DESIREA ANN FERRIS walked down Birmingham Road around 6:30 p.m. on May 1, 2017; according to her friends, classic country was most likely emanating from her earbuds. That same night, Garth Brooks was performing at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, but Desirea wasn’t headed to the concert. Instead, she was unknowingly about to encounter a dangerous stranger.

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Was she singing along to “Friends in Low Places” or “The Thunder Rolls” as she walked? Could you see the small scar near her belly button beneath her crop top? We’ll never know. What we do know is that around the time Garth disappeared from the staging area, someone lured Desirea into a vehicle. 

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Was it Garth himself? Did he arrange a meeting through social media, or did he simply pull up beside her at a stoplight? Some speculate he strangled her, hid her body beneath a tour bus, or buried her deep within his massive estate.

 

Here’s what we are certain of, Garth returned to the staging area—clean, composed, and ready to perform—and Desirea Ann Ferris was never seen again. A chilling coincidence? Or the work of a hidden monster?

 

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2018, comedians Tom Segura and his wife, Christina Pazsitzky, jokingly speculated on their podcast, Your Mom’s House, that Garth’s unsettling social media presence hinted at something darker. His overly rehearsed demeanor, wide-eyed expressions, and awkward interactions gave off an eerie vibe. 

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“What’s going on,” Segura said, “is he’s thinking about all the bodies he’s got stacked in graves in his backyard.”

 

“You think he’s a killer?” asked Pazsitzky.

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“One hundred percent! He’s probably killed two or three hundred people in his life.”

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The joke sparked a viral movement, with fans flooding Garth’s social media with comments demanding to know “Where are the bodies, Garth?”

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What started as a bit soon morphed into conspiracy theories. Fans began theorizing that Garth’s tour schedule was linked to unsolved murders and missing persons cases. Some even speculated that “Chris Gaines,” Garth’s pop-rock-star alter ego, was an entirely separate, sinister personality. The theory evolved, with claims that Garth’s massive property “Blue Rose Estate” could conceal hundreds of bodies beneath its foundation.

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This is where Pierre Rausini and myself (Matthew Cox) come in. Pete and I met in federal prison—yes, you read that right. I was serving time for bank fraud; Pete was in for conspiracy to murder (I know it sounds bad, but he only helped dispose of the bodies). While in prison, we collaborated on several true crime books—Pierre handled research, and I did the writing.

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Since our release, we’ve continued collaborating on writing projects—we’re two middle-aged felons with little family and plenty of time on our hands. So, when I heard about the rumor, I called Pete at the halfway house. “You’re not gonna believe this,” I said, “people are saying Garth Brooks is a serial killer.”

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“You don’t seriously believe that?”

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“No, but how funny would it be if we wrote a book about it; like a satirical exposé?”

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Pete thought it over and chuckled, “The sheer absurdity of the allegations are worth investigating.”

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Using real-world data (and a bit of confirmation bias), we began researching the theory by sifting through hundreds of websites, articles, and cases which connected Garth’s known locations—residences, award ceremonies, and concerts—to unsolved homicides and missing persons cases. Our conclusion is nothing short of mind-blowing.

 

SERIAL KILLERS EXHIBIT TRAITS like manipulation, lack of empathy, and control, often rooted in childhood trauma. The FBI’s profiling highlights the Dark Triad—narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy. Garth’s image control, shifting personas, and public manipulation resemble these traits. While there is no direct evidence linking Garth to the murders, there is a ton of circumstantial evidence and his grandiosity and crafted image fit FBI profiles of serial killers who hide dark motives behind a carefully constructed façade.

 

TROYAL GARTH BROOKS was born on February 7, 1962, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The youngest of six, he grew up in Yukon, a suburb of Oklahoma City. His father, Raymond, a former Marine, worked as an oil company engineer, and his mother, Colleen, was a talented country singer signed to Capitol Records but gave up her career to raise her family.

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“Wait a second,” I said, stopping Pete as we reviewed Garth’s early life. “The fact that his mother gave up her career for her family, that’s interesting—”

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“That’s what I thought,” replied Pete. “It certainly stuck with her. According to several articles,” music was central in the Brooks’ home, with weekly talent nights where each child was made to performed. Garth’s brother, Mike, taught him guitar, shaping Garth’s path to stardom. His mother nurtured his love for country music, while his father instilled discipline.

 

“That sounds a little bit ominous,” I interjected, “doesn’t it?” 

 

“WHEN RESEARCHING serial killers, we often find patterns of childhood trauma—abuse, neglect, or dysfunction—and in some cases, signs like animal cruelty or arson,” says Dr. Stacy Cecchet, PhD, ABPP, during our interview. She did not evaluate Garth and only spoke with me regarding common developmental histories and behavioral traits associated with serial offenders. “Even without physical abuse, trauma can develop through emotional neglect or psychological manipulation,” she explains.

Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, for example, had seemingly stable upbringings but showed early signs of emotional detachment and social awkwardness. Bundy was deceived about his parentage, leading to identity confusion and narcissistic traits. Dahmer, though raised in a middle-class home, was impacted by his parents’ volatile relationship, contributing to isolation and antisocial behavior. Both men exhibited traits of psychopathy and a need for control, with their crimes escalating in brutality.

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In Garth’s case, there’s speculation that emotional pressure from his mother—who gave up a music career—may have impacted his psyche. “Psychological abuse, especially from a parent, can have lasting effects,” says Dr. Cecchet. While no physical abuse is known, Garth’s reported emotional instability and social awkwardness mirror traits often seen in serial killers. “It’s the duality—how they appear publicly versus who they are privately—that lets some predators hide in plain sight.”

In Garth’s case, this pattern of behavior is eerily similar to those seen in some of history’s most infamous killers.

 

IN HIGH SCHOOL, Garth focused more on sports than music. The 6-foot, 230-pound athlete played baseball, football, and competed in javelin for the track team. “He was an incredible athlete,” recalled former classmate Johnathan Cooper. “Quiet, a little awkward, but a real nice guy.”

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After graduating in 1980, Garth attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. By day, he attended classes; by night, he worked as a bouncer at a local bar.

