Treasure hunter disappears searching for $2 million Fenn gold

[jeff of pa]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An antiquities dealer who inspired tens of thousands to search the Rocky Mountains for $2 million in hidden treasure now leads an increasingly desperate mission to find one of his fans.
Forrest Fenn has been flying out in chartered helicopters or planes, searching remote stretches of the upper Rio Grande for any sign of Randy Bilyeu, now missing in the wild for more than three frigid weeks. Fellow treasure hunters also are searching for Bilyeu, who was last seen on Jan. 5 while trying to solve Fenn's mystery.
"Every time we go out and don't find Randy it's discouraging but we're not going to give up," Fenn told The Associated Press. "There are still places out there that I want to look."
Fenn, an eccentric 85-year-old from Santa Fe, has inspired a cult following since his announcement several years ago that he stashed a small bronze chest containing nearly $2 million in gold, jewelry and artifacts somewhere in the Rockies. He dropped clues to its whereabouts in a cryptic poem in his self-published memoir, "The Thrill of the Chase."

Treasure hunter disappears searching for $2 million in gold

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[ARC]

Hmmm...

I think I saw that guy...
He was sitting next to me at Hard Rock Casino with three hot chicks wearing a gold Rolex...
A big gold chain... and an even bigger smile :P

 

[stefen]

If he dies it'll take the undertakers at least 24 hours to take the smile off his face...

And another day or two to correct the Viagra after affects...

Need to close the lid, ya know...

 

[Terry Soloman]

They usually find the body upside down, pinned between rocks that the victim slipped and fell into. All the blood flowing to the head.. well, let's just say its nasty. They pull them out of the Superstition Mountains like that all the time.

 

[Frankn]

Feel sorry for the guy. He got wrapped up in that impossible adventure. It started years ago and a couple of books ago. It started with a "poem" that had so many vague meanings that you had to think exactly like Fenn to pull the correct meaning. The poem is composed of memories Fenn had from past adventures. If it is really out there, it will be found purely by accident. Frank

 

[jeff of pa]

I wonder when the Baby sitters Society will step in & insist they End the contest
to save Lives.

 

[1637]

sorry i do not see anything funny about this.
brad

 

[tamrock]

I was in that very area of the upper Rio Grande gorge on the 26th of last month. Took this picture of the west side of the gorge. I saw three real scruffy looking caricatures just sitting on the side of the road just as I was coming into the town of Tres Padre's New Mexico. Now that I think about it, they were definitely an odd looking trio. I think one was sitting on something if I recall. I'm serious these dudes looked like Uncle Jacks gang straight out of the hit show Breaking Bad. My policy these days if they ain't got a vehicle they ain't get'n a ride from me. I done ended the good Samaritan act after I picked up a hop'd up meth head on Monarch pass who was standing next to a van with a gas can. I got rid of that dude real fast after I noticed the snitch of either and his strange actions. To keep him confused and freaked out I drove my truck real close to the cliff cutouts and did some weaving on the down side of the pass as he kept hanging on to the dash. I stopped and ran to the back of the truck at a pull off telling him I got to take a P. I then opened his door and said this is were you get off Mack. He kept saying awe c'mon man don't leave me here, you and I got the same boss can't you see?. I don't know what he meant by that but he was SOL by my decision. That was it for me being Mr. nice guy out on the road. Hope this treasure will be found, but it's no telling what you'd run into in the country he was in? At night it gets pretty dang cold out in that open terrain of Northern New Mexico.

 

[A2coins]

That's right hot in the days and cold at night it feels so cold because your skin is hot from the days sun then the cold air at night makes it feel freezing, Beautiful country anytime there is treasure or rumor of there's foul play like the lost Dutchman there are lots of old crazy folk who live in that desert many deaths and dissaperences.

