JESSIE CAPEN.

[Antonio1es]

Before of nothing, sorry for my english.. is a little bad:

Hello again to all, I am glad to be here restored and the forum. There is a legend about treasures, for which I have always been attracted, it is the Legend of the Dutch Mine, as they call it in the USA, "The lost dutchman's mine" ... surely as good fans you know this fascinating story, so I'm not going to tell you here again ... It's amazing how many people have died or disappeared in their search to this day. I am especially attracted to the story of a certain JESSE CAPEN, who disappeared in 2009, from whom three years later they found his corpse fallen on a crack, apparently and confirmed, it was a fatal accident. CAPEN, was obsessed with this story since his adolescence, and throughout his life he read more than 100 books about this legend. His origin was humble (he worked as a baggage handler in a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona), but that was not why he was stupid. He was a cultured and responsible person, who did all the duties and took all precautions before embarking on his adventure, for which he unfortunately died. Not in vain, he did two surveys in the area before his accident.
For me, and I really say this, this person is a Hero who died for fulfilling his dream of discovering this Mine, and which bad luck accompanied at the last moment.
In short, it is amazing how many people have died looking for this mine, since more than 200 years ago. I have read about it, and although it has part of Legend, it is also true that apparently and due to numerous documentation, and written testimonies of the time, leave the door open to that really exists that great treasure.
Some of the Forum, I know you live in that area in Arizona (God, what I would give to visit it and pass my detector through those desertic and beautiful landscapes) ...
Greetings from Spain.

 

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[deducer]

Welcome to TNET.

No worries about your English. Feel free to ask any questions about Jesse Capens and what happened to him. That subject has been discussed in depth here and there are some people, like Roy, who were involved in that situation. P.S., Capens was a bellhop in Denver, not Phoenix. He certainly did his homework, but by all appearances was not an experienced camper. The general agreement is that he strayed too far from his base camp, not having much on him, which has often ended up being the cause of many a fatal mistake by many inexperienced campers everywhere.

Hopefully you make it out to Arizona and the Superstitions someday. It will be well worth it!

 

[Antonio1es]

Welcome to TNET.

No worries about your English. Feel free to ask any questions about Jesse Capens and what happened to him. That subject has been discussed in depth here and there are some people, like Roy, who were involved in that situation. P.S., Capens was a bellhop in Denver, not Phoenix. He certainly did his homework, but by all appearances was not an experienced camper. The general agreement is that he strayed too far from his base camp, not having much on him, which has often ended up being the cause of many a fatal mistake by many inexperienced campers everywhere.

Hopefully you make it out to Arizona and the Superstitions someday. It will be well worth it!

Thank you very much for the welcome...! About CAPEN I read that some believe that he was not just looking for the mine ... The history of the mine really fascinates me. Do not doubt that some day I will go there. Greetings and thanks again.

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Hola Antonio,l no tienes miedo de su escritos, la importante is que escribas.

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Antonio1es,

There is much more to the story of Jesse Capen. A few years ago I was asked to write an article on his disappearance and death for a Colorado publication. Here are just the barest of facts of his tragic last days.

Matthew


Jesse J. Capen and his search for the Lost Dutchman Mine.

35 year old Jesse Joseph Capen became interested sometime in the 1990’s with the story of the Lost Dutchman Goldmine of Jacob Waltz. He bought and read numerous books and maps and searched the internet for information about the lost mine in the rugged Superstition Mountains of Central Arizona. Jesse accumulated over 100 books, maps and documents concerning the mine. He became especially interested in Estee Conaster’s book: The Sterling Legend, The Facts Behind the Lost Dutchman Mine. Jesse believed the book held the key to finding the mine. Conaster’s book indicated the mine was located somewhere on the southwestern end of Tortilla Mountain in the Superstition Range.