 

“YOU’RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE what I just found,” I said during a call with Pete. We’d been scouring the Internet for weeks, and although we had made dozens of connections between Garth and unsolved murders and missing persons, I had just come across the murder of a female student. “She was a student at Oklahoma State during the same time Garth was there.”

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“Did he know her?” asked Pete.

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“For all we know they had a class together,” I snickered. What was important was that it was the first connection between Garth and a murder. “He was a budding serial killer with an urge to kill, and this was the first time he was on his own and unsupervised, just like Dahmer.”

 

While living alone for the first time in Ohio in 1978—after his parents’ separation—Jeffrey Dahmer, known as the “Milwaukee Cannibal,” committed his first murder at the age of 18. He had fantasized about killing since his early teens.

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Dahmer picked up 19-year-old hitchhiker Steven Hicks and invited him home for a beer. When Hicks tried to leave, Dahmer panicked, bludgeoned him with a dumbbell and strangled him. He dismembered Hicks’ body, dissolved the flesh in acid and scattered the bones in the woods behind his parents’ house.

 

GARTH’S TIME at Oklahoma State University coincided with the brutal murder of 21-year-old Tracy Neilson on January 5, 1981. Tracy, who lived near Garth’s apartment, spent her birthday running errands before returning home around noon. Friends and family tried calling, but she never answered.

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Her husband, Jeff, arrived home around 5 p.m. to find Tracy stabbed to death. There were no signs of forced entry or sexual assault, but her keychain—marked with her name—was missing, possibly taken as a “trophy.”

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Could Tracy have been Garth’s first victim? Did he spot her on campus, stalk her routine, and follow her home? Or did she unknowingly reveal her address while handing him her ID at the campus bar where he worked? Did he enter through an unlocked door or use a ruse to gain entry? While these questions remain unanswered, one fact stands—Tracy’s murder remains unsolved.

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Months later, on April 16, 1981, hunters in Norman, Oklahoma, discovered the skeletal remains of an unidentified woman, believed to have been murdered months prior. Could this have been a homeless woman frequently seen near the university? Did Garth see her as an easy target? If Tracy was Garth’s first victim, was this his second?

 

WHILE WORKING AS A BOUNCER at a bar near Oklahoma State in 1983, Garth met aspiring songwriter Sandy Wahl during a bar fight. They soon began dating, and despite his interest in athletics, Garth pursued a career in music. The couple married in 1986, with Sandy supporting his career, unaware of her husband’s hidden darkness.

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They moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Garth got a job as the manager at a boot store while he pitched his music to record labels, with little luck.

 

“SERIAL KILLERS OFTEN MARRY to maintain a façade of normalcy,” says Dr. Stacy Cecchet, PhD. Dennis Rader, the “BTK Strangler,” lived as a devoted husband while murdering ten victims. Like Gary Ridgway, the “Green River Killer,” many killers use relationships to hide in plain sight, leveraging manipulation and deception to lead dangerous double lives.

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According to Dr. Cecchet, pursuing a career in entertainment aligns with narcissistic traits. “Grandiosity and a need for admiration are key Dark Triad traits,” she explains. Among serial killers, narcissism manifests as a craving for attention and a belief in their exceptionalism. “It’s the perfect stage to say, ‘look at me,’ while concealing true intentions,” she adds. While some seek power through law enforcement or politics, others turn to acting or music—making Garth’s career choice intriguing.

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Jim DiOrio, a retired-FBI special agent with extensive knowledge in criminology and serial cases, suggests an alternate motive. The Highway Serial Killings Initiative, launched in 2009 by the FBI, investigates patterns of unsolved murders along highways, often linked to truck drivers. Mobility enables offenders to commit crimes across multiple states while evading detection. Victims—often hitchhikers, sex workers, or transients—are targeted at truck stops or highway rest areas, with bodies dumped in remote locations. 

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Notorious killers like Robert Ben Rhoades, “The Truck Stop Killer,” and Keith Hunter Jesperson, “The Happy Face Killer,” used their trucking jobs as cover. “A touring musician has the same advantage,” says DiOrio. “Constant travel provides an alibi and, like truckers, allows movement without suspicion—making it nearly impossible to connect him to the murders.”

 

WORKING AT THE BOOT BARN while facing rejection from record labels must have weighed heavily on Garth. “I struggled those first few years,” he admitted in a Biography interview. “There are people ten times more talented than me.”

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During this time, three individuals—Lee Woodard, Donald Johnson, and Olivette Turner—went missing in Nashville. Did they stop in the store looking for that perfect boot? We don’t know. What we can say is that on May 1, 1987, around 5 p.m., Olivette, a 30-year-old African-American woman, spoke with her sister by phone. She told her that she was leaving work, and she would stop by her sister’s house shortly.

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It is certainly possible that Garth was taking his dinner break as Olivette mistakenly walked down the deserted alleyway behind the Boot Barn. Perhaps he was putting the finishing touches on one of his many future hit songs as Olivette crossed his path. Did Garth’s urge to kill get the better of him, forcing the frustrated artist to impulsively attack the petite woman, choke the life from her, and dispose of her body in the garbage bin? Only Garth knows for certain.

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What we can tell you is this: after leaving her job in downtown Nashville, Olivette Turner was never seen or heard from again, and over the next year, Garth continued to struggle to make a name for himself in the music scene.

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By 1988, Garth’s luck changed when a Capitol Records executive heard him perform at the Bluebird Café and signed him to a record deal.

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Garth released his self-titled album in April 1989, launching his rise to stardom. The album produced hits like “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “The Dance.” His mix of country, pop, and rock set him apart, with “The Dance” becoming a signature song despite his initial hesitation to record it. His producer convinced him, saying if he didn’t record it, it would be “the biggest hit you never had.” The song’s success propelled him into major country music stardom.

