort due to the men's behavior.

๐Ÿ’กSatanic

Satanic refers to practices or beliefs associated with the worship of Satan or other demonic entities. The video mentions a 'Satanic ritual' recorded on a cassette tape found in Randall Lee Smith's campsite, suggesting he engaged in occult or ritualistic practices. This detail adds to the unsettling and potentially supernatural undertones of the story.

๐Ÿ’กAdrenaline Rush

An adrenaline rush is a sudden release of the hormone adrenaline, typically caused by intense emotions like fear or excitement. The video describes Shawn experiencing an 'extreme Adrenaline Rush' after being shot, which allowed him to find the strength to flee from Randall Lee Smith. This detail adds drama and a sense of urgency to the events.

๐Ÿ’กParole

Parole is the conditional release of a prisoner before their sentence has been fully served. The video reveals that Randall Lee Smith, the attacker, had been paroled 15 years after being convicted of a double homicide on the Appalachian Trail. This detail provides context for his background and the potential motivations behind his actions.

๐Ÿ’กMentally Unwell

Being mentally unwell refers to a state of poor mental health or a psychological disorder. The video suggests that Randall Lee Smith was mentally unwell, describing him as potentially dangerous and engaging in ritualistic behaviors. His unstable mental state is presented as a possible factor contributing to his violent actions.

๐Ÿ’กCustody

Custody refers to the state of being detained or kept in confinement, typically by law enforcement authorities. The video mentions that Randall Lee Smith died in police custody a few days after his attack, implying that he was arrested and held by the authorities. This detail provides closure to the story and suggests the consequences of his actions.

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

00:00

today's episode is a very creepy and

00:02

highly disturbing camping story but

00:05

before we get into that story if you're

00:07

a fan of the strange dark and mysterious

00:09

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00:33

let's get into today's

00:39

[Music]

