Population Zero

Let's take this video to the Idaho side of the Park.

But to get to Idaho, you go out the west entrance.

The west entrance? Okay.

Is that the region where, um...

Have you heard of this constitutional loophole thing?

Is that the region where that is?

Constitutional loophole? I'm not following that.

You never read any articles about that stuff?

- No. - Okay.

Thanks a lot.

- Here you go. - Thank you.

- Have a great day. - I will.

Knows nothing.

No one knows anything.

Yellowstone National Park.

Around every corner is a reminder

of how still life can be.

How vast it can be.

How true it can be.

Until it isn't.

Yellowstone woke up

to what has to be the worst crime

in the National Park's history.

A bizarre triple homicide,

where the murderer immediately

turned himself in and confessed.

First victim was by the fire.

The second one, I don't know, maybe 10 feet from it.

This is where the third victim was shot.

- Okay. - By the back wheel?

I just really can't understand

how a man can commit all these horrific crimes, you know,

and then just...

Talk about it like he's

reciting the details of a traffic violation.

Nobody could have expected

the side swipe that occurred.

We're talking about a confessed murderer here.

One who showed no remorse, no regret.

This guy should have been put away for life.

There is no resolution.

I mean, it's just this thing hanging over us.

I think most of the country, most of the world,

hasn't even heard of this.

Well, this whole thing was swept under the rug.

It's an embarrassment.

My name is Julian Pinder.

As a documentary filmmaker,

I believe anything in life can be fascinating

when you delve into the details.

I find characters and I tell a story through them.

Their words, their actions, their eyes.

But it's a completely different story

when the camera turns on you.

It's nice.

How's that?

I first heard of this story

when I received an email not too long ago.

Three boys were murdered

in a remote part of Yellowstone National Park.

What struck me was that the murders took place

on April 27th, 2009,

nearly five years ago.

Why was I being sent this now?

I was unsuccessful in contacting the source of the email.

But when I did a search,

incredible images immediately surfaced

of a bear chasing a burnt bison

down a winter road in Yellowstone.

Incredible and unbelievable.

A chase like none other seen before.

These images would prove to be a metaphor

for the Yellowstone murders.

David Drabeck, Thomas Burnett and Cody Gibbs

were camping in Yellowstone National Park,

when tragedy struck.

A chance encounter with a stranger proved fatal

when Williston resident, Dwayne Nelson,

killed the young men

in a self-described moment of insanity.

Shocking news of a three person homicide

early this morning.

The suspect turned himself in

just after 5:30 A.M.

In what has to be the worst crime

in the National Park's history.

I was here,

and I received a phone call.

It was our family doctor.

There was an emergency contact thing

in Thomas' wallet.

It was the middle of the night.

I didn't know why I was getting a call.

I... I dropped to that floor.

And I didn't think I was ever going to get up again.

First thing was...

Was violence.

Because, uh...

I heard that someone shot him...

In the back.

And I... was angry. I was very angry.

It took a while for

grief to set in.

I didn't believe it.

I thought they'd made a mistake,

came to the wrong house,

had the wrong boy.

I didn't believe it.

I didn't believe it till I actually saw his body.

On that day I can remember pretty much everything.

I remember the color of the sky,

the calmness in the air.

I was just here at my post.

This particular ranger station, um,

is the furthest south-west

that you can get to by vehicle

in Yellowstone.

It was just after 5:30 in the morning.

I'd just made myself a cup of coffee.

He walked out of the woods,

the West Side, the entrance side.

He left the weapon

outside of the door,

and just walked in.

The way it happened,

you'd think there would have been some emotion.

But like I said before,

he seemed so calm and, uh...

So normal.

Right here.

This way.

It was right in here that they parked the truck.

This is where the third victim was shot,

- by the back wheel. - Okay.

It's a bit of a clearing here.

And this is where the fire pit

was set up.

Right around here.

This is where the other two victims were found.

First victim was by the fire,

and the second one,

I don't know, maybe ten feet from it.

Never stood much of a chance.

The families...

Come and visit them.

They bring flowers and stuff.

But he just wanted to be outside, all the time.

I mean, he's the guy that organized all those trips,

every year.

Even when they weren't around, he'd grab his knapsack

and be gone.

Go off hiking by himself.

He just...

I don't know what it was about him.

I guess he found something in nature that...

That put him at peace, I don't know.

But he loved it.

This is, uh, Thomas and Alicia.

- Great looking couple. - Yeah.

And Thomas on his wedding day.

That's a great shot.

And another one of Thomas and Alicia.

This one over here, this is, uh...

This is all the boys together.

Thomas, Cody and David.

Oh, you know. I'll show you this, actually.

Here's...

I took that on the morning that they left.

They did that trip every year.

Well, David didn't actually join them until

the third year.

But, uh...

This was their... This was their fifth year

doing the trip.

You know, they'd all come over here in the morning,

and they'd have breakfast, and...

And then they'd leave.

Thomas, he was the one with the pickup truck. So...

And that's that.

Sorry.

It's all right.

Okay.

I built a business that I...

Wanted to leave to him.

You know, I respect what he did and what he loved,

but I thought at some point he's gotta grow up and accept

who he is and...

You know?

At least make a life for himself.

Make a career for himself.

- Drive safe. - Will do. Bye.

- Love you, mom. - Bye.

He was going off to...

Yellowstone the umpteenth time,

and it was just...

He was on my last nerve that day.

We'd had a little spat at dinner the night before,

and then he go... traipse off to the...

To the Park, and I just, you know...

The last thing I said