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On July 1st, 2020, three teenagers set out on a hike to Black Ridge Plateau in Colorado.

It was a normal summer day when 17-year-old Pierce Murphy, 16-year-old Rose Donovan, and 17-year-old Philip Clark said goodbye to their families in the quiet town of Grand Junction and set off on an adventure.

No one could have predicted that this trip would be the last of their lives.

The Black Ridge Plateau, located in western Colorado, is known for its red cliffs, deep canyons, and network of mysterious caves.

The three best friends planned to spend 3 days here exploring the local natural wonders.

It was a trip they had been preparing for several months.

The last contact with the teenagers was that same evening.

At 9:00, Pierce called his parents to say that they had already set up camp about 7 miles from the start of the hiking trail.

He talked about the beautiful scenery and how lucky they were with the weather.

The boy’s voice sounded cheerful, and he promised to send photos when he returned home.

“I remember our last conversation well,” says Martha Murphy, Pice’s mother.

He was so happy and excited.

He said the place was incredible and that Philip had found an interesting cave that they planned to explore the next morning.

I wished him a good rest and advised him to be careful.

Who knew those would be my last words to my son.

The next day, the weather took a turn for the worse.

One of the strongest storms in a decade swept across the region.

When the children did not return home at the agreed time, their parents raised the alarm.

One of the largest search operations in the history of Mesa County began.

For 2 weeks, dozens of rangers, police officers, volunteers, and search dogs combed every inch of the plateau.

Helicopters with thermal imaging cameras circled over the desert landscape, and experienced cavers explored every accessible cave.

The only thing they found was the teenagers camp.

The tent was intact.

Their belongings were neatly packed inside, but the teenagers themselves seemed to have vanished into thin air.

“It was as if they had simply evaporated,” recalls John Taylor, the Mesa County Sheriff who led the search operation.

Their camp looked as if they had just stepped out for a moment and intended to return.

Food supplies, sleeping bags, clothes, even personal belongings.

Everything was left in its place.

We found PICE’s camera and the children’s phones, but we found no trace of the teenagers themselves.

During the first few weeks, several theories were put forward about what might have happened.

An accident while exploring a cave, an attack by a wild animal, kidnapping, or even voluntary escape.

None of these theories were supported by evidence.

As time passed, the search gradually wound down and the case of the three missing teenagers from Grand Junction became one of the most mysterious cold cases in the history of the state of Colorado.

And then 5 years later, on August 7th, 2025, a group of geology students from the University of Colorado discovered something that made even experienced criminologists shudder.

In a remote cave on the northwestern edge of the Black Ridge Plateau, in an area almost inaccessible to ordinary tourists, they found a black plastic bag.

Inside was a neatly folded human corpse without skin.

I’ve never seen anything like this in my 30 years as a medical examiner, admits Dr.

Gordon Ramirez, who performed the autopsy.

The body was completely stripped of its skin, and it was done with surgical precision.

There were no torn edges or animal teeth marks.

It was the work of a human being and a human being with some medical knowledge.

DNA testing confirmed what everyone feared.

The corpse belonged to Pierce Murphy, one of three teenagers who disappeared 5 years ago.

But what happened to Rose Donovan and Philip Clark? Who or what took the lives of these young people? And most importantly, why was Pierce’s body found in such a state? The case of the disappearances on the Black Ridge Plateau was back in the spotlight.

And this time, investigators were confronted with something far more sinister than they could have imagined.

Something that turned this story into one of the most mysterious and disturbing cases in the history of US criminal investigations.

When we started the search, we thought we were dealing with an accident or at worst a kidnapping, says FBI investigator Alex Wong, who is now leading the investigation.

Now we realize that we are dealing with something much more frightening and incomprehensible.

This is no longer just a disappearance.

It is something that is beyond our understanding.

In this documentary, we will follow the path of three teenagers, recreating their last hike step by step.

We will talk to those who knew them, those who searched for them, and those who ultimately found what remained of them.