00:47

story on the afternoon of May 6th 2008 a

00:51

54-year-old man called Ricky Williams

00:53

stood on the River Bank casting out his

00:55

line into the Waters of dismal Creek in

00:57

Western Virginia Ricky was hoping to get

00:59

lucky and catch some trout but he'd been

01:02

out here fishing for 30 minutes so far

01:04

and there were no bites normally Ricky

01:06

wouldn't care because he loved just

01:08

fishing for hours and hours at a time

01:10

but today he and his dog who was right

01:12

with him were really hungry because

01:14

they'd been out in these Woods camping

01:16

for several weeks now and their food

01:18

supply was finally dwindling down to the

01:20

end and so if they didn't catch any fish

01:22

today they might not eat now for context

01:25

where Ricky was fishing dismal Creek

01:27

despite its Bleak name it was actually a

01:29

beautiful secluded spot on top of a

01:31

mountain that was on the Appalachian

01:33

Trail the Appalachian Trail is a very

01:36

famous 2200m long trail that runs up and

01:39

down the east coast of the United States

01:41

and why that is relevant is because

01:43

there's this special code for people

01:45

that hike on the Appalachian Trail and

01:47

the code which all hikers know is

01:50

basically if you come across another

01:52

hiker on the Appalachian Trail it is

01:55

your responsibility to help them if they

01:57

need help and it is their respons

01:59

responsibility to help you if you need

02:01

help so it's this community of hikers

02:04

that are always looking to help each

02:05

other and so Ricky was very aware of

02:07

this code on the Appalachian Trail and

02:10

he was secretly hoping as he cast his

02:11

line over and over again and didn't get

02:13

any bites that a hiker or a group of

02:16

hikers might come by this area and maybe

02:18

they would see him and come down and

02:20

learn that he needed food and they might

02:22

just give him some of their food but

02:24

another half hour passed and no hikers

02:26

came by and still Ricky could not catch

02:29

any f but then suddenly Ricky's dog who

02:32

was right next to him began to whine and

02:34

kind of began shifting around like it

02:35

was sensing a predator in the area or

02:37

something but as Ricky was trying to

02:39

calm his dog down he began to hear a

02:41

voice in the woods right behind him

02:43

somebody was moving towards him and when

02:45

Ricky heard this voice on the one hand

02:47

he was pretty excited because maybe this

02:49

is a hiker who can give him some food

02:51

but on the other hand Ricky couldn't

02:53

help but feel really uneasy now you need

02:55

to understand that Ricky was an older

02:57

guy he was kind of frail and over over

02:59

the past few weeks that he'd been

03:01

camping with his dog you know as his

03:03

food supply had run down he had become

03:05

skinnier and skinnier and skinnier and

03:07

so he really did not pose any sort of

03:10

threat to anybody he's like this weak

03:12

older man now generally speaking the

03:14

Appalachian Trail was a very safe place

03:16

but over the last few decades there had

03:19

actually been several murders that took

03:21

place on the Appalachian Trail and in

03:23

fact one of those killings took place

03:25

less than 2 miles away from where Ricky

03:27

was fishing with his dog and in that

03:30

double homicide a very well-known killer

03:33

named Randall Lee Smith had stabbed and

03:35

shot to death two hikers and so while

03:38

Ricky was really looking for help from

03:40

fellow hikers at the same time he

03:42

couldn't help but feel somewhat

03:43

apprehensive because again Ricky was

03:45

like this small frail guy and Ricky was

03:48

well aware of these murders and he was

03:50

well aware of the fact that he was super

03:51

close to one of the murder sites and so

03:54

Ricky was totally on edge as he's

03:55

listening to this male voice get closer

03:58

and closer and then finally this man in

04:01

his early 30s steps out from the tree

04:03

line and he looks over and he sees Ricky

04:05

and for a second the two men just kind

04:06

of look at each other but then this guy

04:08

just grinned at Ricky and said hey how

04:10

you doing and immediately Ricky felt

04:12

relieved because he could tell just from

04:14

looking at this guy that very likely he

04:16

was not a threat the man introduced

04:18

himself as Scott Johnston and he told

04:20

Ricky he was actually camping in the

04:22

area with a friend of his and they were

04:23

out here fishing just like Ricky and

04:25

Ricky pretty much immediately said oh

04:27

great nice to meet you do you have any

04:29

food for me and Scott was like

04:30

absolutely and he dug into his bag that

04:32

he had with him and he pulled out a

04:33

