Transcription
Who are you? Stop right there. Go ahead and stop right there.
This Idaho state officer is pointing his flashlight at 70-year-old Alan Bruce. He has no idea that the man he just ran into was in the middle of dumping human body parts in a nearby river after murdering, dismembering, and meticulously covering up the crime scene.
Okay. So, what are you what are you doing? Got a little pizza problem going on down here. That's why mystery word snack ice.
All right. So, you're just trying to keep an eye on stuff then?
Yeah. Excuse me, bro. I got you excited.
All right. After Allan walks away, it would take investigators days to discover exactly what he dumped in the river, leading them through a twisted maze of misleading clues and disturbing discoveries, and what might be the worst crime these small town officers will ever uncover. Oh, it stinks bad.
You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your family.
There is nobody around. You reduced down to nothing.
It's a routine late spring in central Idaho. Tucked deep within its mountains sits the remote town of Chalice. A place surrounded on all sides by rugged terrain and long stretches of wilderness. And at the center of it all runs the Salmon River, better known as the River of No Return. The small town of Chalice is home to fewer than a thousand residents. Crime rates here are remarkably low and serious violent homicides are unheard of. But that's about to change because a heinous crime happens somewhere in this town. And what's left of it now is in the Salmon River waiting to be found.
The investigation begins on an early Saturday afternoon, less than a year ago, when an elderly woman walks into the local police station to report someone missing.
When he's upset, I'm just surprised he haven't been back to see. That's why I'm concerned.
Yeah. Do you know what he was wearing last when he left?
Pair of boots, blue jeans, and I think it was a dark t-shirt and baseball cap. And he's got a little pug rider that is with him everywhere.
Who is Patrick?
That's one of my >> de your kids that I've taken under my wing.
Okay. So, not biological number.
Um, yeah. Picture. Okay. Is that Does this picture look resemble what he looks like right now?
Um, his beard is a little fuller and his hair is better shape than that.
The man in those photos is 47-year-old Patrick Shelton. His adoptive mother, Helen, goes on to explain that Patrick spends most of his time up in the mountains cutting and selling firewood, often late at night. He's got a chainsaw, usually at least one weapon on him, and his dog, Ryder, is always by his side. Additionally, Patrick doesn't really have a fixed place to stay. He moves between properties, parking motor homes and trailers on other people's land, often getting into disputes when it's time to leave.
In most missing person cases, it takes days before investigators get a solid lead to work with. But in the town of Chalice, that process is about to be cut short.
I remember you mentioned something about when when you talked about him going to Alan Bru's, it seemed like you said something to where they had some conflict recently.
They have.
Yeah.
Okay. Do you know why he went there?
Um, he was supposed to go move his motor homes and when he got out there, Allan had moved them with the bulldozer.
Okay.
Not good. Probably screwed up the transmissions and I don't know.
The name Helen mentions immediately rings a bell because officers know exactly who she's talking about. 70-year-old Ellen Bruce is a local resident with a rural property just out of town, working odd jobs, including welding and mechanical work. But that's not what people in Chalice know him for, because Allan has a different reputation built on constant disputes and ongoing conflicts with other locals. Just earlier in the year, he was reported for allegedly throwing gas bombs and setting a woman's property on fire. So, based on Helen's statement, officers prepare to head out and speak with Alan, see if he can point them in the right direction. At this point, officers aren't too surprised that Allen's name came up and don't expect anything serious. In reality, something already happened between Allan and Patrick just a night ago that ended very gruesomely. While officers are on their way to question him, Allan is still in the middle of covering things up.
In just a few seconds, a deputy pulls up to his property.
Hey, Alan. How's it going?
One thing after another.
One thing after another. Hey, um I was just coming to chat with you. We had had a report that no one knows where Pat is right now.
Yeah, they don't.
Okay. And I just wanted to touch bases with you cuz I know he was getting he or sorry, you got the stuff off your property, but he was going to come by to pick it up, right?
Yeah.
Did you ever see him on that?
I did.
Okay.
Dave came by here. He was unhappy. Very unhappy.
Okay. But just it was just all kind of verbal argument or something or he was just Okay. And he went and got his stuff then or
Well, he still has some stuff here. He said he would wanted to go cut some wood. He needs some money. So, he's probably out somewhere out there. Maybe he broke down. I don't know. I And I'm just trying to create a timeline for so I know who last saw him. So, when when was that he showed up here?
