Survival Cannibalism: Alfred Packer, the Colorado Cannibal Primer

Explicit content warning

02/24/25 • 19 min

Alfred Packer was no wilderness guide, or at least he wasn’t a talented one. This quirky prospector was known to be a petty thief and compulsive liar who shifted around from job to job. But in 1874, he convinced 5 men to follow him into the woods for what was supposed to be a seven-day trip. Months later, Packer emerged from the woods alone and strangely fit considering the lack of food.

In this episode, Jenn walks Joe through this strange story about the man now known as the Colorado Cannibal.

For more survival cannibalism, support us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction where you can access full coverage of Yellowjackets seasons 1 and 2 in addition to coverage of Alive, Society of the Snow, Ravenous, and Cannibal! The Musical.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Bluesky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jenn walks Joe through this strange story about the man now known as the Colorado Cannibal.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Bluesky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express

Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

Survival Cannibalism: The Donner Party

In 1846, the Donner-Reed Party set out from Independence, Missouri to make the journey west to a better life in California. In this mini-primer, Joe tells Jenn about the calamities that befell the group and left them stranded for the winter, forcing them to resort to cannibalism.

Wanna hear the full story? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primers on the Donner Party, plus episodes on Ravenous and Cannibal! The Musical.

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Survival Cannibalism Summary

After a month of survival cannibalism texts, including Yellowjackets, Alive, Society of the Snow, The Donner Party, Alfred Packer, Ravenous, and Cannibal! The Musical, we're ready to discuss our overall thoughts. This includes religion, manifest destiny, and gender roles.

Plus: Jenn and Joe each pick their favorite text, ask for listener recommendations for future cannibalism texts, and announce where we're headed in March!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: [email protected]

> Jenn: @jennferatu

> Joe: @bstolemyremote

Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for ~40 hours and 65 episodes of bonus content.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices