Overview of SERIAL KILLER: David Meirhofer
This episode of Crime Junkie tells the story of David Meirhofer, a Montana man who abducted and murdered 7-year-old Susie Yeager in 1973 and was later tied to other killings through one of the FBI’s early attempts at criminal profiling. The case unfolded through a heartbreaking years-long search led by Susie’s mother, Marietta Yeager, and ultimately broke open when investigators connected Susie’s disappearance to the remains of another young woman, Sandy Dykeman. What made the case especially notable was how the FBI’s then-new behavioral profiling methods helped narrow in on a suspect long before physical evidence finally confirmed it.
The Disappearance of Susie Yeager
- In June 1973, the Yeager family was camping at Headwaters State Park in Montana.
- 7-year-old Susie disappeared from her tent in the middle of the night.
- Her sister Heidi woke to find a hole cut in the tent and Susie missing.
- Searchers found:
- Susie’s stuffed animals outside the tent
- A faint trail leading toward the parking area
- A rock with reddish-brown stains later confirmed to be human blood
- The same campground had seen a prior unsolved attack on 12-year-old Michael Rainey five years earlier, raising fears that a predator was operating there.
The Investigation and Ransom Calls
- Law enforcement, the FBI, and volunteer searchers launched a massive effort to find Susie.
- The family received ransom calls, including one that proved the caller knew an obscure detail about Susie’s uniquely humped fingernails.
- The kidnapper demanded $50,000 and claimed Susie was still alive.
- A transcript of a later call showed him taunting the family, promising they would be “contacted” again, while keeping them in emotional limbo.
- Despite tracing a payphone used in one call, the investigation went nowhere at first.
The Sandra Dykeman Connection
- In February 1974, authorities found the remains of 19-year-old Sandy Dykeman at an abandoned ranch near Manhattan, Montana.
- Her car was hidden in a barn on the property, along with disturbing evidence:
- Clothing
- Bloodstains
- Burned remains
- Signs of a prolonged and violent crime scene
- Forensic analysis confirmed some remains were Sandy’s.
- Shockingly, other bones belonged to a child between 5 and 8 years old, strongly suggesting Susie Yeager.
- This discovery finally linked the two cases and pointed investigators toward the same suspect.
Who David Meirhofer Was
- David Meirhofer was a local man in his 20s, a former Boy Scout and Marine who had served in Vietnam.
- He was known around town as curious and eager to talk to deputies about the case.
- He had also dated Sandy Dykeman briefly before she rejected him.
- He had previously been considered a possible oddball suspect in Susie’s case, but at the time he passed polygraphs and appeared cooperative.
The FBI Profiling Breakthrough
- Agent Pete Dunbar took the cases to FBI behavioral experts in Quantico.
- The profile they developed described the killer as:
- White
- In his 20s
- Intelligent enough to avoid capture
- A loner, unmarried, and inexperienced with women
- Local, physically fit, and likely with military experience
- Someone who may have killed before and kept souvenirs
- Someone likely to insert himself into the investigation
- That profile fit Meirhofer strikingly well, even though local investigators remained cautious because profiling was still new and unproven.
What Was Found at Meirhofer’s Property
When investigators searched Meirhofer’s property more thoroughly, they found deeply incriminating items:
- A receipt matching the original ransom call location
- Bloody sheets
- Children’s items and women’s personal belongings
- A little girl’s blouse and necklace
- Newspaper clippings about the cases and about Girl Scout camps
- A handwritten “things to do today” list with notes about camps, cover, and access routes
- A marked reference to Camp Silver Cloud, where girls had previously been attacked
These items suggested he was tracking children, collecting souvenirs, and planning or obsessing over multiple crimes.
Final Breakthrough and Confession
- Marietta Yeager and Bill separately identified Meirhofer’s voice in a lineup.
- Marietta later confronted him face-to-face and strongly believed he was the kidnapper.
- After being briefly tracked and then losing surveillance, Meirhofer called Marietta again.
- He claimed to still have Susie and played emotional mind games, even putting a child’s voice on the phone.
- Investigators later traced the call to a motel in Salt Lake City.
- They also found a hidden freezer item: Sandy Dykeman’s severed hand, preserved in butcher paper.
Under pressure, Meirhofer confessed to:
- Kidnapping and murdering Susie Yeager
- Killing Sandy Dykeman
- Killing Michael Rainey, the boy stabbed in a tent in 1968
- Killing Bernie Pullman, a teenager shot in 1967
He denied or refused to explain other possible crimes and would not discuss out-of-state cases.
Main Takeaways
-
This case helped validate early FBI profiling.
The behavioral profile was remarkably accurate and became an important milestone for criminal profiling. -
Meirhofer likely had more victims than the known ones.
The items found in his home suggest additional souvenirs and possibly other undocumented crimes. -
Marietta Yeager’s persistence was central to the investigation.
Her determination kept the case alive and helped investigators connect the dots. -
The case showed how predators can hide in plain sight.
Meirhofer was a local, seemingly helpful community member who was able to evade suspicion for a long time. -
The ending remained tragic despite the arrest.
Meirhofer died by suicide in jail just hours after confessing, leaving unanswered questions about other possible victims.
Notable Aftermath
- Marietta Yeager later became an advocate for forgiveness and against the death penalty.
- The episode emphasizes both the horror of the crimes and the historic significance of the FBI’s emerging profiling techniques.