 

[spyguy]

Something about Randy Bilyeu's disappearance just smells bad. His raft was found nine miles down river from his car. It was neatly placed with the paddles next to it far away from the water. His dog Leo was hanging around the raft like he'd been abandoned at that spot. The car was still loaded down with food and other gear.
Looks to me like the guy used his umpteenth search for Fenn's treasure as a front to intentionally go "into the wind." OR he met with foul play and the perps placed his raft there to throw investigators off. People have said he would never have abandoned his dog, but others have left behind small kids to start new lives.
There are tons of people on Dal's blog speculating on what happened to him. Most of them think he's at the bottom of the Rio Grand river, fell off a cliff, etc. etc. Some have actively gone searching the NM terrain for him including a few with planes & helicopters. Personally, I'd be looking heavily into the guy's background online and elsewhere before I ever committed any boots on the ground....
For the record, I'd bet a bundle that he didn't find the treasure chest.
HH
-spyguy

 

[jeff of pa]

Something about Randy Bilyeu's disappearance just smells bad. His raft was found nine miles down river from his car. It was neatly placed with the paddles next to it far away from the water. His dog Leo was hanging around the raft like he'd been abandoned at that spot. The car was still loaded down with food and other gear.
Looks to me like the guy used his umpteenth search for Fenn's treasure as a front to intentionally go "into the wind." OR he met with foul play and the perps placed his raft there to throw investigators off. People have said he would never have abandoned his dog, but others have left behind small kids to start new lives.
There are tons of people on Dal's blog speculating on what happened to him. Most of them think he's at the bottom of the Rio Grand river, fell off a cliff, etc. etc. Some have actively gone searching the NM terrain for him including a few with planes & helicopters. Personally, I'd be looking heavily into the guy's background online and elsewhere before I ever committed any boots on the ground....
For the record, I'd bet a bundle that he didn't find the treasure chest.
HH
-spyguy

I would guess if he Found it, That would be important to the Investigation.
and should be shared publicly.
Because if the Treasure is gone, He may have gone underground or on a Trip .
in which case Eyes should not just be in the Rio Grand river area.
Hiding that fact for book sales could be considered criminal.

 

[captain1965]

Something about Randy Bilyeu's disappearance just smells bad. His raft was found nine miles down river from his car. It was neatly placed with the paddles next to it far away from the water. His dog Leo was hanging around the raft like he'd been abandoned at that spot. The car was still loaded down with food and other gear.
Looks to me like the guy used his umpteenth search for Fenn's treasure as a front to intentionally go "into the wind." OR he met with foul play and the perps placed his raft there to throw investigators off. People have said he would never have abandoned his dog, but others have left behind small kids to start new lives.
There are tons of people on Dal's blog speculating on what happened to him. Most of them think he's at the bottom of the Rio Grand river, fell off a cliff, etc. etc. Some have actively gone searching the NM terrain for him including a few with planes & helicopters. Personally, I'd be looking heavily into the guy's background online and elsewhere before I ever committed any boots on the ground....
For the record, I'd bet a bundle that he didn't find the treasure chest.
HH
-spyguy

If this is true, maybe his only option was existing the river on the opposite side of his destination. He leaves his dog to rock hop across the river for safety reasons. He could have fell into the river or met some sort of fate on the other side. This would explain why his dog was alone.

 

[captain1965]

Something about Randy Bilyeu's disappearance just smells bad. His raft was found nine miles down river from his car. It was neatly placed with the paddles next to it far away from the water. His dog Leo was hanging around the raft like he'd been abandoned at that spot.
-spyguy

If this is true, maybe he exited the river on the opposite side of his destination. He leaves his dog to rock hop across the river leaving the dog for safety reasons. Mabe he fell into the river or met some sort of fate on the other side thus leaving the dog by itself at the raft

 

[captain1965]

Sorry for the double post

 

[ARC]

Sorry for the double post

That's ok... I like double posts... Helps me remember it better.

Oh BTW...
There is a "delete" button...

Click Edit post, Then click delete... then delete msg... Apply.

 

[clv]

This long and nothing,that's bad. It seems that common sense goes out the window whenever treasure is involved.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

They usually find the body upside down, pinned between rocks that the victim slipped and fell into. All the blood flowing to the head.. well, let's just say its nasty. They pull them out of the Superstition Mountains like that all the time.

I actually had the misfortune of finding a friend that way. You really can't imagine it until you see it first hand.