couple energy bars and a bag of chips

04:35

and he threw them over to Ricky and he

04:37

also gave some fresh bait to Ricky so he

04:39

too could cast out again and for the

04:41

next couple of hours Scott and Ricky

04:43

just stood on the river bank and fished

04:45

together and after a while the trout did

04:47

start biting and they did start catching

04:49

fish so the day kind of turned into a

04:51

great outing for Ricky and it got even

04:53

better because as soon as the men were

04:54

done fishing Scott asked Ricky if he

04:57

wanted to join him and his friend back

04:59

up at the camp site for dinner and

05:01

remember Ricky had no food so this was

05:03

an amazing invitation and he said yes of

05:06

course I'd love to join you so the two

05:07

men packed up their stuff right as the

05:09

sun was going down and then they began

05:11

walking back into the forest where Scott

05:13

had emerged from and as they were

05:15

walking Scott's fishing pole got tangled

05:17

on a low hanging branch and he was

05:19

really struggling to get it out of the

05:21

tree and so finally he just told Ricky

05:23

to you know go on ahead my campsite is

05:25

right up there it's a straight shot just

05:26

go up the hill and you'll see it Ricky

05:29

asked Scott he was sure and Scott said

05:30

no it's totally fine go ahead so Ricky

05:32

said okay and he walked the rest of the

05:34

way up the hill and then when he walked

05:36

out of the tree line into the clearing

05:38

where Scott's campsite was immediately

05:41

what Ricky noticed was this enormous man

05:44

who was like twice the size of Scott and

05:46

so four times the size of Ricky kind of

05:48

hunched over the campfire and this huge

05:51

man who presumably was Scott's friend he

05:54

heard Ricky walk into the circle and

05:56

remember it's nighttime and they're kind

05:58

of in the middle of nowhere and so this

06:00

guy he turns his head around and sees

06:02

this strange man just standing there and

06:04

Scott's nowhere to be found and so this

06:06

guy he grabs a club like a piece of wood

06:08

and he looks at Ricky kind of menacingly

06:10

like what are you doing here and Ricky

06:12

who was so caught off guard by just how

06:14

big this guy was he put his hands up and

06:16

he said I'm so sorry Scott sent me up

06:18

here I don't know if this is the right

06:19

sight I'm sorry but just at that moment

06:22

Scott had finished untangling his

06:24

fishing line and he came out of the tree

06:26

line and he patted Ricky on the back and

06:28

he said oh you've already met my friend

06:29

Shawn and as soon as he said that Shawn

06:32

looked like he basically let his guard

06:34

down you know he put the wood down and

06:35

he stopped glaring directly at Ricky but

06:38

Ricky felt like Shawn was not happy that

06:41

Ricky was in his campsite even though

06:42

clearly Scott is the reason that Ricky

06:44

is in this campsite and so Ricky just

06:46

felt really uncomfortable and at the

06:48

same time Scott is ushering Ricky closer

06:50

to the campfire to take a seat next to

06:52

Shawn you know Sean's a great cook he'll

06:54

cook up this fish for us it's going to

06:56

be great you know take a seat Ricky felt

06:58

kind of annoyed that Scott was really

07:00

forcing him to stay but Ricky didn't

07:02

want to be rude and just kind of

07:03

abruptly leave so he did take a seat

07:05

next to Shawn who definitely was not

07:08

excited to be sitting next to Ricky and

07:09

Ricky just kind of sat there waiting to

07:11

see what would happen next and what

07:13

happened next is Scott walked over to

07:15

Shawn and handed off all the fish that

07:17

he and Ricky had caught so that Shawn

07:19

could begin to prepare them to cook them

07:21

and then as Ricky is still just sitting

07:22

there right next to Shawn Scott walked

07:24

away from the campfire up to his truck

07:27

which was parked right next to Shawn's

07:28

Jeep and Scott turned on the radio and

07:30

began blasting country music and when

07:33

Ricky heard this music he kind of winced

07:35

because to him you know part of the

07:37

reason the outdoors the Appalachian

07:39

Trail you know being out in nature part

07:41

of the reason it was so wonderful was

07:43

for the peace and quiet and so it felt

07:45

kind of like borderline disrespectful to

07:47

be out in the middle of this beautiful

07:48

place blaring country music and so to

07:51

Ricky he just couldn't help but feel

07:53

like there's something off about these

07:55

two guys they just seem really

07:56

disrespectful and kind of pushy and

07:59

maybe aggressive and so Ricky is just

08:01

not happy but again Ricky didn't say

08:04

anything and didn't attempt to leave

08:06

because again he's really hungry and so

08:08

