Bear Brook (September 2018) is an investigative true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio that solved a decades-old cold case through genealogical DNA testing, demonstrating how podcast journalism could achieve what traditional law enforcement couldn’t and raising questions about genetic privacy and investigative ethics.
The Mystery
In 1985 and 2000, four bodies were discovered in barrels in Bear Brook State Park, New Hampshire—two adult women and two young girls. For 30+ years, their identities remained unknown and their killer unidentified. NHPR investigative reporter Jason Moon spent two years researching the case, interviewing families, and working with forensic genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter (who’d identified Golden State Killer).
Genealogical DNA Breakthrough
The podcast documented real-time investigation using emerging genetic genealogy techniques. By uploading crime scene DNA to public genealogy databases (GEDmatch, FamilyTreeDNA) and building family trees, researchers identified victims and suspect—Terry Peder Rasmussen, serial killer who used multiple identities across decades.
The investigation revealed Rasmussen’s pattern: marrying women with children, murdering them when relationships ended, moving to new locations under new names. Bear Brook documented how he evaded detection through identity fraud and jurisdictional gaps in 1980s law enforcement.
Victim Identification
Through genetic genealogy, the podcast helped identify victims: Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughters Marie Vaughn and Sarah McWaters. One victim remained unidentified during podcast’s initial run (later identified as Denise Beaudin). The reporting gave families closure after decades of uncertainty.
Investigative Journalism Impact
Bear Brook demonstrated how well-resourced podcast journalism could solve cases traditional policing couldn’t. NHPR’s commitment—two years, legal support, forensic consultants—enabled investigation police departments lacked resources or expertise to pursue. The podcast model allowed time depth impossible for daily news or even magazine journalism.
Ethical Questions
The podcast raised concerns about genetic privacy—should law enforcement and journalists access public genealogy databases without users’ informed consent? Users uploaded DNA to find relatives, not solve crimes. The technique’s success (Golden State Killer, Bear Brook) sparked debates about privacy vs public safety.
Critics questioned whether podcast production created pressure to solve cases on recording schedules, potentially compromising investigation integrity. Moon addressed these concerns transparently, acknowledging ethical dilemmas throughout.
Format and Craft
Bear Brook combined true crime investigation with deep reporting on forensic science, genealogy technology, and systemic failures enabling Rasmussen’s murders. Episodes explained DNA science accessibly without dumbing down complexity. Moon’s New Hampshire perspective added local knowledge commercial podcasters lacked.
Legacy
Bear Brook validated public radio’s investigative podcasting capacity, demonstrated genetic genealogy’s crime-solving power, and proved local journalism could produce national-impact work. The show influenced how law enforcement approached cold cases and sparked conversations about genetic privacy rights.
Sources: New Hampshire Public Radio, The New York Times, Wired, Bear Brook podcast episodes, forensic genealogy research