Karl Sommer, the lawyer for Fenns estate, put it differently. If that were involved, the poem would have to mention it, I think. Fenn collapsed and died at home in Santa Fe in September of 2020. These pictures also match the original picture posted by the "finder" in June of 2020. In June 2020, approximately three months before the death of Forrest Fenn, he revealed that the cache of valuables worth more than $1 million had been found. December 7, 2020 Outside Magazine publishes an article titled The Man Who Found Forrest Fenns Treasure, written by Daniel Barbarisi. Whoever found the treasure would have to maneuver very carefully if they wanted to keep it. He says he retrieved it June 6, which raises some questions. I didnt have any questions for you at first but I do have one now. I have thought about whether I would go on the internet and point out the evidence at that point in a fit of pique. After his death, Stuef published an ode to Fenn on Medium under the byline "The Finder." Which brings us to Jamie McCracken, theFlorida man now hunting for treasure in a New Mexico courtroom. The story isnt quite over. 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. Meet Jack Stuef, Forrest Fenn Treasure Finder | Westword Fenn died of natural causes in September at his home in Santa Fe, his family confirmed to ABC News. was a hindrance or of help in the ultimate solve. I live in the Adelaide Hills, in South Australia. It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more Its been a month since Forrest Fenn announced his treasure was claimed, but the public is still not much closer to knowing the bountys location or finder. He declined to comment until his case is resolved, and its set to begin proceedings in June. I think a lot of people would come to see it, and it would give a lot of closure to a lot of people. #2. You have the ability to speak to the person who created the hunt. More than a decade ago, in 2010, an eccentric art dealer and author, Forrest Fenn, announced that he had hidden a treasure of gold and jewels in the Rocky Mountains of the United States by publishing a 24-line poem, or riddle, in his memoir The Thrill of the Chase. So, of course, from here, began a journey of searches that resulted in everything from marriages to deaths. And thats when I learned that a 32-year-old Michigan native and medical student was the person who had finally solved Fenns poem. Our danger was messing up the environment around us, not our safety, except for getting too close to a bear one time. Dan Barbarisi: I came to the chase in early 2017 when my hunting partner Jay Raynor, aka Beep, brought it up. My responses are all in bold below. His view seemed to be that the location of the treasure became public information when Fenn published his poem. private emails between Stuef and Fenn that occurred immediately after the treasure was found. As for his past, Jack graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in English in 2010 before starting his career as a writer. I was a little bit too standard. He didnt see the life that this would take on, and I cant blame him for that. A third implied that Fenn was lying when he said he never told anyone where the treasure was, because pop star Taylor Swift referenced that she knew the location of the treasure in her lyrics and music videos. It clearly impacted [Stuef] in a major way. Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student at the time, found the treasure in 2020. Stuef would be under oath and could be compelled to reveal the exact location of the treasure. I would like to ask: what gave you confidence in your search location? 2. My name is Jack Stuef, and I am the finder of the Forrest Fenn Treasure. 1. An affidavit in an ongoing lawsuit confirms that the treasure was buried in iconic areas of the United States, and now officials are struggling with how to keep the treasure's location from being released. He, needs Stuef to say that he solved the clues in the poem fair and square. Med Student Finds Buried Treasure Worth Millions - WebMD Some services are being offered online or by appointment. i bought the book a few years ago and half heartedly followed on the internet but didnt put in the effort that you did nor am i nearly as clever:). City of Philadelphia In a sense, by putting the chest in Yellowstone, Fenn booby-trapped his hiding spot. Thanks for sharing that tidbit. 