is his dog and he needs to eat that fish

08:11

a moment later Scott walked back from

08:13

the truck and took a seat next to Shawn

08:15

and then he along with Shawn pulled out

08:17

their knives and began deboning the fish

08:20

and as they were doing this Ricky again

08:22

is just kind of sitting there doing

08:23

nothing and so he kind of meagerly asked

08:25

you know hey can you give me a knife and

08:27

I'll clean a fish but Sean and SC kind

08:29

of waved him off and said don't worry we

08:31

got this and so Ricky just continued to

08:33

sit there nervously it's all he could

08:35

watch was the flashing of the light

08:36

bouncing off their blades but eventually

08:39

Scott and Shawn finished deboning all

08:41

the fish and they put their knives away

08:43

and at that point they began cooking the

08:45

fish over the Open Flame and suddenly

08:47

for Ricky it felt like you know the mood

08:49

had shifted a little bit at least now

08:50

the two men were not fiddling around

08:52

with weapons you know it felt kind of

08:54

safe again and so Ricky began making

08:56

some small talk in hopes that would kind

08:58

of you know settle his nerves and so

08:59

Ricky told the two men about how much he

09:01

loved the Appalachian Trail and how he

09:03

came out here all the time for weeks at

09:05

a time with his dog and Ricky would tell

09:07

the men that you know sometimes he felt

09:10

more at home out in the wild than he did

09:12

at home it was almost like being out in

09:14

nature was a religious experience for

09:16

Ricky and he would even tell Sean and

09:18

Scott that sometimes when he was out in

09:20

nature he would meditate and pray and

09:22

even do some chanting like part of a

09:24

ritual I mean he was really trying to be

09:26

in tune with mother nature but as Ricky

09:29

continued to tell Shawn and Scott about

09:31

his personal life he noticed the two men

09:33

were definitely paying attention and

09:35

kind of nodding along at appropriate

09:37

points in the story but at the same time

09:39

Ricky felt like these two men were also

09:41

kind of looking at him like Ricky was

09:43

kind of weird as if they were not

09:45

prepared to come out and say it but

09:47

after hearing all these things about his

09:48

life it was like huh what's going on

09:50

with this guy and so Ricky suddenly felt

09:52

really embarrassed about being so open

09:54

with these two guys who once again just

09:57

seem like they don't quite like him or

09:58

even really want him here but luckily

10:00

right at that moment the fish were done

10:02

and so the men just sat there in silence

10:04

and wolfed down the food by the time

10:06

they finished right about 8:00 p.m. it

10:08

was very dark outside and Ricky at this

10:11

point is just ready to go you know he

10:13

just felt so uneasy here and so after

10:15

putting down his plate and his

10:16

silverware and saying thank you to Shawn

10:17

and Scott for their Hospitality he

10:20

quickly got up and grabbed his dog and

10:21

he began walking into the woods towards

10:23

his campsite but after Ricky and his dog

10:26

had walked maybe 10 or 15 ft away from

10:29

this campsite two things happened in

10:32

Rapid succession number one Ricky

10:34

suddenly stopped and turned around and

10:36

looked back at the campsite and number

10:39

two right as he did this there was this

10:41

enormous bang sound like a small

10:43

explosion that echoed through the

10:50

forest okay so if you're not listening

10:53

to our show called run fool then you are

10:56

really missing out on a truly special

10:58

and unique podcast now it's technically

11:00

a horror podcast but honestly it's so

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much more every episode is a fresh take

11:06

on terrifying lore like a modern ghost

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story wrapped up in a tightly spun

11:10

narrative also remember run fool is a

11:12

ball in studios podcast which means

11:15

there's always going to be a big plot

11:16

twist or reveal at the end Rodney Barnes

11:19

is the iconic host of run fo and every

11:22

story he tells on there it feels like

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expert level Barnes really knows what

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second at least once just to hear

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heard so if run fo feels like a show you

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might like go run and follow the show

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and start listening also be sure you

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stick around till the end of today's

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video because we're going to play a clip

