Missing in National Parks :: Is David Paulides involved in the Conspiracy/Cover-up?

The subject of people going missing under unusual circumstances in our National Parks has come up on ATS numerous times. For those unfamiliar, it is purported that a large number of people --- often in 'clusters' --- have gone missing from our National Parks and from others around the world. On its surface this probably wouldn't seem particularly surprising. These are rugged areas where people can get lost and subsequently succumb to exposure or animal attack. Searches for the lost, however, have seemingly turned-up consistently odd and disturbing patterns related to the victims' remains and belongings. An 'organization' called the 'CanAm Missing Project' has been researching these disappearances for 'many years' and a series of books have been published by a gentleman by the name of David Paulides chronicling their findings. His/their website can be found here. More on the website shortly.

Mr. Paulides, a former law enforcement professional, presents information that suggests that in many of these cases the people managing the SAR operations (also LE) are either outrageously inept or deeply involved in a cover-up. One of the cases presented on his website is that of Jaryd Atadero, a 3-year-old that disappeared with a group of hikers from Big South Trail in Colorado back in 1999. Among the myriad of inexplicable aspects of the search operation include: The family's request to see the spot where Jaryd disappeared and the Sheriff's refusal and threats of arrest if they stepped on the trail; the family being told early in the search that Jaryd was in the cold river and that he wouldn't be found for 4 years (his remains were found 4yrs later but not in the river); the father found that SAR was using a piece of HIS clothing as a target for the search dogs (how could an adult's shorts be confused with a 3 yr old's clothes?) suggesting that search dogs weren't even tracking the child's scent; when his clothing was found 4yrs later there were several anomalies: his shoes, allegedly exposed to the elements for 4yrs appeared unfaded and w/o any signs of mold or filled with debris; there was no blood; there were unidentified hairs on his sweater which were never identified (or at least no identification was provided to the family)... there are many, many more inconsistencies and issues with the entire investigation. Similar problems have allegedly surfaced with other investigations related to the missing.

When you digest the information presented you come away with the inescapable conclusion that there is some ominous and sinister conspiracy related to these disappearances and that the people managing the SAR operation are involved in a cover-up. If this is the case --- if people really are being abducted from our National Parks and their remains/effects are later being 'placed' in locations previously searched --- this would constitute a significant phenomenon of which people should be made aware and a full-court investigation launched to get to its root and identify its perpetrators. Make sense? This is huge!

Back to the website and Mr. Paulides... if you have taken the time to visit the website link I provided you will already know that the site is of absurdly poor design. It contains very little in the way of information --- no statistics, very few case studies, no background on the alleged organization, and no mention of its other members. What the website does do is act as a two-bit internet kiosk to sell Mr. Paulides' half-dozen-or-so books on the subject at $50ea. I ask you this: if you had stumbled upon this phenomenon wouldn't you work to create universal awareness in order to launch a full-scale investigation? How many people are going to be willing to shell-out $50 for a book on a subject of which they aren't even aware? Now don't misunderstand me. I realize this kind of research and investigation is costly. And people need to eat. I don't begrudge people making a buck while they work for a cause but in this case it appears to be all about selling books and very little about promoting a cause.

Mr. Paulides, as I said, is former LE. He suggests that the unnamed 'others' in the CanAm organization have similar backgrounds. He also presents information that suggests that the SAR people (also LE) involved in these SAR efforts are complicit in a cover-up of the actual facts surrounding the cases. Could it be that Mr. Paulides' only real motivation here is to cash-in on a conspiracy of which he, at a minimum, is aware and possibly even involved? Given what I've presented here and from what you can glean from his website, what other conclusion can be drawn?

He should be paid for his work, so that justifies book costs. Unnamed others in similar fields may not want their name attached to something fringe that may hurt their current jobs. I'm sure others have verified at least some of the big claims DP makes such as I am sure others have called about getting a list of all the missing people in national parks and were met very similarly. That in and of itself is odd. I think DP is the real deal.

a reply to: Brotherman
As I said, I don't begrudge anyone getting paid for their work. But if you've been to his website you'd be hard pressed to reasonably make the case that the primary focus and intent of that site, and ostensibly the organization, is to create public awareness of this phenomenon and get to the bottom of same. Anything but. IMHO, the information should be published far-and-wide with the greatest possible and widest accessibility. Something like this should be funded as any non-profit (I know, this is anything BUT a non-profit) would be. Through fundraising, crowd funding and donations. Not by selling books at $50 per. Unless actually getting to the bottom of this is less important than getting paid.

a reply to: jtma508

And actually his books are only 24.95 from his site. Other resellers try and sell his books for double on amazon.