We will analyze all the theories and try to find the answer to the question, what really happened to Pierce Murphy, Rose Donovan, and Philip Clark on the mysterious Black Ridge Plateau in Colorado? This is a story that makes us question what we know about the world around us.

A story that reminds us that some of nature’s secrets can be more dangerous than we can imagine.

Pierce Murphy, Rose Donovan, and Philip Clark grew up in Grand Junction, a small town on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

It’s a place where everyone knows each other, where life flows calmly and steadily, and where nature is a constant backdrop to everyday existence.

It was here, among the red sandstones and endless expanses, that the characters of three friends were formed, whose fate became one of the state’s greatest mysteries.

Pierce was the eldest son in the Murphy family.

At 17, he already had a reputation as a talented photographer.

His photographs of local landscapes have won numerous competitions and some have even been published in Colorado tourist brochures.

In addition to photography, the young man was fascinated by geology.

His room was filled with samples of rocks and minerals collected during numerous hikes.

Pierce could talk for hours about the formation of rocks, recalls his father, Richard Murphy.

He knew the history of every rock in his collection, could tell how many millions of years ago it was formed and under what conditions.

For him, nature was an open book.

Rose Donovan, a year younger than Pierce, was his complete opposite.

She was a quiet, thoughtful girl with an incredible aptitude for the exact sciences.

She was an excellent student, especially in chemistry and biology.

She dreamed of becoming a heart surgeon and and had already been accepted to the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Rose always knew what she wanted, says her mother, Emily Donovan.

Ever since she was a child, she said she would be a doctor.

While other girls played with dolls, she asked for anatomy books.

She had a rare combination of intelligence and empathy.

She really could have been an outstanding doctor.

Philip Clark, a 17-year-old athlete and captain of the school’s American football team, was the informal leader of the trio.

Confident and charismatic, he could get along with anyone.

Philip was never one to sit still, recalls his coach, Mike Donahue.

He was one of those people who was always on the move, always looking for new adventures, new challenges.

At the same time, he always cared for his friends and was a source of support for them.

Philip planned to enroll in the United States Military Academy at West Point after graduating from high school and dreamed of becoming a special forces officer.

The three teenagers were united not only by their long-standing friendship, but also by their shared love of nature.

From early childhood, they explored the Grand Junction area together, first with their parents and later on their own.

By the time of their fateful trip, they already had considerable hiking experience, including several multi-day hikes in Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument.

They were experienced hikers.

Martha Murphy emphasizes PICE knew how to behave in the wild, how to navigate the terrain, how to prepare for a hike.

They weren’t noviceses who were going into the mountains for the first time.

The idea for the Black Ridge Plateau hike came to Pierce in the late spring of 2020.

He came across an article about littleknown caves in the region that supposedly contained unique geological formations and rock paintings.

For Pierce, it was an opportunity to take unique photographs, for Rose to study the local flora, and for Philip to test himself in the challenging conditions of cave tourism.

Planning for the trip took almost a month.

The teenagers carefully studied maps of the area, read reports from other tourists, and consulted with rangers.

They chose a route that started from the official tourist trail, but then veered off into the less explored northwestern part of the plateau.

Philip came to me several times with their route, says Steve Johnson, an experienced ranger at the Colorado National Reserve.

He showed me the map and asked about water sources, weather conditions, and possible dangers.

I warned him that cell phone coverage wasn’t very good in that part of the plateau and that the caves there could be dangerous.

But the guy seemed prepared and I saw no reason to discourage them from this trip.

The teenagers spent the last few days before the trip gathering equipment.

Philip was responsible for sleeping bags, a tent, and safety equipment.

Rose prepared a first aid kit and food supplies.

Pierce took care of navigation, maps, and of course, his camera equipment.

They took the preparation very seriously, recalls James Clark, Philip’s father.

My son checked the equipment list several times and tested the new equipment in the yard.

Rose even made a menu for every day of the trip, calculating the calorie content of each meal.

