Alfred Edwin Beilhartz was a young boy who vanished in 1938 at Rocky Mountain National Park.[1]
Alfred Beilhartz | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1934 United States |
| Disappeared | July 2, 1938 (aged 3–4) Fall River, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, United States |
| Status | Missing for 86 years, 4 months and 16 days |
| Father | William Harvey Beilhartz |
| Family | 10 siblings |
Disappearance and search
editAlfred was on vacation with his family,[2] in the course of which they all went to Estes Park to fish. While hiking with his parents on a trail that ran along a creek, Alfred fell behind and vanished. Once the family could not locate Alfred after conducting a search they called in park rangers who, believing he may have drowned in the creek, dammed it[3] and dragged the creek for his body but found nothing.[4] Searchers then concentrated on a land search and bloodhounds were called in but stopped after walking only 500ft[5] but again this proved fruitless and the search was called off after ten days.
Possible sightings
editHikers in a different part of the park claimed that they saw a small boy on an elevation called Devils Nest on Mt. Chapin, while walking along Old Fall Road. According to the sighting, the boy sat on the edge of the elevation for several minutes before being jerked back by someone off to the side. The identity of this person has never been established. [6] The hikers contacted park officials who sent climbers to search the clifftop but they found nothing.[7] The search party included 150 men and members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.[8] Some time later Alfred was supposedly sighted walking along a road with a man in Nebraska.[9]
Aftermath
editA bandage found in an abandoned cabin was tested, since the child had a similar one when he vanished. A ransom note for $500 (equivalent to $10,823 in 2023) was sent to the parents after Alfred had been missing for five months,[10] however police determined it to be a hoax.[11] Alfred's father believed that Alfred had been abducted but was still alive.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Alfred Beilhartz – The Charley Project". charleyproject.org. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
- ^ "10 Mysterious Disappearances in National Parks". HowStuffWorks. 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
- ^ "River Diverted to Seek Child's Body". Santa Rosa, California: The Press Democrat. 6 July 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stream Diverted to search For Child's Body". Zanesville, Ohio: The Times Recorder. 6 July 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dogs Trail Lost Boy". The Waco News-Tribune. 5 July 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denver Hiker May Have Seen Missing Child". Greeley Daily Tribune. 8 July 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Search Group For Baby Climb To Devils Nest". Greeley Daily Tribune. 9 July 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Becky Striepe (10 July 2015). "10 Mysterious Disappearances in National Parks: 9 Alfred Beilhartz, 1938". adventure.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "Nebraska Officers Hunt Missing Child". The San Bernardino County Sun. 12 July 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denver Police Think Beilhartz Ransome [sic] Note Is Just Hoax". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. 30 November 1938. p. 13. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Police Probe Cruel Denver 'Ransom' Hoax". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1 December 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Some Day Alfred Will Come Back". The Amarillo Globe-Times. 4 July 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via newspapers.com.
External links
edit- "Alfred Beilhartz". For People Like Me. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- "Alfred Beilhartz vanished in 1938 • r/UnresolvedMysteries". reddit. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- "BOY, 4, LOST IN ROCKIES; Wanders Away From Family on Week-End Outing" (PDF). The New York Times. 4 July 1938. p. 15. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- TheShitClocksTickingBubs (Apr 5, 2017). "Unsolved Mystery - Alfred Beilhartz Disappearance". Retrieved 16 July 2017 – via Imgur.