She Vanished in Alaska—Years Later, Found Encased in Ice with Weights Tied to Her Feet

For years, Jesse Larson’s disappearance was just another tragic mystery swallowed by Alaska’s wild, unforgiving landscape. But when the Suzna River finally revealed its secret, the truth was colder and darker than anyone imagined.

The Dream Trip That Became a Nightmare

It began in July 2016. Jesse Larson, 27, was a graphic designer from Seattle, an avid hiker, and someone who felt most alive in the mountains. Alaska had always been her dream destination. She meticulously planned her solo adventure: a multi-day trek along the Suzna River, starting from the town of Tokitna. She told her family and friends she’d check in after five days—a safety protocol for anyone venturing alone into the wilderness.

Jesse was last seen at a gas station on the edge of Takitna. Surveillance footage showed her blue SUV at the pump. She bought water and an energy bar, and briefly spoke with a tall man in a flannel shirt who had arrived in an old black pickup truck. Their conversation seemed casual, not tense. The man gestured toward the road, perhaps offering directions. Jesse appeared calm as she drove off toward Denali National Park. The man lingered, then left. It was an ordinary exchange in a town that sees hundreds of travelers each week.

The Vanishing

Two days later, park rangers discovered Jesse’s tent in a quiet wooded area near the Suzna River. The campsite was tidy, her sleeping bag laid out, and her backpack—with documents, wallet, and satellite phone—was inside. Food supplies were untouched. Her boots sat dry and clean at the tent’s entrance. It looked as if she’d just stepped out for a moment.

But she never returned. Rangers left a note, thinking she’d gone for a short hike. When days passed with no contact, a massive search began. Helicopters swept over the forest and river, while search dogs followed her scent straight to the riverbank—where the trail ended.

Theories abounded. Had she slipped into the mighty, fast-flowing river? Had a bear attacked her? But there were no signs of a struggle, no animal tracks, and her food was untouched. The third, most unsettling theory: foul play.

Investigators reviewed the gas station footage, focusing on the man in the black pickup truck. The vehicle’s license plate was unreadable, and the man’s face was obscured. With thousands of similar trucks in Alaska, the lead went cold. Weeks turned into months, then years. Jesse’s family endured endless uncertainty, while her case faded into the archives as “presumed drowned.”

The River’s Secret Uncovered

Seven years passed. Then, in the spring of 2023, Alaska’s winter snow melted rapidly, causing the Suzna River to flood and shift its course. Powerful ice flows tore through the riverbed, exposing what had been hidden for years.

Two local fishermen, exploring new fishing spots after the flood, noticed a bone protruding from the sand. At first, they thought it belonged to a moose or bear, but closer inspection revealed a human hiking boot still attached to a shin. State police cordoned off the area, and forensic experts painstakingly unearthed the remains.

It was nearly a complete skeleton, lying in a natural depression between boulders, covered by years of silt and gravel. But what they found next erased all doubt about the cause of death: a faded climbing rope was tied tightly around both ankles, and at its ends hung two heavy river stones—each weighing at least 15 to 20 pounds. The knots were expertly tied, meant to ensure the body would never surface.

Nearby, investigators found a decayed blue raincoat from Jesse’s equipment list and a scratched metal thermos. Forensic analysis quickly confirmed Jesse’s identity through dental records and a distinctive old fracture on her femur. But there was also a fresh fracture, caused by a blunt force, indicating she had been struck before she died.

The Hunt for a Killer

The case was reclassified as murder. Investigators returned to the gas station footage, now armed with modern technology. FBI forensic labs enhanced the grainy video, recovering partial license plate numbers. They cross-referenced all similar black pickup trucks in Alaska and Montana, eventually matching one to Brian Rhodess, a 42-year-old drifter from Billings, Montana.

Rhodes had a violent past: he’d assaulted a female tourist in Montana years before, served prison time, and often worked seasonal jobs in Alaska. He fit the profile—a man comfortable in the wilderness, prone to violence, and able to vanish without a trace.

But Rhodes had disappeared. His financial records and social security contributions ended in late 2016. Border records showed he had driven into Canada in March 2017 and never returned. Canadian police found that Rhodes had died by suicide in a British Columbia motel in 2019. With his death, the investigation reached a bitter end.

No Justice, Only Answers

Jesse Larson’s killer had been found, but justice was never served. There was no confession, no trial—only circumstantial evidence and the cold certainty that the last person to see Jesse alive was a man with a history of violence who fled and died alone.

After seven years, Jesse’s family finally knew what happened. But the question of “why” would remain forever unanswered. Alaska’s wild beauty had masked a terrible secret, and the Suzna River, after years of silence, had given up its ghost.

 A dream trip to Alaska became a chilling mystery—her body hidden beneath the ice and stones, her fate sealed by a killer who escaped justice and took his secrets to the grave.