PICE marked all the places they wanted to visit on the map in advance.

They didn’t improvise.

They had a clear plan.

On the eve of the trip on June 30th, 2020, all three families gathered at the Clark’s house for a farewell dinner.

The mood was upbeat with the teenagers enthusiastically discussing the upcoming adventure.

It was a wonderful evening, recalls Sarah Clark, Philip’s mother, with tears in her eyes.

The children laughed, joked, and showed off their new hiking boots.

Philip talked about how they planned to reach Moon Canyon as he called one of the places on their route.

Rose promised to collect samples of rare plants.

PICE boasted about his new camera lens.

If only I had known that I was seeing my son for the last time.

If only I could have foreseen it.

The morning of July 1st was clear and sunny.

At 7:30 a.m, Richard Murphy drove the trio to the start of the hiking trail at the west entrance to the Colorado National Monument.

There, they registered at the Ranger Station, indicating their route, an estimated return date, July 3rd.

They had everything they needed with them.

A three-day supply of food and water, a sturdy tent, sleeping bags, warm clothes, flashlights, maps, a compass and GPS navigator, a first aid kit, matches in a waterproof container, knives, climbing ropes, and other necessary equipment.

They looked ready for anything, says Richard Murphy.

When I left them at the trail head, I was completely calm.

We agreed that PICE would call every evening if there was a connection.

I had no idea that anything could go wrong.

Pierce Murphy, Rose Donovan, and Philip Clark were born and raised in the small town of Grand Junction, Colorado.

This town, located in the western part of the state, is surrounded on all sides by picturesque landscapes, red sandstone cliffs, deep canyons, and semi- desert expanses stretching to the horizon.

It was here in a place where nature displays its grandeur everyday that the characters of three friends whose fates were tragically intertwined were formed.

Pierce, a 17-year-old boy with blonde hair and piercing gray eyes, had an extraordinary talent for photography.

His parents, Richard and Martha Murphy, gave him his first camera when he was only 9 years old.

Since then, the camera has been an integral part of his life.

Pierce was fascinated by geology and could talk for hours about the formation of different rocks and minerals.

There were more rocks in his room than in the local geological museum, his father recalls with a faint smile.

Every rock had its own story, its own place on the shelf.

Rose Donovan, a 16-year-old girl with chestnut hair braided into a tight plat, was a real prodigy, an excellent student and winner of numerous biology and chemistry competitions.

She dreamed of becoming a heart surgeon.

By 9th grade, she already knew more about the anatomy of the heart than I did, says her mother, Emily Donovan, who works as a nurse at a local hospital.

Rose planned to enroll in the University of Colorado’s medical school, and according to her teachers, she had every chance of doing so.

Philip Clark, a tall, athletic 17-year-old, was a true leader, not only among his friends, but also at school, where he captained the American football team.

He was described as a balanced, sensible, and responsible young man.

Philip always took responsibility, says his father, James Clark.

If he promised something, he always delivered.

That’s why we weren’t worried about letting them go on that trip.

Philip was the one who always kept everything under control.

The friendship between the three teenagers began in elementary school.

Pierce and Philip sat at the same desk in first grade.

Rose joined them a year later when her family moved to Grand Junction from Denver.

Despite their different personalities and interests, they found common ground and became inseparable.

They complimented each other, recalls their school teacher, Mrs.

Thompson.

Pierce was the dreamer, Rose was the brains of the trio, and Philip was the driving force.

Together, they were like one whole person.

The idea of hiking to the Black Ridge Plateau came to Pierce at the end of May 2020.

While browsing photos of local caving enthusiasts on the internet, he came across pictures of littleknown caves in a remote part of the plateau.

He came home very excited, says Pierce’s mother.

He showed me the photos and told me that there were unique stelactites and stelagmites in those caves that couldn’t be found anywhere else in Colorado.

He just had to see them and photograph them.

Planning the trip took almost a month.

