The whole thing about his wife asking about his benefits shortly after his death is all perspective honestly. There's some weird stuff about her involvement, sure, but I remember my mom having to handle so many different things right after my dad passed. From Governmental documentation to insurance stuff, to changing credit card/bill information, etc. 2 weeks to start getting the affairs in order is about right. Mom was working on all that about 2 weeks after in our case too.
Yeah, this is actually a fairly common occurrence, especially when the decedent is the main breadwinner. Bills need to be paid. I wouldn't put a lot of credence in the fact that she wanted to get benefits right away.
But that was after he passed. I think it's normal for someone to remain 100% convinced that their loved one is still alive and will be found. People go for years thinking that.
I don’t know their exact situation but my husband and I were talking about how stressful it would be if something happened to one of us. To have the pain of it on top of missing a paycheck and worrying about keeping a roof over our head during that time and that we would quickly need to pull in whatever benefits we had. So I can see why his wife would ask for the money.
2 weeks to start asking about death benefits is not unusual at all- I'm currently handling the probates for both my mom and my sister... It's been a rough year... And you only have a certain amount of time to get things done. I was closing my sister's accounts and inquiring about life insurance within 3 days of her death because unfortunately she lived in another state and I have to do what I can when I can. No one accused me of murder... They handled our business and that was that.
Some people say they saw in a car setting between two men looking he was hurt i wonderful did they killed him and take him back put in the water this is strange.
Yeah but there is a difference here. He's not actually dead... he is now likely. But he was missing in two weeks. Not dead.... missing... so THATS weird. That's a little weird.
Also I'm so sorry for your loss ❤ 😢 sending love ❤ but again, different. A dead body makes sense. And again, I'm so so so sorry for your loss. But this guy wasn't dead. He was not dead. He was missing. So asking about death benefits for a missing person is a bit strange, especially when everyone is still looking and she kept looking after that. It's odd. And there is evidence for a case where someone faked being sad like this to cover up the fact that they'd killed someone.
A lot of YT true crime videos talk a lot of nonsense about life insurance, as if $100k is a lot, and motive for murder. I have a decent job with good benefits, which includes free life insurance of 4 × my annual salary, and I can buy an additional 4 x more for pretty much peanuts, but if anything happened to me, 8 x my annual salary would have YT'ers wanting my wife summarily convicted and hauled off to prison immediately.
As a widow, I did the same as Paul’s wife, within two weeks of my husbands death, I had to figure out how and if I could live financially. My husband also worked for the government, the life insurance is not or was not that great. My income was not that good. I had to make sure I could feed,house and have heath insurance for myself. On top of paying funeral expenses. There is a lot more than people think that has to be done after someone dies. It’s a lot to go through!
I'm so sorry for your loss! It is a lot when someone dies. But this guy didn't die. He went missing. And no, going missing and dying are NOT equivalent as there is a multitude of evidence disproving that! I'm so sorry ❤ when my dad passed we had to handle the finances and it sucked. But again, there is a body and a funeral to plan for. This guy went missing under VERY strange circumstances. So it's odd. Especially when there was that other two teenage girls who EVEN WENT TO THE MOM and cried alongside her pretending to be sad about a missing teen when they were infact the ones who killed her and it was all an elaborate cover up.
@@fuzyfuzfuz2this case was during the time where men were still mostly the primary breadwinners. She probably needed the money to get her through the search. She continued searching for him even after everyone else stopped.
Did your husband vanish under mysterious circumstances while also having a young woman pregnan so the questioning would’ve been relevant? People are conveniently leaving out context in the comments.
As a Brit i was able to bond with a visiting American by talking about your channel. It was cool hearing his stories of hiking back in the States. Keep it up bud, a million is way within your grasp
there's no such effing thing s a 'Brit' you English whelk, drop the Imperial Remnant native culture erasure. We, the citizenry of UK's FOUR NATIONS are not one people, not one culture, NOT one nationality and we are NOT you under that fake ID. England.
I was a high school senior in Tucson when this happened, and I remember the incident quite well. It stayed in the news cycle for quite a while. I have hiked the trail in question, and it's quite pedestrian. It's not like he fell in a hole. As for the drug smuggling angle, I think most drugs were still coming across in vehicles going through Nogales and places like Douglas in 1980, so this theory doesn't seem too likely. Who knows!
I think the wife is a bit questionable. I’m glad that you have a first hand account of this in the news and the area. It adds some perspective to the story. Thanks!
After 9/11 the Border Patrol has put established permanent highway checkpoints on roads leading interior from the border. Prior, the highways were wide open. The 2012 monument drug mule arrests are due to smugglers backpacking long distances away from the border. This was not occurring in 1980. Great video!
I also live in Tucson. I agree with you on everything, but the part about drug traffic. It is very widespread on the border. The more rural, the better for them.
@inconnu4961 I grew up in Southern az hunting, fishing, hiking in this area 80s and 90s border patrol has always told us to never be out there alone or without protection. The closer to the border, the worse it is. And getting worse every year since about 2010. Everyone has turned a blind eye till it is in their backyard. Now everyone sees the problem. I am not trying to troll. it's what I've seen living in Tucson.
My feeling is from this story, he didn’t go very far before being taken far from the scene they kept searching. They would have found a shoe, clothing, something, but not if he is far far away. The stress of staying in a job where they clearly detested him, was not a healthy place to be. They aren’t the mafia, so maybe someone finally confides in someone with a conscience.
@@maydayhomesteadHikers recently found the hiking boot of a woman who went missing 20 years ago. It's on a TC channel. Hannah something? She was hiking with a bf, but was struggling. As they were v close to the summit he told her to stay put, he'd carry on then come back for her . She was never seen again.
I covered this on a podcast I was working on, Valley of the lost. I did a ton of research, he either disappeared himself or ran into some unfriendly business. The Chiricahua's are absolutely incredible and an amazing arizona secret!
I'm curious if the coworker he got pregnant was married or had a serious boyfriend at the time...love triangles are one of the leading factors in murders!! I definitely believe it was foul play and we'll never know unless someone talks because I also believe his remains aren't in the park!! Thanks Kyle for another good story and the work getting them posted!!
It's clear that he was a thorn in his employer's side and in an unhappy marriage but those unfortunate facts about him won't stop me from feeling bad about his disappearance. I believe the suspicious behavior was just people being secretly happy he wasn't a problem for them anymore. The whole situation is tragic and I do hope to live to see it solved.
I think that if a search volunteer, one that actually knows Paul, says he was in a pick up slumped between two guys, that volunteer should be believed. Anyhow, an older gentleman and his cat went missing in that same park a number of years ago. Makes me want to go searching as it's only a couple of hours from me, but my dogs wouldn't be allowed.
Slumped how so? The video said he had seen Paul in the car going 50 miles per hour. That’s really fast to see three people and identify them well enough. My first instinct would be to make sure I’m out of the way and safe. Second would be curiosity, and being nosy. He would of had to seen them slow down with no regard to that fact they could be ID. Plus having a kidnapped man is spotted in their truck.
I discovered your channel a few days ago and it’s awesome! You explain things well and get right to the point so you don’t have these long drawn out boring videos . Keep up the good work!!
@@christyl5481 You are basing this on one blurb about how he was considered lazy. It's also quite possible this was just a rumor created by his stick-up-the-ass boss who seemed to have a personal vendetta with anyone who wasnt clean cut. Or if you think what you said is literally true, it's not. He worked for the NPS for 6 years, got fired, spent 4 years getting his job back, then worked for NPS another 4 years before he disappeared. 10 years on the job, 4 years fighting for it.
@@Heathcoatmanif he was not the best employee & sounds like cared little for personal hygiene & hung with people younger which I speculate smoked pot with them, could be why he went for a walk & took nothing just went to have a hit. I knew people that worked in some of these positions & they are pretty Kush jobs so he might have known if he managed to get it back he would get back pay, also knew he would have to work more at a different job so wanted to stay.
@@danasandoval624 Again, you are basing all of this on one blurb in the video. A blurb that was a claim by someone with an agenda. It's not possible that the one tiny piece of information that you are using to create this whole person wasnt accurate? Was just a ploy to fire a guy he didnt like? This is the problem with social media, people hear and believe anything they want. It's called confirmation bias, and you have it bad.