He may have his own ideas as to what is happening but David isnt complicit. These disappearances have been happening since before David was even born.

a reply to: CallmeRaskolnikov

I actually like that he doesn't speculate on what the cause of the disappearances are.

a reply to: Autorico

some of these clusters go back 100 years, so that blows your theory out of the water. meant to say the thread posters theory

a reply to: research100

What theory did I propose?

a reply to: Autorico

you said Could it be that Mr. Paulides' only real motivation here is to cash-in on a conspiracy of which he, at a minimum, is aware and possibly even involved?

the "possibly even involved" part that you posted basically insinuating that he has something to do with this, and I pointed out that the clusters some go back 100 years...way before he was born... plus the title of the thread....that was my point

sorry, I was responding to the poster who started this thread!!!

a reply to: research100

ok. I'm gonna assume you meant to respond to the OP.

Just that Paulides may be complicit......
I don't believe he is myself....
as for the others in his org....they may be working rangers whos job it is to cover up such dissapearances so the parks
aren't tainted by these stories...
If you've read or heard him tell of the uncooperativeness of the Park Service....you must understand that they don't want any negative publicity....period.
At least one park ranger went missing 411 too....
Paulides tells how two rangers came to his cabin one dark nite and talked to him about the situation....which set him on course to investigate the missing ....they asked him for anonymity as it meant their jobs if caught aiding his investigation...

a reply to: jtma508

I fail to see how he is "involved" in this conspiracy. He has taken cases that are readily available to the public (FOIA and hours spent in libraries), whittled them down to fit his criteria to fit into the missing 411 books.

He has contacted congressmen, elected officials, and started a petition which he mentions on many radio shows to gain awareness to the fact that there are no lists. Government is slow, getting them to recognize and fix a problem is even slower.

He never says what he believes is happening, and readily admits that he is baffled so how do you suggest he proceed from there besides doing what he has been doing? Spending the amount of time that he does investigating this, and travelling to investigate the sites costs money. I have purchased every book so far. I have no problem shelling out some cash for a topic that interests me.

Website does suck, there should be way more information. In interviews that he does, he suggests that you google missing 411 map to see the map of the cluster areas, this map should be on his page. There should also be links to his youtube videos on the site.

The books are only $24.95 though, not $50.

a reply to: jtma508
Funny that you should write this. I watched a video earlier today on disappearances from national parks, and David Paulides is mentioned.

As another member said, disappearances have happened since the 1920's at least. I don't think he's involved.

a reply to: superman2012

He's also done a few interviews on Coast to coast that are available on youtube.

originally posted by: bandersnatch
Just that Paulides may be complicit......
I don't believe he is myself....
as for the others in his org....they may be working rangers whos job it is to cover up such dissapearances so the parks
aren't tainted by these stories...
If you've read or heard him tell of the uncooperativeness of the Park Service....you must understand that they don't want any negative publicity....period.
At least one park ranger went missing 411 too....
Paulides tells how two rangers came to his cabin one dark nite and talked to him about the situation....which set him on course to investigate the missing ....they asked him for anonymity as it meant their jobs if caught aiding his investigation...

I don't buy the whole "two park rangers story". I believe he stumbled upon this while researching bigfoot and to say that the park rangers came up to him just added credibility to his story and distanced himself from his squatch research so he didn't look like a bigfoot weirdo while researching this and approaching victims families. I also believe that in the beginning, he believed that bigfoot was behind it all.

originally posted by: Autorico
a reply to: superman2012

He's also done a few interviews on Coast to coast that are available on youtube.

I think I have listened to every interview he has ever done, by any YT channel. Also, others that run parallel with his thinking. (Steph young, Les Stroud, etc.)

a reply to: superman2012

He does have a vested interest in bigfoot, so I can see this as plausible.

He's the most recent in a long line of flimflam artists, in the vein of Von Daniken. I'll admit that somE of it is creepy, but the supernatural aspect, IMO, is overblown. And the interdimensional/extraterrestrial Bigfoot or w/e is crazytalk.

a reply to: Autorico
In a thread I did about missing 411, I linked to an interview with Les Stroud where he more or less said that DP thought it was Bigfoot.

a reply to: Monger

You do realize he has never said or speculated as to what the cause is?

originally posted by: Monger
He's the most recent in a long line of flimflam artists, in the vein of Von Daniken. I'll admit that somE of it is creepy, but the supernatural aspect, IMO, is overblown. And the interdimensional/extraterrestrial Bigfoot or w/e is crazytalk.

He hasn't said any of that. In the books, he presents the facts and lays them out with just the facts and no guessing on what he thinks is behind it. To put him in Von Daniikens arena is saying that you haven't read any of the books.