When Troy Driver bid farewell to his girlfriend, saying he’d be home soon, he had murder on his mind. Driver told his girlfriend Zulema that he was going camping for the weekend. Instead, he embarked on a path that would lead him and his random teenage victim to a remote killing ground. As part of … Read more
When Dusty Casey, then 42, stumbled across the body of a man who had just been shot near the Yuba River in northern California, she knew right away he was dead. “The blood was already coagulating,” Dusty recalled when I interviewed her this month. “His heart was no longer pumping.” Dusty realized that a man … Read more
The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas hosted A-list celebrities and high-stakes gambling. But the elegant hotel was also linked to a brutal gambling murder, the mauling of magician Roy Horn by a white Bengal tiger, rage-induced vandalism by Michael Jackson, and the poolside robbery of actress Sarah Hyland’s then-boyfriend Matt Prokop. The Mirage’s … Read more
After meeting with hundreds of true crime fans at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville, I came away with a list of six traits that most seem to share. 1. They like solving puzzles Solving a criminal case requires piecing together bits of information into a solution. True crime fans like this process – it’s fascinating and … Read more
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition for review filed by the chief suspect in the murders of Barry and Louise Berman in a remote corner of the Mojave Desert. The petition arose from a sex crimes case in which Michael Pepe, now 70, was convicted of crossing state lines with intent to molest … Read more
SoCal is famous for sunny skies, sandy beaches – and stolen stuff? It’s true: The L.A. metropolitan area is known for its burgeoning trade in pilfered products. Recently I delved into the underworld of stolen stuff, after the tech company I work for as chief legal officer suffered a heist of electronics from a SoCal … Read more
When Bob Wildoner, then 76, disappeared in remote Saline Valley in 2021, he didn’t just vanish into thin air. My theory is that the desert swallowed him – literally. As seen in my blog entitled “In the desert, a simple mistake can turn deadly,” it appears Bob got disoriented on a moonless night. While trying … Read more
Did Bob get disoriented and turn the wrong way? In the desert, a simple mistake like this can turn deadly. In May 2021, Bob Wildoner, then 76, rolled into a campground in a remote area of Death Valley National Park, fifty miles from the nearest highway. Bob was tired – he’d been on the road … Read more
After grandpa died, my grandmother Dale King moved into a cabin in a lonely desert valley and spent her days roaming the backcountry. Dale had always been free-spirited and artistic. When grandpa was alive, she weaved colorful fabrics on her loom and loved taking spontaneous trips to explore new places. About a year after grandpa … Read more
Eighteen years before detectives Erik Kusmerz and Tyrell Joyner worked together on the Naomi Irion case, they served in the same Marine Corps battalion. Born one year apart – Erik in 1982, Ty in 1983 – they hailed from much different backgrounds. Erik grew up outside of Atlanta, while Ty was from rural Nevada. After … Read more
Doug Kari is a dedicated true-crime author known for his hands-on investigation approach, which includes exploring remote locations and directly engaging with relevant individuals. His adventurous spirit is evident in his other activities, such as traversing the Inyo Mountains for charity and writing about the Marquesas Islands.
Alongside his writing career, Kari is a trained lawyer with a background in IP law and a co-founder of Desert Survivors, an outdoor group focused on wilderness protection.
Feel free to reach out to Doug Kari with any questions or feedback – he’s always eager to connect and hear your thoughts!
