Hi, park enthusiasts. I'm your host, Delia Diambra, and the case I'm going to share with you

today hit me in a profound way. It's more than just revisiting a murder that took place in a

national park. It's a uniquely heartbreaking example of just how serious and deadly the crime of

stalking is. You'll hear me list some resources and information about stalking

towards the end of this episode, because after researching today's case, I'm more convinced than ever

that this type of criminal behavior is happening far more often than any of us realize. And in some

situations, it can and does escalate to murder.

The story of what happened to 25-year-old University of Tennessee student Sandy Jeffers is unimaginable.

And I knew that I couldn't even begin to try and cover her case without the participation of someone who knew her well.

Someone who's continued to advocate for her and other victims of

violent crime ever since Sandy's life was taken in 2003. A lot of the information you'll hear in this

episode is sourced from court documents and news coverage, but you'll also get an inside perspective

of the tragedy from Sandy's older sister, Angelia Jeffers-Smith.

She's been a part of this case every step of the way, and I'm so thankful she did an interview

with me to help paint the most complete picture of her sister's life and round out my reporting.

The case takes place in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, more specifically, the

Look Rock Tower Trail, which is a less than

a mile round-trip scenic observation area on the western edge of the park, slightly less than an

hour south of Knoxville, Tennessee. This is a very popular stopping point for visitors, but back in May

2003, a man who went there had nothing but evil on his mind.

And the impact of what he did left the Jeffers family and so many others with the hole in their hearts that they've never been able to repair.

This is Park Predators.

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