Two nights ago.
Two nights ago.
Two nights ago.
Let's see what
Thursday night. Okay.
In the middle of the conversation, the deputy notices something off about Allen's demeanor. His responses are short, controlled, almost rehearsed. But as the deputy continues asking questions, things start to feel even more strange.
And then did he hang around here long or did he just go right over?
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Coming back onto the property.
Does he still stab stuff here then?
He does clean it all up.
Okay.
Like that shed, that wooden shed is his.
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
Okay.
The tires in it. And you can see there's a pickup rack just over the
over that board.
Oh, just the steel there poking up. Okay.
Okay. So he
wooden rack over there in the back of the tracker like that.
Okay. Just kind of bunch of crap laying around. Okay. Did So he got some of it though?
Yeah.
Do you know where he was taking it to?
Taking down his motor homes.
Oh, where are his motor homes?
Right here. You walk over here and you see.
Okay.
Oh, there. There charger and the other one's in front.
The motor home Allan is pointing to does indeed belong to Patrick. But more importantly, it holds items that might explain what really happened to him. Alan goes on to explain that he moved Patrick's motor homes himself because of the ongoing disputes and problems between the two, which sounds normal considering their frequent business partners. But as the conversation continues, the deputy takes note of Allen's shifting body language and quietly requests another officer to the scene. There's a noticeable tension in the way Allen carries himself. This is because while he's speaking to the deputy, his sole focus is on the barrels sitting just a few feet away with Patrick's dismembered body parts hidden inside.
All right. He's riding along with me. Um
I was just on a phone call for a minute, so I didn't want to bring that out here. So
So did he stay here last night or Okay.
Okay. And he didn't tell you where he was going to get the wood?
Hold on. It was Thursday night he left here. Not last night. Okay.
Do you know? Does he have any favorite spots? So, we can just go.
He's got a spot up there at Bay Horse, pretty close to the top. You go up there before you get to the rest area, the P. You see where it takes off and goes down the hill and crosses the creek.
Uh-huh.
Way back up in there, is a paper cutting spot for him.
Oh, okay. Okay. Is that the only one you know about?
That's the only one he took me to. Oh,
okay. You may be the last person that saw him cuz he would have then gone up there that night potentially.
Yeah.
Okay.
Notably, Allen's demeanor shifts once again. With a second officer on scene, he becomes more composed and careful with how he answers questions. Despite this noticeable shift, Allan provides deputies with something useful, a location where Patrick might be. The place he mentions is a remote area about 20 mi out near the so-called River of No Return. Naturally, it's somewhere deputies need to check. But before heading out there, they decide to take a quick look around the motor home. Melon pointed to earlier. A small decision that will give police something useful to work with later on.
The doors are ratchet strapped closed.
Looks like it's cut.
Are these your footprints?
No. and uh take a photo of those.
Yeah, that one looks open. That looks I think it looks cut. If that is a dead bolt, but you know, that's an additional
I'm assuming Allen had to access it to put it in neutral. Technically, you could be looking at unlawful entry. Clearly, the locks have been tampered with, consistent with Allen's explanation that he moved the motor home himself. It's a small detail, but one that could give officers grounds to detain him later on, depending on how this unfolds. But without a warrant, officers can't search inside the motor home. So, they step back, leave the scene, and head towards Big Hill, where Patrick might be. At this stage, there is still no confirmed crime. Allan has been forthcoming and nothing directly points to anything serious just yet. But by the end of this night, police will have more than one suspect on their hands and what might be the worst crime this town will ever see.
But before we get to that, it's important to note that cases like these can affect the mental health of both the officers and the innocent people involved. And stressful situations in everyone's life can often have the same effect. I hit a point where trying to move on wasn't working. and I didn't really have anyone I could talk to without feeling like I was a burden or worrying about how they'd react or what they'd think. And that's when I realized having someone completely outside your life who can give you a clear, unbiased perspective actually makes a huge difference. That's why I've partnered with today's sponsor, BetterHelp. Starting therapy can feel like a huge step, but BetterHelp actually makes it really simple. You take a short quiz, get matched with a licensed therapist, and if it's not the right fit, you can switch anytime at no extra cost, which I think is huge because finding the right therapist makes all the difference. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Over 6 million people have used BetterHelp, earning it a 4.8 out of five rating on the app store. Click the link in the description or go to betterhelp.com/drinsanity to get 10% off your first month. With that said, let's get back to the video.
