SERIAL KILLER: David Meirhofer

Episode of Crime Junkie · June 1, 2026 · 51 min

Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat recount how Montana serial killer David Meirhofer was caught after abducting seven-year-old Susie Jaeger from a campground in 1973.

Summary

Ashley Flowers narrated the case of David Meirhofer for co-host Brit Prawat, beginning with the June 1973 abduction of seven-year-old Susie Jaeger from her family's tent at a Montana state park, where a 12-year-old Boy Scout, Michael Raney, had been stabbed five years earlier. A man claiming to be the kidnapper made ransom calls, proved his claim by describing Susie's slightly humped fingernails, and later called the family in Michigan, but physical evidence yielded nothing.

In February 1974, 19-year-old Sandy Dykman of Manhattan, Montana, disappeared; her car and burned bone fragments were found at an abandoned ranch, with some remains belonging to a young girl. Meirhofer, a local former Marine and carpenter, surfaced in both investigations but passed a polygraph and later a truth-serum test. FBI Special Agent Pete Dunbar enlisted the Bureau's nascent behavioral profiling unit, which predicted the killer would call the family on a significant date. On the one-year anniversary, Marietta Jaeger kept the caller on the line for an hour; the call was traced via a rancher's phone bill to a line near the ranch, and tire tracks pointed to Meirhofer.

A search of his property found incriminating items and a to-do list targeting Girl Scout camps, yet he remained free. After Marietta confronted him face to face and he later called her from Salt Lake City, he was arrested, and Sandy Dykman's hand was found in his freezer. He confessed to killing Susie, Sandy, Michael Raney and teenager Bernie Poelman, then died by suicide hours later. Flowers argued he likely had more victims, possibly including nurse Donna Lemon, and praised the profilers' accuracy. The episode closed noting that Marietta Jaeger forgave Meirhofer and became an advocate against the death penalty.

