More nefariously, there's always the possibility that everything about a buried treasure is a steaming load. Numerous folks have leveled suspicions about the existence of Forrest Fenn's two-million dollar bounty -- including veteran treasure-seekers and a reporter who's been covering the story for over a decade -- and the chest's "discovery" didn't exactly alleviate those concerns.
The "finding" of Fenn's fortune was announced by Fenn himself, who declined to offer any further explanation or evidence. All he said was that the man who finally discovered the goods was from "back East," and had sent Fenn photographic proof that the literal treasure chest had been claimed. Fenn did not share the photo, nor divulge where, or even in what state, the gold and jewels had been buried.
Fer Gregory/ShutterstockYou'd think "Resident finds a shit-ton of gold" would've at least made the local news.
The timing also raises a lot of questions. Like, why did this East Coast guy decide to travel across the country now, in the middle of a pandemic? Did he quarantine for two weeks like all out-of-state travelers are supposed to? Did he wear a mask and wash his hands or did he just start touching up forests like an asshole? Never mind that this is all alleged to have gone down amidst scores of protests against police brutality, and the start of a real reckoning with the systemic racism upon which this country was founded. (I mean, it's almost like the discovery was announced exactly when it would draw the least scrutiny.)
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