Episode Transcript
[00:00:19] Speaker A: Welcome back to Colorado Crime. I'm Amanda.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: And I'm Kori.
[00:00:23] Speaker A: This week, we're taking a trip into the heart of Colorado's mining country, to a tiny mountain town that's home to one of the state's most baffling mysteries.
[00:00:32] Speaker B: It's a story. A story about two men, both searching for meaning, both drawn to the quiet beauty of Silverplume, and both gone without a trace.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: This is episode two of our spooky season series called Mystery in the the Legend of Silver Plume's disappearing residents.
Our story begins with Tom Young.
Tom wasn't your typical mountain town recluse. He was a veteran, a former high school teacher, and by all accounts, a thoughtful, gentle man.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: Tom had once served in the US Army Special Forces and later taught high school in Arvada. But after years in the city, he wanted something simpler, quieter.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: In the late 1960s, Tom moved to Silver Plume with his loyal dog, Gus.
He opened a small bookshop on Main street called the Book Nook. Shelves of used books, local maps, and mountain stories.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: The Book Nook became a cozy spot for locals and travelers. He was the kind of guy people wave to on their way to work.
Dependable, kind, but a little private.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: Then on September 7, 1987, Tom closed his shop. Told a few people he might be heading to Europe.
Then he and Gus vanished.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: At first, no one was worried. People thought he was taking a vacation or visiting family. But as the months passed, the Silverplume residents got uneasy.
[00:02:09] Speaker A: Almost a year later, a hiker found skeletal remains about a mile and a half outside of town.
Tom and his dog each had a single gunshot wound to the head.
[00:02:20] Speaker B: Investigators said it was a suicide.
A handgun was found nearby, one that Tom had purchased just days before disappearing.
[00:02:31] Speaker A: But even back then, the people of Silverplume didn't buy it.
[00:02:36] Speaker B: They said the scene just didn't look quite right. There were fragments of a tarp around the bodies and questions about whether the gun actually matched the wounds.
[00:02:47] Speaker A: Still, the case was closed. Another Lonely Mountain tragedy.
Or so everyone thought.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: The next summer, Silverplume saw a new face.
Keith Reinhard.
[00:03:00] Speaker A: Keith was a sports writer and photographer from Chicago, taking a break from his job to focus on writing. He wanted to step away from city life, to clear his mind and maybe rediscover himself a bit.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: He came to Silverplume in the summer of 1988. He rented the same storefront where Tom had run the Book Nook and turned it into a quaint little antique shop.
[00:03:24] Speaker A: And here's where things start to feel connected.
[00:03:28] Speaker B: Keith learned about Tom Young, the bookstore owner who had vanished from that same building just a year before.
And he became fascinated by the story.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: And maybe fascinated isn't strong enough.
He was consumed by it.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: He started asking the locals questions, researching every rumor, and writing a novel inspired by Tom's disappearance.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: His main character, named Guy Gypsum, was a mix of Tom and himself.
And as his writing deepened, his friends said, Keith began to blur the lines between fact and fiction.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: He even told one friend, I want to write about a man who disappears and then do it myself.
[00:04:21] Speaker A: Before we get back to the mystery in Silver Plume, let's take a quick break for something a little less spooky.
If all this talk about people disappearing into the mountains has you thinking about finding a place instead, I can help.
I'm Amanda Russell with Teeter Realty Company, a licensed Colorado real estate broker, helping clients buy and sell homes all across our beautiful and occasionally eerie state.
Whether you're dreaming of a cozy mountain cabin or a home that's far from haunted trails, I'll help you find a place that fits just right.
No mysteries attached.
Visit www.amandarusslerealtor.com to start your home search today, because finding a home shouldn't be a mystery or a survival story.
Now let's get back to the episode.
At first, people thought he was joking.
Until he wasn't.
[00:05:26] Speaker B: On August 7, 1988, Keith closed up his shop around mid afternoon and told the friends he was going to climb Pendleton Mountain right behind Silverplume.
[00:05:37] Speaker A: He said he'd be back by dinner, but when evening came, there was no sign of him.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: He left with no backpack, no food, no water, just jeans, a flannel, and tennis shoes.
That, my friends, is not hiking gear. That is, I'm stepping outside to drink my coffee on the porch gear.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: By morning, search teams were scouring the mountain.
Helicopters, search dogs, and over 125 volunteers.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: They searched for a week. Not a single trace, not even a scrap of clothing.
[00:06:13] Speaker A: And the most chilling detail.
Keith vanished exactly one year and one day after Tom's body was discovered.
[00:06:22] Speaker B: Same town, same building, same kind of man.
[00:06:26] Speaker A: It's almost like he followed Tom's footsteps right into the unknown.
[00:06:32] Speaker B: Over the years, people have come up with plenty of theories.
[00:06:37] Speaker A: Some believe Keith suffered a mental break. The isolation, creative pressure, and obsession with Tom's story pushed him over the edge.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: Others think he staged his own disappearance, that maybe he walked away to start a new life, living out the end of his novel.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: But Keith's family, especially his son Kai, doesn't believe that.
They say he would never have left without saying goodbye, especially not to his wife and children.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: Then there's the third theory, the one that keeps this story alive.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: That Keith may have discovered something, something about Tom's death and paid the price for it.
[00:07:18] Speaker B: Locals have whispered that the mountains around Silverplume hide old secrets, that maybe things were happening in the 1980s that people didn't want uncovered.
[00:07:28] Speaker A: Since his disappearance, hikers and visitors have reported strange phenomena. Footsteps on empty trails, voices calling their names, and cold bursts of air where there shouldn't be any.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: Some say they've seen a man standing near the old trailhead, flannel shirt, jeans, who disappears when you blink.
[00:07:49] Speaker A: Maybe it's imagination.
Or maybe the mountains remember.
[00:07:54] Speaker B: Today, Silverplume remains a dot on the map, quiet, beautiful, and still haunted by its past.
[00:08:03] Speaker A: Both Tom and Keith were men searching for something.
Peace, inspiration, escape.
And instead, they became part of a mystery that's endured for nearly 40 years.
[00:08:17] Speaker B: The truth is still out there, waiting somewhere in those mountains.
[00:08:22] Speaker A: Maybe time will finally bring answers. Until then, all that's left is a question that's haunted Silverplume for decades.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: Did Tom and Keith find what they were looking for?
Or did the mountains claim them both.
[00:08:36] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to Colorado Crime Today.
[00:08:40] Speaker B: If you enjoyed this spooky season episode, be sure to follow, rate and share. It does help us reach more listeners.
[00:08:46] Speaker A: Follow us on Instagram for behind the scenes looks and a few spooky moments with Luna, the podcast pup.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: We'll be back next week with another chilling story from the shadows of Colorado.
Until then, stay curious and have the day you deserve.
[00:09:02] Speaker A: Stay safe.
