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Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky is home to the longest cave system ever discovered, extending 400 miles (644 km) with another 600 miles (966 km) still unexplored. In 1839, Dr. Croghan of Louisville, Kentucky, purchased Mammoth Cave for $10,000. At the time, tuberculosis treatments were limited, so Croghan hoped to turn the cave into a sanitarium, but it proved to be ineffective for that purpose.
Located across Edmonson, Hart, and Barren Counties, with the Green River flowing through its grounds, Mammoth Cave became a national park in 1941. Since the 1800s, many individuals have gone missing within Mammoth Cave or its surrounding areas. While some were found alive, others tragically passed away. Some individuals, however, vanished without a trace. This article highlights 10 of the most remarkable cases of people who disappeared in Mammoth Cave National Park.
10. Orla Alyne J. Barrick
On April 12, 1996, Orla Alyne J. Barrick was last seen talking to a neighbor on Laurel Ridge Road in Mammoth Cave around 2 pm. Barrick lived alone near the Nolin River. After authorities broke into Barrick's cabin, they found the lights were off, bloodstains on the carpet, and the sofa was displaced. Barrick's dentures were found soaking, and a cigarette, still burning, sat on a shelf. The dog was discovered locked in a crate.
Barrick's family believes the dentures left behind indicate that Alyne did not expect any more visitors that evening. The only items missing from Barrick's cabin were a fitted sheet and her purse. Interestingly, the $400 Barrick kept in a freezer remained untouched, ruling out the possibility of a robbery. Additionally, the blood found at the scene wasn't enough to suggest death, and there were no signs of forced entry. While foul play has always been suspected in Barrick's case, the mystery remains unsolved.
On February 7, 1997, a fisherman at Mammoth Cave found clumps of human hair belonging to Barrick in the Green River. Despite thorough searches of the area, neither Barrick nor any additional evidence were found. Since that discovery, no further trace of Barrick has emerged.
9. Michael Leland Vincent
Michael Leland Vincent vanished on May 5, 2011, in Brownsville, Kentucky, while on parole. He disappeared from a burning house he shared with his mother and aunt. Vincent had been convicted in 2005 for assault, unlawful imprisonment, and arson.
Some speculate that Vincent may have intentionally set his house on fire to escape the consequences of his criminal charges and staged his own disappearance. Others believe that something else may have happened to him. Between 2002 and 2018, six separate fires were reported along Oak Grove Church Road. While forest fires from lightning or human activities are common in national parks like Mammoth Cave, the exact cause of Vincent's disappearance remains uncertain.
Brownsville, located in Edmonson County, is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Mammoth Cave, where Vincent lived. He was last seen standing in the driveway of his home on Oak Grove Church Road. Vincent, a Caucasian male with brown hair and brown eyes, was spotted without a shirt. He can be recognized by his tattoos of a dragon, grim reaper, and a flag.
8. Ronald Edward Baldwin
In June 2004, during a weekend, Ronald Baldwin and his 12-year-old neighbor rode ATVs on Baldwin’s 300-acre property on Buckner Hill North Road in Bonnieville, located in Hart County, Kentucky. This area is just a short 20-minute drive from Mammoth Cave.
At one point, the 12-year-old returned to refuel his ATV. However, when he came back, he was unable to find Ronald, the 54-year-old man. The boy, who has been described as mentally handicapped, may not have been able to communicate effectively if he witnessed something happen to Ronald, who was well-versed in outdoor activities.
After Ronald failed to return the next day, his girlfriend reported him missing. She mentioned that it was not unusual for him to be gone for long periods while four-wheeling. A search party soon located Ronald’s abandoned ATV, alongside his glasses, shoes, and an unfinished bottle of whiskey.
No trace of Ronald has ever been discovered. Authorities do not suspect foul play in his disappearance. Sadly, Baldwin’s mother passed away in 2015 without ever knowing what happened to her son. As of 2023, Ronald remains missing. He has tattoos of a naked woman, a flag, and a sword.
7. Tony Ray Choate
In September 1993, Tony Choate, then 25, went out for a four-wheel ride around noon in Bonnieville. He was wearing cut-off jeans and his wedding band. After leaving his father-in-law’s house on his ATV, Choate was supposed to wait for the local bus to drop off his child before heading out. However, Choate never returned and was never heard from again.
Choate had a history of leaving home for long distances, including trips to Florida and California, so his disappearance initially seemed normal. Over time, however, law enforcement uncovered evidence suggesting foul play may have been involved.
Authorities excavated concrete, searched nearby caves in Mammoth Park, but never found Choate, alive or deceased. His family remembers him as a young man who had the potential to become an upstanding individual.
