The natural inclination for me would still be to research the man as much as possible. When it did happen, he was in it. In my opinion, everything you said was point on. He was 90 years old. And thats when I learned that a 32-year-old Michigan native and medical student was the person who had finally solved Fenns poem. But now the most recent Fenn lawsuit has shown that Fenn, Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student at the time, found the treasure in 2020. Did you figure out hoB before you ever went BOTG to your search area? All Rights Reserved. Great responses on 6 questions. Maybe he had time to prepare. That was a healthy way to approach it. The end of the treasure hunt may finally be drawing to a close. Five searchers died in the course of the hunt. Jack Stuef has not revealed the location where he found Forrest Fenn's treasure chest. :). When a lucky searcher struck gold and found the chest in June, Fenn did not identify the winner, who wished to remain anonymous, and he did not reveal the location of the chest, telling ABC News after it was found that he "hid it in a pretty good place.". It was right there this whole time. Thats tough to say because I wasnt tracking myself with GPS and being systematic enough in 2018, but my feeling when I first went there early in the search season in 2019 was that it was an area of the forest I had never been in before. I think maybe Forrest knew the blaze was damaged when he left the chest, and thats why you would have been wise to find it. As for his past, Jack graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in English in 2010 before starting his career as a writer. No. Any idea what they were used for? Jack briefly communicated with Forrest over emails, but he did not know him personally until the chest find and had not met him in person. It fits a dictionary definition of the word and is used correctly in context. Ranger Sarah Davis has admitted that Fenn and Jack Stuef, the 30-something medical student who found Fenn's treasure in the summer of 2020, revealed the location to her during a Zoom call. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? I think a lot of people would come to see it, and it would give a lot of closure to a lot of people. Since the announcement that it was found in Wyoming, Ive been working on a new Wyoming solve. If that is the case with me, I would be happy to receive them, but I think it would be prudent that I first return your treasure to you so you can fully verify that it belongs to you. Do you think you would have found the treasure a lot sooner with a body at the spot? in December of that year, just before being added as a defendant to one of the lawsuitsmy texts and emails were hackedwhich forced his hand. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! I think and hope I would still keep it to myself, but who knows where my emotions would be at that point. He read Fenn's memoir, "The Thrill of the Chase," and learned everything he could about the eccentric millionaire before starting his search for the treasure. Download the app. Thank you Jack for all the questions you have answered and I hope that some likeness of normal returns quickly to you, your family and Forrests family. Its probably something that was in the back of his mind that he came back to occasionally to work on. This thing has intrinsic value and its part of a bigger story with a lot of parts. Trash & recycling. You did what thousands of us could not. This area is a huge marsh with a much smaller section of trees. Because I promised the finder I would not reveal who found it or where, I have remained mostly silent, Fenn writes. It took nearly a decade since hed buried it in 2010 for someone to untangle all the clues hed left on his website and in the poem, but a man from back east, Forrest stated, who wished to remain anonymous, had finally done it. I dont think he was spending hours on it each day. . 2. or rather suddenly (like, if not specifically, the things Forrest Fenn lists: mudslides, forest fires, earthquakes, and floods)? My best guess is at Amelia Earharts cabin near Meeteetse. For a treasure hunt that was supposed to be real-life Indiana Jones, the finale left everyone jonesing for more information. Q2 Have you thought about saving the same location to have your ashes rest? Me personally, I was never a good treasure hunter. So while he remained guarded about his solve and the location where he discovered the treasure, he now didn't mind telling me who he really was. Been wiseis using the past tense been important? A lot of people have commented on how clean the chest looked in the photo with you and Forrest, did you clean it up? An affidavit filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit confirms that the treasure was buried inside an iconic American landmark, and now officials are scrambling to keep the exact location secret. Its that concept of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. To learn more, check with your department of interest. Fenn teased the treasures location in his 2010 memoir The Thrill of the Chase. In particular, a 24-line poem was used as the only information needed to discover the box left unburied in the Rocky Mountains. Stuef found it on June 6 in Wyoming -- two years after his quest began -- in the place where Fenn wrote that he wished to die. Shiloh Forrest Old is a grandson of Forrest Fenn, the man who buried the treasure. I think that the answers to these questions would be interesting to say the least, but too general to peg the treasures former location. I put all this to tax attorney Larry Brant, who I consulted with. In terms of covering the hunt, Id like to think I was mostly rational, but there were times I fell into some conspiracy theory-type things. A man who claims to have found the elusive treasure belonging to eccentric collector Forrest Fenn has just revealed in his identity in an online post. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The online community plays a part in that. That kinda blew my mind, that someone actively searching could be so close and not know. Congratulations, again! Thanks again to everyone who has sent me such kind messages and shared interesting questions and stories of your searchers and what Forrest meant to you. But then, it also seems like Stuef knew he was going to find the treasure long before he did. First of all, Congratulations! It was not until after Fenns death in September 2020 that Jack Stuef posted an anonymous blog post about the find. Based in Denver, Colorado, Elliott spends time running, hiking, camping, slinging beers, and occasionally fishing. He quickly identified the area of interest in Wyoming and spent 25 days over the next two years searching the location. He has been writing about the outdoor industry, running, cycling, camping, and more for nearly a decade. It was almost universal condemnation. See pricing and listing details of Philadelphia real estate for sale. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Is this an original key, or a cheap replica? A grandson of Forrest Fenn has confirmed that a medical school student from Michigan found a more than $1 million treasure chest that the retired art and antiquities dealer. 2. Sooooo, is there an album or artist that you listened to that sticks out when you reminisce back on your WY adventures ? When youre holding a treasure in your hands, its the coolest thing in the world. At that time, it had been going on for 7 years and I had not heard of it. would at least let me know if i have been mistakenly attached to this spot. Thanks Dave. His name is Jack Stuef. I have spoken to so many who felt like Fenn gave them some personal message or clue. 4. But finder (or hired writer) Jack Stuef says he didnt solve the poem, he found it by figuring out the general area where Fenn wanted to die, then looked for 25 days until he found it. The things that seem crazy when you start seem normal a year or two into it. I can fall victim to theories and wanting to believe just as much as everyone else. That place will be hidden for the ages. And yes, in theory, somebody else roughly figured out the general area and couldnt find the thing. I am the person who found Forrests famed treasure. Let me just add to the many congratulations youve already received. And Ive had some of those people email me. For information on a specific SEPTA route, view the real-time system status. Then, in July, it came out that it was found in Wyoming. They were not happy about this fake blaze, and their anger was expressed very similarly to the anger that Jack Stuef expressed about the fake blaze he encountered. And Stuefs first email reads like it was written by a committee of lawyers. Jonathan "Jack" Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student from Michigan, has come forward as the finder of Forrest Fenn's fabled hidden treasure. Fenn later came out and said its in the Rockies and my hypothesis was that he didnt want this to end too fast and hed expanded the area to four states. For the most part, we stayed away from anything too dangerous. In preparation, Sommer subpoenaed Stuef for a deposition. Do you have to go physically into the canyon? :P. Hope youre doing well and really appreciate again you taking time from your day to give a stranger some closure! One states Taylor Swift must have known the location because two of her albums are full of clues, per the Santa Fe New Mexican. Davis surveyed the area the following week and concluded that the spot was not set up to handle the increased foot traffic that revealing the location might bring. The greatest value of his quotes lies in how they clarify the nature of the problem at hand and how one may go about solving it. However, there are a couple of anomalies: Profiling all this and much more, CBS 48 Hours: The Fenn Treasure shows us precisely what went down with several of the individuals involved in the hunt, most notably, the one who found it, Jack Stuef. The number of people who go to the point that they were neglecting their home lives was pretty rare. September 23, 2020 Medium publishes a blog entitled A Remembrance of Forrest Fenn from an anonymous author that simply goes by The Finder. The lawsuits make some pretty outrageous claims. June 6, 2020 Fenn writes on his blog that the treasure has been found. I watched your video on confirmation bias and thought it was extremely helpful. He declined to comment until his case is resolved, and its set to begin proceedings in June. The 2002 show called Push, Nevada and the book Mysterious Stranger by magician David Blaine are just two examples of Jacks attractions. (Read more Forrest Fenn treasure stories.). Fenn made the announcement on his blog last weekend, saying that an adventurer from the East found the chest. I will say I was aware of that comment and did offer to make that happen. A 32-year-old medical student has been identified as the finder of a million-dollar treasure that evaded seekers for more than a decade. No, and he was somewhat surprised when I told him it had happened. Wealthy New Mexico antiquities dealer Forrest Fenn filled a bronze chest with more than $1 million in gold, jewels and other valuables and hid it somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, leaving nothing but a cryptic poem he wrote in 2010 as a clue on how to find it. Q3 If everything went as FF had first planned and took his life at the spot. June 6 Fenn writes on his blog that the treasure has been found. Follow. Department of Corrections. Thanks Guy. Begin ittake it Is it and actual thing and not simply your quest? If TTOTC was the only piece of writing he ever wrote, I would have found that very strange. - I didnt ask him that, but it wouldnt surprise me. POWELL The identity of the "finder" of Forrest Fenn's famed treasure has been revealed as Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old Michigan resident, though the location remains a mystery. I think its vague to the reader coming into it cold, but those words held deep meaning for him. Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student from Michigan, identified himself as the finder of Fenn's treasure in an interview to Outside magazine, in which he said a recent lawsuit threatened his anonymity. He told Yellowstone National Parks chief ranger, Sarah Davis. Also, Fenn said the person who find it would have analyzed and then moved with confidence. You find one or two things that make you think this may be a workable area. But cmon.). Theres a lot of lure to that treasure box. Also, on December 7, the website Outside Magazine also published an article confirming Stuef as the finder. He wrote what he wanted to say. In the summer of 2020, the decade-long Forrest Fenn treasure hunt ended in a tangled mess of conspiracy theories, wild accusations, and protracted legal proceedings. Although details have slowly surfaced since Jack Stuef located the gold-filled chest, the greatest Fenn mystery of all remained unsolved: Where was the treasure hidden? that the treasure was found in Yellowstone, which is why Stuef wouldnt share any specifics: found property. Thanks Donna. I wish I were making that up. I dont know exactly how genetics or appearance plays into that, but Im sure there are some similarities to growing up a white boy in America with an August birthday and an older brother whether its the 1930s or 1990s. I never could find a blaze from there that would take me off the trail.. Chicago lawyer Barbara Andersen claimed in a lawsuit filed in New Mexico federal court in June that whomever found the treasure had hacked her emails and texts to do so a claim that Stuef. According to a document that recently turned up on a treasure-hunting forum, Stuef applied for tax status and apparently moved to Puerto Ricowhere there is almost no capital gains taxin September 2019, nine months before he found the treasure. (Not I, I assure you!). I mean was it like a football oval size area, or something bigger or smaller? The treasure chest's finder: a Pennsylvania medical school student. Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student at the time, found the treasure in 2020. I would like to ask: what gave you confidence in your search location? Well done! Haha. Cookie Notice I understand how, in the absence of information, people fill that void in with theories. The Man Who Found Forrest Fenns Treasure,, four best theories on Fenns treasure location, MeatEater Land Access Initiative Donation, American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon. His name is Jack Stuef. You can read more about Stuef and his backstory here. Or do you think that Forrest had a different view of the chests spot with the blaze still intact? He is a medical student in Michigan with actual student loans (as some have speculated to be false from his previous Medium article on the chest find). I ask that second question because I know I would have gone through it piece by piece. In terms of being a treasure hunter, you get a little less rational. I mean for me my location, Browns Canyon Colorado, one that I visited 40 plus times in 4 years, was derived entirely from the poem, but I was obviously wrong. ABC News' Marilyn Heck and Clayton Sandell contributed to this report. Trash and recycling collections are on schedule. Ive been pondering the problem of you being willing to communicate with other seekers, wanting to provide useful and interesting information, but not wanting to give away the treasure site. He has freelanced for other publications such as Outside Business Journal, Gear Patrol, and before that, various newspapers. Although, I can speak for myself that I had a lot of fun and many times felt like Alice in Wonderland :). In 2020, Fenn simply announced that the treasure had been found yet gave no details about its location or its finder. 1. 1. Which brings us to Jamie McCracken, theFlorida man now hunting for treasure in a New Mexico courtroom. Through the time to Fenns death, I think a lot of people, myself included, felt like we werent getting the full story. You already know that the treasure was found, so the book spends most of its time exploring the drive and conviction behind its hunters over the last 4 years of the search. Overall, he saw it as a force for good and wanted to protect it. After Fenn died in September it seemed like that day would never come. It was Yellowstone for me from day one. For more information, please see our He found the chest and gold in the summer of 2020. But then, it also seems like Stuef knew he was going to find the treasure long before he did. I was a little bit too standard. He said he does not plan to so that the location is kept safe. Dan Barbarisi: I came to the chase in early 2017 when my hunting partner Jay Raynor, aka Beep, brought it up. Also, and perhaps you can answer this question, did Forest know at the time that he made an error? And without his many comments on simplicity and the straightforwardness of the poem, I think it would have been more difficult to understand the scope of the undertaking and his perspective on the poem, which I think are crucial to figuring out what it means. Whoever found the treasure would have to maneuver very carefully if they wanted to keep it. But nobody was looking there, because it wasnt very good. Heres a brief timeline on how we got here: He says he retrieved it June 6, which raises some questions. Ahead of proceedings set for June, a lawyer for Fenn's estate has subpoenaed Stuef for a deposition, hoping he'll say that he followed the clues in the poem contained in Fenn's memoir to the original hiding spot. I think some people read too much into that 15 years comment. His name is Jack Stuef. I havent been able to get to all of them, but Ive tried my best to get back to people when Ive had time. He also states that there are 10 or so other clues hidden in a poem in his self-published book, The Thrill of the Chase.. In other words, were any of the after the fact Forrest Fenn quotes critical to your solve? My question is,. Jack first learned of the treasure hunt in 2018 from tweets. And I wasnt allowed to open it. After the announcement in June 2020, there were maybe two days of people being excited, and then when it was clear they werent going to get a full explanation out of Fenn, it turned in a hurry. If so, was this info part of the ancillary evidence that aided you in the search? Finder of Rocky Mountain treasure chest identified as 32-year-old medical student - ABC News Finder of Rocky Mountain treasure chest identified as 32-year-old medical student He revealed himself after a court order would have made his identity public. One last question referring to your previous answer, if you dont mind! Thanks. His view seemed to be that the location of the treasure became public information when Fenn published his poem. Or that every word was intentional? The Fenn treasure hunt began in 2010, when the wealthy art dealer hid a chest filled with gold and jewels from his personal collection somewhere in the Rocky mountains, then published a 24-line poem containing clues to its location.