Bear Brook (November 2018) was an investigative true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio that solved a decades-old cold case using genetic genealogy. The show won a Peabody Award and influenced criminal investigations.
The Case
In 1985 and 2000, four bodies were found in barrels in Bear Brook State Park in New Hampshire. For decades, the victims remained unidentified and the killer unknown. Investigative journalist Jason Moon chronicled how genetic genealogy finally cracked the case.
The podcast followed investigators as they identified victims, traced the killer (Terry Peder Rasmussen, who died in prison in 2010), and uncovered connections to other cold cases across the country.
Impact on Criminal Justice
Bear Brook demonstrated the power of genetic genealogy (the same technique that caught the Golden State Killer in 2018). The podcast influenced law enforcement adoption of the technique and sparked debates about DNA privacy.
The show’s meticulous reporting and emotional storytelling won critical acclaim, including a Peabody Award. It proved regional public radio stations could produce world-class investigative podcasting.
Bear Brook highlighted the human cost of cold cases and the importance of victim identification in bringing closure to families.