Jesse Capen was employed as a bellhop at the Downtown Denver Colorado Sheraton Hotel and had worked the late shift there at the hotel for over a decade. Jesse lived only a few blocks from the Sheraton and the heart of downtown Denver. Tom Gurley the manager of the hotel and co-worker Terry Reyes both spoke highly of Jesse Capen and remarked about his keen interest in the lost mine legend. In November of 2009 Jesse had arranged with the hotel to take a month’s vacation time he had accumulated. Jesse planned to drive to Arizona and search the Superstitions for the lost Dutchman Mine. Before he left Denver Jesse traded his car in for a 4-wheel drive Jeep. Terry Keyes noted Jesse had over the past 10 years made at least two other trips to Arizona to hunt for the mine.

Toward the end of November 2009 Jesse loaded his Jeep with supplies and camping equipment and left Denver for the Superstition Mountains. His base would be a motel in Apache Junction, Arizona near the base of Superstition Mountain. Jesse checked in at the Apache Junction Motel and arranged to stay for a month, the plan being to return to Colorado just before Christmas 2009.

Over the next few days Jesse stocked up on food, water and emergency supplies which he stored at his motel room. Jesse planned to go out into the mountains where he would camp for 4-5 days looking for the mine, then return to his motel room in Apache Junction for a day or two to clean up and resupply before going back out again.

On December 3, 2009 Jesse drove his Jeep out to the Tortilla Ranch Trailhead and parked it by the old windmill at the ranch. Jesse carried his supplies and equipment to a campsite he had selected along the Peters trail about 2 miles into the mountains. His selected campsite was on the southwest end of Tortilla Mountain, the area in Estee Conaster’s book where she wrote the Lost Dutchman Mine might be located. Jesse set up his camp just a few feet off of the trail and in a fairly flat and open area.

It is unclear if Jesse ever spent the night of the 3rd at his campsite as there were some severe storms in the area that evening and the next day and some believe Jesse went back to his Jeep at the trailhead and spent the night of the 3rd in his jeep. Jesse had set up his tent but it didn’t appear he had ever slept in it. When the tent was found it had been flattened by high winds and rain in a storm. Some of Jesse’s things were found in the tent but nothing appeared as if Jesse had spent a night there.

Whatever might have happened, Jesse Capen disappeared the night of the 3rd of December 2009 and wasn’t seen again for almost 3 years.

When Jesse failed to call his family back in Denver they became worried and notified authorities in Apache Junction, Arizona. Jesse’s Jeep and camp had already been found but there was no trace of Jesse anywhere. He had vanished into the mysterious Superstition Mountain Wilderness. A search was immediately formed and about 100 searchers began to comb the terrain around Jesse’s campsite.

Even though trained Search & Rescue crews, dogs and helicopters were called in, no one could find a trace of Jesse. It was as if the mountains had opened up and swallowed him.

The 3rd and 4th of December 2009 experienced very heavy storms with a lot of damaging wind, rain and lightning. Boot tracks were found that were believed to be Jesse’s but due to the heavy rains they washed out and were impossible to follow for any distance.

For almost two year’s searchers were out almost every weekend looking for Jesse. Finally, in December of 2011, two years after Jesse disappeared, a hiker was atop Tortilla Mountain at its highest peak of 4,892 feet where he found a glass jar with a note inside. He found written on the note the words: Colorado, Jesse Capen 12/4/2009. Jesse Capen had been on top of Tortilla Mountain sometime on the 4th of December 2009, one day after he went into the Superstition Mountains.

The search for Jesse was renewed but still no sign of him could be found. Almost another year went by when one weekend in late November of 2012 a hiker stumbled upon a backpack in the brush laying at the foot of a cliff on the southwest end of Tortilla Mountain. In that backpack was found Jesse Capen’s identification, his camera and some clothing. There was no sign of Jesse however.

A week went by and searchers scoured the entire area around the place where the backpack was found. Finally, someone standing on the spot where the backpack had been found, looked up and saw something on a crevice ledge about 35 feet up the cliff face. It appeared to be a boot. Upon investigation the three year-old mystery was finally solved. The boot was that of Jesse Capen and his skeletal remains were found wedged in the crevice. Jesse had fallen about 150 feet from the cliff above and landed on a small ledge and became entangled in the crevice there. The backpack had fallen all the way to the bottom of the cliff where it lay hidden in the thick brush.

