The last time Madison Scott was seen alive was on May 27, 2011.
The 20-year-old ended up staying behind and camping by herself after her friend reportedly hurt her knee and decided to go home. Being an experienced camper who’d explored Hogsback plenty of times, spending the night alone didn’t bother her.
But when she didn’t return home the next day and no one had heard from her, her parents, Eldon and Dawn Scott, called the police to investigate.
Everyone who was questioned about her disappearance admits that the last time they saw her was around 3 a.m.
Her truck and tent were still at the campsite, but she was nowhere to be found. There didn’t appear to be any sign of a struggle, or any reason that she would just vanish without telling anyone.
Madison disappeared 10 miles away from Highway 16.
Over the past 40 years, there have been dozens of young girls and wom
en who have gone missing or were murdered along Highway 16, also known as the Highway of Tears, which traverses through stunning, remote wilderness. The victims range in age from 12 to 33.
The stretch of road has become so synonymous with grisly stories that there are even billboards that say “GIRLS DON’T HITCHHIKE on the Highway of Tears.”
After all these years, authorities are still uncertain whether the vanishings and murders are the work of a single serial killer or multiple offenders.
Madison has been missing for five years, but her family is still holding onto the hope that she’s alive. They often return to the location where she vanished, hoping to find some clues. Volunteers also continue to search the area, tirelessly covering hundreds of miles.
There are countless rumors that have circulated concerning where the missing have ended up, including human trafficking, dungeon-like bunkers hidden on rural properties, and the involvement with local drug dealers.
Watch the video above for more on this family’s heartbreaking story and search for their beloved Madison.
