The Bennington Triangle Disappearances
"Bennington Triangle" is a phrase coined by American author Joseph A. Citro to denote an area of southwestern Vermont within which a number of people went missing between 1945 and 1950. The region's dense forests and rugged terrain seem to swallow people whole, leaving behind no clues, no bodies, and no logical explanations.
The legend of the Bennington Triangle is built around five specific cases that have baffled investigators and intrigued paranormal enthusiasts for decades.
1. Midshipman James Tetford (December 1, 1949) The most bizarre disappearance involves James Tetford, a U.S. Navy midshipman. Tetford was on a bus traveling to Bennington, the town where he lived at a soldiers' home. Witnesses on the bus confirmed he was on board and his belongings were in the luggage rack. The bus was relatively crowded. Yet, when the bus arrived at its destination, Tetford was gone. His luggage remained, and no one on the bus could recall seeing him leave. It was as if he simply vanished into thin air between stops.
2. Paula Jean Welden (December 1, 1946) Exactly three years prior to Tetford's disappearance, college sophomore Paula Jean Welden vanished while hiking on the Long Trail near Glastenbury Mountain. She was seen by several people heading up the trail late in the afternoon, but she never returned. A massive search ensued, involving the FBI and local authorities, but not a single trace of her was ever found.
3. Bennington's Other Victims The cluster includes three other cases:
Middie Rivers (November 12, 1945): A 74-year-old experienced hunter who disappeared while hunting near the area. Only one single spent rifle casing was found.
Paul Jephson (October 12, 1950): An 8-year-old boy who disappeared from the back seat of his family’s truck near the northern edge of the Triangle.
Frieda Langer (October 28, 1950): Langer was hiking with her cousin when she slipped and fell into a stream. She decided to head back to camp to change clothes, promising to return. She was never seen alive again. Her body was eventually found in July 1951 in an open area that had been searched multiple times. The cause of death was impossible to determine, only adding to the mystery.