The thought of the National Park Service being involved had crossed my mind as you started to tell the story and describe his difficulties with the agency but I don't think the agency itself would have acted in a criminal manner, although one cannot say the same of perhaps an individual or individuals who may have taken his behavior and actions personally. Realistically though, the drug ring scenario seems the most likely and they easily could have "lost" his remains in the desert. Whatever happened to him, for sure he was undeserving of it and the memory of him as a kind of hippy rebel ranger is what should be remembered. RIP Park Ranger Fugate, may your passing have been of natural causes or an unfortunate accident and not at the hands of someone hateful. Good job as always Kyle, thanks for all the hard work and great story telling.
Even if not involved in the death, his superiors didn't like him and might have tried a last "screw you" thing if they did find him to hide/destroy the body and hurt his family because of the lost court cases earlier on
Drug mafias don't want any part of a potential investigation. The last thing they want to do is get rid of a park service employee where they work. The NPS hired 2 hitmen. Look at the long standing history...Paul unfortunately drew the attention of one too many highest chains of command...in the NPS...aka a faction of the government
Many people who have disappeared (and eventually were found alive and well) left all their belongings behind. It's a conscious choice. They WANT to be considered dead. They WANT people to stop looking for them. Many spend a while setting up external resources before their disappearance. I truly believe he did walk away, especially since he told his colleague to lock up if he wasn't back by 4:30pm. He consciously left his badge and radio. That wasn't an accident.
That's what I was thinking...especially if the wife was in on it. His personal items would be returned to her. Could the nps have terminated him for his relationship with a coworker back then. Better to "die" on the job and have his widow collect his retirement
Great channel Kyle. I’m an alpinist and rock climber and I thoroughly enjoy your content. I am sharing your Channel on Facebook and with the American Alpine Club. I hope it helps get you to a million. Be safe brother from beautiful Virginia. -Michael
It could have been Leonard Lake and Charles Ng. They were a duo that committed a string of serial killings in the 1980s in the California hills. When you said that someone reported seeing Paul slumped between two men inside a truck, it made me think of them.
Just FYI, she asked for money (Paul's wife) because even after EVERYTHING he did to her, she needed money to pay ppl to help her keep the search for him going..and Kyle that's the 1st thing that popped into my mind when you were about a quarter of a way through telling this story I thought I wonder if the Park Service themselves had anything to do with it
💯 Bingo. Sounds like an inside job to me. They set him up to dissappear bc he was impossible to get rid of legally. Someone was really tired of him and ticked off. Someone MADE him dissappear.
Paul's disappearance is a real mystery for sure. Seems like if he were in the forest lost or injured someone would have found at least SOME evidence. So many strange details surrounding this one!
Agreed. It's possible to go missing without leaving evidence.. people have before. But Paul was a park ranger. You'd think that if he were in an accident or lost, he'd leave some sort of sign or signal. Definitely strange.
Drug off and eaten by cat. Could happen in blink of eye regardless of a man's skill set. But with all the 2 legged predators on the loose it could have been anything
@@PrimateProductions could make it hard or near impossible to find and leather and fabric rots minus the boot soles but I am still always more inclined to think humans are responsible for alot of these vanishing acts. Was just saying anything can happen especially in the desert.
I think your theory is spot on! It's the first thing I thought of when you mentioned all of the trouble that he had with the park and what better way to get rid of a troublesome problem? Sad, either way.
Yes, I believe the NPS probably had something to do w/it. The NPS back then was super rigid and hated the rangers wearing their hair long. Reminds me of the missing NPS ranger, James Morgenson from Yosemite. We live about 1 1/2 hours from Chirachuas and know that path. It's an easy nature walk so super hard to get lost, therefore, something seems amiss. Great job Kyle!
If I have learned anything from these cases, it's do not go alone. No matter how experienced, strong, smart, prepared, ready to go you are, if you are alone, all bets are off. Have you done the Sam Sayers case, and if so, I will eventually binge through it, if not, it's a crazy one. Also a lone hiker case, of course.
I think park ranger supervisors were spreading false rumors so they didn’t have pay his wife. Did he really get coworker pregnant? Or was it muddying his character? He may have suffered depression, but I might be wrong. Last, - other channels have told that someone found his radio and few personal stuff. But you said he didn’t take a radio with him.
Why would Ranger supervisors do that? You don't think even one penny was coming out of their pocket to pay his wife, right? Why would they care how much taxpayer money goes to his wife?
I've got to say, Kyle... You're very brave and putting your head above the parapet! Good for you! Don't think I'd be so brave to put out that opinion, but I do agree, this situation stinks highly of an in job. I applaud your honesty.
For some reason, the idea of leaving the phone and other items behind makes me think "didn't intend on coming back" rather than "didn't intend on being gone for long." Dude absconded.
That last theory of yours crossed my mind also- it'll be easy enough to make happen. I also believe he could have easily staged his own disappearance. He had a few assets, but not an overwhelming amount. Interesting case & I hope dude has found a happier life after disappearance. Who would know, in this case
I was thinking the exact same thing Kyle! Yes, the park rangers might have found him injured and just left him! Wouldn’t be at all surprised. The guy made a fool of them and they couldn’t get rid! Great video. ❤
Being from southern Arizona myself, I lean towards the theory involving drugs. The only difference is that I don't think he just happened upon drug traffickers. I lean towards thinking that he was meeting up with the drug traffickers to buy drugs. The fact that he didn't bring his radio with him makes that even more suspicious to me. Maybe he bragged one too many times about the money he received from the National Parks Service lawsuit. Maybe the drug traffickers wanted some of that money and when he refused, they just killed him. Far Away Ranch would have been a convenient spot for drug traffickers to stop and hide out in the hot Arizona desert. This seems, by far, the most likely scenario.
I think you may possibly be on the right track with your speculation Kyle, but maybe not the Park Service, rather a co-worker or 2 or 3. Why would the Park Service offer such a large reward, still decades later, if they directly had something to do with it? Its a big organization, but they're not the Mob 😉 Wouldn't be unheard of for co-workers to "get rid" of someone they don't like though. Perhaps a romantic rival who was also interested in the woman he impregnated. Could be too that they're offering the reward knowing full well nobody will ever be able to cash in because he'll never be found....hmmmm 🤔 you might have something there
My thoughts are similar.. it might be interesting to know if any park employees got pay rises, bonuses and or promotions following this incident.. 🤔 just my thoughts!
I'm sure they questioned the ranger who stayed behind at the visitor center. She could have called someone to notify them that Paul was leaving on trail. No cell phones back then. I was just at Chiriqahua NM this past spring camping and didn't know about this. Beautiful place! Great coverage, Kyle.
@@orionsriddle4002 You're spouting pure BS like a fool. Paul Fugate has never been found and his case is NOT closed. Not sure if you're confused, wilfully ignorant or just a rotten liar, but Randy Morgenson's case has nothing to do with this one.
Same here, I really appreciate how this does not at all entertain any of the Missing 411 theories. Missing 411 bothers me so much; there's no grand conspiracy, National Parks are just really effing **huge** and easy for even experienced professionals to get lost or injured in without leaving a trace.
Whenever someone brings up 411 I tell them how easily people go missing in even relatively small US cities and aren’t found for weeks sometimes. Even when people are searching for them. When you factor in people and the small space if it can happen here it can very easily happen in heavily wooded/mountainous unpopulated areas.
It’s definitely baffling. If he had been taken by an animal there would have been remains of clothing, bone etc left and if he had got lost and died of exposure someone would have stumbled on something by now.
Plus he was a Ranger he would have left some kind of way to find him some sign unless he was hurt and died suddenly. If that were the case he wouldn't have been off trail by much. Even if he did go off trail guys this was a ranger who worked that park for years off trail on trail I think it would be hard for him to get and stay lost 4 long. No one found him cause who ever killed him took the body away
Love your videos. Hiking mysteries- lost and dead hikers- so dang addicting. Your gear videos and hiking information are great too. Think 🤔 how easy it is to make someone disappear back then especially in a national park/ monument. Personally the drug connection plays suspect- it was the hay day era of drug drops from planes and public lands are easy drops to get in and out of. My guess is timing of the pregnancy so close to the disappearance is not to be ignored 🍼
The Drug Tracking thing would be the most plausible thing, the amount of people who are murdered or just "disappear" along the border every year on both sides of the border is crazy, and most of them go unsolved.
