Female Botanists Vanished in Alaska—Nine Years Later, This Is Found Stuck to a Moose’s Antlers…

Alaska, August 2007.
At a remote research station accessible only by bush plane, the usual hum of scientific activity was replaced by an uneasy silence. Two bunks remained empty for days. Phineas Vogle, a visiting geologist, finally noticed: Oki Coyamada (31) and Yumi Hamasaki (26), two brilliant botanists from California, had disappeared after setting out for one last trek into the mountains to collect rare alpine plant samples.

They were scheduled to return before a brutal storm hit, but they never came back. Their main luggage was packed, ready for their flight home, but their field packs—filled with scientific instruments and survival gear—were gone.

The Storm and the Desperate Search

When their absence was discovered, Alaska State Troopers launched a rescue operation. But the storm that swept through was fierce, grounding planes and making the wilderness impenetrable for three days. When the weather finally cleared, search teams with helicopters and local experts combed the treacherous terrain.

The only clue was a botanical specimen container found on a slippery slope—no blood, no signs of a struggle, no footprints. Investigators concluded that Oki and Yumi had likely become lost, exhausted, and succumbed to hypothermia. The search continued until the first snows covered the mountains, and the case was eventually classified as a tragic accident: two lives claimed by Alaska’s unforgiving wilds.

Nine Years Later: A Chilling Discovery on a Moose’s Antlers

September 2016. Garrick Ryland, an experienced hunter, was deep in the wilderness tracking a bull moose. Through his scope, he froze in shock: entangled in the moose’s massive antlers was something pale and unnatural—a human skull, still attached to part of the neck vertebrae.

Ryland made the difficult decision to shoot the moose to preserve the evidence, then used his satellite device to alert authorities. Alaska State Troopers arrived by helicopter, stunned by the grisly scene. The moose’s head and the skull were taken to the forensic lab in Anchorage.

A Biological Paradox Shatters the Timeline

Forensic analysis revealed the skull belonged to an Asian female, around 30 years old. Dental records confirmed it was Oki Coyamada. But the most baffling detail lay in the antlers themselves. Moose shed and regrow their antlers every year—meaning the skull could only have become entangled within the past 6-8 months. For eight years, Oki’s skull must have lain somewhere in the wilderness before being picked up by the moose.

Science Deciphers the Moose’s Journey

Investigators used advanced strontium isotope analysis—a technique that maps an animal’s movements based on the chemical makeup of its bones and antlers. After months of lab work, results pinpointed the moose’s summer range: a remote valley, far from the original search area.

A new search team deployed by helicopter, using LIDAR technology to scan beneath the forest canopy. They discovered a hidden, unmapped cabin deep in the woods.

The Forgotten Cabin and a Chilling Confession

Inside the cabin, beneath loose floorboards, investigators found specialized botanical equipment, a GPS device, and a scrap of blue fabric matching the dress Yumi wore when she vanished. The cabin became the center of a criminal investigation.

The owner was identified as Wyatt Bledsoe, a reclusive survivalist known for long solo excursions into the wilderness. When confronted with the evidence, Bledsoe eventually confessed:
In August 2007, Oki and Yumi, lost and suffering from hypothermia, reached his cabin during the storm. He initially helped them, but soon revealed his predatory nature, attacking Yumi. Oki fought to protect her friend and escaped into the storm. Bledsoe believed she would not survive the wild. He kept Yumi captive for weeks, repeatedly abusing her until she fought back—and he killed her, burying her body near the cabin and hiding their gear.

Resolution and Remaining Mystery

Bledsoe was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. Yumi’s remains were found buried near the cabin. As for Oki, it’s believed she perished in the wilderness soon after fleeing, her remains scattered by animals and the elements. Her skull, somehow, ended up entangled in a moose’s antlers nearly a decade later—a bizarre twist that remains unexplained.

The story of Oki and Yumi is not only a tragedy of two young scientists, but also a haunting reminder of the secrets nature can hold—where a moose’s antler became the key to unlocking a mystery lost for nine years.