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Over the next six months, Garth performed at two dozen fairs across nine states, balancing exhilaration and exhaustion as a new entertainer. Somewhere along the tour, between Washington and Pennsylvania, on November 29, 1989, it’s believed that Garth encountered Gregory Larson, a 63-year-old African American man. Gregory had told a friend he was heading to New York. When he never returned, his friend reported him missing. Detectives couldn’t confirm that he’d ever reached New York, and, coincidentally, Gregory’s route aligned with Garth’s tour path. Could Gregory’s body be hidden along the way? We may never know. What is certain, is that Gregory vanished, and on December 2, Garth gave a phenomenal performance in Pennsylvania.

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Garth’s follow-up album, No Fences, was unprecedented. Released in August 1990, it catapulted him to superstardom with five No. 1 hits, including “Friends in Low Places,” “Unanswered Prayers,” and “The Thunder Rolls.” The album dominated the Billboard Country Albums chart for over thirty weeks.

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Amidst his record-breaking success, Garth was in his second year on the state fair concert circuit. On April 24, 1990, after his performance at the Washington State Fairgrounds near Seattle, 16-year-old Dari Warde vanished while walking home just a block from her house. She was never seen again.

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Could Garth have abducted Dari on his way to his next show? If so, her body may very well be buried in an unmarked grave between Seattle and San Diego. Nearly three months later, on the night Garth performed at the Canfield Fair in Morristown, Ohio, the body of Brady Russell, an African-American man, was found stabbed to death and dumped in a rural area nearby. Coincidence, or something more sinister?

 

DURING OUR RESEARCH, Pete and I discovered that serial killers, if possible, hide the bodies of their victims to make it harder for law enforcement to gather evidence. The FBI notes organized killers plan disposal, while disorganized ones act impulsively, haphazardly discarding their victims. Ultimately, hiding bodies reinforces their control over victims and investigators alike.

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“Some of them dismember or bury victims to ensure their crimes remain undiscovered,” said Pete, over a zoom call regarding research. “Plus, concealing the bodies feeds their need for dominance. Some killers—like Ted Bundy and Edmund Kemper—revisit the sites to relive their crimes.”

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“If that’s true, where’s Garth burying these bodies?” I asked. If the country music legend is “legitimately” linked to over 100 missing persons, why haven’t they been found alongside his supposed 100 recovered victims? “Where are the bodies?”

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Pete informed me that “early in Garth’s career, between 1989 and 1990, he struggled financially while performing at state fairs. During this period, only a few missing persons and unsolved homicides can be connected to him.” However, by the end of 1990, after signing with Capitol Records Nashville and receiving his first big check, things changed. “Instead of buying luxury vehicles or a mansion, Garth spent $432,500—nearly every penny he had—on 300 acres of vacant land in Goodlettsville, Tennessee … There are people online calling it Garth’s dumping ground.” As if that wasn’t creepy enough, Pete continued, “around the same time period, missing persons cases in Nashville surged.”

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“Get the fuck outta here!” I snapped. “Now that’s interesting.” 

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Our research revealed nearly all serial killers prefer to conceal their victims’ bodies. John Wayne Gacy, for example, got away with dozens of murders because his victims’ remains weren’t initially found—most were buried under his house. Gacy, a classic example of the Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy), lured young men with job offers and targeted vulnerable victims. When families reported them missing, police assumed they ran away—because there were no bodies to be found.

 

CONCERT TOURS are complex operations, with stage production companies handling logistics, sound, lighting, and visuals. The physical labor falls to the roadies, who set up and dismantle equipment. Garth has a dedicated crew that travels with him, forming a close-knit team. However, all his roadies must sign strict NDA’s (Non-Disclosure Agreements), making it difficult to find someone willing to talk. Then, we met “Richard,” a former roadie who had worked on three of Garth’s tours.

 

Richard had minimal interaction with Garth. “He never really mixed with us,” he says. “He’s kind of a strange guy.” When asked if Garth could slip away unnoticed, Richard confirmed it was possible. “Some artists never leave their buses. But Garth could easily have grabbed a car and taken off. No one would question it.” He recalls Garth’s team searching for him on occasion, “but he was never late for a show—just mysteriously absent at times.”

 

“SOME SERIAL KILLERS start disorganized,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio, “but over time, they refine their methods.”

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Joseph DeAngelo, the “Golden State Killer,” evolved from chaotic home invasions to meticulously planned murders. Early on, his crimes were impulsive, but as he escalated, he carefully selected victims, exploited his police training, and minimized forensic evidence. He stalked targets, studied routines, and controlled crime scenes with increasing precision.

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As serial killers evade capture, they learn from mistakes. “They start selecting victims carefully and controlling crime scenes,” says DiOrio. They improve disposal methods, avoid surveillance, and mislead law enforcement. Ted Bundy began opportunistically but later used deception to lure victims into ambushes.

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This progression highlights the danger of uncaught predators—if given time, they become more strategic, more calculated, and harder to stop.

 

AS GARTH’S CONVOY traveled to Tinley, Illinois, 21-year-old Tammy Zywicki left her mother’s home in Evanston, Illinois, heading to Grinnell College in Iowa. Unfortunately, her journey may have intersected with Garth’s group.

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On August 23, 1992, Tammy was last seen around 3:30 p.m. at a rest stop on Interstate 80 in LaSalle County, Illinois. The parking area was full of tractor-trailers, but one stood out—parked near Tammy’s vehicle. Witnesses described a white male in his thirties, about six feet tall with dark hair—matching Garth’s appearance at the time—loitering near Tammy and her car.

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“I can’t be positive we stopped at that rest stop,” concedes Richard, “but yeah, we do stop at rest stops between spots; to take a restroom break and whatnot.”

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Based on the information contained in the incident report, a reasonable person could infer that Tammy was abducted. We believe that the tractor-trailer seen parked near her vehicle was one of the many tractor-trailers that made up Garth’s convoy and that he grabbed poor unsuspecting Tammy and incapacitated her—either by brute strength or by placing a rag-soaked in chloroform over her mouth. Garth then stuffed her body into one of the tour’s many Road Case trunks.

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“No one would think twice about it,” admits Richard, when asked if a roadie would question Garth if he were to ask them to place a trunk into the storage compartment of his bus. “We’re always being asked to do stuff like that. It’s not like we’d know if there was a body inside the thing.”