Roughly 2 hours later, deputies arrive at Big Hill, where Patrick was known to frequent for cutting firewood. On the ground, deputies notice tire marks and begin following them. And as they continue along the trail, they spot something in the distance. A red pickup truck matching the description of Patrick's vehicle with a damaged windshield.
Pat.
Hello.
His windshield? Yeah, I think that's normal. I believe so. Hey, Pat.
Pat. Pat, it's C County Sheriff's Office. Can you hear us?
Dog's in seat.
Alive.
What was the dog's name?
Uh, Ryder.
Ryder, buddy.
Ryder.
It awake? Well, it's not moving.
Dog's been in here a while. He's messed himself.
Oh, he's moving. It's definitely a he, by the way. Hi, baby. I'm here. Okay, we're going to get you some water. Okay. Where'd he go? Where did he go?
Miraculously, Patrick's dog, Ryder, is still alive after two full days. but he's severely dehydrated. As deputies pull Ryder from the vehicle and give him water, they notice something else. Patrick's chainsaw is missing from the truck, suggesting he might still be somewhere nearby. And while they discuss their next steps, Ryder suddenly begins reacting to something in the air. Dogs like Ryder have a sense of smell up to 100,000 times more powerful than humans, comparable even to trained police canine units. Without realizing it, officers have stumbled onto their strongest lead yet, and Ryder might guide them directly towards the answer they're looking for.
Poor buddy. Buddy, you see that?
No.
Okay.
So, that makes me think he could be down lower if he would cuz he's his chainsaw's not here.
Yeah.
He always has his chainsaw. I'm thinking so.
I'll do with you. I kind of want to walk down there and see if his behavior still points that way.
Right.
Let's walk him. Come on. Dude, you got to give me a break. We can't go down that. That is a completely down. That is there is no angle to that. I'm arguing with a dog.
As luck would have it, the dog picks up a scent but can't pinpoint a specific location. The reason for that is something officers haven't realized yet because there is no single place where Patrick might be. He's already been dead for two nights, dismembered with his own chainsaw and scattered across the very mountains deputies are now searching. Some of his remains are already floating down the river of no return, just 20 m from where they're standing. None of this is apparent to deputies yet, so they decide to take a closer look at Patrick's pickup truck for any additional clues. What they notice inside is very sketchy. Dark red staining across the interior, heavily soaked towels on the driver's seat, items marked with blood, and a discarded mail letter with the name Alan Bruce on it. Something violent happened here. And the more deputies think about it, the more obvious what happened to Patrick becomes. So before the evening ends, they secure the scene and returned to town where they talked to other acquaintances of Patrick who collectively make one thing crystal clear. Allan had an ongoing feud with Patrick. He recently moved his motor home using heavy equipment and damaged it in the process. and he's the only person anyone can think of who might want to hurt Patrick. With that in mind, investigators formally identify Alan Bruce as the primary suspect in Patrick Shelton's disappearance. But the reality and discoveries awaiting investigators in the coming hours are anything but straightforward, as they'll soon find themselves investigating more than one suspect. For the time being though, search warrants are requested for both properties and Idaho State Police are called in, bringing in a team of experienced detectives. However, as the multi- agency effort is underway, someone in town is simultaneously running their own homicide coverup operation. As night falls, Allen moves quietly, continuing to dump body parts and evidence in the river and burning anything that could tie him to what he's done. At the same time, police's search and rescue units are mobilized, preparing to comb through the surrounding terrain for any sign of Patrick.
Around midnight, Deputy Mike is sent to patrol near Patrick's truck, monitoring the area in case anything changes. A few hours into his shift, something does.
Who are you?
Stop right there. Just go ahead and stop right there.
So, what are you coming out here for?
That guy there, Stephen P. Uh Patrick Shelson, that's his stuff that I kind of looking after a little bit.
Okay.
Car down here and I come down here to investigate. See, so it was ripping him off.
Okay.
I didn't know it was you guys.
Okay. Well, I turned my lights on and uh you still were shining your light at me.
Yeah. You had your lights on me. I couldn't see where I was going.
