Loren Bunner and Jolee Callan decided to embark on a hike in the lush Pinhoti Trail area of Mount Cheaha, Alabama on a beautiful day. Prior to their hike, Loren, who was 20 at the time, shared a photo of Jolee on his Instagram account, one of four pictures taken that day in August 2015. The image depicted Jolee, 18, seated in the front of Loren’s car with his dog, captioned with “On our way to go hiking.”
Despite recent tensions following their breakup, the pair seemed comfortable with each other as they transitioned from being a couple to just friends. Jolee, a petite yet warm-hearted individual, was known for her reserved nature, love for school plays, academic dedication, and popularity among peers.
Having dated Loren for a year, Jolee found herself influenced by his introverted personality and desire for her to socialize with his friends and partake in his interests, such as gaming. Despite several attempts to end the relationship due to emotional manipulation from Loren, Jolee finally decided to break things off as she planned for college.
Accepting Loren’s proposal to hike as friends, Jolee texted a friend the night before their outing, humorously mentioning that if anything happened to her, they would know who she was with. During the hike, Loren posted three more Instagram pictures, with the final images showcasing Jolee near a cliff at the state park.
Tragically, that evening, Loren contacted emergency services near the freeway, confessing to the murder of Jolee on Cheaha Mountain. Jolee’s body was found at the base of a cliff, having been shot twice, with Loren admitting to shooting her as part of a supposed suicide pact that he failed to follow through on.
Charged with murder, Loren initially faced a lenient sentence due to being considered a youthful offender, causing outrage among Jolee’s family. However, this decision was overturned, leading to Loren being tried as an adult. Ultimately, Loren admitted to the murder during the trial, where chilling details of the crime were revealed, including his lack of remorse and disturbing statements.
Following a high-profile trial, Loren was sentenced to 52 years in prison in July 2017 and ordered to pay restitution to the Alabama Crime Victims Commission. Jolee’s family found some solace in the verdict, with her father expressing relief and remembering her as a sweet girl who would be smiling at the outcome.