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When Tammy failed to arrive at college, her mother reported her missing. The next day, an Illinois State Trooper found her car abandoned at the rest stop, but Tammy was gone.  

 

PUZZLED, PETE ARCHED his temple and grunted, “That’s an unlikely coincidence.”

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“That’s not even the crazy part,” I replied. On September 1, 1992, Tammy’s body was discovered off Interstate 44 in rural Missouri—she had been stabbed to death. “That’s the same route Garth’s tour buses took to their next concert.” 

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Could Tammy have been abducted and hidden away in one of the trunks within the bowels of Garth’s tour busses? Given the constant movement of the tour, such a crime could have gone unnoticed, leaving her fate tragically sealed within the chaos of the road.

 

GARTH WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST serial killer to transport a body before disposal. “Often, these guys want to spend time with the corpse,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio. “Dahmer kept victims’ bodies for days, sometimes weeks.”  

On November 20, 1987, Jeffrey Dahmer checked into a Milwaukee hotel with Steven Tuomi. After a night of drinking, Dahmer woke up to find Tuomi dead, having beaten him to death—though he claimed no memory of it.

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To avoid suspicion, Dahmer stuffed Tuomi’s body into a large suitcase, checked out of the hotel, and took a cab home. The suitcase was so heavy that the cabbie joked, “What do you have in here, a body?”

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At his grandmother’s house, Dahmer dismembered Tuomi and disposed of his remains. This act marked the beginning of his killing spree, as he escalated to more frequent and calculated murders.

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After Tammy Zywicki’s murder, Garth’s tour continued without incident—until December 10, 1992. Hours before his final show at Wright State University, 22-year-old Gregory Netter was gunned down nearby. He bled to death en route to the hospital.

 

Within an hour, Kayla Boring was brutally assaulted and murdered in her home. Both victims died just before Garth arrived at the venue. That night, he delivered what one media outlet called “one of Brooks’ most memorable performances. He really killed it!”

 

GARTH LAUNCHED HIS In Pieces world tour on January 29, 1993, at the Los Angeles Forum. The tour continued across the U.S. for 11 months before reaching Memphis, Tennessee.

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That night, 28-year-old John Cheek had dinner with a friend before being dropped off at his black Honda Acura Legend—parked across from the Pyramid Arena, where Garth’s tour convoy was stationed.

 

I WAS SHOCKED when I pulled up the parking lot’s location on Google Maps. I mentioned it to Pete, and he replied, “That’s pretty close.”

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“That’s what I thought.” For a moment we were both quiet, and I said, “What’s the probability that Segura stumbled onto something here—”

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“Zero!” he blurted out and chuckled at the absurdity of my question. “We don’t even know if these two crossed paths.”

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“Could you imagine though; I mean if John was a country music fan?” He would have immediately recognized Garth. “How easy would it have been for Garth to lure him onto his bus, kill him, and hide the body in the storage compartment?”

Pete just laughed.

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Did Garth preserve the body on ice to keep it close? We may never know. What we do know is that John Cheek was never seen again—and on December 3 and 4, 1993, Garth delivered stellar performances in Memphis.

 

GARTH’S FAME SOARED to legendary status, and he abandoned commercial flights for private travel. He first leased a jet before purchasing a Dassault Falcon 900—its 127-cubic-foot baggage compartment offering ample space for large suitcases or trunks.

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“It makes sense,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio. Private terminals have minimal screening, and celebrities face little scrutiny. “You could have anything in your luggage, and no one would know.” With decomposition taking days to produce odor, Garth could easily transport his victims’ bodies undetected.

 

WHILE IN LOS ANGELES for the VH1 Honors, Garth’s visit coincided with the disappearances of Michael Eddy, Cecilia Newball, and Rene Perez. Similarly, during his Howard Stern Show appearance, best friends Steven Clark and Burt Dollars vanished just blocks away.

 

This pattern repeats—at the Grammys, the Country Music Association Awards, and the Billboard Music Awards, multiple people have disappeared or been murdered. Among them, Morgan Harris was found shot in the head, his body left in his car near Garth’s hotel.

 

“WHOA!” I SAID TO PETE, when he mentioned the proximity of Morgan’s vehicle. “That’s another victim found in their car close to Garth’s location. I’m starting to think Garth was walking the streets of LA hunting for prey… Statistically the odds are far from coincidental.”

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“Stop doing that,” laughed Pete. “It’s confirmation bias, that’s all.” Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek and interpret information that supports your existing beliefs while dismissing contradictory evidence. “If we search the unsolved homicides and missing persons records adjacent to the date of over a thousand of Garth’s performances, we’re bound to find some that overlap—”

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“Or maybe we’re uncovering a monster!” I chuckled. “Statistically, it’s improbable that—”

 

“You’re not a statistician.” 

 

“MANY SERIAL KILLERS seek to possess and control their victims,” says Dr. Stacy Cecchet, PhD. Some, particularly necrophiles, desire an unresisting companion, while others keep bodies as trophies to maintain dominance. 

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For these predators, killing is just part of the gratification. Dennis Nilsen treated corpses as companions, Ted Bundy returned to victims for necrophiliac acts, and Ed Gein crafted objects from body parts. “For them,” says Dr. Cecchet, “victims become objects of obsession, control, and twisted affection.”

 

SHORTLY AFTER GARTH purchased the massive property in Goodlettsville, a petite 30-year-old Caucasian woman, Pamela Mitchell, bought a spicy chicken combo at the Krystal fast-food restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since August 19, 1992. Did Garth spot Pamela walking down West Trinity Lane nibbling on her bite-sized chicken sandwiches as he traveled to a dinner meeting with his manager? We believe he did. Perhaps Garth pulled into an adjacent parking lot and snatched her off the sidewalk. Her incapacitated body would have laid motionless in the trunk of Garth’s vehicle as he ate lunch; he then must have taken Pamela home to spend time with her corpse. Is she buried somewhere on his property? We believe that she is.