@@orionsriddle4002 article? Proof? They only told you? In researching the guy it still shows him missing. I think you just like making comments to see if people will respond. Well played but your age is showing.
Chiricahua is a must-go park with great day hikes. That aside, the ranger station is at the base of the mountain, in a canyon. There's only one road in / out. The "truck abduction" theory makes sense. Sounds like he was buying *something* because why would he leave his ID + personal items behind? It's not like those things are going to weigh you down. He thought someone might take them. Dude was in a bad situation and it got worse, it sounds.
6:36 "He left his personal items behind." That didn't sit right with me. Maybe he went to "disappear." But I agree that the NPS is an evil organization.
While an alien abduction seems like an unlikely explanation, it is probably at least as probable as the suggestion that he was disappeared by his supervisors at the National Park Service. 😝
I showed my wife a couple of your videos a few days ago and having just moved from Arizona to Colorado I may not show her this one. She’ll never let me go hiking/camping again 😂😂😂
I've long joked that "when I check out, you'll be lucky to find the body." Sick joke yea. Seems to me Paul found the "train station" and played a nasty little joke on us all.
Maybe they have a train station. Maybe many train stations. I live in Phoenix and I'll tell you in buckeye and Tonopah az there's literally lots of places that deserve that moniker.
You should do a video on Fern Baird. I was the last person to see her here at the hotel i manage. Police screwed it all up and to date shes not been found. I love your videos, thank you
I've lived 2.5 miles from 140 miles of desert wilderness for over 20 years. Its easy to get lost, especially if you run out of water or gas. Some places dont have cell service. There's only about 3 million people in NW Arizona. In a vast scary wilderness.
Really excited for this! I live near the Chiricahuas. Patrolled in them, camped and hiked them. They can be brutal! And honestly, trying to find someone would be hard, trust me, I’ve been there. But…they are the only natural water source in that area.
I. Have been following a few weeks and "cudos" to your channel. You are thorough and present the stories with info worth hearing . you do a very good job 💯 Joyce in Tahoe
Why does a ranger need all that cash? Anything on the possibility he was dealing? That’s also a good motivation to have gotten his job back. Maybe a deal hit a snag?
He and one other ranger were on duty at the visitor center from 8:30 to 4:30 but he went for a "hike" at 2:00, telling the other ,probably less senior, ranger to close up without him if he wasn't back in time. So was he just goofing off on the job or was there something else going on...
Honestly, Paul's conflict with the National Parks Service sounds run of the mill. Employers deal with that sort of behavior all the time. Killing him would be ludicrous. I just think that when he went missing, the employer just wanted to wash their hands of him and find a reason for letting him go.
"At will" employment.... Neither side needs a "good" reason, or any reason to terminate employment. You are correct, it would have been very easy. If there is a union there may have to be an arbitration hearing and a settlement.
Here’s the thing… The one theory you didn’t cover, is actually what the majority of locals believe happened. Which is that he himself was tacitly *involved* in the “coyote/mule” business and was using his in-depth knowledge of the area, the approximate location/movement of the other park rangers and any other pertinent information that his position gave him access to-in order to help facilitate illegal transportations across the border. And as anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature can tell you…dealing with cartels (even in seemingly “small/simple” ways) is incredibly risky and not conducive to having a long, safe and healthy life. 🤷♀️ So, the general consensus here, is that things inevitably went sideways and he got himself killed by the cartel/s. Whether it be that he majorly screwed up by giving them incorrect/bad information, made the wrong person/people angry, simply annoyed someone, was deemed “disrespectful”, made some type of demand/s that he shouldn’t have, messed around with the wrong woman/daughter/niece/granddaughter/sister/etc. (there are literally innumerable missteps he could’ve made) and it bit him in the ass. 🤷♀️ Hence why there has never been a single trace of him found in 40+ years. Because the main cartels don’t leave traces behind-unless done so intentionally.
In official investigations, they had at least 2 different witnesses who reported seeing him being carted off in a truck. But no physical evidence. The drugs/smuggling/ cartel explanation is most plausible for that area.
If you're correct and he went for a hike and got lost, he may have wandered into a small cave of some kind.. which may explain why they never located his body.... If that's correct his body is somewhere close to where he disappeared.... probably hidden in some way from obvious line of sight...
sWhile listening to this mystery, my first thought was the person that hated Paul the most. What's the motive? Not the affair resulting in a pregnancy, it's what happened before this took place with the female coworker. I live in Arizona, and there are numerous mine shafts where mules that died transporting the paydirt would be dumped. His bones hidden amongst them. Sad story. Only God knows. Pray for Paul's soul. RIP🙌🕊️
Just because the NPS weren’t happy with the guy, does not provide an ounce of proof that NPS was involved in his disappearance. Making that kind of assumption is a pretty far stretch, particularly since these are federally commissioned law enforcement officers. What is missing from this report, is the fact that he came upon a couple of poachers just days before, and I would imagine those poachers were none too happy with him. I wonder if anyone has talked to them? The drug smuggler scenario is highly likely as well. Many smugglers purposefully hide out on public lands, and more than one ranger has been threatened by them.
I just wrote a similar comment. He was fired 5 YEARS previously for some pretty overt and repeated insubordination. He fairly got his job back, and there's no evidence that the staff at Chiricahua hated him, or were closeted murderers! While investgators don't have a final answer, there are way better news reports available online. And a different people reported seeing him being carted off in a vehicle. The murder speculation here is just sad and irresponsible. Someone's been watching way too much bad TV. (This is the first time I've learned that the NPS, mostly composed of underpaid folks who deeply love nature, actually go around murdering employees they dislike. Who knew!!)
@@eh3477 Exactly…..clickbait. No reason to jump to crazy conclusions like the NPS murdered him. I’ve known several rangers. They are vastly underpaid and overworked, but they are there because they love the wilderness and wild places. They are mostly in the job for the natural landscapes. There are way too many of these channels that find stories about people who disappeared, then overdramatize them. Most people who die in the wilderness die from mundane reasons, and I am actually amazed at how many people survive the wilderness (I’ve had some close calls myself). There are dozens of reasons for someone not being found, but in this case, the most likely reason is drug smugglers / drug related. It’s fairly well-established in this area.
I agree. People that come up with these ideas talk about these organizations as if they are a single person. The Park Service is many people. And they don't care about one rangers salary. It's peanuts to them. And they surely don't have access to hit men or assassins on call to murder employees for them. That is so ridiculous,it's stupid.
16:46 That was literally my first thought. The question is, how does a park ranger of all people go missing without a trace? Well, the answer (to my mind) is that a park ranger is the best person to disappear without a trace because they're the person who best knows how a person vanishes into the wilderness. So, who better to disappear a person than an organisation _full_ of park rangers? Especially in an area known for drug trafficking ... oh this park ranger has gone missing, gee, must have accidentally stumbled across drug traffickers. Yeah man. NPS is my #1 suspect.
The best thing to keep in mind is unless you have been through a similar situation then what is normal can seem suspicious because there is a lack of experience.
Something else to keep in mind is police & investigators are professionals. IF they say that sounds suspicious, then chances are its suspicious. We had a high profile missing persons case in my area, and the family were seen as potential suspects, while they ran other leads. As often as people who are harmed, know their assailant, this seems like investigation 101.
If he decided to suicide because of getting a mistress pregnant and having all the ongoing dramas with his employer he would know exactly where to go and do it without never being found.
What we always say at work, those who have more experience doing a job take their ability to do it for granted. When you factor out people who hike with absolutely no knowledge or experience, it’s those who think they know the risks and hazards who put themselves at most risk by thinking the dangers aren’t a danger for them. We see it time and time again. But Paul sounds a real trip. Meant as a compliment. What a wild guy. Good for him and his wife suing the parks service.
It's super hard to get fired from a government job, the fact that he did says he must have been an absolute dead loss as a worker. The physical hygiene/grooming may have been the deal breaker. With most government jobs even if you don't really act the part, as long as you at least LOOK the part, (and have a pleasant attitude), they'll usually let it slide.
