On November 15th, 2001, Louise Chaput, a fifty-two-year-old psychologist and mother of two from Sherbrooke, Québec, crossed into the United States at Norton, Vermont, around eleven forty-five a.m. She stopped briefly in Colebrook, New Hampshire, before arriving in Pinkham’s Grant in the White Mountains later that afternoon. An avid hiker who loved the outdoors, Louise had reserved a room at the Joe Dodge Lodge, operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) at Pinkham Notch, for a long weekend of hiking.
With daylight fading upon her arrival around three p.m., Louise asked an AMC staff member at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center for a short hike that would allow her to return before dark. The employee recommended the nearby Lost Pond Trail. That was the last confirmed time anyone saw Louise Chaput alive.
When she failed to return home as planned, family and friends reported her missing on November 20th. Search efforts began immediately, involving New Hampshire Fish and Game, state police, and volunteers. Her silver Ford Focus was located parked at a trailhead near the Direttissima and Glen Boulder Trails, across from the Lost Pond Trailhead. Inside the car were her hiking shoes, water, and chocolate—items she routinely carried on hikes—but the keys and her larger blue backpack (featuring a Canadian insignia) were missing. Other personal items appeared to have been taken as well.
On November 22nd, 2001, which was Thanksgiving Day, searchers found Louise’s body in a clearing approximately 100–200 feet off the Glen Boulder Trail, near the Glen Ellis Falls area in Pinkham’s Grant. An autopsy determined she had died from multiple stab and incised wounds. Her death was ruled a homicide. Evidence at the scene suggested a struggle, and investigators concluded she had been forced off the trail.
Authorities have consistently described the killing as random and opportunistic. Louise likely did not know her attacker, and there was no apparent motive tied to robbery beyond the theft of a few items.
The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit, in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office and State Police, has periodically renewed appeals for information. In December 2025, coinciding with the twenty-fourth anniversary, they released an image of the type of backpack Louise was carrying and sought tips from anyone who hiked in the Pinkham Notch area on November 15th, 2001, participated in local hiking groups, or recalled discussions on online forums about trail conditions that autumn.
Louise Chaput was remembered as an active, joyful person who embraced life fully. Friends noted her philosophy of “earning your dinner” through outdoor activity. Her daughters, Corenne and Constance, along with close friends like Marie Pineault and Denis Masson, traveled from Canada to join searches and have continued advocating for answers.
Despite extensive efforts, including interviews, forensic analysis, and public appeals, the killer has never been identified. Investigators believe the perpetrator was likely local or familiar with the area. The brutal and seemingly senseless murder of Louise Chaput remains a mystery as of 2026.
Crime Immemorial 