Episode 126: Information Not Found...
Get the 411 on the 411. No, not those 411, the other 411! Confused? That's to be expected. This time we get tangled up in the weblike string of the old "crazy board" and try not to lose ourselves in the wild conspiracy of The Missing 411... And along the way we'll visit some National Parks too!
Content Warning: This episode discusses topics that some listeners might find upsetting or disturbing.
As always, please come join the episode discussion on the Least Haunted Discord!
Enjoy the images below!
Mail from the PO Box! Thanks to Kenn and Margaret for the stickers and posters! They really help tie the HQ together!
David Paulides: former "detective," Bigfoot researcher, conspiracy theorist, and scam artist. A news article regarding David's early career work for The San Jose Police Department in San Jose CA. Paulides was "King of The Bookstore Detail" which involved him entrapping gay men at adult bookstores and watching porn on the taxpayer dime. In 1987 David was demoted after a police brutality incident in which he and a group of other officers severely beat a black man whom they believed had resisted arrest days earlier. He was taken off the streets and became a *Court Liaison * for the department. During this time he began scamming celebrities on stolen SJ Police Department stationary for autographs. These were either for his own personal collection, or possibly to sell for profit. He was tried and sentenced to a fine and being fired from the department.
In the early 2000's he began researching Bigfoot and wrote two books on the subject before teaming up with Dr. Melba Ketchum. Ketchum ran two different (fraudulent) DNA analysis companies. The two conducted "research" and "analysis" on supposed Bigfoot DNA and wrote a study on their findings. They claimed Bigfoot was a human primate hybrid, and potentially an unidentified Indigenous American tribe. Their research was rejected by every peer reviewed journal, so they started their own to publish the single article and nothing again.
Sometime in around the Bigfoot Study, David claims that while on a visit to a National Park he was approached by a park ranger with disturbing information. This would be the impetus for David's journey down the rabbit hole and into a vast conspiracy that he would eventually dub, "The Missing 411."
David has since written 12 books, and released 3 documentaries outlining the supposed conspiracy. The conspiracy is that 1000's of people go missing in National Parks and National Forest Land. And that these disappearances all share certain commonalities and are being actively covered up by the government and parks service.
This is a "Cluster Map" of the Missing 411 cases. Why Missing 411? Because in the first two volume book David covered 411 cases. Later he would retcon the name to mean "Missing Information" since in The United States 411 is the phone number the public can call for information.
And here is a map of US National Parks for comparison.
The criteria David has come up with that a case needs to match to be a Missing 411 case are very common and laughable in context. Things such as: presence of granite or water near by. Granite is the most common rock that makes up the Earth's crust, and the planet is 70% water. All you need to do is spend a few moments looking over the website and associated store to see what David's game really is here. This is a grift. A very successful money making grift.
David is careful to never fully explain what he thinks is going on, but he will infer and imply very heavily. (Everything from Bigfoot, to Aliens, weaponized portal technology, and government experimentation). For a comparison, here is a map of known cave systems in the US. Notice anything? They match up pretty well with his Cluster Map. Maybe people are getting lost in caves?
Either way, It is not a conspiracy. It is simple reality and statistics. People go to the parks in the millions. The National Parks and Forest Land are wild areas that are dangerous to humans. Wild animals, terrain, maybe even other people… There is nothing unusual about any of this. But David Paulides (Who has a history of scamming and misconduct) has built a media kingdom out of this half baked conspiracy.
GARTH'S CORNER! GARTH'S CORNER!
Edward Abbey, who spent two seasons as a Ranger at Arches National Park in the 1950’s and advocated for keeping the parks as undeveloped as possible.
A note from this gnome: Public lands are one of the most amazing things this country has done to preserve the wilderness and wildlife of the United States. Public lands are for everyone and should be enjoyed by everyone. Be kind and respectful of nature and keep our public lands safe and lasting for generations to come ❤️