6. Josephine Poteet
Josephine Poteet was born on her family’s farm in the late 19th century in an area that would later become Houchin’s Ferry Road. Today, much of Houchin’s Ferry Road is part of Mammoth Cave National Park, managed by the National Park Service. Josephine was the third child in a large family and grew up along the Green River. After her father’s death, the Poteet family struggled financially. Josephine also had three children out of wedlock, which led to her being shunned by the local community.
In 1914, Josephine left Edmonson County. While the exact details of her departure remain unclear, it’s believed that she took the last name of the man she traveled with. The man later returned to Edmonson County without her, and when asked about her, he claimed he last saw Josephine sitting by the Missouri River.
For a while, Josephine’s family was unsure of her fate until a search of Missouri marriage records uncovered that after leaving the area, Josephine married a man in Missouri and adopted the name Thena Williams.
5. 1973 Barren County Jane Doe
While the Watergate hearings were ongoing, the decomposed body of a Jane Doe was discovered on November 2, 1973, by a truck driver along Interstate 65, approximately a mile north of Park City. This location is only a few miles from Mammoth Cave, suggesting that the Jane Doe may have passed through the area before being found. Forensic experts later determined that the body had been at the site for between three and ten weeks prior to its discovery.
The Jane Doe was determined to have been killed by a single shotgun blast to the chest. What remains perplexing, however, is why keys were found next to her body, two of which were strangely engraved with the number '114.'
The Jane Doe had reddish-brown hair and appeared to be between 20 and 50 years old. This detail is significant because the Barren County Jane Doe resembles victims of the infamous 'Redhead Murders,' a series of killings believed to have occurred from the 1970s through the 1990s across multiple states, including Kentucky. The killer targeted Caucasian women with reddish-brown hair.
4. Walter Greg Fowler
Walter Fowler, a maintenance worker, was reported missing by his wife, Debra, in June 1999. After assisting Walter in loading his small aluminum 'Jon' boat into his van, Debra later claimed she never saw him again. During her search for him, Debra found Walter’s empty boat floating on the Barren River. Authorities believe Walter’s disappearance was the result of foul play.
Some aspects of Fowler’s case suggest that more than one person may have been involved in his disappearance, including the fact that Fowler weighed over 200 pounds (91 kg). For instance, Walter’s vehicle and trailer were found abandoned on Osborne Ford Road, which is near the Barren River. Fowler’s boat was located about 2.5 miles (4 km) downriver. There have even been reports suggesting that Walter might be hiding in Mammoth Cave.
Further indication that Walter’s disappearance may have been a result of foul play is the fact that Walter and Debra were facing financial difficulties at the time. Debra was also the beneficiary of Walter’s life insurance policy. Interestingly, Debra claims she only learned about the policy in 2015. As of April 2023, no charges have been filed, and Walter’s case remains unsolved.
3. 1984 Barren County Jane Doe
In 1984, the body of an elderly woman was discovered in the Barren River Reservoir near Glasgow, Kentucky. Two fishermen came upon her body near Narrows Boatramp Road, approximately 12 miles (19 km) from Glasgow.
An autopsy revealed that the woman died from suffocation after being gagged. Her body was believed to have been submerged in the reservoir for two to three months before it was discovered. Signs of natural childbirth were present, and she was found wearing a Harve Benard shirt and ankle-high stockings. To this day, the identity of her killer remains unknown.
2. 1998 Green River Drowning Victim
On May 30, 1998, two members of a four-person group ventured onto the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park by boat. After the boat capsized, one man managed to swim to shore, while the other disappeared. Park rangers began searching the next morning, with dive teams and canines assisting in the effort.
The following week, rangers discovered the missing man's body along with his personal items. It was determined that the boat's operator had been intoxicated at the time of the accident. However, the exact circumstances surrounding the man’s drowning and disappearance remain unclear.
1. 'Lost John'
Mammoth Cave has yielded many mummies, including the remains of natives who were intentionally buried. However, one notable exception is the discovery of a mummy in 1935, known as 'Lost John.' This man met his demise when a boulder fell on him, and his face was left frozen in a haunting scream, likely the last sound he made before the fatal blow.
In the 1930s, Alonzo W. Pond, a former National Park Service archaeologist, discovered Lost John. Pond speculated that the man was probably a Native American, using a stone-chipping tool in the cave when the tragedy occurred. He is also credited with retrieving Lost John’s remains from Mammoth Cave.
To remove the boulder from John's body, archaeologists constructed a wooden tower, secured bands to the stone, and lifted it. Beneath the rock, they found John’s body lying face down in the dirt. The identity of John, as well as his tribal affiliation, remains a mystery.
