Gripped Magazine
True Crime in Squamish: New Podcast About the Death of Jesse James
In June 2017, the Squamish climbing community was shaken by a grim discovery—a burnt-out van found in the woods, with a body inside. Locals believed the victim to be a climber known as Jesse James. But when police confirmed the man had died from a non-self-inflicted gunshot wound, mystery shrouded the case.
It wasn’t until 2020 that the real identity of the victim was revealed as Davis Wolfgang Hawke, an American known for an extraordinary web of aliases, including Commander Bo Decker. What followed was a story more surreal than fiction, detailed in the engrossing five-part CBC podcast “Dirtbag Climber” by Squamish-based reporter and climber Steven Chua.
Climber, Con Man, Crypto Pioneer
Hawke’s past life comprised many bizarre and sometimes disturbing roles: early email spam kingpin, neo-Nazi organizer, self-proclaimed IDF officer, Stanford PhD holder (unverified), chess prodigy, pick-up artist author, and one of the earliest traders in cryptocurrency. He had also been sued by AOL for over $10 million for spamming operations—and disappeared before the judgment could be enforced.
Yet, in Squamish, Hawke was just another van-dwelling climber, known to some for being fun on the wall—and to others, for flaming climbers online. His past was unknown, his persona seamlessly adapted to the off-grid climbing lifestyle that Squamish had become famous for.
“Dirtbag Climber”: Digging Into the Story
Steven Chua arrived in Squamish in 2017, originally seeking offbeat stories. At first, local crime seemed unremarkable—until the Jesse James case emerged.
“That incident was a wake-up call,” Chua said in an interview with Gripped. “Three years later, when police identified him and I started looking into his background, it became clear that Hawke’s life was far stranger than fiction.”
With help from a strong editorial team and his connections in the Squamish climbing scene, Chua launched a five-part investigative podcast that delved into Hawke’s true identity.
Interviews with family, former friends, schoolmates, climbing partners, and even law enforcement painted a portrait of someone who had made a career out of deception—blending charisma, intelligence, and manipulation to shape whatever identity suited his needs.
A Life Lived in Disguise
Hawke had grown up hiking and spending time outdoors, which made Squamish’s vanlife scene a perfect cover. The mobile, low-profile lifestyle allowed him to vanish into the climbing world while still living comfortably off-grid. In many ways, his story highlighted a hidden vulnerability in the climbing community: how little we sometimes know about the people we trust on the wall.
“When you’re climbing, you form emotional bonds fast,” said Chua. “You’re literally putting your life in someone’s hands. That creates a deep connection—but it doesn’t mean you know their whole story.”
Though most in Squamish remembered Hawke as a decent climber and partner, few knew the darker layers beneath the surface. One of his former climbing partners agreed to speak with Chua, though later declined to appear on the podcast.
The Dark Side of Digital Influence
What kept Chua invested in the story wasn’t just the shock value—it was the way Hawke embodied a disturbing preview of today’s digital age.
“He was manipulating influence before we even had influencers,” Chua noted. “He was deep into crypto before most people had even heard of Bitcoin. He used far-right ideologies that have now become disturbingly common. And he ran scams on platforms that were just emerging at the time.”
By studying Hawke’s patterns, Chua believes we gain insight into broader trends in online identity, manipulation, and the modern con.
“Hawke thrived on attention,” Chua said. “If he had been content to just climb, keep a low profile, he probably could’ve lived out his days in Squamish. But he couldn’t resist showing off, proving he was the smartest guy in the room. That’s what undid him.”
Listen to the full podcast here. Below is the final photo that Hawke posted on Instagram on April 26, 2016.
The post True Crime in Squamish: New Podcast About the Death of Jesse James appeared first on Gripped Magazine.