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? It was during Jacks early years in the scientific medical program that he got into Forrest Fenns treasure chase and could not let go. After pinpointing the location, he thought Forrest was talking about, he spent 25 days over 2 years combing the area where he thought the treasure chest was hidden. Department of Banking and Securities. At the same time, it wouldnt surprise me if someone figured that out and hadnt told him. Worse than that, he wouldnt say where it had been hidden. If I had gone in that area, I probably would have needed some luck to notice it even without damage because I didnt know what I was looking for. You have stated that the blaze was damaged by nature and that you didnt initially recognize it as the blaze even 6 feet away. Its probably something that was in the back of his mind that he came back to occasionally to work on. Overall, he saw it as a force for good and wanted to protect it. - He was 32 years old at the time of the find. In some strange way, it will make me smile knowing you are the only person who can truly smile back.either as a delighted nod or a pitiful shake of the head! Jack Gets Mail #3. It's been several months - Jack Stuef - Medium Daniel Barbarisi is the author of Dueling with Kings. Do you mean substituting synonyms for the words of the poem so that they would make sense? To me, that past tense was jarring. The fake blaze thing he hasnt quite figured out and I havent either. I havent been able to get to all of them, but Ive tried my best to get back to people when Ive had time. Forrest Fenn's $1m treasure WAS buried in Yellowstone National Park anyways i have a specific location that requires climbing underneath a fence with barbed wire on top or somehow getting around the fence. Whatever it is, McCracken is pretty good at submitting legal paperwork. His name is Jack Stuef. You can read more about Stuef and his backstory here. But, look, there are things I dont know as well. I for one, was in the court of the poem being straight forward. And not that it matters at all to you, but I just wanted to put my thoughts in a final resting place with the person who did what no one else could. If youre already well-versed in the story of the Fenn treasure, then skip to the next page break. Roughly how big was the location or area you had decided the treasure was at? According to Forrest Fenn, who hid a bronze trunk filled with gold and jewels somewhere on Western public lands, his treasure has been claimed. If Sommer questions Stuef, however, McCracken also gets a turn. Absolutely, especially with long-time hunters. The Thrill is Gone: Forrest Fenn's Treasure Found; with a Detailed He has freelanced for other publications such as Outside Business Journal, Gear Patrol, and before that, various newspapers. To learn more, check with your department of interest. In a Dec. 7 post, Stuef explained that he went public as a result of the suit. Im aware that over the years you have intimated that you may like to give these items to the person who found it, Stuef wrote. In preparation, Sommer subpoenaed Stuef for a deposition. You would think so. My question is,. But cmon.). I dont know, actually. He said he does not plan to so that the location is kept safe. Jack Stuef Found Fenns Treasure - Fenns Treasure Download the app. And Ive had some of those people email me. He declined to comment until his case is resolved, and its set to begin proceedings in June. Did you figure out hoB before you ever went BOTG to your search area? Theories began to sprout that maybe even Forrest faked the whole thing or at least the "find" to prolong his legacy and immortalize the chest into the annuals of history in a way that would keep treasure chest seekers combing the Rocky Mountains for centuries. In my opinion, the MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER IS FLYWATER! Compilation: Mintina. Or do you think that Forrest had a different view of the chests spot with the blaze still intact? The latter seems more likely. We were absolutely certain of our search location but it was still like searching for a needle in a haystack. Hi Jack, I hope you had a Merry Christmas, I have two questions concerning the final clue that you might entertain answering. McCracken claims this was made possible by Fenn buying a property near his search spot to keep tabs on McCrackens hunt. You all deserve to finally move forward and live in peace. Since the announcement that it was found in Wyoming, Ive been working on a new Wyoming solve. It was right there this whole time. Jack first learned of the treasure hunt in 2018 from tweets. He Doesn't Mind, In a First, Subjects to Be Asked to Pledge Allegiance to King, Fountain of Youth? The things that seem crazy when you start seem normal a year or two into it. If the answer is yes, would you specify whether that information is in the poem, or in the hints in the book? At present, Forrest Fenns site has a banner on the top that reads, Forrest Fenns Treasure was found in Wyoming in 2020 the chase is over.. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. It is EXACTLY what made the hunt so difficult for so many. But if youre asking in the hopes you could find an urn there, no you could not. 1. 