Two hikers found human remains buried in a burnt campsite in the Trinity Alps.
1. Wicked and Grim: A True Crime Podcast covers the 1998 killing of 20-year-old Laura Sinner in the Trinity Alps of Northern California.
2. Hosts Ben and Nicole narrate the case and frame it around Laura Sinner, Timothy Smith, Paul Smith Jr., Lori Smith, Eric Rubio, and Amy Stevens.
3. The episode asks how Laura ended up buried in a burnt campsite after camping with people she knew.
4. Two hikers in the Trinity Alps found a charred campsite, a shallow grave, and partially buried human remains on April 18, 1998.
5. Shasta County Sheriff's deputies in Redding arrived with cadaver dogs and identified the victim through a purse and driver's license as 20-year-old Laura Sinner.
6. Laura's remains showed bruises, cuts on her wrists, a black plastic bag tied over her head, and signs of burning.
7. The autopsy later confirmed blunt force trauma to the head and injuries consistent with restraint and possible asphyxiation.
8. Laura's blood alcohol level was extremely high, leaving her severely impaired and vulnerable.
9. Investigators found a dented can of chili beans with blood and hair, which they later believed may have been used as a weapon.
10. Laura grew up in Washington State, graduated high school in 1996, volunteered at a religious mission in Aberdeen, and later attended Grays Harbor College on a scholarship.
11. After her mother died of leukemia in October 1997, she moved between homes and eventually lived with her father in Salem, Oregon.
12. Laura became engaged to Timothy Smith, moved with him to Redding in March 1998, and then moved out after the engagement ended.
13. She then stayed with Paul Smith Jr. and Lori Smith, where the apartment became a regular hangout for their small social circle.
14. Laura criticized Paul's relationship with 14-year-old Amy Stevens, and Amy resented Laura's presence in the apartment.
15. Amy Stevens initially told detectives that Laura ran into the woods alone after an argument and never came back.
16. That account failed to explain Laura's bound wrists, the bag over her head, the buried body, or the attempt to burn the remains.
17. Eric Rubio was later found driving Laura's red Honda Civic, which investigators treated as a major break in the case.
18. Search warrants uncovered an automotive dent puller in Paul Smith Jr.'s truck, and testing showed blood matching Laura Sinner.
19. Ben and Nicole use an interview-style true crime format with back-and-forth reactions, repeated timeline checks, and forensic detail.
20. Listeners who want forensic true crime with group-dynamics tension will likely follow this case closely.
