Teenage Couple Vanished Camping — Months Later, Strange Evidence Found at Abandoned Tent…

Vermont, September 2018.
Seventeen-year-olds Rhett Concincaid and Odessa Vance told their parents they were headed for a popular, safe campground. In reality, they drove into the remote Vermont wilderness for a secret weekend together—a decision that would plunge both families into months of torment and mystery.

Lost in the Wild

On Sunday, September 16th, Sharon Concincaid, Rhett’s mother, felt dread tightening in her chest. Calls to Rhett and Odessa went straight to voicemail. She drove to the campground, only to find no sign of them—no Jeep, no tent, no trace. The teens had lied. They never registered, never arrived. Where were they?

The search was immediate and desperate. Police, rescue teams, K9 units, and volunteers combed the Green Mountain National Forest, but found nothing except a single selfie Rhett had sent: he and Odessa, bundled in warm clothes, standing in front of a rocky cave. It was the last proof of their existence.

A GPS Clue and the Real Destination

A breakthrough came when investigators learned Rhett had borrowed a rugged GPS device from his uncle. On the uncle’s computer, they found a programmed route—not to the family-friendly campground, but deep into the “Northeast Kingdom,” Vermont’s most isolated region near the Canadian border.

Why would two teenagers seek such extreme seclusion? Was it just a secret getaway, or something more?

The Abandoned Tent and a Strange Candy Wrapper

Three months later, a state geological surveyor stumbled upon a decaying yellow tent in the wilderness. Inside were Rhett’s wallet, moldy clothes, and personal belongings—but no signs of a struggle. Near the fire pit, investigators discovered a brightly colored “Stony Patch” candy wrapper—high-potency cannabis edibles, illegal for minors.

The candy suggested a story of teenage experimentation gone wrong. But the evidence didn’t add up.

Broken Glasses and Mysterious Tire Tracks

150 yards from the tent, police found Rhett’s broken glasses near the edge of a ravine—a sign of a violent struggle or a fall. Nearby, they discovered unusual tire tracks, not belonging to Rhett’s Jeep or typical off-road vehicles, but to a specialized utility vehicle often used by smugglers.

Dark Web Connections and Online Lures

Digging deeper, detectives found Rhett had been chatting with a charismatic, anonymous user on a survivalist forum, promising an “off-grid experience” in the Northeast Kingdom. But after the teens vanished, the account was deleted, and the digital trail went cold.

When police traced the source of the cannabis edibles, a local dealer revealed Rhett had been seeking a remote spot to meet someone he’d connected with online—a chilling hint that the couple may have walked into a trap.

From Wilderness to City: The Horrific Twist

In June 2019, a utility worker in Burlington reported a suspicious apartment: windows covered in thick black plastic, electricity usage off the charts. Police discovered the tenant was Ivan Zoric, an Eastern European immigrant with ties to cross-border smuggling and organized crime.

After weeks of surveillance, police raided the apartment. Inside, they found Odessa Vance—alive, but emaciated and traumatized, chained in a soundproofed room. She had been held captive for nearly a year.

The Survivor’s Story

After rescue, Odessa revealed the nightmare:
She and Rhett set up camp and consumed the cannabis edibles. Impaired, they were ambushed by Zoric—a smuggler using the remote woods as a route between Canada and the US. Rhett fought to protect Odessa but was killed near the ravine, his glasses knocked off. Odessa was abducted, transported in Zoric’s specialized vehicle, and imprisoned in the Burlington apartment, destined for human trafficking.

Zoric was convicted of murder, kidnapping, and trafficking, sentenced to life in prison. Rhett Concincaid’s body was never found, lost to the vast wilderness.

A Warning Echoes

The case closed, but the echoes remain. Rhett and Odessa’s story is a haunting lesson about the dangers lurking in wild places, the risks of online strangers, and the shadow world of crime that can touch even the quietest corners of America.

What would you do if you found strange evidence deep in the woods? Would you trust an anonymous invitation online? Share your thoughts—and remember: sometimes the truth is hidden where you least expect it.

 This story is dedicated to those who never give up hope—and a reminder that even the darkest mysteries can be solved.