11:54

from last week's episode of

11:57

runp

12:02

about 30 minutes later and about 4 miles

12:05

away from where Ricky and Shawn and

12:06

Scott had been there were these two

12:08

women who were in their house eating

12:10

dinner when they heard the sudden

12:11

frantic knocking on their front door now

12:14

these women live in a very isolated part

12:16

of the country and so the women were

12:17

very concerned one of them rushed over

12:20

to the phone just to be ready to call

12:21

the police while the other very

12:23

carefully made their way towards the

12:24

front of the house and they kind of

12:26

peered out the window but they couldn't

12:27

see anything outside it was too dark and

12:29

so they went to their door which was

12:30

still getting pounded on by whoever was

12:32

out there and the woman she unlocked the

12:34

door and she opened it just a crack and

12:37

what she saw nearly made her faint there

12:39

was a man standing on her porch who was

12:42

absolutely covered in blood as if he had

12:44

been fully submerged in a tank of blood

12:47

I mean he is all red and the man had his

12:49

hand over his neck and the woman who

12:51

opened the door she looked at him and

12:53

she saw that there was this rhythmic

12:55

pulsing of blood pumping out of his neck

12:58

that was into time with his heart this

13:00

man is clearly bleeding to death and so

13:03

the woman she screamed for The Other

13:04

Woman to please call 911 we have someone

13:07

who's dying here and so she began

13:09

calling 911 and then the man on the

13:11

porch just said please help me and then

13:14

he said something about dismal Creek and

13:16

then he collapsed and this was so

13:18

shocking for the woman who had opened

13:19

the door that she just stood there

13:21

staring having no idea what to do but

13:23

then she happened to look up and she

13:25

noticed there was a jeep that was idling

13:27

out on the road in front of her house

13:29

that she hadn't even registered until

13:30

now and so either this guy got dropped

13:32

off or he drove that jeep but before she

13:35

could even begin to understand what had

13:37

just happened an ambulance and a whole

13:39

bunch of police cars came screaming up

13:41

and parked in front of her house and

13:42

then the Medics got out they rushed up

13:44

and they grabbed the bleeding man and

13:46

they put him in the ambulance and they

13:47

rushed him off meanwhile not far from

13:50

the house police officers were speeding

13:52

towards dismal Creek because when the

13:54

women called 911 they said you know this

13:57

guy who shown up on the porch bleeding

13:59

said something about dmal Creek but they

14:01

had no idea what it was about and so

14:02

instead of trying to wait to figure out

14:04

what was even going on police had

14:06

basically said let's just go to dismal

14:08

Creek and look around and see if we can

14:10

figure out you know why someone would

14:12

leave that area and show up at this

14:14

house covered in blood but as the police

14:17

were making their way up this winding

14:19

Mountain Road they saw a truck bombing

14:22

down the road coming straight at them

14:25

and the truck they initially hit their

14:26

brakes and did kind of attempt to get

14:28

out of the way of the police cars but

14:30

after this truck had basically come to a

14:32

stop the driver of the truck just hit

14:34

the gas all over again and they veered

14:37

wildly off the side of the road into an

14:39

embankment and they crashed and flipped

14:42

several times and then came to a stop

14:44

and the police officers who had veered

14:46

to the side of the road to avoid getting

14:48

hit by this truck you know they just

14:50

watched this happen and they couldn't

14:52

understand why the driver had gunned it

14:54

again after stopping and then seemingly

14:56

intentionally drove off the road it

14:59

almost seemed like the driver was trying

15:01

to crash and so the police they got out

15:03

of their car and they approached the

15:04

wrecked truck with their guns drawn but

15:06

when they looked into the vehicle they

15:08

saw there was a single occupant the

15:10

driver and he was still somehow alive so

15:14

the police got him out of the vehicle

15:15

and they called an ambulance but they

15:17

actually sent an officer with the

15:19

ambulance to escort them because the

15:22

police were actually pretty suspicious