Okay. I'm saying I turned my red and blue lights on.
Yeah.
And you were still spotlighting me. And then I told you I instructed you to turn it off.
I don't like lights in my eyes about as much as you don't. You know, you had yours and mine, so I guess we're even.
No, it's not even. Okay. So, what are you what are you doing? You're just keeping an eye on Patrick shovel.
Okay.
Got a little fever problem going on down here. That's why my word snack eyes.
You having a little what problem?
Thieving.
Thievery.
Thievery. Okay. You can tell Kelly about that. He'll tell you.
Okay. All right. So, you're just trying to keep an eye on stuff then?
Yeah. Make sure nobody's ripping off down here.
Okay.
So, excuse me for if I got you excited.
All right. 270 240. We can calm down. I'm code for it.
Out here in complete darkness, Alan Bruce suddenly appears. Nothing about this encounter adds up because at this point Allan isn't just the last person to see Patrick alive. He's been in a dispute with him. Moved his motor home after he disappeared. And now he's out here in the middle of the night claiming he's checking on Patrick's property and protecting it from theft. In reality, he came here to finish what he started, to destroy evidence he didn't have time to deal with earlier when deputies interrupted him. Worse yet, just minutes ago, he was at the River of No Return a couple miles away, disposing of what was left of Patrick. Deputy Mike doesn't know any of this yet, but this creepy encounter makes it clear that Allan knows something police don't. Unfortunately for him, this is where things begin to crumble, because coming back here tonight is the mistake that's about to collapse his entire coverup operation.
In the early hours of the following morning, investigators use the overnight developments and the encounter with Allen to accelerate the approval of search warrants. With everything they've seen so far, it's clear Allen knows something they don't, and they need to find out what that is. To do that, they put a plan in motion. First, get Allan off the property, search it, and if any hard evidence is found, bring him back and confront him with it. So, while detectives get the search warrants approved, one deputy is sent to Allen's property with a simple objective. Get Allan into the car and keep him away from the property to avoid destruction of any evidence. Allan, on the other hand, believes he's already taken care of all the incriminating evidence and that there's nothing left to find. When Deputy Kelly arrives at the lot, Allan has no clue how quickly his entire coverup plot will come crashing down on him.
Hey, Alan. How's it going?
Going.
Hopefully your day is a little better than when I last ran into you. You said everything was Well, your truck's still broken down, I guess. So, maybe that's not the case.
Don't have doing all right. You can just hop in the front there.
Sure. Hope he turns up. He's got his business.
Yeah. Is there He still got stuff on your property, too, to get off too, huh? So, I mean, y'all were getting along for a while there, but then what I mean, what happened there even? He just started accusing you of stuff or
Yeah. And there's nothing I can say to convince him that wasn't
Well, I appreciate you being available to just chat with him a bit more. They're they're the professionals. They've got uh they've got questions I probably didn't ask you.
Okay.
Even as the deputy tries to subtly probe for more information, nothing useful comes out of it, and Allan sticks to his story. Interestingly though, Allan appears noticeably more relaxed, likely because he's confident that there's no way police can tie him to a crime.
Roughly 30 minutes later, deputies and detectives arrive at the property. While Allan waits inside his car, the discovery of the evidence he failed to cover up starts with Patrick's motor home.
Sheriff's office. Make yourself known. What this is? You got a gun case.
Patrick's empty gun box is consistent with earlier statements that he always keeps a firearm with him. The problem is that gun is nowhere to be found in the motor home and it was never found in his pickup truck the previous day. With Patrick's motor home cleared, officers move over to Allen's property. Allan owns multiple structures and vehicles on the lot. And after clearing a few of them, deputies find no obvious signs of a crime. It seems like Allen's cover up operation is successful so far. But that begins to change as deputies notice something unusual lingering across parts of the property.
Already did something stink.
Oh, it stinks bad.
Just kind of pull that one down.
So, we're going to we're just going to hold on on this trailer till we can get keys. If we if he won't give us keys, then we'll go from there. But we're gonna we need to hold on this until we get that.
Um,
probably not freshly moved.
So, we want to call out the cadaavver dog.
Let's go ahead and do it while we're here. We've got it cleared. It might be the best way to get something to hold him.