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. Worse than that, he wouldnt say where it had been hidden. Jonathan "Jack" Stuef is pictured in a photo he posted to his Twitter account. The 2002 show called Push, Nevada and the book Mysterious Stranger by magician David Blaine are just two examples of Jacks attractions. Opening up about his entire treasure-hunting experience, Jack Stuef remarked, The moment [I located the treasure] was not the triumphant Hollywood ending some surely envisioned, It just felt like I had just survived something and was fortunate to come out the other endWhen I finally found it, the primary emotion was not joy but rather the most profound feeling of relief in my entire life. In another blog post, Jack revealed that he has since secured the gold and jewels in a vault in New Mexico, where they will remain until he eventually sells them. I spent the last 7 summers working out in Wyoming, looking for the treasure in my spare time. that the treasure was found in Yellowstone, which is why Stuef wouldnt share any specifics: found property. See pricing and listing details of Philadelphia real estate for sale. But the sense of it altogether as a treasure that everyone searched for and you yourself searched for its a little overwhelming. I hope this doesnt sound crazy its an honest question. I think that the answers to these questions would be interesting to say the least, but too general to peg the treasures former location. For years, searchers have theorized that the treasure was found in Yellowstone, which is why Stuef wouldnt share any specifics: found property in a national park is supposed to be turned in to the park supervisor. The Yellowstone revelation isnt surprising. Hidden in the Rocky Mountains a decade ago, a treasure hunter from 'back East' has found the chest. Jack Stuef, a 32-year-old medical student at the time, found the treasure in 2020. He also said that he selected the treasure location with care: I considered mudslides, forest fires, earthquakes, and floods. These statements set up a few questions that I think are safe for you to answer: 1. , 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. I think they accepted this is what I do and they werent expecting to find it. And did you go through or inventory the chest before meeting with Forrest. "Every day.". I am curious what you think and would appreciate your feedback, is this a tremendous amount of confirmation bias or a plethora of red herrings? In terms of being a treasure hunter, you get a little less rational. There was this one instance where another hunter and I were down in Bear Canyon in New Mexico. I think I was very close. Q1 Are Forrest Fenns ashes at or are going to be at the treasure location? 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. Once they searched that location and had a positive hit from their treasure-hunting dog, they determined they found where the chest used to sit. 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. Does the Semicolon mean anything? Trash and recycling collections are on schedule. And it wasn't just because he was suddenly a millionaire. First of all, Congratulations! September 23, 2020 Medium publishes a blog entitled A Remembrance of Forrest Fenn from an anonymous author that simply goes by The Finder. Treasure hunters: Finder's lack of details raises red flags - New York Post With a bronze chest and the lock appearing in good condition, why is the key steel/iron? 5. And you get caught up in a lot of the drama, hanging on Fenns every word. Let me just add to the many congratulations youve already received. But I could never get passed my confirmation bias of Madison Junction, Firehole Canyon, Nez Perce Creek: HOB, Nez Perce/Mary Mountain trail. Thats the reason or excuse to search for it, but not the why. Its not always easy being the finder, but its heartening to see how many great people are out there. Its been rumored that Forrest said you were the only person to correctly identify the hoB. Gold nuggets. If the poem wasnt a puzzle then how or why did it take him 15+ years to create supposedly? I think it would be cool to listen to that and close my eyes and envision your journey! Is any part of the solve outside of Wyoming? The nuggets, the gold coins, the ancient artifacts are cool on their face. (Not I, I assure you!). McCracken is convinced Fenn was monitoring his movements and would relocate the treasure every time McCracken got close. Then with time, Jack started opening up about his entanglement in the quest. Today, I looked at my inbox, and I have received over 2,400 emails from searchers. For a treasure hunt that was supposed to be real-life Indiana Jones. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He also confirmed his find on his Twitter account. Or do you think you were just able to tap into some good info through the internet (scrapbooks, videos, interview) That helped you compute out the solution? Through the time to Fenns death, I think a lot of people, myself included, felt like we werent getting the full story.