Her bones, intertwined with rotting straw, were nailed to a wooden cross in the middle of a vast cornfield in Virginia.

This story isn’t about the wilderness of the Appalachian Trail and its natural dangers.
It’s about a monster who lived in plain sight — waving at passing cars every day while staring at his horrific creation, which he called Scarecrow.

It all began in the summer of 2005.

For Sara Jenkins, 24, from Columbus, Ohio, this was supposed to be the summer of her life.
She had just graduated with a degree in journalism and, before diving into adult life with an office job and a mortgage, she decided to fulfill her dream: hiking a major section of the Appalachian Trail alone.

Sara wasn’t a professional hiker, but she was well-prepared. She spent months researching routes, reading blogs and books written by experienced hikers, and buying gear.
She was strong, independent, and filled with optimism.

Her parents were worried, of course, but proud of their daughter’s determination. To them, she was their brilliant, fearless girl who always managed to achieve whatever she set her mind to.

Sara kept a small but popular travel blog called Sara Sees the World, where she planned to document every step of her adventure with writings and photos. In early June 2005, she said goodbye to her family and flew to Georgia, the starting point of her journey.

The first weeks of the hike were exactly as she had dreamed. She hiked north, through dense forests, climbed scenic peaks, and met other travelers along the way.
She regularly updated her blog.

She wrote about the beauty of nature, the struggles of long treks, and the kindness of strangers — the “trail angels” — who helped hikers with food and shelter. Her photos captured the grandeur of the mountains and her own sense of freedom and joy….