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“Let’s assume for a minute that Garth is a serial killer,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio, “a three-hundred-acre piece of property is one hell of a hiding spot for the bodies of his victims.”

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Similarly, during the same period, Laresha Walker and Mayme Johnson disappeared without a trace. Then, there’s Diana Minor, a café manager who vanished after closing up shop. Her body was found in the Cumberland River—shot twice in the head. 

 

“IF IT IS GARTH, why kill her?” I asked Pete during one of our calls.

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“She obviously put up a struggle,” he replied. “Otherwise, he would have taken her, like the others.” Garth certainly couldn’t have allowed poor Diana to escape. He was a well-known celebrity. “She could have easily identified him. The guy’s face was on billboards.”

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Garth’s second world tour, supporting the album Fresh Horses, shattered attendance records. His Sevens album, released in mid-1996, only amplified his success, culminating in a historic Central Park concert drawing 1.2 million fans. While critics debated his rock-influenced performances, fans were enthralled.

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Yet, just two days after his five-night run at Atlanta’s Omni Coliseum, 22-year-old Branville Rolle disappeared. Witnesses last saw him leaving with a man he seemed familiar with—was Garth able to use his fame to lure him in? Rolle was never seen again.

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Over the next 18 months, two unsolved murders and four missing persons cases occurred near Garth’s tour stops. Doris Inzunza vanished after his Fresno concert, and a Jane Doe was found murdered in Houston the same week Garth performed there.

 

DURING THE SECOND WORLD tour, according to Richard, he was walking past Garth’s trailer. “It was late,” recalls the roadie. “We were dismantling the lighting system, and I was fetching some packing material.” That’s when he heard Garth arguing with someone. According to Richard, Garth was alone in his trailer. “It was like he was arguing with himself. Like he was doing both parts of the conversation or something.”

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When asked if it was possible that Garth might have been on the phone, Richard replies, “No way, the guy was arguing with himself, over the lyrics to some song.” Richard continues, “Weirdest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT may be one of the most bizarre stories in the entire history of the music industry. In May 1999, Garth appeared at a news conference at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California, to promote his new album: Garth Brooks in … The Life of Chris Gaines. In this album, Garth, a country music icon, performed as his alter ego, Chris Gaines, a mysterious Australian alternative rocker who struggled with a sex addiction.

 

HOW FUCKING INSANE is that? I couldn’t help but think to myself, when I learned about Garth’s alter ego. At the pinnacle of his fame, out of nowhere, Garth unexpectedly embraced the persona “Chris Gaines.” He crafted an elaborate backstory; in which he’s suddenly an Australian musician who survived a disfiguring car crash and made a triumphant return to fame. He even appeared in a VH1 Behind the Music special as Gaines. The album’s cover featured a slimmer Garth sporting an intense wig and a soul patch. The creation of the Chris Gaines alter ego suggested to many that the country music icon was confronting some serious identity issues.

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“And he expected everyone to just go along with it,” I said to Pete. “It’s like he had a complete break from reality.”

 

“That is insane.”

 

DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER, or split-personality disorder, involves disruptions in identity, often triggered by childhood trauma or extreme stress. Those with the disorder create distinct identities having unique behaviors and memories.

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“Some serial killers exhibit dissociation,” says Dr. Alexander Bardey, MD, PLLC. Although the criminologist hasn’t evaluated Garth, he notes that “childhood trauma may explain how repetitive violent offenders commit horrific crimes while appearing normal.” Disorders like depersonalization can detach individuals from reality, making violence easier.

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We believe that Garth’s demanding career and possible childhood trauma—perhaps linked to his mother’s resentment stemming from her unfulfilled music career—may have contributed to an identity disruption. As a result, “Chris Gaines” could be a symptom of something much darker than an artistic break in Garth’s traditional “good ol’ boy character.”

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Some serial killers like Rader and DeAngelo exhibited similar compartmentalization. Rader described his alternate personality as “The Minotaur,” which drove his violent urges. While DeAngelo was known to mutter angrily to his alter ego, “Jerry,” during his crimes, dissociating himself from his murderous acts.  

 

IN JULY 1999, Garth released “Lost in You,” the lead single from Garth Brooks in … The Life of Chris Gaines. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling over 600,000 copies. The album was meant to generate interest in The Lamb, a never-made movie about a sex-addicted rocker.

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Initially, Garth wanted the album released anonymously, but his label insisted on using his name. The backlash was swift. Red-state country fans found the alter ego bizarre, music critics mocked it, and his fans were baffled.

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“Garth is a legend,” said Blake Shelton, “but the whole Chris Gaines thing? Man, that was weird.” Toby Keith was harsher, stating, “We’re busting our asses making country music, and Garth is off playing make-believe.” Years later, Joe Rogan called it “one of the greatest train wrecks in pop culture history.”

 

DESPITE HIS IMMENSE SUCCESS, Garth struggled to balance fame and family. His wife, Sandy Mahl, revealed in Garth Brooks: The Road I’m On that his constant touring created distance. “He’d be gone eight to ten weeks at a time… we grew apart,” she admitted.

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In 1996, they renewed their vows, but by 2000, cracks were evident. At the American Music Awards, Garth cryptically hinted at uncertainty in their marriage. Just weeks later, on October 26, he shocked fans by announcing his retirement to focus on raising his daughters.

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Two weeks after stepping away from music, Garth filed for divorce. Married since 1986, the couple’s rocky 14-year relationship ended amicably, with Garth stating, “We need to get divorced… but remain parents even if we don’t remain husband and wife.”

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Garth’s ex-wife walked away with $125 million, making their divorce one of country music’s most expensive in history; and causing some to speculate why. What did Sandy have on her ex-husband? What dark secrets might she be harboring?

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Although we don’t know exactly what caused Garth to hand over such a massive settlement, it must have been something unforgivable.

 

“I KNOW EXACTLY what it was,” I interjected, as Pete was going over the details of Garth’s divorce decree. “Sandy came home early from a day of shopping, walked into the master bedroom to find Garth lying naked in bed snuggling with the corpse of his latest victim!”

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Pete let out a nervous chuckle, “You’re being silly.”