Way to propagate a stereotype 😂. There are over twenty million government jobs, counting federal, state, and local. To say that any one thing is true about each of those twenty million calls your intellect into question. I've worked for the government as a programmer and my experience and observations at NASA OIG do not at all fall in line with this concept.
@@parrotperson1973 So you worked for NASA? When was the last time someone in NASA got fired because a space shuttle blew up on re-entry or a 100 million dollar satellite crashed into Mars? I’m guessing never. What I wrote holds true about 99% of the time. That’s why its a stereotype. Any career civil servant or public servant has to screw up mightily in order to be fired. In fact it almost never happens.
One of the beautiful National Parks in Arizona. Rugged terrain once inhabited by the Chiricahuas. Unfortunately also one of the routes cartels use to bring drugs and people into the United States. Many of us who knew Paul have long searched for and many will continue to search, but those mountains have kept their secrets for centuries and will continue to do so. The treatment of Paul and his family by the Park Service was shameful and a stain on the Park Service.
This is one time I actually think you're on to something. It is suspicious that the Park Service treated him so cruel. But then the wife is sus as hell cause if I'm not back or my hubby from a hike (an hour earlier than stated) we are all over it. It's such a sad case. I think its definitely 1 of the 2 theories 🤔. Excellent coverage, heard his story before but not in that much detail. Living in Southern NM I know back in 80s and even today it can be scary out here with shady ppl. RIP Paul
I could swear I saw another video where they said they found his walkie-talkie and a couple of other items at the top of a cliff overlooking some water. Maybe it was a river maybe it was a lake? They also said that the walkie-talkie was turned on which made them suspect that he had been listening to them so he would be able to stay away from people finding him Does anyone else remember hearing this?
This is a really confusing case. I think getting lost would've been less likely as he should've known the area extremely well. Did he have a middle age crisis and move to the Philippines? Who knows...
I think he didn't want to be found. It sounds like his life was getting too messy, and he sounds like the kind of person who wouldn't like a complicated life. Easier to run away. I wonder if he often went for a hike in the middle of the day, or was this unusual?
@@lynnw7155uncomplicated people don't have open marriages lol. He was checking the trail not just hiking it, sounded to me like a regular part of the job but I'm not sure
@@Ninchennase right! This person has been corrected and told that they have the cases mixed up but continues to tell people he was found. Just step up and admit you were mixed up!
I was thinking the same thing as you! The employer had something to do with it! There are a few people people at his work that could have had issues with him.
A tree had blown over near our property a few years ago. Friend came to take it, and during that time almost died. He cut the largest part from the stump. He went into the hole the stump, relieve himself after. On his way out, the huge part of the tree that was cut released tension, and closed the huge flap of forest floor with the stump that ripped up the hole. Almost disappeared him, His wife was with him and loading fire wood, she had no idea though that had happened to him. So Close To A Mysterious Disappearance. That's Just Scary
@@nturavrgchick6055 Sorry, lol, he is good. He said the second he stepped out of the hole, It slammed down with all the earth it ripped up when it blew over. The hole was deep enough to pull the roots up, which he said was about 5-7 feet deep.
I was just in the Chiricahuas. It beautiful and the amount of wildlife was unbelievable. But the wilderness area is known to be used by drug runners and Coyotes.
It was not known for drug running in the 80’s. Local here and camped many times there in the 70 and 80’s and that was last thing you were concerned about. Post 9/11 and the placement of Border Patrol permanent checkpoints has forced drug traffickers to backpack the challenging Chiricahua’s.
One of theories I've seen float around about him is gang/cartel activity, but the cause of his disappearance could be as mundane as falling into a hole or being wedged between some rocks.
Yeah that 3rd theory is what I was thinking earlier when you were talking about the park services and them suddenly cutting his benefits saying he abandoned his job. Not to mention all those years they butted heads with Paul.
Yes, and there were plenty of free spirits who worked in the NPS at the time who managed to get along just fine. People with long hair and beards were still expected to keep them well groomed if in a NPS job working with visitors.
You can use polygraph results in typical court situations if both parties agree to the stipulation before the test is conducted. Of course that’s rarely agreed to since they have to agree before the results are known.
Kyle, you are not alone in your theory. My first thought was that the park service had something to do with his disappearance. They clearly hated him and tried to get rid of him. His reinstatement infuriated them... he was like salt in their wound
11:57 - lol, didn't expect that, that truck is almost identical to the classic truck we have, its not a Chevy its a 1967 dodge, plus or minus a couple years
The whole thing about his wife asking about his benefits shortly after his death is all perspective honestly. There's some weird stuff about her involvement, sure, but I remember my mom having to handle so many different things right after my dad passed. From Governmental documentation to insurance stuff, to changing credit card/bill information, etc. 2 weeks to start getting the affairs in order is about right. Mom was working on all that about 2 weeks after in our case too.
fair enough, thanks for sharing!
thanks for the anecdote sir
Yeah, this is actually a fairly common occurrence, especially when the decedent is the main breadwinner. Bills need to be paid. I wouldn't put a lot of credence in the fact that she wanted to get benefits right away.
@chrisholiman2552 agree with you. It's simple she as many others in a similar position would need to keep paying expenses...
But that was after he passed. I think it's normal for someone to remain 100% convinced that their loved one is still alive and will be found. People go for years thinking that.
I don’t know their exact situation but my husband and I were talking about how stressful it would be if something happened to one of us. To have the pain of it on top of missing a paycheck and worrying about keeping a roof over our head during that time and that we would quickly need to pull in whatever benefits we had. So I can see why his wife would ask for the money.
Exactly what I was thinking. If the mortgage payment was coming up and there was no savings, I'd be asking about money too.
100%
That's literally what life insurance is for.
Absolutely. That aspect of the story isn't strange at all to any family with bills to pay.
@@aftersexhighfives Except he didn't have a life insurance policy because the application wasn't filled.
2 weeks to start asking about death benefits is not unusual at all- I'm currently handling the probates for both my mom and my sister... It's been a rough year... And you only have a certain amount of time to get things done. I was closing my sister's accounts and inquiring about life insurance within 3 days of her death because unfortunately she lived in another state and I have to do what I can when I can.
No one accused me of murder... They handled our business and that was that.
Some people say they saw in a car setting between two men looking he was hurt i wonderful did they killed him and take him back put in the water this is strange.
Yeah but there is a difference here. He's not actually dead... he is now likely. But he was missing in two weeks. Not dead.... missing... so THATS weird. That's a little weird.
Also I'm so sorry for your loss ❤ 😢 sending love ❤ but again, different. A dead body makes sense. And again, I'm so so so sorry for your loss. But this guy wasn't dead. He was not dead. He was missing. So asking about death benefits for a missing person is a bit strange, especially when everyone is still looking and she kept looking after that. It's odd. And there is evidence for a case where someone faked being sad like this to cover up the fact that they'd killed someone.
A lot of YT true crime videos talk a lot of nonsense about life insurance, as if $100k is a lot, and motive for murder. I have a decent job with good benefits, which includes free life insurance of 4 × my annual salary, and I can buy an additional 4 x more for pretty much peanuts, but if anything happened to me, 8 x my annual salary would have YT'ers wanting my wife summarily convicted and hauled off to prison immediately.
I absolutely agree. Im so sorry for your losses. 💙
As a widow, I did the same as Paul’s wife, within two weeks of my husbands death, I had to figure out how and if I could live financially. My husband also worked for the government, the life insurance is not or was not that great. My income was not that good. I had to make sure I could feed,house and have heath insurance for myself. On top of paying funeral expenses. There is a lot more than people think that has to be done after someone dies. It’s a lot to go through!
I'm so sorry for your loss! It is a lot when someone dies. But this guy didn't die. He went missing. And no, going missing and dying are NOT equivalent as there is a multitude of evidence disproving that! I'm so sorry ❤ when my dad passed we had to handle the finances and it sucked. But again, there is a body and a funeral to plan for. This guy went missing under VERY strange circumstances. So it's odd. Especially when there was that other two teenage girls who EVEN WENT TO THE MOM and cried alongside her pretending to be sad about a missing teen when they were infact the ones who killed her and it was all an elaborate cover up.
@@fuzyfuzfuz2this case was during the time where men were still mostly the primary breadwinners. She probably needed the money to get her through the search. She continued searching for him even after everyone else stopped.