Jesse’s body was found less than one third of a mile from his camp and within sight of his camp. Investigators tried to piece together what had happened. It appeared Jesse had hiked to the top of Tortilla Mountain on the 4th of December where he wrote his name and date on the piece of paper and placed it in the glass jar. Then, seeing his camp from atop Tortilla Mountain, he made a straight line hike directly toward his camp, the shortest distance. It must have been late and getting dark and the storm the evening of the 4th was most probably brewing about the time Jesse headed for his camp. Jesse was probably in a hurry to get down to his camp before the storm hit.

But when Jesse came to a certain spot on Tortilla Mountain he made a tragic mistake. From that certain spot Jesse should have gone to the left but instead he went to the right and it took him down to where he was faced with cliffs and couldn’t get down any further without the use of ropes or climbing gear. Jesse made a decision and either tried to climb down the cliff, or the storm had already started and Jesse slipped when he got to the cliffs edge. He fell 150 feet to his death. The Superstitions had claimed another lost mine searcher. A tragic end to a fine young man with a promising future.

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Antonio1es,

The red circle in the photo is the cliff where Jesse Capen fell to his death. He was trying to get down to his camp which was about 1/3 of a mile away and he could clearly see his camp from where he stood on that cliff.

The photo was taken from Peters Mesa and is looking East at the southwest side of Tortilla Mountain.

Matthew

 

[markmar]

I was thinking many times , what would made Jesse bakpack to fell apart from his body ? Was his backpack when they found it in a good condition or had signs of crush ?
If his backpack hadn't signs of crush , then what made him to remove it from his back ? The rain or a defensive act ?

 

[Matthew Roberts]

I was thinking many times , what would made Jesse bakpack to fell apart from his body ? Was his backpack when they found it in a good condition or had signs of crush ?
If his backpack hadn't signs of crush , then what made him to remove it from his back ? The rain or a defensive act ?

markmar,

Here are photos of Jesse Capen's backpack and his camera.
The backpack photo shows his pack (blue) after it had been opened and his things removed. The backpack appears to be in good shape for having been in the brush at the foot of the cliff for almost 3 years.

No one knows what exactly happened when Jesse fell from the cliff.

After his body was recovered I went to the top of Tortilla Mountain (Tortilla Peak) where Jesse had written his note and left it in the glass jar December 4, 2009.
I retraced his steps down off the peak and toward his camp. I got to the exact place where Jesse would have fallen. At that point it looks as if a person might have a chance of getting down to the bottom but you cannot, it becomes too steep and the only thing to do is turn around and try to climb back up. This is not an easy place to do that. On the 4th there was a heavy rain storm and the cliff may well have been wet and slippery.

From what I saw and what I believe happened, Jesse could not get down the cliff with the pack on his back he would have had to have it in his hand as the cliff and path was too narrow .
At some point he slipped and fell with his pack in his hand. The pack fell to the bottom but Jesse landed on a ledge crevice about 30-40 feet from the bottom.
That is what I believe happened.

Matthew

 

[markmar]

Matthew

I believe the reason Jesse was at that point where he fell , was another reason than he was hurry to return to his camp . The camp wasn't too far and he hadn't any reason to cut cross the route at that point . He had all the time before the last trip , to inspect the region and to make an image of what paths could get to be safe . And after all , theoreticaly, if you don't know a region , you will return from the same path you have came in.

I am sure he was aware of how that cliff looked like from below , but IMO he wasn't hurry for his camp but for something else , a different target before his return . Also to keep the backpack in one hand on a steep and sliperry " path " is a big mistake , because the hands are the only " tools " which someone can use to keep itself safe and to prevent a fall .

