Corrections for Patrick Shelton's Homicide Case

Following the release of our episode covering the homicide of Patrick Shelton, some inaccuracies were brought to our attention. Below we address each one.

For every item, we reviewed Idaho State Police case file F25000018 — including supplemental detective reports, interview transcripts, and bodycam footage — and compared them against what our episode covered. Below you can also find the police report attached.

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• POINT 1 — "Helen" Is Not Patrick's Adoptive Mother

In Detective Matt Wall's interview report (Supplement No. 0001, Idaho State Police case F25000018), the witness is documented as stating "Patrick was like an adopted son to her." A second witness in Supplement No. 0013 described her as "an elderly lady that he was friends with and stayed with commonly."

Correction: Helen was not Patrick's adoptive mother. She was a close older friend he was like a son to.

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• POINT 2 — Patrick Did Not Intend to Cut Firewood; He Was Moving to Montana

The firewood account in our episode came from Alan Bruce's own statement. In Supplement No. 0016 (Bruce 1st Interview, May 12, 2025), Bruce told investigators: "SHELTON came up and told him that he was gonna go cut some firewood for a quick hundred bucks." However, Supplement No. 0013 (Witness Interview, May 20, 2025) directly contradicts this. A witness who knew Patrick stated: "SHELTON would not go to where they found the pickup to get firewood since there's no firewood there," and confirmed "SHELTON had already taken a flatbed trailer load of things up to Montana" and had returned only to collect his remaining motorhome. A second witness in the same supplement stated they "immediately knew that SHELTON was not getting firewood" and "made phone calls and found out that SHELTON's chainsaws were in Montana."

Correction: Patrick returned to Challis to collect his motorhome and leave for Montana, not to cut wood. The firewood account originated with Alan Bruce and was not corroborated by any independent witness.

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• POINT 3 — Alan Was the First Dispute Over Patrick's Motorhome Parking

The case file documents only one property dispute involving Patrick's motorhome with Alan Bruce. Supplement No. 0016 records Bruce stating he "had asked SHELTON to move 2½ months ago" and that he "packed up SHELTON's stuff and moved it out to the side of the road on Bradbury Road about a week before SHELTON had got there." No other property disputes appear anywhere in case file F25000018. Supplement No. 0001 and Supplement No. 0013 both reflect that Patrick was welcomed and expected at multiple other locations in Challis.

Correction: The only documented conflict over Patrick's parking was with Alan Bruce, there are no other mentions of disputes between Patrick and other locals. This characterization has been removed from the YouTube video.

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• POINT 4 — Patrick Was Welcomed by Friends and Family to Stay

Supplement No. 0001 documents a close friend stating "Patrick stayed at [her] house off and on" and that she had tried to get Patrick to wait until daylight before he left for Bruce's property — she was expecting him to return. Supplement No. 0013 records a second friend who told Patrick to stop by the next day and that "SHELTON never showed up." Both women, along with others in Challis, reported him missing and actively participated in Search and Rescue.

Correction: Patrick had a network of people who welcomed him and were expecting him back the night he was killed. This is related to point 3 and will be corrected after the previous characterization is removed from the YouTube video.

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POINT 5 — Patrick Had Permission from the Property Owner and Had Paid in Firewood

In the case file, both Patrick Shelton and Alan Bruce are listed at the same address (24833 Hwy 93, Challis, Idaho) as occupants — not owners. Supplement No. 0013 states the property belonged to a named third party: "[Witness] is the property owner. A man by the name of Alan BRUCE was also living on the property. BRUCE and SHELTON had been staying on the same property." Bruce himself, in Supplement No. 0016, acknowledged that items were moved at the direction of the landowner because of an irrigation concern. No property ownership documentation for Bruce appears anywhere in the case file.

Correction: Alan Bruce was not the property owner. He was a co-occupant. Patrick had permission from the actual property owner to be on the land.

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• POINT 6 — Alan Was Also Under Pressure from the Property Owner at the Same Time

Supplement No. 0016 documents Bruce acknowledging the landowner had directed him to move items because of an irrigation pivot obstruction, indicating Bruce was also under separate pressure from the property owner while pushing Patrick out. Supplement No. 0006 (Confession Audio 4) records: "BRUCE stated SHELTON became angry a few months back when BRUCE told SHELTON he wanted SHELTON's personal belongings removed from his [BRUCE's] residence and SHELTON could not due to financial reasons."

Correction: The available redacted records do not confirm a formal eviction of Bruce, but they do show he was managing pressure from the property owner at the same time. This context was not included in our episode.

