Four people died trying to find hidden treasure in Yellowstone

In 2017, an 53-year-old American was looking for a treasure buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn, but he died. Later it turned out that he was not so alone. The story of the hoard of an eccentric millionaire tells the publication Meduza.

Photo: Instagram / haleycohengilliland

In early June, 2017, an Illinois resident of Illinois, disappeared into Yellowstone National Park in Yellowstone National Park, Jeff Murphy. His wife went to the police after Murphy went on a one-day trip, but did not get in touch at the appointed time. Man was about to climb a mountain Turkey Pen Peak about two kilometers high. The rescue operation began: Murphy searched for 5 foot teams, 4 cavalry, 5 groups with search dogs and 1 helicopter. After 2 of the day, rescuers found his body: apparently, a man stumbled on a steep slope, fell from a height of 152 meters and crashed to death.

After investigation, his death was recognized as an accident. 20 February 2018 of the Year American Regional Channel Kurl8.com reported that Jeff Murphy did not die in the usual campaign - he was looking for treasure buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn. Moreover, Murphy is not the first to die during the search for this treasure.

Jeff Murphy. Photo: Yellowstone National Park

Chase passion

87-year-old Forrest Fenn is a former art dealer and collector, a Vietnam veteran and a self-taught archaeologist. The idea of ​​hiding treasures occurred to him in the middle of 90, when he was diagnosed with cancer. The chances of recovery were small, and the millionaire decided to leave a vivid memory of himself - to bury the chest in the desert and leave clues exactly where he hid it. The disease was stopped, but the idea with the treasure did not go away.

In 2010, Fenn published his autobiography with the title “Passion for a Chase” (“The thrill of the chase”), In which he wrote that he hid an old bronze treasure chest somewhere in the Rocky Mountains (the length of the ridge is about 4800 kilometers, the area is 991 691 km²), north of Santa Fe. The chest allegedly contains expensive antiques, gold bars and jewels worth three million dollars (presumably, by 2013, their value was already 5 millions). “No one knows where he is hidden. If I die tomorrow, I will take this secret with me to my grave, ”wrote Fenn. He promised that he would return for the treasures when their value rises to 10 million dollars - if no one finds them before.

Map Data © Google, INEGI, 2018

Millionaire left in the book 9 clues, encoded in the poem, and invited readers to take up the search for the hidden treasures. Thousands of people search for clues - there are many communities on the Internet where people discuss their ideas. In February 2017 of the year Vox.com published a story about the treasures of Fenn, which said that the 4 of the 9 keys have already been found.

Fenn clarified that the treasure was in a safe place, but still urged the adventurers to be careful about taking the necessary supplies of food and water, as well as a GPS device. "Remember that the chest weighs about 20 kilograms, and an elderly man was able to independently bring it to this place," - said on the site dedicated to the search.

After publishing the book, Fenn gave a few more tips. For example, it is known that the treasure is located at an altitude greater than 2 thousand meters above sea level; it should not be looked for in cemeteries and in destroyed buildings; you should not look for it in the state of Idaho and Utah (Yellowstone National Park includes parts of several states). According to the millionaire, it is impossible to stumble upon a chest by chance, without having solved all the clues.

Four victims

According to Forrest Fenn himself, over the past years his treasures have tried to find 65 thousands of enthusiasts, but to no avail. This search cost the lives of at least four people, including Jeff Murphy.

So, in January 2016, 54-year-old divorced retired from Colorado Randy Billet set off in search of treasure. He decided that he had solved the mystery of Fenn and the treasure was allegedly located in one of the deep canyons along which the Rio Grande flows. Despite the cold weather, Bilje set off along the river on a raft with a dog named Leo. The man had with him a life jacket and a GPS device. After 10 days, his ex-wife sounded the alarm, and the search began. The rescuers managed to find an inverted raft and a dog barely alive from the cold, and the body of Bilje himself was discovered only six months later. To establish the cause of his death and failed. According to one version, the man died due to hypothermia or dehydration. In February, 2017, the police stopped investigating the circumstances of his death.

The second killed was a pastor from the same Colorado - 52-year-old Paris Wallace. He disappeared in early June 2017. First, the police found his car, then a piece of rope, and then the body of the pastor in a tributary of the Rio Grande. Forrest Fenn expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and his parishioners.

Paris Wallace. Photo: Facebook

The third victim of the treasure hunt was 31-year-old Eric Ashby, who moved to Colorado specifically for the search for the treasures of Fenn. He was last seen alive on 28 on June 2017, when he and other treasure hunters rafted down the Arkansas River. The boat capsized, everyone was saved except Ashby. A month later, the police found the remains of the body, which could not be identified. It is believed that this is the body of Eric Ashby, since it was found near the crash site, and there were no reports of the disappearance of other people in the area.

Relatives of the dead are calling for Forrest Finn to stop the quest and make a statement. However, he does not consider it necessary. “If people drown in the pool, you should not drain the pool, but teach them to swim,” the millionaire said in an interview The New York Times. He says he buried treasure and left clues to “give people hope.”

Read also on ForumDaily:

Opinion: Why Americans are used to sharing

10 real ways to earn the first million

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.