 

[Oroblanco]

Before of nothing, sorry for my english.. is a little bad:

Hello again to all, I am glad to be here restored and the forum. There is a legend about treasures, for which I have always been attracted, it is the Legend of the Dutch Mine, as they call it in the USA, "The lost dutchman's mine" ... surely as good fans you know this fascinating story, so I'm not going to tell you here again ... It's amazing how many people have died or disappeared in their search to this day. I am especially attracted to the story of a certain JESSE CAPEN, who disappeared in 2009, from whom three years later they found his corpse fallen on a crack, apparently and confirmed, it was a fatal accident. CAPEN, was obsessed with this story since his adolescence, and throughout his life he read more than 100 books about this legend. His origin was humble (he worked as a baggage handler in a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona), but that was not why he was stupid. He was a cultured and responsible person, who did all the duties and took all precautions before embarking on his adventure, for which he unfortunately died. Not in vain, he did two surveys in the area before his accident.
For me, and I really say this, this person is a Hero who died for fulfilling his dream of discovering this Mine, and which bad luck accompanied at the last moment.
In short, it is amazing how many people have died looking for this mine, since more than 200 years ago. I have read about it, and although it has part of Legend, it is also true that apparently and due to numerous documentation, and written testimonies of the time, leave the door open to that really exists that great treasure.
Some of the Forum, I know you live in that area in Arizona (God, what I would give to visit it and pass my detector through those desertic and beautiful landscapes) ...
Greetings from Spain.

Welcome to Treasurenet Antonio. I see that others have already addressed the sad story of Jesse Capen, and you are correct in your suspicion that he was not only searching for the Dutchman's mine. I must respectfully disagree that Jesse was basing too much of his efforts on the Stirling legend book, his last book purchases included Dr Glover's excellent book and that seems to have been of the most interest on his last trip.

We don't really know what happened that he ended up off that cliff. But Jesse was not alone when he rented the room in Apache Jct, he was not alone when he paid for breakfast for two at the Jack in the Box restaurant, and he was not alone on Tortilla Mountain. In his tent were found his hiking boots, yet he was found with his boots on his feet, his wallet was found lying on top of his partially collapsed tent, yet he had another wallet on his person. The backpack found AWAY from the body almost proves that someone else threw it there, or it should have been on his own back or in his hands. Inside Jesse's tent was a second sleeping bag, too small for Jesse to have even fit into it as Jesse was a fairly large man. Someone knows exactly what happened, but has not come forward with that information.

And ditto to what our mutual friend Deducer said, no worries about your English, it is far better than my Spanish!

Roy

 

[Antonio1es]

Muchas gracias por los animos, Real of Tayopa..!!!

 

[Antonio1es]

I was thinking many times , what would made Jesse bakpack to fell apart from his body ? Was his backpack when they found it in a good condition or had signs of crush ?
If his backpack hadn't signs of crush , then what made him to remove it from his back ? The rain or a defensive act ?

Many Thanks for your opinion Matthew.

 

[Antonio1es]

Welcome to Treasurenet Antonio. I see that others have already addressed the sad story of Jesse Capen, and you are correct in your suspicion that he was not only searching for the Dutchman's mine. I must respectfully disagree that Jesse was basing too much of his efforts on the Stirling legend book, his last book purchases included Dr Glover's excellent book and that seems to have been of the most interest on his last trip.

We don't really know what happened that he ended up off that cliff. But Jesse was not alone when he rented the room in Apache Jct, he was not alone when he paid for breakfast for two at the Jack in the Box restaurant, and he was not alone on Tortilla Mountain. In his tent were found his hiking boots, yet he was found with his boots on his feet, his wallet was found lying on top of his partially collapsed tent, yet he had another wallet on his person. The backpack found AWAY from the body almost proves that someone else threw it there, or it should have been on his own back or in his hands. Inside Jesse's tent was a second sleeping bag, too small for Jesse to have even fit into it as Jesse was a fairly large man. Someone knows exactly what happened, but has not come forward with that information.

And ditto to what our mutual friend Deducer said, no worries about your English, it is far better than my Spanish!

Roy

Thank you very much ROY, he discovered new things about Capen in your answer, hopefully the truth was separated from her, if in fact something more than an accident happened. The certain thing is that the Life and death of Jesse Capen would give perfectly to make a good movie ... !!! Thank you all for the contributions.

 

[cactusjumper]

Good posts. Welcome to the circus!