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• POINT 7 — Alan Did Not Own the Property

As established above, both men appear in the case file as co-occupants at the same address. Supplement No. 0016 references the property in the context of a third-party landowner's instructions. No ownership documentation for Bruce exists anywhere in case file F25000018.

Correction: Alan Bruce was not the property owner and had no legal ownership authority over the land or the items on it.

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• POINT 8 — The Letter With Alan's Name Was Found by Patrick's Family During Search and Rescue, Not by Deputies at the Truck

Supplement No. 0003 (Crime Scene/Evidence Report, Detective Joshua Brown, May 12, 2025) states: "I received a piece of mail [Exhibit 03-20] in Alan BRUCE's name on it that was collected by [redacted], who is the mother of Patrick's daughter... where Patrick's pickup was found." Supplement No. 0013 corroborates: "[Witness] stated she found a letter with Alan Bruce's name on it on the side of the road near where SHELTON's pickup was found. It was turned over to Custer County Sheriff's Office and then turned over to Idaho State Police." In Supplement No. 0016, Sergeant Tuttle confirms the location to Bruce, telling him the mail "had been located up by where SHELTON's pickup was found" — near the truck, not inside it.

Correction: The letter was found by Patrick's daughter and her mother during Search and Rescue operations, on the side of the road approximately a mile from the truck, not inside the vehicle by deputies.

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• POINT 9 — Patrick Never Pointed a Gun at Alan

In Supplement No. 0016 (Bruce 1st Interview, May 12, 2025), Detective Godfrey records: "I asked BRUCE if SHELTON had ever threatened him with guns or anything like that and BRUCE stated no." In the same interview: "BRUCE stated that they had never had any physical fight, but that SHELTON wanted to fight him one day and he said no." The gun-threat story appeared later, relayed second-hand through Bruce's brother in Supplement No. 0017 — not from any independent witness.

Correction: By Bruce's own first account to police, Patrick never threatened him with a weapon and there had been no physical altercation. The threat narrative emerged later, through Bruce's brother.

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• POINT 10 — Alan Approached Patrick First and Pointed the Gun First

Supplement No. 0004 (A. Bruce Confession, Sgt. Tuttle, May 12, 2025) documents Bruce's own account of how the confrontation began: "BRUCE advanced on SHELTON as SHELTON was sitting in his truck, with his rifle pointed at him. BRUCE asked SHELTON, 'You want some of this?' SHELTON said, 'You better pull the trigger motherfucker' and came up with his .45." Supplement No. 0005 records Bruce confirming the photo on his phone was taken after the shooting: "I took a picture of him inside his cab with his gun right by him. Proof, proof that he had a gun...just in case this day ever came."

Correction: Per Bruce's own confession, he approached Patrick's stationary vehicle with his rifle raised and initiated the confrontation. Patrick was sitting in his truck. The photo was taken after the shooting.

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• POINT 11 — Patrick Was Actively Trying to Leave

Supplement No. 0013 confirms Patrick had already sent a flatbed of belongings to Montana before returning to Challis, and a witness confirmed his chainsaws — his primary work tools — were already there. He returned only to collect his motorhome. Supplement No. 0015 (Witness Interview, May 15, 2025) documents a community member stating "BRUCE is not a great character... heard BRUCE is causing trouble such as throwing gas bombs under someone's porch and someone else's camp trailer." Supplement No. 0013 also records that Patrick had preserved lighter fluid from a fire Bruce allegedly started at a friend's property and turned it over to the Custer County Sheriff's Office as evidence.

Correction: Patrick returned to Challis only to collect his remaining motorhome and leave for Montana. His tools were already there. Alan Bruce had a documented pattern of aggressive behavior toward multiple people in the community.

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• POINT 12 — Alan Considered Killing Ryder but Chose Not To

Supplement No. 0006 (Confession Audio 4, Detective Roberts, May 12, 2025) records: "BRUCE shared the following: A. There was a small dog in SHELTON's vehicle at the time of the shooting. B. He towed SHELTON's pickup to the location known as Big Hill and left it there on a slope. C. BRUCE considered dispatching SHELTON's dog and then decided to leave it." Bodycam footage from our episode also captures Bruce stating, when asked what he did with the dog: "Left it in the truck. I didn't wanna kill it. It didn't do nothing."

Correction: Ryder's survival was not incidental. Bruce consciously chose not to kill him before locking him in a truck in a remote location, an outcome that would have been fatal without Search and Rescue.

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We take factual accuracy seriously and are committed to correcting the record where the evidence warrants it. If you are a family member or someone with direct knowledge of a case we have covered and believe something in our reporting is inaccurate, please contact us.

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This correction references Idaho State Police case file F25000018, including Supplements No. 0001, 0003, 0004, 0005, 0006, 0013, 0015, and 0016.