Chapters

0:33
Introduction
Flowers introduces a little-known Montana serial killer caught through a mother's determination and early FBI criminal profiling.
1:53
Susie vanishes from the tent
Heidi Jaeger wakes to find a slit in their tent and her sister Susie gone, prompting a search that revives memories of a 1968 stabbing at the same park.
7:04
Ransom calls and a family's vigil
A caller demands ransom and proves knowledge of Susie's fingernails, while the Jaegers return to Michigan and Marietta guards the phone.
16:03
The recorded call to Susie's brother
Voice actors read the transcript of the kidnapper's call to Dan Jaeger, traced to a Wyoming pay phone as lab results come back empty.
18:56
Sandy Dykman and the abandoned ranch
The disappearance of Sandy Dykman leads to an abandoned ranch where her car and burned remains, including those of a young girl, are found.
24:51
Meirhofer and the FBI profile
Meirhofer passes a polygraph, and FBI behavioral profilers at Quantico describe a killer matching him and predict an anniversary call.
28:41
The anniversary call and the trace
Marietta keeps the kidnapper talking for an hour, and a rancher's disputed phone bill and tire tracks lead back to Meirhofer despite a truth-serum test.
35:39
Search, voice lineup and confrontation
A search uncovers souvenirs and a to-do list targeting Girl Scout camps, but Meirhofer stays free even after Marietta confronts him face to face.
40:32
The final call and arrest
Meirhofer calls Marietta from Salt Lake City with a child's voice on the line, is arrested, and Sandy Dykman's hand is found in his freezer.
44:26
Confessions and suicide
Meirhofer confesses to four murders in exchange for avoiding the death penalty and dies by suicide hours later.
48:47
Unanswered questions and forgiveness
The hosts discuss possible additional victims including Donna Lemon, the profilers' impact, and Marietta Jaeger's forgiveness.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Ashley Flowers
Flowers described the case as one of the first in which the FBI applied criminal profiling to catch a killer.
“this would be one of the very first cases where the FBI put their learning to work to catch serial killer David Meyerhofer”
Listen from 1:10 · Offender profiling
Ashley Flowers
Flowers reported that FBI profilers predicted the killer would call the family again on a significant date.
“They think that he is going to call again. And they think it's going to be on a significant date”
Listen from 28:00 · Offender profiling
Ashley Flowers
Flowers explained that local agents trusted polygraphs over profiling and considered Meirhofer cleared because he passed one.
“they are less convinced because in their mind, the thing that they know is polygraphs. Right. David passed a polygraph”
Listen from 28:30 · Polygraph
Ashley Flowers
Flowers advised parents to keep children close while camping, saying separate tents is one of her personal rules.
“Honestly, putting your kids in a different tent is one of mine. This is not the only time something like this has happened”
Listen from 31:16 · Kidnapping and murder of Susie Jaeger
Ashley Flowers
Flowers said the profilers warned that true psychopaths can pass polygraphs even under truth serum.
“those kind of people can pass polygraphs all day long, even under the spell of truth serum”
Listen from 35:33 · Polygraph
Ashley Flowers
Flowers suggested Meirhofer's easy consent to a search indicated he felt untouchable.
“why did he even let them search so easily knowing what they would find? It's almost like he felt untouchable”
Listen from 38:57 · David Meirhofer murders
Ashley Flowers
Flowers argued Meirhofer's denial of the Camp Silver Cloud attack, despite it being checked off his list, undermined his other statements.
“Marked off. Which, to me, makes everything else he's saying less credible”
Listen from 47:39 · David Meirhofer murders
Ashley Flowers
Flowers leaned toward the child's voice on the final call being a recording because Meirhofer was out of sight for only 18 hours.
“I lean more toward the idea that this was maybe recorded because he was only out of sight for 18 hours”
Listen from 48:38 · David Meirhofer murders
Ashley Flowers
Flowers said the profilers' accurate prediction, perhaps partly luck, paved the way for later criminal profiling by winning over doubters.
“it paved the way for all of the criminal profiling that came after this because it made some of the doubters respect their craft a little bit more”
Listen from 48:47 · Offender profiling
Ashley Flowers
Flowers said she is fully convinced Meirhofer had additional unknown victims, citing souvenirs that did not belong to Susie or Sandy.
“I'm fully convinced this man had more victims that we just don't know about. Because remember the blouse and the necklace and, like, the lipstick found at his house?”
Listen from 49:04 · David Meirhofer murders
Ashley Flowers
Flowers questioned why Meirhofer was not seriously considered in Donna Lemon's case, noting he traveled delivering machinery and could have taken her to Idaho.
“We know David traveled a lot. He was delivering machinery for his dad's company. He could have easily taken Donna to Idaho where she's found and left her there”
Listen from 50:48 · Disappearance of Donna Lemon
Linked moment · 51:02Skip to 51:02 using a listen link in the info box.
Ashley Flowers
Flowers reported that Marietta Jaeger forgave Meirhofer and became an advocate for forgiveness and against the death penalty.
“She went on to become an advocate for forgiveness and speaks openly against the death penalty”
Listen from 51:02 · Capital punishment

People

In the conversation

Ashley FlowersCreator and host of the true crime podcast Crime Junkie and founder of Audiochuck
Brit PrawatCo-host of Crime Junkie, introduced in the episode as 'Britt'

Discussed

David MeirhoferMontana serial killer and Vietnam veteran who confessed to four murders in 1974
Susie JaegerSeven-year-old Michigan girl abducted from a Montana campground in 1973
Marietta JaegerSusie's mother, author of The Lost Child and later an advocate for forgiveness and against the death penalty
Pete DunbarFBI special agent from the Bozeman office who led the investigation
Sandy Dykman19-year-old Manhattan, Montana, waitress murdered by Meirhofer in 1974
Michael Raney12-year-old Boy Scout stabbed in his tent in 1968, later claimed by Meirhofer
Bernie PoelmanTeenager shot on a bridge in 1967 whose death Meirhofer confessed to
Donna Lemon20-year-old nurse who disappeared in July 1973 and was found dead in Idaho
Ron FranscellAuthor of The Shadow Man, a book on the case, interviewed for the episode
Karen SmithGirl whose newspaper photo Meirhofer clipped, later protected by an FBI agent

Topics

From the publisher

In the summer of 1973, the Jaeger family wakes at a Montana campground to every parent's nightmare: their young daughter, Susie, is gone. Searches turn up nothing, until a man begins tormenting the family with chilling calls and letters. He has Susie, and he has no intention of giving her back. As investigators race to find her, more victims begin to surface. The case finally breaks when a determined mother joins forces with the FBI’s newly formed behavioral profiling unit. Together, they uncover the truth about what happened to Susie and bring long-awaited answers to three other grieving families.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime·History