What Roy has written is true. Most of us suspect who that small sleeping bag belonged to, and there is no chance that he will ever be coming forward......in this lifetime.

Good luck,

Joe Ribaudo

 

[Antonio1es]

Good posts. Welcome to the circus!

What Roy has written is true. Most of us suspect who that small sleeping bag belonged to, and there is no chance that he will ever be coming forward......in this lifetime.

Good luck,

Joe Ribaudo

Then you suspect someone ..

 

[azdave35]

Thank you very much ROY, he discovered new things about Capen in your answer, hopefully the truth was separated from her, if in fact something more than an accident happened. The certain thing is that the Life and death of Jesse Capen would give perfectly to make a good movie ... !!! Thank you all for the contributions.

antonio...most of the "accidents" in the superstitions were caused by someone if you get my meaning

 

[Cubfan64]

Then you suspect someone ..

Not to speak for cactusjumper, but I think he is implying that the person he and others suspect was involved passed away himself not all that long ago so we'll never really know.

For myself, I personally think Occam's razor (the simplest answer is usually the right one) fits this situation. I do believe it's possible the person cactusjumper and others suspect met Jesse and maybe even had plans to explore with him, but it's a stretch to suggest he may have been directly involved in Jesse's demise without having any evidence.

Personally I think Jesse was a reasonably out of shape guy like many of us who didn't have much experience with the sort of terrain out there and he got caught in an area with weather approaching at a time of day when he either needed to just bed down or get back to his shelter ASAP. I think he chose the latter not only misjudging the distance he needed to travel to get to his campsite which he could probably see, but also misjudging how quickly the sun goes down behind the rocks out there. He probably got a little panicked, took some risks he wouldn't normally have taken and got into a position where he slipped, made a misstep or had a rock or two slip out from under him and he fell to his death.

The "suspect" possibly just decided he didn't want to get caught up in any of the Jesse disappearance issue so never came forward. In fact if it's who I think cactusjumper is talking about, he was involved early on in the searches for Jesse - possibly to just make sure nobody messed around in "his" area of the mountain.

Who knows ultimately, but one thing is clear - we'll never 100% really know exactly how Jesse ended up where he did.

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Not to speak for cactusjumper, but I think he is implying that the person he and others suspect was involved passed away himself not all that long ago so we'll never really know.

For myself, I personally think Occam's razor (the simplest answer is usually the right one) fits this situation. I do believe it's possible the person cactusjumper and others suspect met Jesse and maybe even had plans to explore with him, but it's a stretch to suggest he may have been directly involved in Jesse's demise without having any evidence.

Personally I think Jesse was a reasonably out of shape guy like many of us who didn't have much experience with the sort of terrain out there and he got caught in an area with weather approaching at a time of day when he either needed to just bed down or get back to his shelter ASAP. I think he chose the latter not only misjudging the distance he needed to travel to get to his campsite which he could probably see, but also misjudging how quickly the sun goes down behind the rocks out there. He probably got a little panicked, took some risks he wouldn't normally have taken and got into a position where he slipped, made a misstep or had a rock or two slip out from under him and he fell to his death.

The "suspect" possibly just decided he didn't want to get caught up in any of the Jesse disappearance issue so never came forward. In fact if it's who I think cactusjumper is talking about, he was involved early on in the searches for Jesse - possibly to just make sure nobody messed around in "his" area of the mountain.

Who knows ultimately, but one thing is clear - we'll never 100% really know exactly how Jesse ended up where he did.

Hello Cubfan64,

It has long been established by the authorities that investigated Jesse Capen's disappearance and death that the individual "suspected" by some, had no involvement in either.

It was also concluded that the "small" sleeping bag found with Jesse Capen's other gear was used by him as ground padding and for added warmth as the temperature when he disappeared was down to 40 degrees at night.

That doesn't mean that someone else was not in contact with Capen in Apache Junction prior to his going in the mountains, it just means the investigators could not tie anyone else being with him in the mountains or at his camp. It should also be noted Jesse Capen's tent was barely large enough for himself and his gear to fit inside. No one else, no matter how small would have been able to fit in the tent with him. If anyone was with Capen in the mountains, they would have had a separate camp.

