Ep 241: The Missing 411 Part 1 — Astonishing Legends (2024)

A former police officer turned writer David Paulides was taken aside by a National Park Ranger and told about a disturbing trend he'd realized. This Ranger asserted that some people were going missing in the woods under mysterious circ*mstances leaving only puzzling evidence of their fate. Of course, people often go missing in the wilderness in tragic yet explainable events but what was troubling to these Rangers in the field was the apparent pattern of the occurrences and the subsequent investigation efforts. This Ranger stated that during the first seven to ten days of a disappearance, an all-out Search and Rescue effort ensued with plenty of press coverage. However, after the first week of a rescue mission, it seemed to them that the media stopped reporting, the search for the missing was called off, and no further explanation from the authorities was provided. An additionally alarming trend was that there seemed to be a reluctance or inability on behalf of the National Park Service administration to collect and provide statistics on these disappearances to the public, either through inefficiency or secrecy. If this is true, perhaps it could be from a concerted effort to diminish negative publicity and undue fear about park visitation, or maybe there is something dreadful the officials don't want the public to know. Whatever the reason, this conversation launched Paulides on a now decade-long quest for answers. Initially, after over three years and 9000 hours of investigation, utilizing his 20 years of experience with law enforcement and the resulting connections, Paulides had gathered enough information to compile two books. Missing 411 – Western U.S. was released on March 1, 2012, documenting the stories of people who have vanished in seemingly bizarre instances in the western half of the United States. The second book, Missing 411 – Eastern U.S., was published later that month and contains special sections on unusual outdoor activities that seem related and a master list of all missing persons. Currently, ten books have been published, with more on the way, two documentaries have been produced, and Paulides' ongoing popular YouTube channel continues to highlight cases. In addition, retired police officers, Search and Rescue experts, and other professionals are dedicated to continuing researching and investigating these cases with their CanAm Missing project. One worrisome aspect they've found is that in many situations, parents, relatives, and friends of the missing believe that their loved one was kidnapped or abducted, sometimes with them nearby. No matter the causal connections or whether you think these disappearances are sad but commonplace, a conspiracy lurks or is nonexistent; the fact is that these cases are real, and the victims' stories deserve and need to be told. The question remains, however – what is really going on out in the wilds, and is it something sinister we should all be worried about?

• The CanAm Missing Project’s website

• David Paulides’ website where you can also purchase his books: https://www.nabigfootsearch.com/Bigfootstore.html

• The CanAm Missing Project YouTube channel

  See Also

  Syracuse police officer and a deputy killed in shooting in Salina

• All CanAm Missing Project’s YouTube videos

• Website for Missing 411: The Movie documentary

• Missing 411: The Movie on Kickstarter

• “What is our purpose?” from the Missing 411: The Movie website

• David Paulides’ entry on Wikipedia

• “Stickied: a list of all Missing 411 deconstructions” on reddit

• “5 STRANGEST disappearances in forests | The Missing 411 phenomenon” on the MrBallen YouTube channel

• “These National Parks Are the Nation’s Most Dangerous” from Sunset Magazine online

• “Danger Parks: Which U.S. National Parks Are The Most Dangerous?” on Outforia

• Paradoxical Undressing and Terminal Burrowing on Wikipedia

• “‘Paradoxical undressing’ in fatal hypothermia” from the National Library of Medicine

• “The Last Wild Man” the story of Bart Schleyer on OutdoorLife.com

• “Scientist’s Remains Found in Bear Scat – Authorities not sure if the bear killed him, though” on OutdoorLife.com

• “Verified Mountain Lion-Human Attacks” from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

• “Parents Feel Sure Bear Kidnapped, Sheltered Tot” from the Spokane Chronicle

• Talus or scree –loose rock piling up at the base of a hill or mountain

• Talus Pile or Talus Slope on encyclopedia.com

• Missing 411 threads on reddit

• Chuck Sutherland’s analysis of the Missing Persons map overlaid with a cave system map

• Archived article: “Local Skeptical Outreach & Activism: Monterey County SkeptiCamp” by Susan Gerbic on the csicop.org website

• “An Investigation of the Missing411 Conspiracy” by Kyle Polich on Skeptical Inquirer

• “National Park Service Can’t Require Permits and Fees for Commercial Filming, Judge Rules” from The Hollywood Reporter

Purchase David Paulides’ books directly by clicking here: https://www.nabigfootsearch.com/Bigfootstore.html

Hear Forrest tell host and friend James Shakeshaft about some of his regional placenames on Season 4 - Episode 12: The Ghosts of Spokane on the Loremen podcast

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CREDITS:

Episode 241: Missing 411 Part 1. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Sound Design by Ryan McCullough; Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher; Research Support from the astonishing League of Astonishing Researchers, a.k.a. The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2022 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.