Trenny Gibson Went On A School Trip And Never Came Home

Trenny Gibson Went On A School Trip And Never Came Home

Author: Mamamia Podcasts February 11, 2026 Duration: 54:14

In October 1976, 16-year-old Trenny Gibson boarded a school bus in Knoxville, Tennessee, expecting a routine day. Instead, her horticulture class was taken on a rainy hike into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park without warning.

Unprepared and uneasy, Trenny borrowed a jacket from a fellow student. By mid-afternoon, she was gone. One moment she was on the trail, the next she had vanished. Nearly 50 years later, her disappearance remains unsolved. Questions linger about suspicious behaviour, missing evidence, and why the case quietly faded from view.

In this episode, we speak with podcast hosts Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna about their investigation into the haunting mystery of Trenny Gibson. 

You can listen to Tim and Lance's podcast Missing, here and watch their YouTube videos here

Listen to Claire Murphy on Missing here.

CREDITS 

Guests: Tim Pilleri & Lance Reenstierna

Host: Gemma Bath

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy

Audio Engineer: Jacob Round

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes. 

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 100

True Crime Conversations
Podcast Episodes
The Russian Woman Who Hijacked A Helicopter To Free Her Aussie Lover [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:00
John Killick is one of Australia's most infamous criminals. Why? Because in 1999, he escaped from Sydney’s Silverwater Correctional Complex on a helicopter. Killick was on remand for armed robbery, and his girlfriend at…
The Murder Of Australian Schoolgirl Masa Vukotic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:45
On March 17, 2015, 17-year-old Masa Vukotic left her Doncaster home for an evening walk through her local park, a routine she had followed countless times. That night, her boyfriend, Timothy Draper, did not receive a goo…
Inside The Kidnapping Where 26 Kids Were Buried Alive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:55
On July 15, 1976, a school bus carrying 26 children and their beloved driver, Ed Ray, left Chowchilla, California, after a hot day at summer school and never made it home. Blocked by a mysterious white van, the bus was h…
The Killer Clown Used Magic Tricks To Lure His Victims [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:02
Sixteen-year-old Timothy “Jack” McCoy spent Christmas 1971 with his relatives in Michigan, leaving on January 2, 1972, to return home to Nebraska. After arriving in Chicago for a bus connection, he met a man who offered…
Who Killed John Furlan? The Car Bombing Case Australia Forgot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:54
On the morning of August 3rd, 1998, Melbourne businessman John Furlan followed his usual routine: coffee, newspaper, and off to work at his Coburg auto salvage yard. But at 8:45 AM, his white Subaru Liberty exploded on L…
The Real Story Of Ed Gein: The Original Psycho [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:00
On September 8, 1960, Psycho shocked cinema audiences with a level of psychological horror never seen before. But Psycho wasn’t pure fiction. It was inspired by the gruesome true story of Ed Gein, the real-life Butcher o…
The Double Life Of Dennis Rader: The BTK Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:45
On January 15, 1974, 15-year-old Charlie Otero and his siblings came home in Wichita, Kansas, to find their family murdered - the first known victims of the BTK killer: Bind, Torture, Kill. Dennis Rader, a father, church…