As the search continues, deputies can smell an odor of burnt meat across parts of the lot, but no clear source. After checking around the structures again and searching the open areas, they can't find anything. So to pinpoint the source, deputies call in a cadaavver dog trained to detect human remains. And a few minutes later, police K9 spy arrives on scene. After running the dog across the property, spy begins alerting to the presence of something inside a set of barrels.
I'm rolling.
Clean. Okay. So, let's start looking. Yeah,
we got our We got our window.
Going to burn mug.
Ah, latex gloves, windows.
Mhm. And doggy treats. I'm going to get a backed up picture.
Inside the barrel, officers begin to uncover what Allan tried to hide. Broken window glass of a car consistent with a bullet impact, latex gloves, and traces of blood on the filter of a vacuum cleaner. After searching other barrels, officers find night vision binoculars, Patrick's baseball cap marked with blood, and most concerning of all, bone fragments, and suspected human remains on multiple pieces of clothing. Additional items are recovered as well, including ammunition and magazines, but no firearms, suggesting the weapons may have been moved or hidden somewhere else. Among the findings, detectives note the missing firearms, the lack of any intact remains, and the speed at which the scene appears to have been cleaned. Something particularly peculiar, leading them to consider that Allen may not have acted alone. After these discoveries, Allen's property is officially treated as a crime scene. The area is secured, and forensic examiners are called in to process the evidence. Detectives now have the hard evidence they need to confront Allen. But while they prepare to do so, an unexpected development happens when Allen's younger brother, Larry, suddenly shows up at the scene. Hours earlier, police received an oddly timed phone call from him, claiming that if anything happened to Patrick, it was his own fault. Not only that, Larry made additional statements about Patrick that led detectives to question whether they might be dealing with a second suspect.
Yeah, he's been stealing of my brothers and he said that's threatened him and waved a big ass gun at him. Somebody else said that he's a straightup thief. Shelton's an opportunist. He's going to take advantage of anything that he can, you know, if he thinks he can get away with it.
Okay. So, he was kind of concerned Pat might Patrick might uh do something stupid, use a gun or something.
Concerned Pat's going to kill him, you know?
Right.
On the call, Larry made it clear that Patrick was the aggressor and the one who had been threatening Allan, leading investigators to suspect he might know more than what he shared on the phone. So, naturally, their suspicions rise when he arrives at the search warrant scene unannounced. Once detectives begin speaking with him, Larry seems confident he can prove that Patrick was the problem.
How's it going? And you are?
I'm Ellen's brother.
Okay. I'm Sergeant Title with the State Police. So obviously your brother got himself in a lot of trouble.
That's what it sounds like.
Starting to You want to go in the trailer? We can go sit in the trailer where we're not getting rained on.
You said that Shelton, is that the guy's name?
Patrick Shelton. Yeah.
Okay. And he was threatening your brother, right?
Right.
And so is that something your brother told you or do you have other knowledge of that?
That's something my brother told me. brother said, "Hey, he pulled a pistol and waved it in my face and threatened me." And
And how long ago did your brother tell you that? About a week.
Yeah, it was probably about 2 weeks ago.
Okay.
You know, if somebody was waving a gun at me, you know, I'd probably be, you know, wanting to have something to defend myself, too, you know. But,
you know, my brother had been asking Shelton to move for months.
Okay. And uh Shelton was like, "Well, you you know uh basically." So my brother took the little road gra the the little dozer and pulled the stuff and put it out here on the other side of the fence.
Is this something your brother told you or is this something you saw
as far as moving the stuff? Yeah. I came by the day that he was moving stuff on the way home. What I'd done though when my brother had moved the stuff just to try to get the pressure off of my brother, I text Shelton and I told him, "Hey, I moved your crap off of my brother's lot." So then he text me back when he got to town going, "I got a beef with you." I mean, Shelton's a drunk and a dope fiend.
Okay. So there up not getting your junk off my brother's. That was um offensive. That was May 3rd.
Okay.
He goes, "I'm trying.
I'm broke down.
I'm broke down and trying to get a ride."
Then you said, "Never mind. I moved it for you. Give Allan back whatever you took it as."
Yeah. He goes, "Who is this?" Allan's bought uh brought the beef to me anyway.
I don't have any of his
Well, Allan kept showing me pictures of stuff that was me, you know, where it was and missing. And Patrick was like one of the only
the only people in here. So or I have a beef with you too.