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“Or maybe,” I continued, “she caught him admiring himself in their full-length mirror, wearing a skin suit made-up of his victims; like that guy in Silence of the Lambs.”

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Ignoring the statement, Pete said, “Whatever Sandy had on Garth, it must have been devastating.”

 

GARTH MOVED to Owasso, Oklahoma, in late 2000, embracing a quieter life. Fans respected his retirement but felt his absence in the music scene. Oddly enough, his time in Oklahoma just so happened to coincide with disturbing events. On October 2, 2000, Raymond Hayes and Latricia Fipps vanished in Tulsa—never to be seen again. Then, on May 30, 2003, just miles from Garth’s home, Tyrone Boxley was shot by a man in a black vehicle.

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Did Garth own a black vehicle? We believe he had several. Regardless, Boxley succumbed to his injuries at Tulsa Regional Medical Center.

 

GARTH AND TRISHA Yearwood first met in 1987 during a demo-recording session when both were struggling artists. Garth later promised Trisha she could open for him once he got a record deal—a promise he kept. Over the years, they became “best friends” and frequent collaborators, sharing stages and appearing on each other’s albums. Despite persistent rumors, the pair didn’t go public with their romance until 2002.

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Meanwhile, after Garth moved to Owasso, Oklahoma, missing persons cases in the area continued to surge. Among them were Jason Armstrong, Chin Bowles, Geri Johnson, and Gavedencio Escamilla—none of them were ever seen again.

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Trisha may not have known about these disappearances, but she might have heard of Lewis Parnosky, whose body was dumped off a Tulsa bridge. His case was publicized heavily by the local news. Did she ignore the signs, or is the truth far darker?

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Garth and Trisha Yearwood married on December 10, 2005, in a private ceremony at their Owasso, Oklahoma, home. “It’s the perfect Christmas gift,” Garth said. “We could not be happier.”

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Notwithstanding the chubby cowboy’s press release, we believe he was hunting for victims in the days before the wedding. On December 8, 38-year-old Tony Williams was shot and killed in Tulsa. His body was left in the backseat of his abandoned Chevrolet Caprice—just 15 minutes from Garth’s home.

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Was Garth responsible? Other than the proximity to Garth’s home, there is no physical evidence connecting the country music legend to the incident. However, the night after Christmas, Karen Heim, a 42-year-old Caucasian woman, exited her mother’s house—roughly 10 minutes from Garth’s residence. Shortly thereafter, she was abducted.

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Her vehicle was discovered the following day, abandoned on Farm Road 1159. As a result of evidence discovered in Karen’s vehicle—possibly one of Garth’s CDs containing blood spatter or latent fingerprints—detectives with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office believe foul play was involved.

 

“BASED ON THESE CASES, a pattern was evolving,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio. “The perpetrator is becoming less spontaneous.” Serial killers refine their methods over time, shifting from disorganized crimes to calculated abductions. “He’s not stuck on one victim profile or weapon, but he’s evolving—moving victims in their own cars before dumping them.”

 

If Garth is responsible, what happens to the missing? Organized killers often store bodies to revisit them, like Ariel Castro or Gary Heidnik, who kept captives for years. Between 2006 and 2009, missing persons cases surged in Tulsa, including Selwyne Richardson, Jessica Becerra-Garcia, Angie Tucker, Ray Johnson, Mark Inhofe, and Winter Parks—none were ever found. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office likely never connected these disappearances to the county’s most famous resident.

 

Suspiciously, these unsolved murders also followed Garth’s known locations. In Owasso, DeAndre Dickerson was shot in his car, and Johnny Baker was abducted, murdered, and dumped in a wooded area. Thomas Martin was kidnapped, and his corpse was found by the Arkansas River—he’d been shot. All of these victims’ vehicles were abandoned separately—an intentional misdirection.

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“This offender is methodical,” says DiOrio. “There’s clear geographic stability—he’s killing close to home, staying within a comfort zone.”  During this time, six more individuals disappeared in Tulsa.

 

AFTER NEARLY A DECADE away, Garth returned to music in 2009, launching a five-year residency at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. His intimate, storytelling performances resonated with audiences. Over the residency, Garth played 187 sold-out shows.  As part of his compensation, Garth insisted on unlimited use of Steve Wynn’s private jet, allowing him to travel freely between shows and home—or was there a darker reason?  On July 16, 2010, just hours after Garth’s performance, 28-year-old Robert Waddell was shot while sitting in his car, only three miles from the Wynn Resort. He later died at UMC Trauma Center. Could Garth have slipped away, overwhelmed by his impulses, and taken another victim?  Over the next few years, multiple murders and disappearances coincided with Garth’s Vegas performances. William Gurule vanished on November 9, 2010. Three months later, David Christensen disappeared after leaving a bar, and Rosa Castrejon was shot and killed in 2012. All victims were last seen near the Wynn, aligning eerily with Garth’s schedule. It’s plausible that some of their bodies were hidden aboard Wynn’s jet, transported, and buried in Owasso or Goodlettsville.

 

IF TRISHA YEARWOOD was unaware of Garth’s alleged after-hours activities, her presence may have made things more difficult—but not impossible. Within the first 24 months of his tour, nine people vanished, and eight were murdered.

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On May 1, 2017, 18-year-old Desirea Ferris left her home in Liberty, Missouri—just 20 minutes from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Garth’s crew was preparing for several concerts. Witnesses saw her speak to a man in a nondescript vehicle before getting inside.  Did she recognize Garth? Was she starstruck? We may never know. What is certain is that Desirea was never seen again.

 

IF YOU’VE EVER WATCHED one of Garth’s videos posted on his social media, you might be asking yourself, How could Garth’s odd behavior have gone unnoticed until now? The answer is quite simple; there was no social media when Garth first entered the country music scene. In fact, he avoided non-scripted media interactions. Garth’s first video was posted on Facebook on November 11, 2014. Prior to that video, Garth had only done short calls to radio stations and the occasional talk show. All of which were semi-scripted.

