Yahoo News People are dying while searching for a millionaire author’s hidden ‘treasure chest’
Forest Fenn
A fourth man has died while searching for a mysterious ‘treasure chest’ buried by an octogenarian author and former Vietnam military pilot.
Forest Fenn claimed in 2010 that the 22lb bronze chest contains 265 gold coins, diamonds and ancient Chinese figures – with clues hidden in a short poem in one of his books.
Several people have since died looking for it in wild areas in America – with the latest victim, Jeff Murphy, in correspondence with Fenn himself, IFLScience reports.
The poem in his self-published book, The Thrill of the Chase, includes lines such as, ‘Begin it where warm waters halt. And take it in the canyon down.’
Tens of thousands of people are thought to have ventured into the wilderness looking for the book detailed in Fenn’s memoir The Thrill of the Chase.
Jeff Murphy, 53, is among four people reported to have died searching for Fenn’s treasure, after falling 500ft from Turkey Pen Peak in Yellowstone National Park.
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Murphy died last year, but details about his death came out after an information request by a Montana radio station this year.
Tens of thousands have undertaken the quest to find author Forest Fenn’s hidden chest (Getty)
Murphy had reportedly corresponded with Fenn during his search – and Fenn alerted authorities that he had gone missing.
Murphy’s widow, Erica said, ‘It was his pastime. He loved anything that caused him to use his brain, and he loved being out in nature.’
Mrs Murphy reportedly wrote to Fenn saying, ‘I hope your quest won’t be adversely affected by these current events.’