15:23

of this truck driver because remember

15:26

they were going up that road to get to

15:28

dismal Creek to see what had happened

15:30

there that would lead to another man

15:31

showing up on somebody's doorstep in the

15:33

middle of the night covered in blood and

15:35

now they have this truck driver who

15:36

looks like he's speeding away from dismo

15:38

Creek who crashes his truck I mean there

15:41

was no clear connection between the

15:43

truck crash and the Bloody guy but the

15:45

police were suspicious that they had to

15:47

be connected so they sent the officer to

15:49

the hospital as well about 30 minutes

15:51

after the truck crash the police left

15:54

the scene and continued the rest of the

15:55

way up the road to dismal Creek and once

15:58

they got up up there the police fanned

16:00

out all across the area and just began

16:02

looking for anything just any clue that

16:05

might explain what the heck happened

16:07

here if anything happened at dismal

16:09

Creek at all and pretty quickly the

16:11

police actually did find something

16:13

unique in the middle of the Dismal Creek

16:15

area they found a campsite but it was

16:17

not the campsite where Shawn and Scott

16:19

were staying where Ricky had gone and

16:21

shared dinner with them this was a

16:23

different campsite and not long after

16:25

searching this other campsite police

16:27

concluded that whoever was staying here

16:30

did not seem like they were mentally

16:31

well this seems like a mentally unstable

16:34

and potentially dangerous person lives

16:36

here so the campsite was really simple

16:38

it was just a tent and a campfire but

16:41

when the police lifted up the flap and

16:43

looked inside the tent they found a

16:45

collection of 30 knives along with a

16:48

police scanner that basically picked up

16:50

police radio chatter in the area so you

16:53

could listen to a scanner and basically

16:54

know what the police were doing in your

16:56

area there were also all these weird pip

16:58

piles of clothing some were for kids

17:00

some were for adults some were for men

17:02

some were for women there were piles of

17:04

eyeglasses and there were eight pairs of

17:07

women's underwear and then also there

17:09

was a map of the Appalachian Trail

17:11

inside of this tent and all over this

17:13

map along the trail were all these spots

17:16

that were circled but there was no

17:17

information about what these circles

17:19

meant however one of the places that was

17:21

circled was dismal Creek and then next

17:23

to the map was a radio and inside the

17:26

radio was a cassette and so the police

17:29

just hit play and immediately what they

17:31

heard totally creeped them out because

17:33

the tape sounded like some kind of

17:35

Satanic ritual it was basically this one

17:37

man's voice just kind of howling and

17:39

chanting over and over again but by far

17:43

the most shocking thing that was found

17:45

inside of that tent was a single piece

17:47

of paper and this piece of paper was a

17:49

birth certificate and the name on the

17:52

birth certificate was a name that

17:54

basically all police in this area knew

17:57

and in fact anybody living in or around

17:59

the Appalachian Trail definitely would

18:01

know this name and the identity of this

18:04

person the name on the birth certificate

18:06

was the key to putting together all

18:08

these seemingly disconnected events that

18:10

had happened on this night from the

18:13

explosion when Ricky walked away from

18:15

the fire to the bloody man at the house

18:17

to the truck crash they were all

18:19

connected through this single person a

18:22

few hours earlier after Ricky had gotten

18:24

up and walked away from Shan and Scott's

18:26

campsite and then after barely making it

18:29

onto the trail he had turned around and

18:30

there was that loud explosion well at

18:33

that point in the story Ricky who's now

18:35

looking back at the campsite and looking

18:37

at Shawn and Scott he can see that the

18:39

two of them they've heard the sound too

18:41

and they were now staring at each other

18:43

with looks of absolute shock and Terror

18:45

on their faces but then Ricky watched as

18:47

Shawn reached up and touched his face

18:50

and he put his hand out in front of his

18:52

face and it was covered in red and the

18:54

reason for that was because Shawn had

18:56

