Not to sound like a braggart, but there arent very many things in this world that genuinely scare me. I dont have any phobias, I dont worry about serial killers when I leave the house at night, Im not terrified of being eaten by animals when I go into the woods (though I remain cautious), and when things go bump in the night, ghosts and demons do not come to mind. In other words, Im no scaredy-cat.
But I have a confession to make. There is only one thing that keeps me up at night from time to time. Its the stories from the book series titled Missing 411. That title may sound innocuous, but I assure you that if you read some of the stories within, youd lose sleep too.
The books are written by former San Jose Police Detective David Paulides. Hes spent thousands of hours researching numerous cases of people going missing in Americas national parks and national forests. However, the cases he talks about are not ordinary. To be frank, they are downright bizarre, and they defy all explanation. These are cases that cant be explained as being caused by accidents, animal attacks, or even criminals.
Even people whose minds are a little too open, and jump to conclusions like aliens did it or it must be Bigfoot, are often at a loss for words when they hear about these cases. In fact, Paulides makes a point of not trying to pin a suspect for these missing people. These stories are just too baffling to jump to any conclusions. They kind of make your brain hurt when you think about them.
Most of the cases involve children, and they have many chilling similarities. The kids often disappear out of thin air, sometimes just a few feet away from their parents, and close to numerous witnesses. Sometimes they are found several days later in perfect health, with no memory of the events that transpired. Other times they are found dead, vast distances from where they went missing, over terrain that most adults would struggle with, and in inclement weather.
Some of these people vanish, only to show up hours or days later in areas that search and rescue teams had combed over numerous times before. Sometimes, theyre never found, even though the plausible search area is small and there are an abundance of professionals looking for them.
But its the similarities in these cases that leave you dumbfounded. Theyre so random and yet so consistent. These people almost always disappear right before record breaking storms show up, almost as if the thing thats taking them knows that itll stifle search efforts. The missing are usually children, and theyre always wearing bright clothing. There are physical features of the landscape that show up all the time as well. These people often go missing around berry bushes and granite rocks, and when theyre found, its usually in dry creek beds. There are also certain parks that are hotspots for this activity, such as Yosemite National Park, which has racked up a shocking number of disappearances.
When you read one of these stories, you know its strange, but when you find the similarities between all of them, of which there are hundreds, you cant help but feel that that something incredibly mysterious and scary is at work here.
What makes these cases extra spooky, is the reaction of the National Park Service, law enforcement, and the media. As strange as it may sound, the Park Service doesnt keep any official record of the people that go missing in their lands, which is totally unheard of. In some of these cases, evidence has been withheld from the families by the police and the media, or theyve been outright lied to.
But after reading these stories, you almost cant blame them. When you see how they investigate them and respond to scrutiny, you get the sense that even they have no idea whats going on.
Fortunately, people like David Paulides are working hard to raise awareness. Hes appeared on numerous radio shows, podcasts, and newscasts, both mainstream and alternative. A cursory Youtube search will yield hundreds of chilling interviews with him. Right now hes working on a documentary and is trying to raise money on Kickstarter for the project. Check out the trailer that his production team has made (which features a few familiar faces) and good luck getting any sleep tonight.
Joshua Krause was born and raised in the Bay Area. He is a writer and researcher focused on principles of self-sufficiency and liberty at Ready Nutrition. You can follow Joshuas work at our Facebook page or on his personal Twitter.
Kids do that all the time in non-park settings - that is why I urge everyone to leash their kids. Not because of supernatural forces - but the fact kids just wander around when you are not holding on to them. Years ago, my little brother when he was like 3 or 4 decided it would be fun to play hide and seek in a dept store while folks were shopping. Hid in the middle of a round clothes rack so the middle was open and he crawled into it. Parents went nuts - police were called. an hour later he crawls out of the rack. Another time he opened the front door on his own and crossed the street. My dad saw him as he went to water the plants.
Nailah Nascimento Rokic · Works at English Teacher I hated the idea of using a leash until the day my 2yo ran to the middle of the road and there was a bus coming. Needless to say she now wears a very cute monkey backpack leash until she learns how to hold mommy's hand and to stay close.