In July 2014, 26-year-old Selena Harroway and 28-year-old Sirin Hails set out on the little-known Wolf Creek Trail in the Grand Canyon. Sirin was an experienced guide with years of wilderness work behind him. Selena was a novice photographer determined to capture images beyond typical tourist views. They planned to spend 3 days hiking through remote terrain rarely accessed without special permits.
On July 21, 2014, at 9:00 a.m., Selena finished her shift at the Pine Brew coffee shop in Flagstaff and waited for Sirin, whom she had spent weeks convincing to guide her. He arrived with a worn park map and pointed to a zigzagging route through the eastern canyon.
“Wolf Ravine,” he told her. “We’ll lose contact after the first turn. Three days. No comfort. No guarantees.”
She showed him her portfolio. After flipping through it, he agreed on one condition: she would follow every instruction without question.
The next day they met at Canyon Edge Outfitters to finalize equipment. Sirin methodically checked everything, rejecting half of Selena’s gear in favor of lighter alternatives. At the visitors center, Ranger Mike Cortez reviewed their permit.
“Wolf Creek in July?” the ranger asked. “There’s no water between Black Ridge and Grey Eagle Canyon.”
“I know the terrain,” Sirin replied.
They were instructed to signal nightly and return by July 25. If they failed to report back, a search would begin.
They left Sirin’s blue Chevy Tahoe at the trailhead early in the morning. GPS units, walkie-talkies, and a satellite phone were checked. Sirin warned Selena that even a small mistake could be fatal.
The first day unfolded without incident. Selena photographed the canyon’s layered rock formations while Sirin explained their geological history. That evening, they set camp on a plateau. As the sun set, Sirin noticed a faint flashing light on the eastern horizon. He dismissed it as glare, though he remained uneasy.
The next morning, Selena suggested a detour to capture dawn views from Crow Rock. The section had not been registered on their route. After hesitation, Sirin agreed. They left most of their supplies at camp, taking only essentials.
When they returned around 2:00 p.m., the camp had been ransacked. The tent was cut open. Food was scattered. Sirin’s backpack, first aid kit, and most of their water were gone. Pages had been torn from his notebook.
As they turned back toward the trail, they saw a tall figure in a worn khaki jacket standing about 50 yards away. The man did not respond when Sirin shouted that they would leave the supplies behind. Moments later, he disappeared among the rocks.
Sirin grabbed Selena’s hand and ran. But the landscape appeared unfamiliar. Shadows stretched across the canyon as daylight faded.
On July 25, Selena’s sister Kate reported them missing. Rangers found the Tahoe at the trailhead and discovered the destroyed camp that evening. Search dogs tracked eastward before losing the trail in rocky terrain. Helicopters, drones, and thermal imaging were deployed. After 8 days, the search was suspended.
Among the items recovered was a page from Sirin’s diary bearing a crudely drawn eye symbol not in his handwriting.
The disappearance was classified as “under unclear circumstances.” Over time, public attention faded. Kate moved to Flagstaff and continued searching independently. Sirin’s elderly parents in Utah prayed for closure.
Three years later, on September 1, 2017, German tourists at Lipan Point noticed a lone figure near the cliff edge. It was Sirin Hails.
He was emaciated, bearded, and severely dehydrated. Doctors at Flagstaff Hospital diagnosed infected wounds, broken ribs that had healed improperly, and deep scars. A burned mark resembling the eye symbol was visible on his shoulder.
Sirin barely spoke. When Kate asked about Selena, he whispered, “I couldn’t save her. He took her.”
Under psychiatric care, Sirin slowly began to recount fragments. He described a silent man he called the “shadow hunter,” who lived in the canyon and watched them before attacking.
He led authorities to an abandoned mining barracks 15 miles east of their original camp. Hidden under bunks was Sirin’s diary. It documented strange lights, being watched, and their capture.
The diary referenced a second location called Devil’s Quarry.
A search team, including FBI agents and veteran ranger Ernest Wilkins, traveled into the Red Labyrinth area, a hazardous former mercury mining zone. They encountered a hermit named Jake Faraday, who confirmed sightings of a solitary man he called “the ghost,” living in an old mercury mine known as Silver Ghost.
Inside the mine, investigators found a concealed living space powered by a generator. Walls were covered with photographs of hikers taken from afar. Among them were images of Selena and Sirin. A diary belonging to the captor described “cleansing the canyon” and defending it from intruders.
A photograph labeled “Last place, end” depicted an abandoned observatory on Black Mesa Plateau.
The man returned to the mine while the team was inside. He attempted to flee but was subdued. Jake identified him as Robert Cutter, a former geologist presumed dead in a landslide 15 years earlier.
Cutter was found wearing Sirin’s boots.
Among Cutter’s belongings was Selena’s notebook. Her final entry, dated August 20, 2017, indicated she was being moved to an observatory.
The team split, with part escorting Cutter to Flagstaff and the remainder traveling toward Black Mesa.
The abandoned observatory stood isolated on the plateau. Fresh footprints led inside. In the main hall, they found Selena tied to a pipe. She was emaciated but alive.
She explained that Cutter believed he was chosen by the canyon to protect it. He forced her to study his writings and held her as part of what he described as cleansing. For months, she and Sirin were captive together. Sirin attempted escape and was beaten before being forced to leave under threat that Selena would be killed if he returned.
The team uncovered evidence linking Cutter to at least 16 murders over 15 years. Photographs of victims corresponded with unsolved disappearances.
Cutter remained silent during interrogation.
Selena and Sirin were reunited at Flagstaff Hospital. Recovery was slow. Sirin’s physical condition reflected prolonged survival in harsh conditions. Selena’s mental endurance was noted by doctors, though nightmares persisted.
Investigators learned Cutter had survived a sandstorm years earlier during which two colleagues died. He reportedly began speaking of the canyon’s spirit choosing him as guardian. He was dismissed from service and disappeared into the wilderness.
At trial, Cutter received 16 life sentences without parole. He did not speak.
Selena later reviewed her early photographs and noticed a distant figure in one image taken on the first day of their hike, indicating Cutter had followed them from the beginning.
One year after her rescue, Selena and Sirin returned to the Grand Canyon as guides. Sirin founded a company focused on safety education. Selena’s photography documented both beauty and danger.
Cutter remained incarcerated in isolation.
Though the events left lasting trauma, Selena and Sirin chose to remain connected to the landscape that nearly cost them their lives.