You sued for retirement benefits although he did work there at all til retirement???
Did your husband vanish under mysterious circumstances while also having a young woman pregnan so the questioning would’ve been relevant? People are conveniently leaving out context in the comments.
As a Brit i was able to bond with a visiting American by talking about your channel. It was cool hearing his stories of hiking back in the States. Keep it up bud, a million is way within your grasp
I had a similar experience in Australia when I met a traveling scottsmen talking about Crib Goch
there's no such effing thing s a 'Brit' you English whelk, drop the Imperial Remnant native culture erasure. We, the citizenry of UK's FOUR NATIONS are not one people, not one culture, NOT one nationality and we are NOT you under that fake ID. England.
I was a high school senior in Tucson when this happened, and I remember the incident quite well. It stayed in the news cycle for quite a while. I have hiked the trail in question, and it's quite pedestrian. It's not like he fell in a hole. As for the drug smuggling angle, I think most drugs were still coming across in vehicles going through Nogales and places like Douglas in 1980, so this theory doesn't seem too likely. Who knows!
I think the wife is a bit questionable. I’m glad that you have a first hand account of this in the news and the area. It adds some perspective to the story. Thanks!
After 9/11 the Border Patrol has put established permanent highway checkpoints on roads leading interior from the border. Prior, the highways were wide open. The 2012 monument drug mule arrests are due to smugglers backpacking long distances away from the border. This was not occurring in 1980. Great video!
I also live in Tucson. I agree with you on everything, but the part about drug traffic. It is very widespread on the border. The more rural, the better for them.
@@davidborboa77 But he was talking about 1980, not now. Do you recall there being a lot of drug smuggling during the 1980 in that area?
@inconnu4961 I grew up in Southern az hunting, fishing, hiking in this area 80s and 90s border patrol has always told us to never be out there alone or without protection. The closer to the border, the worse it is. And getting worse every year since about 2010. Everyone has turned a blind eye till it is in their backyard. Now everyone sees the problem. I am not trying to troll. it's what I've seen living in Tucson.
Like most long lost hikers, I'm sure someone will come across items and/or remains sooner or later. Let's hope so
Many Decades later? Doubtful. Animals and environment are harsh.
My feeling is from this story, he didn’t go very far before being taken far from the scene they kept searching. They would have found a shoe, clothing, something, but not if he is far far away.
The stress of staying in a job where they clearly detested him, was not a healthy place to be. They aren’t the mafia, so maybe someone finally confides in someone with a conscience.
My Uncle Howard and his 2nd wife have been lost 40+ years in British Columbia. I'm pretty sure that they will never be found.
@@maydayhomesteadHikers recently found the hiking boot of a woman who went missing 20 years ago. It's on a TC channel. Hannah something? She was hiking with a bf, but was struggling. As they were v close to the summit he told her to stay put, he'd carry on then come back for her . She was never seen again.
@@allanfifield8256I'm sorry to hear that ❤
I covered this on a podcast I was working on, Valley of the lost. I did a ton of research, he either disappeared himself or ran into some unfriendly business. The Chiricahua's are absolutely incredible and an amazing arizona secret!
Unfriendly business...2 hitmen working for the NPS. After all the legal trouble he went through to keep his job. Sad stuff.
He wasn’t planning on being gone long… or he wasn’t planning on needing that stuff anymore.
I had the same thought.
I'm curious if the coworker he got pregnant was married or had a serious boyfriend at the time...love triangles are one of the leading factors in murders!! I definitely believe it was foul play and we'll never know unless someone talks because I also believe his remains aren't in the park!! Thanks Kyle for another good story and the work getting them posted!!
In addition relationships within park services or police or fire are pretty common so the third person might be a ranger or police officer too
I could easily believe he would have been murdered by guys who tried to strongarm him out of the younger coworker's life
@@poponachtschnecke
eehhhhhhh?
I did read somewhere that a couple of men were spotted in the park or near a road or something and he was headed towards them.
@@paxundpeace9970Ummm... any evidence of your claim?
It's clear that he was a thorn in his employer's side and in an unhappy marriage but those unfortunate facts about him won't stop me from feeling bad about his disappearance. I believe the suspicious behavior was just people being secretly happy he wasn't a problem for them anymore. The whole situation is tragic and I do hope to live to see it solved.
Yeah, this guy kinda bit off a bunch of bad decisions to chew 😂😂
I think that if a search volunteer, one that actually knows Paul, says he was in a pick up slumped between two guys, that volunteer should be believed.
Anyhow, an older gentleman and his cat went missing in that same park a number of years ago. Makes me want to go searching as it's only a couple of hours from me, but my dogs wouldn't be allowed.
Slumped how so? The video said he had seen Paul in the car going 50 miles per hour. That’s really fast to see three people and identify them well enough. My first instinct would be to make sure I’m out of the way and safe. Second would be curiosity, and being nosy. He would of had to seen them slow down with no regard to that fact they could be ID. Plus having a kidnapped man is spotted in their truck.
@@whitedragoness23"Slumped" as in "slumped"... exactly as the witness said. What's so hard to comprehend?
I discovered your channel a few days ago and it’s awesome! You explain things well and get right to the point so you don’t have these long drawn out boring videos . Keep up the good work!!
It seems that he worked awfully hard to get his job back for the walk away theory. The mistress pregnancy thing isn’t a great look though.
The theory still works as he needed the job etc to walk away and have his wife collect his payout
He worked harder to keep his job than all the years actually working at his job.
@@christyl5481 You are basing this on one blurb about how he was considered lazy. It's also quite possible this was just a rumor created by his stick-up-the-ass boss who seemed to have a personal vendetta with anyone who wasnt clean cut. Or if you think what you said is literally true, it's not. He worked for the NPS for 6 years, got fired, spent 4 years getting his job back, then worked for NPS another 4 years before he disappeared. 10 years on the job, 4 years fighting for it.
@@Heathcoatmanif he was not the best employee & sounds like cared little for personal hygiene & hung with people younger which I speculate smoked pot with them, could be why he went for a walk & took nothing just went to have a hit.
I knew people that worked in some of these positions & they are pretty Kush jobs so he might have known if he managed to get it back he would get back pay, also knew he would have to work more at a different job so wanted to stay.
@@danasandoval624 Again, you are basing all of this on one blurb in the video. A blurb that was a claim by someone with an agenda. It's not possible that the one tiny piece of information that you are using to create this whole person wasnt accurate? Was just a ploy to fire a guy he didnt like? This is the problem with social media, people hear and believe anything they want. It's called confirmation bias, and you have it bad.
I appreciate RUclipsrs that do the audio in such a way it’s gonna have the volume I need enjoy the video
The thought of the National Park Service being involved had crossed my mind as you started to tell the story and describe his difficulties with the agency but I don't think the agency itself would have acted in a criminal manner, although one cannot say the same of perhaps an individual or individuals who may have taken his behavior and actions personally. Realistically though, the drug ring scenario seems the most likely and they easily could have "lost" his remains in the desert. Whatever happened to him, for sure he was undeserving of it and the memory of him as a kind of hippy rebel ranger is what should be remembered. RIP Park Ranger Fugate, may your passing have been of natural causes or an unfortunate accident and not at the hands of someone hateful. Good job as always Kyle, thanks for all the hard work and great story telling.
Even if not involved in the death, his superiors didn't like him and might have tried a last "screw you" thing if they did find him to hide/destroy the body and hurt his family because of the lost court cases earlier on
Drug mafias don't want any part of a potential investigation. The last thing they want to do is get rid of a park service employee where they work. The NPS hired 2 hitmen. Look at the long standing history...Paul unfortunately drew the attention of one too many highest chains of command...in the NPS...aka a faction of the government
I too wondered about the park service. They're not exactly forthcoming about the number of missing or being open about case info!
Exactly
They are a faction of the US government. I believe your ROP(right on point)
I'm not sure the Park Service wanted him "gone" as much as one or more Park Service employees wanted him "gone"
@@orionsriddle4002 please provide source
@@orionsriddle4002you mean Randy Morgenson. Different guy, different story
@orionsriddle4002 what is the source of that "info"?
I'm sure the park service is just as corrupt as the rest of our government.
