Young Couple Vanished Hiking in Alaska, 9 Months Later a Ranger Makes a Disturbing Discovery

A Mystery That Began on a Cold September Morning

In the rugged wilderness of Alaska, where nature both mesmerizes and intimidates, the line between adventure and tragedy can vanish in an instant.

That truth became hauntingly real in September 2022 when 27-year-old Tessa Sullivan and her boyfriend, 28-year-old Finn Hoffman, left their cozy cabin at the Kenai River Lodge for a morning hike. They promised the lodge manager they would be checked out by noon. But they never came back.

Their rental car disappeared with them, swallowed by Alaska’s endless wilderness. For nine long months, their families clung to hope. Search parties scoured miles of mountains, forests, and rivers. But the couple had simply vanished.

Then, in June 2023, a park ranger stumbled upon something shocking and sinister while inspecting an illegal bear bait site. What he uncovered turned what had long seemed like a tragic hiking accident into one of Alaska’s most disturbing crimes.

The Last Morning at the Lodge

On September 12, 2022, a persistent drizzle blanketed the small town of Cooper Landing. Brenda Riley, the longtime manager of the Kenai River Lodge, noticed that Cabin 7, rented by the young Oregon couple, was unusually still. Noon came and went, yet no one had checked out.

Inside the cabin, everything looked untouched. Suitcases stood neatly against the wall, a jacket draped over a chair, and toiletries left in the bathroom. A bird guidebook was open on the table, bookmarked with a coffee receipt from Anchorage. Nothing suggested a planned disappearance—only an abrupt, unexplained interruption of their lives.

Brenda called their phone, but it went straight to voicemail. By the next day, she contacted the Alaska State Troopers. Within hours, the couple’s faces appeared on missing persons bulletins across the state.

A Vanished Vehicle, A Vanished Couple

For troopers, the missing vehicle was an immediate red flag. Typically, hikers left cars at trailheads, but their rented gray Ford Escape had vanished too. Investigators rushed to Slaughter Gulch Trail, the destination mentioned in Finn’s last text to his brother. But there was no sign of the SUV.

Helicopters scanned the forest canopy, while ground teams combed the muddy trail. Search dogs struggled in the dense underbrush. Not a single trace of the couple appeared.

As days passed, the search widened. Troopers mapped grids, volunteers joined from Anchorage, and the media splashed their smiling faces across screens. A tip surfaced when a gas station attendant claimed he saw them days before they vanished, asking for directions to the coast. But corrupted surveillance footage erased the only potential lead.

By October, as snow began to blanket the Kenai Peninsula, the search was suspended. The families were left with grief and uncertainty.

A Haunting Discovery in the Wilderness

Nine months later, in June 2023, Park Ranger Elias Vance set out on a routine patrol of registered bear bait stations deep inside the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Bear baiting, while legal with permits, is heavily regulated. Vance had no idea he was about to walk into a crime scene.

Following a narrow trail, he reached a massive illegal bait pile. The stench of rotting food scraps hung in the damp air. But mixed in with the refuse, something caught his eye—something that didn’t belong.

Half-buried beneath branches and bones, he found fragments of human clothing. Nearby, a wallet lay waterlogged but intact. Inside was a driver’s license belonging to Finn Hoffman.

The discovery was chilling. Further inspection uncovered a second set of remains, later confirmed to be Tessa’s. The ranger had just unraveled one of Alaska’s most disturbing unsolved disappearances.

From Accident to Crime

The revelation that the couple’s remains were found near a bear bait pile shifted the case dramatically. This was no simple case of hikers lost in the wilderness. Investigators now had to confront a darker possibility: human foul play disguised under the cover of Alaska’s vast and unforgiving landscape.

Experts were called in to analyze the remains and the site. The presence of an illegal bait station raised grim questions. Had the couple accidentally stumbled upon something they were never supposed to see? Had they crossed paths with someone willing to kill to protect a secret hunting spot?

The missing vehicle was later recovered miles away, abandoned deep in the forest, hidden beneath a camouflage tarp. Inside, investigators found fingerprints that did not match either Tessa or Finn.

Families Demand Justice

Back in Oregon, the discovery brought heartbreak and rage. For months, the families of Tessa and Finn had fought to keep their story alive, clinging to the hope that the couple might still be found alive. Instead, they now faced the horror of knowing their children were victims of a crime in one of the most isolated regions in America.

“This wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t nature. Someone did this to them,” said Finn’s brother at a press conference. “And that someone is still out there.”

The case instantly reignited media interest, sparking debates about safety in Alaska’s backcountry and the shadowy subculture of illegal hunting practices. Local residents whispered about poachers, drug traffickers, and people who used the wilderness as a cover for darker activities.

The Investigation Expands

With new evidence in hand, Alaska State Troopers reclassified the case as a homicide investigation. Federal authorities joined in, given that the crime scene was on protected federal land. Rangers, troopers, and FBI agents worked together to reconstruct the couple’s final days.

The illegal bear bait pile became the focal point. Investigators collected samples, set up surveillance, and interviewed known hunters in the area. The abandoned SUV offered crucial forensic leads. The unknown fingerprints suggested that at least one other person had been inside the vehicle. DNA analysis is still pending, but investigators believe the killer may have used the SUV to move the bodies closer to the bait site.

Alaska’s Dark Reputation

While Alaska is famous for its breathtaking scenery, it also carries a grim reputation for disappearances. Vast wilderness areas, minimal cell coverage, and extreme weather make it easy for people to vanish without a trace. But this case is different. This wasn’t a tragic accident—it was a crime deliberately hidden in the folds of the landscape.

In fact, illegal hunting operations and poaching rings have long thrived in Alaska’s backcountry. Such operations often attract individuals who are secretive, armed, and hostile to outsiders. For Tessa and Finn, stumbling upon such an operation may have been a fatal mistake.

The Unanswered Questions

Even with the disturbing discoveries, many questions remain:

Who left the illegal bear bait pile?
Who abandoned the couple’s SUV and why?
Were Tessa and Finn killed immediately after encountering someone—or were they held for days before their deaths?
And most importantly, who is responsible for their murders?

Authorities have been cautious with details, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. But the silence only fuels speculation.

A Community Demands Closure

The people of Cooper Landing remain shaken. For a town dependent on tourism and outdoor enthusiasts, the murder of two visitors is devastating. “We pride ourselves on being a welcoming place,” said Brenda Riley, the lodge manager who first noticed their disappearance. “Now there’s fear in the air. People wonder if it could happen again.”

Families of the victims are pushing for stronger oversight of remote wilderness areas, including harsher penalties for illegal baiting. Advocacy groups argue that poaching operations not only harm wildlife but also endanger human lives.

The Lingering Legacy

For now, the murder of Tessa Sullivan and Finn Hoffman remains unsolved. The wilderness that once swallowed them has finally given up its secrets, but not yet the identity of their killer.

What began as a dream trip to Alaska—a once-in-a-lifetime adventure—ended in horror. Their story is now a grim reminder that behind the beauty of the Last Frontier lurks danger, both natural and human-made.

And until justice is served, their case will remain one of the most chilling crimes Alaska has ever seen.