The Podcast

Chapter 14

West Coast Killers #97: Joshua Tree Boys

Gather 'round my WCK sleuths, with me, your host, Sumner West. The story I have for you today is uniquely perplexing and ridden with conspiracies that continue to spiral to this day. It's about two high school seniors, both males, who go on a weekend camping trip in Joshua Tree National Park. When they don't return home, their family and friends fear that the desert's harsh conditions have led to a tragedy—but when the boys are found dead, tied and bound side by side, it's clear that something far more sinister has taken place. Today's episode is the story of Rogan Tellhouse and Michael Bunderbee.

It's about 7:00 AM on Tuesday June 23rd 1987 and a California State Park Ranger, Colin Murdoch, is leading a small search party through the desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. Yesterday on Monday June 22nd, the LAPD had received a panicked call from Jenny and Ryan Tellhouse. Their eighteen-year-old son, Rogan Tellhouse, and his best friend, also eighteen-years-old, Michael Bunderbee, had gone on a weekend camping trip in Joshua Tree National Park. It was the summer before both boys left for college and while they were known to be budding outdoorsmen, they had never camped in Joshua Tree before. When neither boy returned home Sunday evening, as originally intended, both sets of parents agreed they likely crashed at a friend's or had decided to stay in the park another night. But when Monday evening rolls around and there's still no word from the boys, the Tellhouses decide to call the police, concerned that something may have happened to the boys in the harsh, desert climate of Joshua Tree.

Colin Murdoch and his small search party assume the same—they've dealt with many campers and hikers who underestimate the elements, pack improperly, and suffer from severe dehydration and even death. So while Colin is concerned for the boys, he has no reason to suspect any foul play. He's trekking through the campground the boys had been using since Friday. He sees their tent and some supplies. Not surprising. His guess is that the boys wandered out for a day hike—perhaps one had sustained an injury if not dehydration. But as Colin combs through their tent, he becomes increasingly perplexed. Because he doesn't just find their tent, sleeping gear, and other things you'd leave behind when going on a hike. He finds everything. Their backpacks, their water bottles, foodstores, flashlights, even their driver's licenses and camping permits. Basically, everything but the two boys themselves.

Immediately, Colin Murdoch calls the LAPD to inform them of his findings. In an article by the Associated Press for the San Bernardino Daily, Colin doesn't necessarily jump to any conclusions about what happened to Rogan and Michael, but he's far less convinced that they were simply out on a trail with their gear when something befell them. It's clear to him that this is now an LAPD issue, not just a State Park issue. Later that day, Colin leads a larger search party through the campsite, including police dogs trained to pick up both Rogan and Michael's scent from their clothing left behind.

But when both dogs, one trained on Rogan's scent and the other trained on Michael's, lead officers to the nearby road, just a few miles from the boys' campsite, more panic sets in. If the dogs are correct and Michael and Rogan were driven somewhere else in the park, either by choice or not, the search for them becomes exponentially more difficult. After all, they could have only gone so far on foot—but by vehicle? They could be literally anywhere, including no longer even in the park. Colin Murdoch recounts this early part of the investigation in his interview for LA Nightly News, saying, quote: "It can be hard when the dogs signal very clearly— in this case both dogs for both boys—-to not believe that the dogs are right. That the boys must have made their way to the road and then their trail vanishes from there. But as much as we respect the dogs and the successes they've had in the force, a dog scent alone isn't enough to make a determination. So we had to keep that in mind." End quote.