@@PrimateProductionshe has his cases mixed up. Two different park ranger cases
Many people who have disappeared (and eventually were found alive and well) left all their belongings behind. It's a conscious choice. They WANT to be considered dead. They WANT people to stop looking for them. Many spend a while setting up external resources before their disappearance. I truly believe he did walk away, especially since he told his colleague to lock up if he wasn't back by 4:30pm. He consciously left his badge and radio. That wasn't an accident.
That's what I was thinking...especially if the wife was in on it. His personal items would be returned to her. Could the nps have terminated him for his relationship with a coworker back then. Better to "die" on the job and have his widow collect his retirement
Great channel Kyle. I’m an alpinist and rock climber and I thoroughly enjoy your content. I am sharing your Channel on Facebook and with the American Alpine Club. I hope it helps get you to a million. Be safe brother from beautiful Virginia. -Michael
Thanks so much for your kind words Michael!
Not any alpine on the East coast. Hopefully you can get out West to the real mountains for alpinism.
Absolutely. I lived in Colorado Springs for many years but I’m from Germany.
@@michaelsnider6460
The Shenandoah Valley is beautiful this time of year.
Virginia is a beautiful state.
It could have been Leonard Lake and Charles Ng. They were a duo that committed a string of serial killings in the 1980s in the California hills. When you said that someone reported seeing Paul slumped between two men inside a truck, it made me think of them.
Then he had a horrible death.
AZ not CA. This was the NPS hitmen who did this.
Just FYI, she asked for money (Paul's wife) because even after EVERYTHING he did to her, she needed money to pay ppl to help her keep the search for him going..and Kyle that's the 1st thing that popped into my mind when you were about a quarter of a way through telling this story I thought I wonder if the Park Service themselves had anything to do with it
💯 Bingo. Sounds like an inside job to me. They set him up to dissappear bc he was impossible to get rid of legally. Someone was really tired of him and ticked off. Someone MADE him dissappear.
It's because of the way he presented the story. But I also believe they could most definitely be involved
They did, read my comment at the top.
I agree with the above comments
Any evidence of anything you've said here?
Paul's disappearance is a real mystery for sure. Seems like if he were in the forest lost or injured someone would have found at least SOME evidence. So many strange details surrounding this one!
Agreed. It's possible to go missing without leaving evidence.. people have before. But Paul was a park ranger. You'd think that if he were in an accident or lost, he'd leave some sort of sign or signal. Definitely strange.
Drug off and eaten by cat. Could happen in blink of eye regardless of a man's skill set. But with all the 2 legged predators on the loose it could have been anything
@matthewotis3594 yeah bit it wouldn't eat his boots, clothing and gear...
@@PrimateProductions could make it hard or near impossible to find and leather and fabric rots minus the boot soles but I am still always more inclined to think humans are responsible for alot of these vanishing acts. Was just saying anything can happen especially in the desert.
I think your theory is spot on! It's the first thing I thought of when you mentioned all of the trouble that he had with the park and what better way to get rid of a troublesome problem? Sad, either way.
Yes, I believe the NPS probably had something to do w/it. The NPS back then was super rigid and hated the rangers wearing their hair long. Reminds me of the missing NPS ranger, James Morgenson from Yosemite. We live about 1 1/2 hours from Chirachuas and know that path. It's an easy nature walk so super hard to get lost, therefore, something seems amiss. Great job Kyle!
At the very least, they certainly weren’t making any moves to help solve the case.
Same
Your theory is the most plausible.. I'm glad you brought it up!!
New subscriber here. Not a hiker but you're a captivating storyteller. Great content and well produced videos.
I agree 100%.
If I have learned anything from these cases, it's do not go alone. No matter how experienced, strong, smart, prepared, ready to go you are, if you are alone, all bets are off. Have you done the Sam Sayers case, and if so, I will eventually binge through it, if not, it's a crazy one. Also a lone hiker case, of course.
What about pregnant gf? He wouldn't leave his wife for her and her brothers/friends/cousins are the ones that drove off with him slumped over?
NPS hitmen
I think park ranger supervisors were spreading false rumors so they didn’t have pay his wife. Did he really get coworker pregnant? Or was it muddying his character? He may have suffered depression, but I might be wrong.
Last, - other channels have told that someone found his radio and few personal stuff. But you said he didn’t take a radio with him.
Why would Ranger supervisors do that? You don't think even one penny was coming out of their pocket to pay his wife, right? Why would they care how much taxpayer money goes to his wife?
I've got to say, Kyle... You're very brave and putting your head above the parapet!
Good for you! Don't think I'd be so brave to put out that opinion, but I do agree, this situation stinks highly of an in job. I applaud your honesty.
I agree with you about the Park Service thing. Very plausible and intuitively resonates.
My first thought was your opinion on the park service as well. I was shocked that that wasn’t one of the popular theories
For some reason, the idea of leaving the phone and other items behind makes me think "didn't intend on coming back" rather than "didn't intend on being gone for long." Dude absconded.
That last theory of yours crossed my mind also- it'll be easy enough to make happen. I also believe he could have easily staged his own disappearance. He had a few assets, but not an overwhelming amount. Interesting case & I hope dude has found a happier life after disappearance. Who would know, in this case
YES! The parks service being involved was one of my fringe theories!
@@orionsriddle4002spammer and wrong!
I was thinking the exact same thing Kyle! Yes, the park rangers might have found him injured and just left him! Wouldn’t be at all surprised.
The guy made a fool of them and they couldn’t get rid!
Great video. ❤
Ice to have a hiker who cares for hikers as much as I do. He tells the stories that matter. Keep going and thank you ❤
Being from southern Arizona myself, I lean towards the theory involving drugs. The only difference is that I don't think he just happened upon drug traffickers. I lean towards thinking that he was meeting up with the drug traffickers to buy drugs. The fact that he didn't bring his radio with him makes that even more suspicious to me. Maybe he bragged one too many times about the money he received from the National Parks Service lawsuit. Maybe the drug traffickers wanted some of that money and when he refused, they just killed him. Far Away Ranch would have been a convenient spot for drug traffickers to stop and hide out in the hot Arizona desert. This seems, by far, the most likely scenario.
Very convincing and he encouraged the college to 🔐 the game in the case he wouldn't be back in time...
Fugate isn’t a common name where I live, so it’s weird to hear it over and over. Great video!
My maiden name is Cope and I rarely hear it either.
I think you may possibly be on the right track with your speculation Kyle, but maybe not the Park Service, rather a co-worker or 2 or 3. Why would the Park Service offer such a large reward, still decades later, if they directly had something to do with it? Its a big organization, but they're not the Mob 😉 Wouldn't be unheard of for co-workers to "get rid" of someone they don't like though. Perhaps a romantic rival who was also interested in the woman he impregnated.
Could be too that they're offering the reward knowing full well nobody will ever be able to cash in because he'll never be found....hmmmm 🤔 you might have something there
My thoughts are similar.. it might be interesting to know if any park employees got pay rises, bonuses and or promotions following this incident.. 🤔 just my thoughts!
I'm sure they questioned the ranger who stayed behind at the visitor center. She could have called someone to notify them that Paul was leaving on trail. No cell phones back then. I was just at Chiriqahua NM this past spring camping and didn't know about this. Beautiful place! Great coverage, Kyle.
@orionsriddle4002 you mean Randy Morgenson. Different guy, different story
They're worse than the mob, they are the government.
@@orionsriddle4002 You're spouting pure BS like a fool. Paul Fugate has never been found and his case is NOT closed. Not sure if you're confused, wilfully ignorant or just a rotten liar, but Randy Morgenson's case has nothing to do with this one.
Cool to see ur keeping his strange ending.. or new beginning from being forgotten..
Can I just say: I appreciate how all these theories refute the 411 ones.
Same here, I really appreciate how this does not at all entertain any of the Missing 411 theories. Missing 411 bothers me so much; there's no grand conspiracy, National Parks are just really effing **huge** and easy for even experienced professionals to get lost or injured in without leaving a trace.
@@protonmonkeyit bothers me too, on a lot of levels.
What? You don't find any bizarre truths in Canada 411?
@@Mary-t5d5c Nope. If you hear hooves, think horses, not unicorns. This is from someone that loves the idea of unicorns, but I'm too logical.