Okay.
But bring your beef. We know who you are. Drug addicts. Uh just remember you me with all of us. And I'd take pictures from the sheriff office parking lot thinking that well maybe he think I'm a sheriff and maybe he'd pack his and you know or leave Allan alone and get the out of town you know. So, I put uh with me with all of us, you'll you'll lose. Best thing for you to do is pack up and leave Kuster County and don't come back.
Allan's brother goes on to pull up additional messages between him and Patrick. The messages he shares show the feud escalating over time, primarily over Patrick refusing to move his property off the land and accusations that he'd been stealing from Allen. As detectives read through them, it becomes clear that Allan's brother wasn't just aware of the conflict, he was involved in it at some point. This only adds to investigator suspicions. So instead of continuing to circle around it, the detective says exactly what he's thinking.
Yeah, it's no sign of Shelton though, huh? Find a body or anything or
There's signs of Shelton, just not living signs of Shelton. One of the things I'm trying to wrap my head around is I'm like, how did he do that by himself? He's not a very big guy. Like, how would he move things around without somebody helping him? Like, if he let's just say that if he shot Shelton and took him somewhere and dr dumped his body, who would he call to help him?
I have no clue. I mean, he wouldn't call me,
right? That's what I'm saying. Does he have good friends that
I don't know. I don't know what he's capable of, you know? I mean,
right.
I don't know anybody that would help him move something, you know, help him commit a crime, you know. I mean, my wife would shoot me if I helped him, you know.
How long you been married?
Um, since 2016.
Yeah, she murder
9 years. Last night she's like going, "Well, this and that, you know, and what if it was Alan? What if he comes and kills us in our sleep?" you know, it's like, you know, cuz I mean, she was watching that Criminal Minds for a long time, you know, after she retired from the DA, you know, it's like, you know, serial killers, you know. Um,
tell her bad is Kuster County. You don't worry about serial killers.
When it's all said and done, everybody will know everything.
You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your family.
On that interesting remark, Larry shifts from defending his brother to no longer being certain and begins to see things the way investigators do. With nothing else to add, police wrap up the interview with Larry, still uncertain of his involvement. Now they can finally turn their attention back to Alan, who's still sitting in the car, completely unaware of what's just been uncovered on his lot. At this point, investigators have enough to place Allen under arrest and pursue homicide charges. The problem is they don't have a body and they don't have a confession. Both of which are critical in building a solid case, especially when it comes to proving exactly what happened and how. But with the evidence discovered on his property, this is their best chance to confront Allen directly and push for a confession. The stakes are extremely high. If Allan plays his cards right, a skilled defense attorney can create just enough reasonable doubt to get him out of this scot-free.
We've got a cadaavver dog hitting on other spots on the property that have bone fragments. And the only thing that dog is trained to hit on is dead humans. You know, there was only two people here that night, you and him, right? There's nobody else that I can talk to. Can't find him. And if you didn't do it and somebody else did, can you point me in the right direction? I can't do that. I don't know anybody else's out here.
No, that's like I said, I don't either.
Even after hearing this, Alan continues his denial. But this is exactly why investigators brought him back to the property. It's a part of a strategy known as crime scene exposure. Experienced detectives use this technique to confront suspects with something directly tied to the crime, like the scene itself or key pieces of evidence. This creates psychological pressure, making it harder to maintain a lie and often triggering unexpected reactions or slips in their story. So, investigators take Allan out of the car and bring him back to the center of the lot, back to the very place where everything likely happened to see if he will finally break.
We just we want to be able to tell the prosecutor you helped us every which way you could. I can conduct my case and go to prison for the rest of my life. What?
I don't know.
I can't tell you what the prosecution right now.
Yeah. So, the way it works here is he doesn't feel like we should let you stay free, right? So, we're still going to continue to investigate this case with your help or without your help. We're still going to dig through it.
Yeah. But there's still some things that like concern me like and I don't know if you ask him about like how who drove the truck up in the mountains.
Nobody drove it. I towed it up there.
Oh, you towed it up there? Yeah. Okay. With which vehicle?
My dog.
Okay. The toe bar and towed it up there.
Oh, okay. What' you do with the dog?
Left in the truck. I would have been dispatched. But there just leave the truck. Maybe little more. Yeah. That dog didn't do nothing.
I didn't want to kill it.
