SERIAL KILLER: David Meirhofer
In 1973, 12-year-old Susie Yeager vanished from her family’s tent in Montana’s Headwater State Park—only to be found months later, along with the remains of 19-year-old Sandy Dykeman, in a burned-out ranch. What followed was one of the first major cases to use criminal profiling, as FBI agents, armed with a new psychological framework, predicted the killer would call again. The man behind the calls? David Meyerhofer, a 20-something carpenter with military experience and a disturbing collection of souvenirs from girls he’d targeted. Despite passing polygraphs and a lack of physical evidence at first, investigators pieced together a chilling pattern: a to-do list for abductions, a map to Girl Scout camps, and a freezer containing a severed hand. After a final, haunting phone call where a child’s voice was heard, Meyerhofer confessed to murdering Susie and Sandy—and claimed two more victims, including a Boy Scout from 1968. But just hours after his confession, he died by suicide in jail, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. The case became a landmark in criminal profiling, proving that even the most random, seemingly disconnected crimes could be linked by a single, disturbed mind. The episode reveals the haunting power of psychological profiling in solving cold cases, even when traditional evidence fails. It also raises uncomfortable questions: why did Meyerhofer only taunt Susie’s family? Why did he confess only after being cornered?
Criminal profiling predicted the killer would call again—exactly one year after Susie’s kidnapping, and the call came.
David Meyerhofer’s freezer contained Sandy Dykeman’s severed hand, proving he kept body parts as trophies.
He confessed to killing Susie, Sandy, and two other victims—including a Boy Scout from 1968—despite no prior suspicion.
The FBI used psychological profiling to predict the killer’s behavior, marking one of the first successful uses of the technique.
Meyerhofer’s to-do list included Camp Silver Cloud, where he tried to abduct two girls—evidence he was actively planning attacks.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Return of CounterClock
Britt announces the return of the seasonal show CounterClock, which is reinvestigating the 2008 Lane Bryant murders with new sources and law enforcement interviews.
Susie’s Disappearance in the Montana Wilderness
“As I stumbled around the campground searching, I was gripped by a terrible sense of separation, panic and hopelessness in my inability to see.”
The Denver Ransom Calls and the First Real Clue
“He says that Susie's fingernails, like on her index fingers of each hand are humped a little, like slightly deformed. And this is true of Susie.”
The Discovery of Sandy Dykeman’s Remains
“Experts say that not all of the remains belong to Sandy. There are at least two people who were reduced to a pile of ash because some of the bones belonged to a girl between the ages of five and eight years old. Susie.”
The Birth of Criminal Profiling in the Case
“They think that he is going to call again and they think it's going to be on a significant date.”
“And when she says yes, he says, well, I'm the guy who took her from you exactly a year ago. to the minute. He says that she's alive, but he can't give her back because he's gotten used to her.”
“Experts say that not all of the remains belong to Sandy. There are at least two people who were reduced to a pile of ash because some of the bones belonged to a girl between the ages of five and eight years old. Susie.”
“He says that Susie's fingernails, like on her index fingers of each hand are humped a little, like slightly deformed. And this is true of Susie.”
Hosts
Guest
David Meyerhofer
person
Susie Yeager
person
FBI
organization
Marietta Yeager
person
Bill Yeager
person
Gallatin County Sheriff's Office
organization
Manhattan, Montana
place
Headwater State Park
place
Camp Silver Cloud
place
Ron Fransell
person
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