Whenever someone brings up 411 I tell them how easily people go missing in even relatively small US cities and aren’t found for weeks sometimes. Even when people are searching for them. When you factor in people and the small space if it can happen here it can very easily happen in heavily wooded/mountainous unpopulated areas.
Cleaning my kitchen at work. Only one here so been binging these! Thanks
It’s definitely baffling. If he had been taken by an animal there would have been remains of clothing, bone etc left and if he had got lost and died of exposure someone would have stumbled on something by now.
Plus he was a Ranger he would have left some kind of way to find him some sign unless he was hurt and died suddenly. If that were the case he wouldn't have been off trail by much. Even if he did go off trail guys this was a ranger who worked that park for years off trail on trail I think it would be hard for him to get and stay lost 4 long. No one found him cause who ever killed him took the body away
Love your videos. Hiking mysteries- lost and dead hikers- so dang addicting. Your gear videos and hiking information are great too. Think 🤔 how easy it is to make someone disappear back then especially in a national park/ monument. Personally the drug connection plays suspect- it was the hay day era of drug drops from planes and public lands are easy drops to get in and out of.
My guess is timing of the pregnancy so close to the disappearance is not to be ignored 🍼
Kyle, you have a talent with making old cold cases seem interesting and relevant.
The Drug Tracking thing would be the most plausible thing, the amount of people who are murdered or just "disappear" along the border every year on both sides of the border is crazy, and most of them go unsolved.
@@orionsriddle4002 he still comes up missing on the missing persons directory for Cochise County. Where did you hear this?
@@orionsriddle4002I can have nothing to do with murder either and still be murdered 🤯
@@orionsriddle4002 If that's what happened to him then what's the point of the video even being made?
@eljefe8829 this person keeps commenting the same thing over and over yet doesn't respond and can't share any proof. Weird.
@@orionsriddle4002 article? Proof? They only told you? In researching the guy it still shows him missing. I think you just like making comments to see if people will respond. Well played but your age is showing.
Chiricahua is a must-go park with great day hikes. That aside, the ranger station is at the base of the mountain, in a canyon. There's only one road in / out. The "truck abduction" theory makes sense. Sounds like he was buying *something* because why would he leave his ID + personal items behind? It's not like those things are going to weigh you down. He thought someone might take them. Dude was in a bad situation and it got worse, it sounds.
6:36 "He left his personal items behind." That didn't sit right with me. Maybe he went to "disappear." But I agree that the NPS is an evil organization.
While an alien abduction seems like an unlikely explanation, it is probably at least as probable as the suggestion that he was disappeared by his supervisors at the National Park Service. 😝
I showed my wife a couple of your videos a few days ago and having just moved from Arizona to Colorado I may not show her this one. She’ll never let me go hiking/camping again 😂😂😂
You could find a partner to hike with just to ease her mind.
I've long joked that "when I check out, you'll be lucky to find the body." Sick joke yea. Seems to me Paul found the "train station" and played a nasty little joke on us all.
I agree!
Maybe they have a train station. Maybe many train stations. I live in Phoenix and I'll tell you in buckeye and Tonopah az there's literally lots of places that deserve that moniker.
Thank you Kyle , incredible story
Crazy scary disappearance
You should do a video on Fern Baird. I was the last person to see her here at the hotel i manage. Police screwed it all up and to date shes not been found. I love your videos, thank you
I've lived 2.5 miles from 140 miles of desert wilderness for over 20 years. Its easy to get lost, especially if you run out of water or gas. Some places dont have cell service. There's only about 3 million people in NW Arizona. In a vast scary wilderness.
Really excited for this! I live near the Chiricahuas. Patrolled in them, camped and hiked them.
They can be brutal! And honestly, trying to find someone would be hard, trust me, I’ve been there. But…they are the only natural water source in that area.
I. Have been following a few weeks and "cudos" to your channel. You are thorough and present the stories with info worth hearing . you do a very good job 💯 Joyce in Tahoe
I'm totally hooked on this content lol Awesome channel btw
Why does a ranger need all that cash? Anything on the possibility he was dealing? That’s also a good motivation to have gotten his job back.
Maybe a deal hit a snag?
I had the same thought about the parks service being responsible! I’m equally surprised it wasn’t brought up
I’m your research. Seems very possible.
Kyle always knows what we want!!
He and one other ranger were on duty at the visitor center from 8:30 to 4:30 but he went for a "hike" at 2:00, telling the other ,probably less senior, ranger to close up without him if he wasn't back in time. So was he just goofing off on the job or was there something else going on...
Good video, just FYI, he's not the only Park Ranger that has gone missing sadly.
Yes, but as he said, this is the only missing park ranger that has never been found.
Honestly, Paul's conflict with the National Parks Service sounds run of the mill. Employers deal with that sort of behavior all the time. Killing him would be ludicrous. I just think that when he went missing, the employer just wanted to wash their hands of him and find a reason for letting him go.
"At will" employment....
Neither side needs a "good" reason, or any reason to terminate employment. You are correct, it would have been very easy.
If there is a union there may have to be an arbitration hearing and a settlement.
Here’s the thing…
The one theory you didn’t cover, is actually what the majority of locals believe happened.
Which is that he himself was tacitly *involved* in the “coyote/mule” business and was using his in-depth knowledge of the area, the approximate location/movement of the other park rangers and any other pertinent information that his position gave him access to-in order to help facilitate illegal transportations across the border.
And as anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature can tell you…dealing with cartels (even in seemingly “small/simple” ways) is incredibly risky and not conducive to having a long, safe and healthy life. 🤷♀️
So, the general consensus here, is that things inevitably went sideways and he got himself killed by the cartel/s.
Whether it be that he majorly screwed up by giving them incorrect/bad information, made the wrong person/people angry, simply annoyed someone, was deemed “disrespectful”, made some type of demand/s that he shouldn’t have, messed around with the wrong woman/daughter/niece/granddaughter/sister/etc. (there are literally innumerable missteps he could’ve made) and it bit him in the ass. 🤷♀️
Hence why there has never been a single trace of him found in 40+ years.
Because the main cartels don’t leave traces behind-unless done so intentionally.
In official investigations, they had at least 2 different witnesses who reported seeing him being carted off in a truck. But no physical evidence. The drugs/smuggling/ cartel explanation is most plausible for that area.
@@eh3477 exactly! All of the pieces fit together with the theory. Which is why it’s the one that everyone believes in the area.
If you're correct and he went for a hike and got lost, he may have wandered into a small cave of some kind.. which may explain why they never located his body.... If that's correct his body is somewhere close to where he disappeared.... probably hidden in some way from obvious line of sight...
sWhile listening to this mystery, my first thought was the person that hated Paul the most. What's the motive? Not the affair resulting in a pregnancy, it's what happened before this took place with the female coworker. I live in Arizona, and there are numerous mine shafts where mules that died transporting the paydirt would be dumped. His bones hidden amongst them. Sad story. Only God knows. Pray for Paul's soul. RIP🙌🕊️
Just because the NPS weren’t happy with the guy, does not provide an ounce of proof that NPS was involved in his disappearance. Making that kind of assumption is a pretty far stretch, particularly since these are federally commissioned law enforcement officers. What is missing from this report, is the fact that he came upon a couple of poachers just days before, and I would imagine those poachers were none too happy with him. I wonder if anyone has talked to them? The drug smuggler scenario is highly likely as well. Many smugglers purposefully hide out on public lands, and more than one ranger has been threatened by them.
I just wrote a similar comment. He was fired 5 YEARS previously for some pretty overt and repeated insubordination. He fairly got his job back, and there's no evidence that the staff at Chiricahua hated him, or were closeted murderers! While investgators don't have a final answer, there are way better news reports available online. And a different people reported seeing him being carted off in a vehicle.
The murder speculation here is just sad and irresponsible. Someone's been watching way too much bad TV. (This is the first time I've learned that the NPS, mostly composed of underpaid folks who deeply love nature, actually go around murdering employees they dislike. Who knew!!)
