Host Eva Pilgrim

The evidence was scant, some small pools of blood in the carport, presumably Holly's, as well as a shoe print and a still unidentified handprint on her car. They didn't have much to go on. And as Agent Dykus points out, we are talking about the middle of nowhere. These are huge stretches of hilly land full of dense trees, unmarked, sometimes dirt-carved roads.

The evidence was scant, some small pools of blood in the carport, presumably Holly's, as well as a shoe print and a still unidentified handprint on her car. They didn't have much to go on. And as Agent Dykus points out, we are talking about the middle of nowhere. These are huge stretches of hilly land full of dense trees, unmarked, sometimes dirt-carved roads.

There are no main roads anywhere near here. There isn't even a stoplight or caution light. The terrain made it difficult for searchers to keep up the pace. Even the search dogs kept getting stuck in the muddy wilderness. It was almost a perfect metaphor for the Holly Bobo case. Nothing about it would be easy or straightforward.

There are no main roads anywhere near here. There isn't even a stoplight or caution light. The terrain made it difficult for searchers to keep up the pace. Even the search dogs kept getting stuck in the muddy wilderness. It was almost a perfect metaphor for the Holly Bobo case. Nothing about it would be easy or straightforward.

One of the first things police did was to try and track Holly's cell phone. This was 2011. Holly's phone didn't have GPS on it. That wasn't a regular feature on phones at the time. But the police could ping it, meaning they could have her service provider send a signal to her phone, which told them which cell tower she was closest to.

One of the first things police did was to try and track Holly's cell phone. This was 2011. Holly's phone didn't have GPS on it. That wasn't a regular feature on phones at the time. But the police could ping it, meaning they could have her service provider send a signal to her phone, which told them which cell tower she was closest to.

They couldn't track exactly where she was, but they could tell with those cell phone pings that her phone was still within a few miles of her home. And investigators could later use that data to plot a detailed map of what they said were Holly's movements.

They couldn't track exactly where she was, but they could tell with those cell phone pings that her phone was still within a few miles of her home. And investigators could later use that data to plot a detailed map of what they said were Holly's movements.

This is Agent John Walker of the U.S. Marshals Service. When I met with him in 2024, he unfurled this giant map. It was the map of Holly's movements he began working on in the early days of the investigation. And he's kept it all these years later.

This is Agent John Walker of the U.S. Marshals Service. When I met with him in 2024, he unfurled this giant map. It was the map of Holly's movements he began working on in the early days of the investigation. And he's kept it all these years later.

The map shows the area around the Bobo property with cell towers dotted along the woods. Agent Walker went out and bought an exact replica of Holly's Samsung Solstice cell phone and drove around the area with a representative from AT&T.

The map shows the area around the Bobo property with cell towers dotted along the woods. Agent Walker went out and bought an exact replica of Holly's Samsung Solstice cell phone and drove around the area with a representative from AT&T.

Holly's phone appears to have left her home at around 8 a.m. Then the cell phone started moving at a fast pace. Agent Walker believes it was in a vehicle.

Holly's phone appears to have left her home at around 8 a.m. Then the cell phone started moving at a fast pace. Agent Walker believes it was in a vehicle.

Holly's phone heads towards the Interstate 40 highway, arriving at 8.26 a.m. The cell phone appeared to stop moving. It stayed put for about a half hour. Then it turned east onto Interstate 40. A little after 9 a.m., it turned right back into those woods and kept traveling south until it got to a small creek on Gooch Road in Parsons. That's when it stopped responding to pings at around 9.25 a.m.

Holly's phone heads towards the Interstate 40 highway, arriving at 8.26 a.m. The cell phone appeared to stop moving. It stayed put for about a half hour. Then it turned east onto Interstate 40. A little after 9 a.m., it turned right back into those woods and kept traveling south until it got to a small creek on Gooch Road in Parsons. That's when it stopped responding to pings at around 9.25 a.m.

Volunteers who later searched the route found some of Holly's items, including her cell phone.

Volunteers who later searched the route found some of Holly's items, including her cell phone.

Agent Dykus says the map offers another clue that whoever took Holly must have known the area really well.

Agent Dykus says the map offers another clue that whoever took Holly must have known the area really well.