Patrick Ray Shelton, 47, disappeared after a solo trip to gather firewood near Challis, Idaho, on May 8, 2025. When he did not return, family members reported him overdue and a search began; deputies found his red 2001 Dodge Ram in the Big Hill area on May 10 with his dog inside but no sign of Shelton. Investigators later found blood and what appeared to be possible brain tissue inside the truck, a broken passenger window that they believed was shattered from the inside, and a copper jacket of a bullet on the windowsill.

The investigation turned toward 70-year-old Alan Douglas Bruce of Challis. Cellphone data placed Shelton’s phone near Bruce’s home on May 8, and a piece of mail addressed to Bruce was found near where the pickup was located.

Bruce was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, destruction of evidence, failure to report a death, and unlawful possession of a firearm, and was booked into the Custer County Jail with bond set at one million dollars. His defense has indicated it will assert self-defense and asked for separate trials on some charges. Does anyone have information about Shelton’s movements on May 8, 2025, or about activity near Deer Gulch that could help investigators?