@@eh3477 Exactly…..clickbait. No reason to jump to crazy conclusions like the NPS murdered him. I’ve known several rangers. They are vastly underpaid and overworked, but they are there because they love the wilderness and wild places. They are mostly in the job for the natural landscapes. There are way too many of these channels that find stories about people who disappeared, then overdramatize them. Most people who die in the wilderness die from mundane reasons, and I am actually amazed at how many people survive the wilderness (I’ve had some close calls myself). There are dozens of reasons for someone not being found, but in this case, the most likely reason is drug smugglers / drug related. It’s fairly well-established in this area.
@@voiceOreezn Thanks for your comments. I agree that NPS Rangers are underpaid and quiet heroes who love what they do.
6:35. Or it could indicate the exact opposite. He wanted to be gone forever.
Another great story. Have you of the Randy Morgenson story? One of my favorite outdoors books, The Last Season.
Yup, I covered his story in a video earlier this year
Whatever became of babymama? Was she or anyone near her ever a suspect?
The National Park Service, as an organization, is incapable of purposely killing someone.
I agree. People that come up with these ideas talk about these organizations as if they are a single person. The Park Service is many people. And they don't care about one rangers salary. It's peanuts to them. And they surely don't have access to hit men or assassins on call to murder employees for them. That is so ridiculous,it's stupid.
More likely one of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng's victims. They were serial killers active in the area in the early 1980s.
The idea the entire parks service is involved is ludicrous. They aren’t the mob.
little green men is more believable
16:46 That was literally my first thought. The question is, how does a park ranger of all people go missing without a trace? Well, the answer (to my mind) is that a park ranger is the best person to disappear without a trace because they're the person who best knows how a person vanishes into the wilderness. So, who better to disappear a person than an organisation _full_ of park rangers? Especially in an area known for drug trafficking ... oh this park ranger has gone missing, gee, must have accidentally stumbled across drug traffickers.
Yeah man. NPS is my #1 suspect.
The best thing to keep in mind is unless you have been through a similar situation then what is normal can seem suspicious because there is a lack of experience.
Something else to keep in mind is police & investigators are professionals. IF they say that sounds suspicious, then chances are its suspicious. We had a high profile missing persons case in my area, and the family were seen as potential suspects, while they ran other leads. As often as people who are harmed, know their assailant, this seems like investigation 101.
You'd think the National Parks Service would encourage a hippie look..especially in the Southwest portion of the US, no matter what decade.
If he decided to suicide because of getting a mistress pregnant and having all the ongoing dramas with his employer he would know exactly where to go and do it without never being found.
true crime on hikes: what a fascinating niche audience you have, and I'm all in!!!
What we always say at work, those who have more experience doing a job take their ability to do it for granted. When you factor out people who hike with absolutely no knowledge or experience, it’s those who think they know the risks and hazards who put themselves at most risk by thinking the dangers aren’t a danger for them. We see it time and time again. But Paul sounds a real trip. Meant as a compliment. What a wild guy. Good for him and his wife suing the parks service.
It's super hard to get fired from a government job, the fact that he did says he must have been an absolute dead loss as a worker. The physical hygiene/grooming may have been the deal breaker. With most government jobs even if you don't really act the part, as long as you at least LOOK the part, (and have a pleasant attitude), they'll usually let it slide.
Way to propagate a stereotype 😂. There are over twenty million government jobs, counting federal, state, and local. To say that any one thing is true about each of those twenty million calls your intellect into question. I've worked for the government as a programmer and my experience and observations at NASA OIG do not at all fall in line with this concept.
@@parrotperson1973 So you worked for NASA? When was the last time someone in NASA got fired because a space shuttle blew up on re-entry or a 100 million dollar satellite crashed into Mars? I’m guessing never. What I wrote holds true about 99% of the time. That’s why its a stereotype. Any career civil servant or public servant has to screw up mightily in order to be fired. In fact it almost never happens.
One of the beautiful National Parks in Arizona. Rugged terrain once inhabited by the Chiricahuas. Unfortunately also one of the routes cartels use to bring drugs and people into the United States. Many of us who knew Paul have long searched for and many will continue to search, but those mountains have kept their secrets for centuries and will continue to do so. The treatment of Paul and his family by the Park Service was shameful and a stain on the Park Service.
This is one time I actually think you're on to something. It is suspicious that the Park Service treated him so cruel. But then the wife is sus as hell cause if I'm not back or my hubby from a hike (an hour earlier than stated) we are all over it. It's such a sad case. I think its definitely 1 of the 2 theories 🤔. Excellent coverage, heard his story before but not in that much detail. Living in Southern NM I know back in 80s and even today it can be scary out here with shady ppl.
RIP Paul
I could swear I saw another video where they said they found his walkie-talkie and a couple of other items at the top of a cliff overlooking some water. Maybe it was a river maybe it was a lake?
They also said that the walkie-talkie was turned on which made them suspect that he had been listening to them so he would be able to stay away from people finding him
Does anyone else remember hearing this?
You're thinking of Randy Morgenson
Loving your videos, Kyle. Great work!
This is a really confusing case. I think getting lost would've been less likely as he should've known the area extremely well. Did he have a middle age crisis and move to the Philippines? Who knows...
I think he didn't want to be found. It sounds like his life was getting too messy, and he sounds like the kind of person who wouldn't like a complicated life. Easier to run away. I wonder if he often went for a hike in the middle of the day, or was this unusual?
@@lynnw7155uncomplicated people don't have open marriages lol. He was checking the trail not just hiking it, sounded to me like a regular part of the job but I'm not sure
@@orionsriddle4002stop spamming badly resarched stuff about another case, you're confusing people. This is not Randy Morgenson.
@@Ninchennase right! This person has been corrected and told that they have the cases mixed up but continues to tell people he was found. Just step up and admit you were mixed up!
I was thinking the same thing as you! The employer had something to do with it! There are a few people people at his work that could have had issues with him.
A tree had blown over near our property a few years ago. Friend came to take it, and during that time almost died. He cut the largest part from the stump. He went into the hole the stump, relieve himself after. On his way out, the huge part of the tree that was cut released tension, and closed the huge flap of forest floor with the stump that ripped up the hole. Almost disappeared him, His wife was with him and loading fire wood, she had no idea though that had happened to him. So Close To A Mysterious Disappearance. That's Just Scary
I need to know how he got rescued! You ended with a cliffhanger! 😂
Holy crap
@@nturavrgchick6055 Sorry, lol, he is good. He said the second he stepped out of the hole, It slammed down with all the earth it ripped up when it blew over. The hole was deep enough to pull the roots up, which he said was about 5-7 feet deep.
Your Theory #3 was my first theory. :O
I was just in the Chiricahuas. It beautiful and the amount of wildlife was unbelievable. But the wilderness area is known to be used by drug runners and Coyotes.
It was not known for drug running in the 80’s. Local here and camped many times there in the 70 and 80’s and that was last thing you were concerned about. Post 9/11 and the placement of Border Patrol permanent checkpoints has forced drug traffickers to backpack the challenging Chiricahua’s.
18:23 Yeah, because the old boys in the parks service who did this have now retired or passed away and can't influence the parks service anymore.
One of theories I've seen float around about him is gang/cartel activity, but the cause of his disappearance could be as mundane as falling into a hole or being wedged between some rocks.
Yeah that 3rd theory is what I was thinking earlier when you were talking about the park services and them suddenly cutting his benefits saying he abandoned his job. Not to mention all those years they butted heads with Paul.
Just a side note or FYI: in the '70s and '80s men had long hair and beards especially in the '70s
Yes, and there were plenty of free spirits who worked in the NPS at the time who managed to get along just fine. People with long hair and beards were still expected to keep them well groomed if in a NPS job working with visitors.
You can use polygraph results in typical court situations if both parties agree to the stipulation before the test is conducted. Of course that’s rarely agreed to since they have to agree before the results are known.
The national park service was definitely suspicious to me too, even before you mentioned your theory.
I think about all the times I went hiking by myself.... Creepy.
Kyle, you are not alone in your theory. My first thought was that the park service had something to do with his disappearance. They clearly hated him and tried to get rid of him. His reinstatement infuriated them... he was like salt in their wound
💯💯💯💯
Paul may have been involved with the smugglers, why would he go out anywhere without a radio seems suspicious
Yes, it's very strange that he left the radio, I think the radio is a very important item for a ranger.
11:57 - lol, didn't expect that, that truck is almost identical to the classic truck we have, its not a Chevy its a 1967 dodge, plus or minus a couple years