Jesse Capen not only read Estee Conatser's book, he read Conatser's account of her involvement with the Bilbery Stone Crosses. Conatser was given the Stone Crosses by Bilbrey to be examined by experts. Conatser took them to both a Museum and a University and neither could say they were not authentic. The Stone Crosses allegedly showed the way to a cave high up on a cliff in which some treasure was supposedly located. Bilbrey believed the cave was on a cliff within sight of where he found the Crosses. Bilbrey along with his partner, Ed Farr, attempted to rappel down that cliff to the cave but Bilbrey was injured in the attempt and they abandoned the effort. Bilbrey and Farr had a falling out soon after and dissolved their partnership.

Jesse Capen knew of this cave and it's location through both Conatser and Bilbrey's writings. The cave was located about half way down a cliff some 150 feet high near the northeast corner of one of Bilbrey's mining claims.

When I traced Jesse Capens steps from the top of Tortilla Mountain where he left his name in a glass jar at the top of that mountain, I came to the exact place where he fell from the cliff and landed on that ledge about 35 feet from the bottom.

That cliff that Jesse fell from is the same cliff with the cave that Bilbrey and Farr attempted to rappel down into.

Matthew

 

[markmar]

Matthew

Jesse believed what Conatser and Bilbery wrote about the treasure and the stone crosses . He didn't use the logic and didn't understand the stone crosses maps were not for that region , because he didn't know about treasure signs and treasure hiding rules .
Why to bury the stone maps , without a sign or a marking near by , if they are for use in that region ? This is against treasure hiding rules and don't make sense . If the stone crosses maps would been for that region , they should been placed in a cave or in a box shelter somewhere where could be recognized the landmarks in the maps from that place . The fact how the set of stone maps was buried in the ground in different places , show an effort to hide the maps from a future attempt to find of the treasure .

Conatser had a '' first hand " info for the treasure cave , but was not revealed to her the exact place . I believe was revealed only where that party have parked their car , and was at the Tortilla Ranch Trailhead . Then , she looked on a topo map and realized how from Tortilla Trailhead is reasonable to go till La Barge Canyon , because west from there is more easy and close to come from the First Water Trailhead or Peralta Trailhead . So, she CONCLUDED how the treasure cave should be between Tortilla TH and La Barge C , along or close to the Peters Trail .

Now about Bilbery discovery of the stone crosses maps . The story which he said how found the place by luck or curiosity IMO is a fairy tale . He knew very well for what was looking for . There are thousands hollow places in that mountains and how he found the right one is questionable . The clue that Bilbery knew how the stone crosses maps show a cave on a cliff , is accurate and a " first hand " info that he have obtained from unknow source , but was not for the cliff close to the place the stone Crosses maps were uncovered . He was misleaded like the same party did with Travis Tumlinson and others .

IMO ,the real story of all the stone maps set is this :
The stone maps were placed in a box shelter near the region of the treasure cave and close to the start point of the Trail , depicted in the known stone maps , for the purpose to use them from that point to find the treasure cave and some mines near by . In the 1940's a party of smart and lucky guys found the stone maps , and after reading them , followed the lugares to the treasure cave . In their trip return , they thought how have to take the stone maps with them , to exclude another persons to discover the treasure . In their way to the car at the Tortilla RT , they buried the stone crosses at the place later found by Bilbery .
The rest of the stone maps set was buried in their way to home at the place later found by Travis . From what i have understood , Travis hadn't any clue about the place of the trasure cave ( maybe only the " box " ) , but was given to him only the place where the stone maps were buried .
If we track the way to the sources who had " first hand ' info about the stone maps and treasure cave , the " path " leads to south California with a bifurcation to Texas . And then we have a party of friends from both California and Texas or a party of relatives from the same states .

 

[Cubfan64]

Matthew

"...because he didn't know about treasure signs and treasure hidding rules ."

"This is against treasure hidding rules and don't make sense." .

I doubt very much that there are any rules to hiding treasure