For years, she was thought to be just another lost soul claimed by Alaska’s unforgiving wilderness. But the Susitna River had been keeping a secret.
This spring, a violent flood tore through the river’s course, ripping away layers of silt and gravel — and revealing human remains. Bound to the ankles were heavy stones. This was no accident.
The story began in July 2016 as a simple summer adventure and ended, seven years later, as chilling evidence in an unsolved murder.
Jessica Lawson, 27, a graphic designer from Seattle, was known for her love of the outdoors. Her weekends were often spent hiking in Washington’s mountains, but Alaska had always been her dream. She spent months preparing — poring over maps of Denali National Park, reading other hikers’ reports, and purchasing gear for a multi-day trek. Confident in her skills, she planned to travel solo: drive to Talkeetna, park her SUV, and hike for several days along the Susitna River.
She told friends and family she’d check in after five days — a standard safety measure for anyone venturing alone into the backcountry.
The last confirmed sighting of Jessica alive came at a gas station just outside Talkeetna — the final stop for fuel and supplies before the road gave way to wilderness. Surveillance footage showed her teal SUV at the pump. She stepped out, filled the tank, and went inside to buy a bottle of water and an energy bar.
Moments later, a tall man in a flannel shirt and jeans emerged from a faded black sedan parked nearby. They spoke briefly — no more than a few minutes — before Jessica returned to her SUV and drove toward the park.
She could not have known she had just crossed paths with the last person ever known to see her alive.