just been shot in the face because is

18:58

that loud explosion was the sound of

19:00

Ricky shooting his gun at Shawn and as

19:04

Shawn and Scott stood there staring at

19:06

each other in absolute disbelief Ricky

19:09

who's still in the tree line ran towards

19:12

the fire and just kept on shooting and

19:14

so Shawn at this point as he sees Ricky

19:16

coming into the campsite he stands up

19:18

and kind of staggers back and falls on

19:20

the ground but Scott who's not hurt at

19:23

this point he just gets up and starts

19:24

running away from the campsite and Ricky

19:27

turns his attention toward W Scott and

19:29

he shoots at him and he hits him

19:30

straight in the neck and also in the

19:32

back but somehow Scott just kept on

19:35

running despite these horrible wounds

19:37

and so Ricky watched as Scott

19:38

disappeared into the woods and then

19:40

Ricky turned back to Shawn who's laying

19:42

on the ground and can't go anywhere he's

19:44

been shot in the face and Ricky just

19:46

casually raised his gun and shot Shawn

19:48

right in the chest but amazingly Shawn

19:51

after getting shot this second time it

19:53

created what must have been the most

19:54

extreme Adrenaline Rush ever because he

19:57

jumped up up to his feet and right in

19:59

front of his attacker he just turned and

20:01

sprinted to his Jeep he hopped inside

20:04

fired it up and just sped away as fast

20:06

as he could and when Shawn flipped on

20:08

his headlights and turned a corner after

20:10

getting away from the campsite he looked

20:12

down the road and he actually saw his

20:14

buddy Scott who would run away first

20:17

come tumbling out of the woods onto the

20:19

road and so Shawn who's Gravely injured

20:21

you know drives over next to Scott and

20:23

he stops the Jeep long enough for Scott

20:25

to climb inside and they shut the door

20:27

and they speed the way towards the

20:28

nearest help which happened to be that

20:30

house where those two women lived and so

20:33

it was Scott who looked like he was

20:34

drenched in blood who knocked on the

20:36

women's door Shawn was down in the Jeep

20:39

out on the road but he was just too weak

20:41

to get out and come up to the door as

20:43

well but when the ambulance and police

20:45

arrived they would find not only Scott

20:48

up on the porch but also Shawn in the

20:50

Jeep and both men would be taken to the

20:52

hospital via helicopter and then as for

20:54

the man who was driving the truck down

20:56

the road away from dismal Creek who then

20:58

crashed right in front of the police

21:00

well the driver of that truck was Ricky

21:02

Williams however that was not his real

21:05

name there was no Ricky Williams that

21:07

was the name he just used his real name

21:10

which was on the birth certificate that

21:11

police found in that other campsite

21:13

inside of the tent was Randall Lee Smith

21:17

the same Infamous Randall Lee Smith who

21:20

had murdered those two hikers not far

21:22

from dismal Creek that double homicide

21:24

had happened in 1981 and Randall was

21:27

caught in and convicted but he was

21:29

paroled 15 years later in 1996 for good

21:33

behavior and for 10 years after that

21:36

Randall lived with his mother and he

21:37

wore this electronic bracelet and you

21:39

know he followed the rules but by 2008

21:42

his electronic bracelet had came off and

21:45

even though Randall had attempted to

21:47

continue living with his mother it just

21:49

wasn't tenable he didn't have enough

21:50

money and so ultimately he packed up his

21:53

things grabbed his dog and moved out

21:55

onto the Appalachian Trail and on May

21:57

6th 2008 when Shawn and Scott arrived in

22:01

dismal Creek to go fishing Randall was

22:04

waiting nobody has any idea why Randall

22:06

murdered those two hikers back in 1981

22:09

or why he targeted Shawn and Scott in

22:11

2008 all we know is that Randall Lee

22:14

Smith was very mentally unwell and very

22:17

likely viewed the Appalachian Trail as

22:19

like his sacred place this is his home

22:21

this is the place he loves more than

22:23

anything and so maybe you know he felt

22:25

like Shawn and Scott had somehow

22:27

disrespected the appalation Trail and

22:29

that was enough to attack them now we

22:31

know Shawn and Scott did not do anything

22:33

intentionally disrespectful to Randall

22:36

because amazingly Shawn and Scott

22:38