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Nevertheless, shortly after Garth’s Facebook post, people started noticing that something wasn’t quite right. Still, it wasn’t until years later when Tom Segura and his wife and co-host, Christina Pazsitzky, discussed how weird Garth seemed during an episode of their podcast, Your Mom’s House, that people really started to notice. The couple pounced on a post wherein Garth announced his then-upcoming stadium tour and ended the video with the infamous quote, “Let’s get physical playing music.” That statement, along with Garth’s insane smile, prompted the comedy duo to hone in on the country music legend’s oddly detached behavior. 

 

BY JULY 2017, more disappearances and murders surfaced along Garth’s tour route. On July 2, 21-year-old Keonta Anglin was shot and killed just miles from Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, where Garth was performing.

 

It’s been alleged that hours earlier, Keonta had attended the concert. At some point, the apparent country music fan, had caught Garth’s attention—maybe Keonta had gotten backstage or perhaps he was holding a particularly flattering sign in the crowd. Regardless, it’s theorized that Garth was so taken by the young man that he followed him to his apartment complex.

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According to the incident report, Keonta had just arrived home when a man stepped out of the shadows and shot him. His body was discovered by the Oklahoma City Police Department lying in the front seat of his vehicle; parked in his apartment complex’s lot.

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During this same period, a 24-year-old African-American woman, Shanaya Coley, was abducted, along with her car. Her body was found over a month later in the backseat of her vehicle; it had been abandoned not far from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where Garth had played two days prior to her abduction.

 

“MOST SERIAL KILLERS eventually slip up,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio. On July 11, 2017, we believe that’s exactly what happened. It appears that Ashley Easton, a 30-year-old Caucasian woman and her 27-year-old Caucasian boyfriend, Bashar Burk, were abducted. For a variety of reasons, we believe the perpetrator may have been Garth. Whether he grabbed the couple while in the parking lot of their favorite restaurant or while making out in a secluded wooded area, we couldn’t tell you. What we are sure of is that the murderer abducted them in Bashar’s vehicle, and he sat in the backseat while instructing the driver, Ashley, where to go. For certain reasons, we believe that the couple was forced to listen to Garth’s latest album, Man Against Machine. Although there’s nothing to indicate that they were country music fans. At some point, there was a struggle—perhaps the couple requested a change of genres—and Bashar was shot in the head. We have no doubt that this caused Ashley to realize the futility of her situation; she punched the accelerator and slammed the vehicle into the guardrail. This incapacitated their abductor long enough for Ashley to exit the car and make a run for safety. Unfortunately, the murderer regained his composure and fired at Ashley as she ran, striking her in the neck; causing her to fall to the ground, where Garth (presumably) shot her two more times in the head.

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Despite killing both victims—which had always been his plan—something had gone very wrong, and the perpetrator was worried. It’s believed that during the struggle with Bashar or during the accident, Garth—assuming it was Garth—was injured, and he left his DNA in the vehicle. This caused him to set fire to the car before fleeing on foot; destroying his DNA as well as the CD lodged in the vehicle’s sound system.

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When the police arrived on the scene at 5 p.m., the car was in flames; they put out the fire and discovered Basher’s charred corpse in the passenger seat of the vehicle—the medical examiner later determined that he’d died prior to the wreck of gunshot wounds to the head. Shortly thereafter, Ashley’s body was found lying in the grass next to the roadside, less than 100 yards away from the scene of the crash. She died of gunshot wounds to her neck and head.

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Notwithstanding, Oklahoma City Police Department is continuing to investigate both murders. The killer remains on the loose.

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“If we are to believe that Garth is truly a serial killer,” adds retired-FBI Special Agent DiOrio, “then it’s reasonable to say that his 2014 World Concert Tour cost us the lives of nearly twenty people.” 

 

IN 2018, GARTH and Trisha Yearwood moved into their custom-built estate in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, on the same 300-acre property Garth purchased in 1990—the land some believe may hide the bodies of over 100 victims.

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“We built the house just the way Trisha wanted it,” Garth told Hello magazine. Dubbed Blue Rose Estate, the 5,551-square-foot mansion offers ultimate privacy, with a gated entrance, long driveway, multiple luxury amenities, and a large basement.  Could this secluded property hold more than just luxury? Some theorize that Garth, with his wealth, may have constructed a hidden bunker or basement chamber—similar to the infamous “Murder Castle” built by serial killer H.H. Holmes.  Holmes, one of America’s first documented serial killers, built a Chicago hotel in the 1880s designed for murder. His “castle” contained soundproof rooms, trapdoors, gas chambers, and a basement with vats of acid and a crematorium. He lured victims with promises of jobs or lodging, then tortured and disposed of them. Holmes confessed to 27 murders, but experts suspect the real number was closer to 200.

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“If Garth is a serial killer,” warns retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio, “his estate could be more than just a home—it could be a prison. With his wealth, the prospects are limitless.”

 

“DURING THE STADIUM TOUR,” says Richard, “it seemed like Garth was around a lot more than earlier tours. His wife, Trisha, was there a lot too.” Although now-retired, Richard remains in touch with some of the younger roadies who call on him for advice given his experience. “The kids told me that Garth and his wife had their own tour bus. It was real fancy. You know how it is; they’re like country music royalty.”

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Perhaps this is why, until July 25, 2019, no unsolved homicides or missing persons cases had surfaced along the tour route. But Richard noted that Garth and Trisha often went off alone, taking long walks, hiking, or visiting museums.

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Days after Garth’s final Boise performance, 48-year-old Craig Barnett disappeared while hiking in Sawtooth National Forest. Two weeks later, his teal Ford F-150 was found abandoned in the wilderness.

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Did Garth cross paths with Craig? Did his impulses take over? We theorize that Garth—possibly with Trisha’s help—used chloroform to subdue Craig, transported him in a Road Case trunk, and loaded him onto his private jet.

 

“THIS GUY COULD BE locked up right now,” I said to Pete. I could picture poor Craig in the bowels of Garth’s Blue Rose Estate’s basement, “trapped in some type of custom-made dog kennel. He’s probably got a dozen of his victims down there.”

