The Bunk Trunk Hoax

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Posted by LeRoy on February 03, 2004 at 15:02:09:

I need your help. It has been five years since Jerry Freeman found the bunk trunk on the western flank of Pinto Peak. I am reasonably certain Jerry did not create the hoax. If he didn’t; who did? I just finished reading about the Drake Plate hoax, which was a 1930s Clamper prank that got out of hand.

Shortly after Jerry found the trunk, one Clamper fingered another Clamper as the hoaxter, but I find no evidence the “fingered” Clamper was the hoaxter. The Clampers initially clamed responsibility for the hoax but rapidly retreated from that claim when the learned the FBI was looking into the hoax.

Jean and I made a list of Death Valley historians and trail buffs who had the technical knowledge to create the hoax; we came u- with twelve names. (Yes, Jean and I were among the twelve listed!) This list IS NOT a list of likely suspects; it is a list of people who had enough familiarity with the Death Valley ’49er literature to have created the hoax. We will not reveal the list lest some may conclude a person on the list is potential hoaxter candidate. We have trimmed the list down to one person.

I have written this person four times asking him if he is the hoaxter or if he knows who the hoaxter is. Even though we had exchanged letters for over a 20-year, he refuses to answer my queries. Is this tantamount to a confession? No it is not. There are some who still believe the trunk was cached by William Robinson in winter 1849-1850.

If any of you have any leads as to the hoaxter, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. You can contact me directly or via a reply on this page.

LeRoy


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