Found in Boots That Weren't Hers: The Painter Basin Vanishings A fifty-two-year-old woman was found alive, hypothermic, and wearing a pair of women's size eight boots that did not belong to her-she wears a size seven and had no explanation. Two independent witnesses reported seeing the same injured woman with different men within hours of each other, and scent trails and evidence bags in the case behaved in baffling ways; what really happened in Painter Basin? In this episode, we lay out the factual record from the Painter Basin search in June 2019, presenting the timeline, witness accounts, and the puzzling physical clues that did not fit: the boots, the abandoned trail runners in her car, and conflicting sightings that occurred almost simultaneously. Can a single explanation reconcile the divergent witness reports and the unexplained footwear? Person: Laura Simmons Date: June 19, 2019 (found), signed trail register June 15, 2019 Location: Painter Basin, Gallatin-Uinta National Forest, Fremont County, Wyoming Status: Found alive, hypothermic, dehydrated Coordinator: Judith Harris (Fremont County SAR) - Laura Simmons was found 4.3 miles from the trailhead, curled in a shallow depression behind a granite overhang. - She was wearing women's size eight Merrell Moab boots, brown leather, older model; Laura's shoe size is seven. - Laura signed the Painter Basin trailhead register on Saturday, June 15 at 7:22 AM, planning a roughly 14-mile loop with an overnight near Painter Basin. - Ranger Tom Weisel located Laura’s 2012 gray Subaru Forester on Sunday, June 16 at about 6:00 PM with her trail runners visible on the passenger seat. - Two separate witness sightings on Monday, June 17 reported the same injured woman being assisted by different men at approximately the same time on parallel trails. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.