In September 2012, 35-year-old Jeffrey Gebhardt vanished in the Georgia woods during an early-season deer hunt. A few hours later, search teams discovered his body on the edge of Clarks Hill Lake—hands folded neatly on his chest, gear scattered nearby, and eighteen stab wounds across his torso. 

What investigators didn’t find was even more disturbing. No defensive wounds. No footprints except Jeff’s. No blood trail, no drag marks, no sign of a struggle. And a knife beneath him containing only his DNA. 

Was Jeff murdered by someone hiding deep in the forest? Did he witness something he shouldn’t have? Or did he experience a darker, far more complex crisis that left even forensic experts baffled? 

In this episode of Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars breaks down the full case file—interviews with Jeff’s hunting partner, GBI agents, forensic specialists, and members of Jeff’s community—to uncover why investigators ultimately reached the most controversial conclusion of all. 

This is the story of a death that defies logic, a crime scene that rewrites itself, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 for free, confidential support.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

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