Yeah. Didn't do nothing.
Yeah. So, I just I mean, we're we're in a rock in a hard place right now, right? It's where we've been all day where we're going to continue to be until we can completely wrap this up and figure out what the hell actually happened.
Well, before you take Yeah, I'd like to lock on.
Okay. Well,
yeah. We're not going to leave this on leave it like that. I mean, we'll we'll we'll lock it all up and bring you in the keys.
Close the gate. Whatever. I didn't call.
I'm in trouble.
Well, that's part of it, but you also destroyed some evidence.
Well, did you?
I don't know.
I've never been in that situation.
How?
Dude, come on. Did you burn a body? Come on.
Yeah, I did. And you didn't tell anybody. So, like, look at it from from our point of view. You know, we got to do the right thing for for Patrick's family. You know what I mean? We got to try to find that body. You know, we got to do the right thing for his family.
There is no body for him. He was reduced down to nothing.
Nothing.
Did you chop him up?
No, I threw him in a burn with a bunch of wood underneath him and Yeah, I chopped him up.
I took the chainsaw to him.
Okay. Where's the chainsaw?
It's gone.
It's gone.
Did you throw it in the river?
I got rid of it. Believe me, I burned it.
You burnt the chainsaw?
Yeah. Is it in the barrel?
And and I've never chainsawed a body, but I think there would be like blood and skin and gristle and stuff, you know?
Yeah, it was ugly.
And so like where where's that at? Where's like how did you clean that up?
Took a shovel and rake bricks up everything I could. Boxed it down with a hose and put Clorox on it. And the chainsaws where he can burn his last day.
Allan finally cracks, admitting that he shot Patrick, dismembered him, and burned the body before disposing of the remains. With a confession now on record, investigators turn their attention to a critical question. Did Allan act alone, or is there something even darker he's still hiding? But before detectives can press further, Allan makes a surprising claim.
You came up with that pistol. We're done.
And and we're not we're not arguing. We're not arguing that point. We're just trying to figure out like what you did with the body, how you did it, and where it's at, if there's anything left.
Not much.
Did you have any help with it?
No. I shoot shut up and show.
Do you see our point? I mean, what we're trying to do at all, Allan,
I tried to hide it and get away with it.
Yeah. And and like I said, we're just trying to, you know, get some closure for his family and present the picture so that that that everybody understands why you did what you did.
Said, "You better pull the trigger." mother's coming up with the gun that point. It was me or him. But
despite Allen's claims that he killed Patrick in self-defense, it hardly explains the brutality and concealment that followed. Following this, Allen is arrested and charged with first-degree murder along with multiple additional charges. Later that day, dive teams and officers are sent to the river area where Alan claimed he dumped the remains. But despite extensive search efforts, nothing of evidentiary value is recovered. In the days that follow, police obtain a warrant to search Allen's phone, where they find the most critical evidence in the case. On Allen's phone, detectives find a hostile exchange from May 7th, where Patrick texts Allen, "You will be seeing me soon. Make your peace." And Allan responds, "Never be at my place after dark or else." But it's in the camera roll where they find what they had been unable to locate for days, a photo of Patrick dead inside the cab of his truck with his silver pistol next to him. The photo was taken at 6:25 a.m. on May 8th. When asked about it, Allan claims he took the photo as proof in case he ever needed it.
A couple months later, in July 2025, police receive a call from fishermen reporting a burn barrel floating in a different area of the Salmon River. Officers and divers recover the barrel and transport it for forensic examination, but no human remains or items linked to Patrick are found inside, likely because everything had already been destroyed or lost in the River of No Return. As for the missing firearms, investigators later uncover both the rifle and Patrick's silver pistol at the residence of an associate of Allen. The man claims Allen brought the weapons to him, asking him to sell them. And with no evidence tying his associates or his brother to the homicide or the cover up, investigators determined that Allen acted alone.
In October 2025, Allen's initial charges were reduced to seconddegree murder and destruction of evidence after Allen entered an Alfred plea, meaning he maintains his innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him. In November 2025, a judge denies Allen's lastminute attempt to withdraw the plea and sentences him to 20 years in prison. He must serve at least 10 years before becoming eligible for parole, meaning he will get a chance to walk free in his 80s. But given the severity of the crime, there is a very real possibility he never leaves prison at all.