The teenagers carefully studied maps of the area, consulted with experienced hikers, and read ranger reports.

They chose a route that started on a popular hiking trail, but then veered off into the less explored areas of the northwestern part of the plateau.

They were very thorough in their planning, recalls Steve Johnson, a ranger at Colorado National Reserve.

Philip came to me several times with their route.

I pointed out a few potentially dangerous areas and suggested an alternative route.

He listened carefully and made adjustments.

The last few days before the trip were hectic.

Philip took responsibility for the camping equipment, tent, sleeping bags, ropes, and other mountaineering gear.

Rose prepared the first aid kit and food supplies.

PICE was in charge of navigation devices, maps, and of course, his camera equipment.

I remember them laying out all their gear in our backyard to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, says Sarah Clark, Philip’s mother.

They were so serious, so focused.

Rose made a whole list of everything they needed and methodically checked off each item.

Pierce tested his new lens, and Philip checked the strength of the ropes and carabiners.

On the eve of the trip, June 30th, 2020, all three families gathered at the Clark’s house for a farewell dinner.

The atmosphere was festive.

The teenagers enthusiastically talked about their plans, showed off their new equipment, joked, and laughed.

“No one could have predicted that this would be the last dinner they would have together.

” “If only we could have known where this would lead,” Emily Donovan says quietly, looking into the distance.

“Black Ridge Plateau is one of the most remarkable natural wonders of western Colorado.

Located near the town of Grand Junction, it stretches for dozens of miles of desert landscape consisting of red sandstone cliffs, deep canyons, and bizarre geological formations.

It is this wild beauty that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

But behind the enchanting scenery lie numerous dangers for careless travelers.

The route chosen by Pierce, Rose, and Philip began at the traditional Black Ridge Canyon Trail.

The first part of the trail was well marked and relatively safe.

The teenagers had to walk about 5 mi north, following the main trail and then turned northwest into a less explored part of the plateau.

Their route was quite ambitious, says Ranger Steve Johnson, pointing to a map on the wall of his office.

From the main trail, they plan to head toward Little Dolores River and from there to a group of remote caves that locals call Spirit Maze.

It’s a remote and difficult area to navigate.

There are no clear trails.

Cell phone reception is spotty and the terrain is very deceptive.

It’s easy to get lost among the identical looking rocks.

Despite these challenges, the first day of the hike went without incident.

At 7:30 a.m.

on July 1st, 2020, Richard Murphy drove the teenagers to the trail head.

They registered at the ranger station, showed their route on the map, and set off.

They were in great spirits, Richard recalls.

The weather forecast was favorable, their backpacks were packed, and they had plenty of food and water.

PICE promised to call in the evening as soon as they set up camp.

Sure enough, at 9:00 p.m.

that same day, Pierce called his parents.

That was the last time anyone heard from the missing teenagers.

He sounded so happy, says Martha Murphy, Pierce’s mother, barely holding back tears.

He said they had walked about 7 mi, that the weather was great, and the scenery was incredible.

Philip had apparently found an interesting cave near their camp, and they planned to explore it the next morning.

PICE said that the reception might be poor in the coming days as they ventured further from the main trail, but he promised to call if he could get a signal.

The phone call lasted about 5 minutes.

PICE said that everyone was healthy, that they had already set up camp on a small plateau overlooking the canyon, and that the routes planned for the next few days looked quite feasible.

Nothing, in his words, foreshadowed trouble.

However, the next day, July 2nd, the weather took a turn for the worse.

A severe thunderstorm swept across western Colorado, one of the most powerful in recent years.

It was a terrible storm, recalls meteorologist Jonathan Pierce, no relation to Pierce Murphy.

It came from the southwest with virtually no warning.

Our weather stations recorded wind gusts of up to 70 mph and rainfall reached 2 in in a few hours.

On the Black Ridge Plateau, with its open spaces and virtually no natural shelter, such weather could be very dangerous.

The last person to see the three teenagers alive was Ranger Michael Thompson.

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