On August 9th, 2019, what was meant to be a quiet family getaway for the Langfords turned into one of Colorado’s darkest unsolved mysteries. Mark and Lisa Langford, along with their nine-year-old son Andrew, left their Denver home for a weekend camping trip in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was supposed to be a retreat from the noise of everyday life—time spent in nature, under the stars, far from crowded campgrounds.
But within days, their peaceful escape transformed into a chilling crime scene that left investigators baffled and a community shaken.
The Beginning of the Trip
Mark, a 38-year-old accountant, had carefully planned the trip. He booked a secluded parking space through the National Park Service website—a spot that required a 300-yard walk to reach, ensuring privacy. Their Honda Odyssey was packed with the essentials: a tent, sleeping bags, food, a stove, and clothing. Relatives later said the goal was simple: spend a night overlooking the canyon and hike the trails the next morning.
The family’s last known movements were tracked with precision. Surveillance cameras documented their journey south through Colorado. At a gas station near Sapanro, Mark purchased firewood and water. At 5:41 p.m., their vehicle was recorded entering the park. A ranger recalled speaking to Mark, who mentioned heading toward the South Rim.
That evening, Mark called his sister Carol. He sounded calm but noted the weather was changing. His last words to her were, “The weather is changing, but everything is fine so far.” That was the final time anyone heard from him.
The Vanishing
The next morning, August 10th, the Langfords were expected to hike a popular trail. When they didn’t appear, it didn’t immediately raise concern. Families often changed plans or camped elsewhere. But by August 11th, relatives grew anxious and began contacting the park.
On August 13th, rangers searching the southern rim made a grim discovery. A tent lay overturned, dangerously close to a canyon cliff. The campsite was in disarray—drag marks on the rocky ground, a broken lantern, and scattered belongings told a story of chaos. When the tent was opened, the bodies of Mark, Lisa, and Andrew were found inside, bound and covered by a blood-soaked tarp.
The scene suggested an attack during their first night at camp.
The Horrific Discovery
Forensic experts concluded the family had died around 10 p.m. on August 9th, only hours after Mark’s final phone call. Their hands and feet had been tied with industrial-grade synthetic rope. Each had suffered blunt force trauma. Some of their belongings were missing: two backpacks, a flashlight, and a first-aid kit. Their sleeping bags, oddly, were still in the car.
The brutality of the crime immediately shifted the focus from an accident to murder. But the wilderness offered few clues, and the remote location meant there were no direct witnesses.
The First Leads
Investigators discovered size 12 shoe prints leading away from the tent toward an unofficial trail. Surveillance footage captured a dark SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Tahoe, entering the area late that night. Unfortunately, the license plate was unreadable.
Attention quickly turned to James Caldwell, a man with a history of campsite violence. He had been spotted nearby, alone, carrying a large backpack. But DNA testing cleared him. He had no connection to the Langfords’ deaths.
Then, another lead emerged. A farmer reported seeing an SUV with a kayak trailer in the area days before the murder. This matched footage from park exit cameras, showing a vehicle with a kayak leaving the park the morning after the killings. The vehicle was traced to Greg Hansen, a rafting and fishing guide from Montrose with a troubled past.
The Hunt for Greg Hansen
Witnesses placed Hansen near the canyon on the day of the murders. Two hikers remembered him arguing with another man. A family from Arizona later recalled seeing him unload large bags and a container from a trailer near the trailhead.
When investigators tried to question Hansen, he vanished. His phone went dead, his home was locked, and mail piled up. Soon after, rangers discovered a partially deflated kayak hidden along the riverbank. Inside were bloodstains matching Mark Langford’s DNA. Alongside it was a plastic cord identical to the rope used to bind the victims.
The pieces fit together. Hansen, familiar with the river, could have used the kayak to escape. But if so, where had he gone?
A Web of Uncertainty
By winter, investigators had gathered more disturbing evidence. DNA found on the rope and a flask near the campsite belonged not to Hansen, but to an unknown individual. Fingerprints on a multi-tool, blood particles in the kayak, and a broken shovel handle at the scene all pointed to this mysterious second person.
Had Hansen acted alone—or was there an accomplice?
The theory of robbery emerged as a motive. Mark was carrying around $200 in cash and an expensive camera, both missing. But was this a robbery gone wrong, or had the family been targeted?
Dead Ends and Lingering Shadows
Despite national alerts, Hansen disappeared. He hadn’t contacted clients, relatives, or used bank accounts. Sightings of him were unconfirmed, scattered, and unverified.
The deeper investigators dug, the stranger the story became. Every new clue linked back not just to Hansen but to the shadow of another figure—someone whose DNA appeared at multiple points but whose identity remained unknown.
By early 2020, Hansen was officially listed as the prime suspect. Yet the unanswered question still haunted investigators: if Hansen was guilty, why did the evidence point to another person too?
The Lingering Mystery
The Langford case left the public shaken. Families across Colorado questioned their safety in national parks. Campers wondered how such a violent crime could happen unnoticed. And the haunting details—a family bound inside their overturned tent, a vanished suspect, a kayak escape route—read like a horror story etched into the canyon walls.
To this day, no one has been convicted of the Langford murders. Greg Hansen remains missing. The unknown DNA profile found on the evidence has not matched anyone in criminal databases. The case, officially, is still open.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the most breathtaking landscapes in America. But for those who know the story, its jagged cliffs now hold more than natural beauty—they hold the secrets of a crime that stole a family’s life and left behind only questions, shadows, and fear.
And perhaps the most terrifying part of all: whoever was responsible might still be out there.