 

“Maybe,” chuckled Pete. “All we can say for certain is that despite an expansive search of the area by the parks service, Craig’s body was never located.”

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Worse still, three others disappeared under eerily similar circumstances in the same timeframe. The authorities have never questioned Garth in connection with the abductions.

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“God only knows what this sicko is doing with these people.”

 

IN MAY 2023, Garth began his Plus One residency at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace, a legendary Las Vegas venue. His performances received widespread acclaim, but while fans enjoyed his shows, the city’s missing persons and homicide cases spiked.

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Less than two weeks after Garth’s first performance, on May 23, 2023, 52-year-old Irene Bueno disappeared. Three weeks later, 38-year-old Halana Zakaria also vanished. Not all abductions were successful—on July 5, 2023, 22-year-old Darion Nicholson fought back and was shot dead, his body left on a residential sidewalk. Soon after, Gerald Harvey was found riddled with bullets on a golf course, and the next night, Louis Kauwalu-Mahoe’s corpse was dumped between two apartment buildings, shot to death.

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While these crimes occurred in Las Vegas, Garth frequently traveled back to his 300-acre Goodlettsville estate via private jet—allegedly to spend time at home, but we suspect he may have been disposing of bodies. During these commutes, Tennessee saw two unsolved homicides and 21 missing persons cases.  

 

“PREDATORS DON’T TYPICALLY quit killing because they’ve lost their desire,” says Dr. Alexander Bardey, MD, PLLC. “They may cease due to external factors like imprisonment for unrelated crimes, increased law enforcement pressure, or changes in personal circumstances, but they almost always start again.”

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On July 13, 2024, after Garth’s final Vegas show of the month, a middle-aged man vanished near The Colosseum. His remains were found weeks later, shot twice in the head.

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By September 3, 2024, Garth concluded another run at Caesars and immediately traveled to Tennessee—only to return to Las Vegas within days. “This type of constant movement allows a predator to stay hidden,” says retired-FBI Special Agent Jim DiOrio. “With multiple residences and a private jet, he’d be nearly impossible to catch.”

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“Some serial killers lead double lives,” says Dr. Alexander Bardey, MD, PLLC. “To survive, they must maintain a public persona that contrasts sharply with their violent nature. If they can’t, they’ll eventually be exposed.”

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Ted Bundy was charming and intelligent, while Dennis Rader lived as a devoted family man and church leader. However, overconfidence or psychological stress can cause their mask to slip. “They might make mistakes,” Dr. Bardey warns, “revealing unsettling behaviors.”

 

IN OCTOBER 2024, hairstylist and makeup artist “Jane Roe” filed a lawsuit in California, accusing Garth Brooks of sexual assault. According to court documents, Roe claims Garth repeatedly harassed her in 2019 and raped her in a Los Angeles hotel room after traveling with him on his private jet for a Grammys taping.  

 

THE LAWSUIT is damning, Pete informed me as we reviewed the document. “Garth has denied the allegations, calling them extortion, but it looks really bad.”

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In the lawsuit, Jane Roe alleges Garth exposed himself, made sexually explicit comments, proposed threesomes with his wife, and later attempted to cover up the assault by deleting text messages on her phone. Garth then filed a preemptive complaint against her in an attempt to quash Roe’s lawsuit.

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“So, Garth is looking less and less like a Boy Scout,” I said to Pete, “and more like a monster.”

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Once Roe’s lawsuit, and the allegations, hit the media, Garth responded with a press release stating he had been “hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars.” He explained that the ordeal was “like having a loaded gun waved in my face. Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money.” Had Garth settled the lawsuit, he stated it would constitute an admission of “behavior I am incapable of—ugly acts no human should ever do to another.”

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Roe’s attorneys, said in a statement to CNN, “We are confident that Garth will be held accountable for his actions.”

 

THERE’S NO DOUBT that Garth’s “shucks, golly gee whiz fellas” chubby good ol’ boy image has been tarnished by the recent sexual assault lawsuit. However, we’re certain that his publicist and marketing team are actively attempting to spin the narrative in Garth’s favor.

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It is our belief that the frustration of being exposed in court documents as well as the media, may have sent some serial killers into remission. Unfortunately, the rape allegations seem to have had the opposite effect on Garth.

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On January 9, 2025, it appears that the country music legend exited his bar, Friends in Low Places, in downtown Nashville, just after midnight when he came across Steven Hymes, a 42-year-old Caucasian homeless man. It’s believed that Steven was crouched beside his grocery cart in the alleyway between Garth’s bar and the neighboring building, trying to keep warm in the nearly freezing temperature.

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Perhaps Garth saw this as an opportunity to take out his frustration on this lonely soul. Did Garth lure Steven into his black SUV, or did he beat the homeless man to death in the alleyway? We don’t know. Nonetheless, we do know that Steven’s battered body was thrown into the Cumberland River from the Woodland Street Bridge, where it washed up on the riverbank underneath the Riverside Walkway, near Gay Street and 1st Avenue.

 

“DOUBT IT,” REPLIED PETE, when I asked him if there was any evidence directly connecting Garth to the victim? Unfortunately, Pete informed me that given Steven was homeless, Metro Nashville Police Department homicide detectives have very little to go on.

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“Still, this guy frequented the area around Garth’s bar,” I said, “and his body was found less than half a mile away; that has to have been enough for the cops to have questioned him, right?”

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Pete reminded me that Garth has 22 Academy of Country Music Awards, 13 Grammy nominations, has sold over 170 million records, and is worth nearly $200 million. If the O.J. Simpson, William Kennedy Smith, and Sean Combs’ cases have taught us anything it’s that wealthy celebrities can get away with nearly anything. “Plus, it’s Nashville. Think about it, no reasonable person would believe that Garth Brooks is a serial killer; it’s absurd.”

 

“I’m not sure, Pete,” I replied. The way I see it is either Segura and his fan-base have unwittingly stumbled upon the gruesome truth, that Garth Brooks is the most prolific serial killer in our great nation’s history, or, the more likely (and significantly less fun) conclusion, that this may very well be one of the greatest satirical myths of all time.