survived this attack and they would say

22:40

that when they saw Randall they just

22:42

felt bad for him they thought he was

22:44

like this alcoholic Drifter who didn't

22:46

have a home of his own and so he was

22:48

just living out in the woods on the

22:49

Appalachian Trail and so they didn't

22:51

judge him instead they really did just

22:53

want to give him some food and spend

22:55

some time with him and make him feel

22:56

human again that was it and and because

22:58

Randall appeared to be this kind of

23:00

small older man Shawn and Scott who were

23:03

you know very big and imposing they

23:05

didn't feel threatened by this guy as

23:07

for that bizarre other campsite that

23:09

police found up around dismal Creek the

23:11

one that contained all those knives and

23:13

the bir certificate well obviously that

23:15

was Randall's campsite and that weird

23:18

cassette tape that they listened to that

23:19

sounded like a Satanic ritual that was

23:22

Randall going through his meditations

23:24

and chants that he would do when he was

23:25

out in the middle of nowhere it was like

23:27

his way of respecting mother nature and

23:30

the Appalachian Trail and then all those

23:32

items that were found inside of his tent

23:33

the different clothes and the eyeglasses

23:35

and the women's underwear it's believed

23:38

those could be Randall's other victims

23:41

however when police pulled DNA samples

23:43

from all of those items that were found

23:45

inside of his tent like the clothes and

23:47

the underwear and the eyeglasses well

23:49

those DNA samples did not match any of

23:52

the missing people or murder victims in

23:54

the police's database and so that wasn't

23:57

useful and then also police went to all

23:59

those places on that map that were

24:01

circled and with the exception of

24:03

obviously dismal Creek they didn't find

24:05

anything else at the other locations

24:07

that suggested any violent event had

24:09

happened there so only Randall knows the

24:12

truth which means we will never know the

24:14

truth because just 4 days after Randall

24:17

was pulled out of that truck that he

24:18

crashed he died in police custody from a

24:22

blood clot that formed as a result of

24:24

the crash and in those 4 days that

24:27

Randall was in custody he never gave up

24:29

that there were any other victims today

24:31

Shawn still has a bullet in his head and

24:34

in his chest and Scott still has big

24:36

scarring on his neck and on his back but

24:39

both men have made a full recovery

24:41

relatively speaking and they still go

24:42

back to dismal Creek all the time to go

24:45

camping and

24:48

fishing as promised here is a clip from

24:51

last week's episode of our amazing

24:53

podcast run full hosted by the

24:55

incredible iconic storyteller Rodney

24:58

Barnes enjoy the first guy that stood up

25:01

was about 6 feet tall with thinning hair

25:03

he wore swept back from his forehead he

25:05

was dressed elegantly in a sweater and

25:07

button down unusual enough in a sea of

25:09

fleece jackets and his eyes were

25:11

hollowed in his skull you write a lot

25:14

about monsters that the rest of us don't

25:16

actually believe in the guy said

25:19

reptiles werewolves murder goats

25:21

whatever a chuckle roll through the

25:23

theater I'm wondering if you'd ever

25:25

consider addressing the other kind

25:28

monster the real kind he went on the

25:32

kind of monster that looks more like a

25:35

man I stared back

25:38

unnerved I'd met far more of the human

25:40

type of monster than I ever had the type

25:42

with fur but that's not what was giving

25:45

me pause instead it was the certainty

25:48

that this guy had a story to tell I was

25:51

right about that because his story it

25:55

would be one of the most frightening

25:57

Tales I'd ever

25:59

heard so that's going to do it if you

26:02

enjoyed today's story be sure to check

26:04

out our podcast called the Mr Ballin

26:06

podcast where we literally have hundreds

26:08

of stories that sound an awful lot like

26:11

this one but many of them are only on

26:13

the podcast again it's called the Mr

26:16

Ballin podcast and you can listen to it

26:18

on Amazon music or wherever else you get

26:21

your podcasts thank you so much until

26:23

next time see you wait don't go anywhere

26:26

if you're looking for more strange dark

26:28

and mysterious videos click here