Inchworms Journal during 26 days lost...newest report

[BirdBrain]

So! Does this mean that the 25%+ of thru-hikers that don't get out of GA are being kidnapped by Army Rangers during training? I'm waiting on that ground breaking investigative journalism.

Obviously hikers are not the target audience for this article. Don't underestimate how many people that never go into the woods that will suck that slop down. Let me add that the young green men I saw in SERE school were wide eyed and excited to learn and be tested. I did not see a bunch of secretive sadistic nut jobs. They all looked like quality kids. I had fun talking to them. The leader had great fun listening to the survival questions I had for them. I was better prepared than them going in. I have little doubt they were better prepared than me going out. No dark sinister crap in that group. Just young people getting trained.

[BirdBrain]

Goodness I am getting sick of my phone double posting. There is no rhyme or reason. I can't make it stop.

Edited to get rid of the exact same post as above.

[Bluebearee]

whoops you beat me to it, I've been waiting for the online article to be published. Frankly I have always wondered why the Navy school wasn't mentioned more often as it literally abuts the trail, I stumbled into it 21 years ago on a mountain bike trying to find Redington Falls. It was creepy, we were sure we were being watched.

[Traveler]

At most any given time there are any number of eyes on you in the forest, some human, some not. Suffice to say, you are most certainly always being watched.

Of course its creepy. Especially near the Naval training facility in ME where the Gubmint keeps Bigfoot. Occasionally one escapes and evades capture for a few months, giving rise to the fine work of the BFRO to try and corner it in northern New Jersey somewhere. The escaped creatures eventual return but not before it causes some mischief by swinging through trees, being seen looking into windows, nabbing a few hikers from the trail, and of course, throwing fish at passers by.

I can see why this would be of concern to people though, its proximity to the trail being the stuff of mystery equalled only by the mystery surrounding the Ranger training facility near the trail in GA where space aliens are kept and work a small farm.

[ChuckT]

Bigfoot? Can't be him. He's in the office cross the hall from us. Works for NASA as an alien contact consultant. Only guy I've ever met gets to keep a beer keg and cooler in his office. Claims it's a protocol necessity for the BEMs that drop in to visit him on a regular basis. I've never seen them, mind you. But I know a guy who said he did. They were huge, maybe 10' tall and fat. And they all had a third arm that grew out of their faces that could pick up a stein without any trouble. They needed it 'cause their arms and legs were stumpy. And their skin, he said (not me) was wrinked and saggy and they had huge saggy ears and two snaggle teeth. And they were pink!
I know it's hard to believe but he's supposed to be a rocket scientist, keeps babbling 'bout some kind of warped drive thingee he's developing for NASA.
Honest! Why would I lie?

[Starfly]

lol I'm kinda scared to wade into thoughts on this article and Hutch. I met the man, and though hes a 'nice guy' I do not condone his article one bit, as I said to him in person. And I agree with many that there are a variety of points we could break down as malarkey but why bother? I'll give him credit in that he did do his research, even incuding meeting with little old me for a few hours and reached out to many more sources that I believe any other beat writer thus far. I give him props for eluding to the fact that the search effort was conducted almost entirely in the wrong area. Too bad he tread onto a topic so unverifiable and, to be honest, mostly based on an article he read from The Daily News March 24th 1976! The only thing I really got from his new article and that ancient thing is for all of you who are in the foul play 'camp.' Thus far you have the 'lone wolf' without vehicle access ideas, that could be true, but cannot be substantiated to the extent that law enforcement abandoned this theory almost from the beginning. Good vehicle access to the Navy base by a variety of civilian and military personnel gives you a little something to base it on. Now I don't believe in the foul play thing and especially not from SERE. However, it seems like we're adamantly defending an off the grid military base and its unknown occupants and then pointing fingers at who? "Those we do not speak of?" *gulp* https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,2517562&hl=en

[TJ aka Teej]

From the person who brought this crap here:

I do not condone his article one bit

I don't believe in the foul play thing and especially not from SERE

This crap is an insult to Inchworm's memory.
Shame on you.

[Starfly]

wow dude relax. Its a news article about inchworm. If you don't like it find another thread to haunt because this ones all about her and not you and your sensetivities. I'm planning another search for her in a few weeks. Only positive people are invited so you can't come TJ

[Water Rat]

wow dude relax. Its a news article about inchworm. If you don't like it find another thread to haunt because this ones all about her and not you and your sensetivities. I'm planning another search for her in a few weeks. Only positive people are invited so you can't come TJ

I am not even sure where to begin with addressing your disrespectful attitude. Do I start with the way you were trying to get us all to bite on your insider story about Inchworm? That article was not news and it sure wasn't responsible journalism. That was the work of someone who wanted to make a buck off a "story." That was the work of someone who mostly sat behind a keyboard and quoted other articles, where the journalist actually got off their butt to do some research. If you didn't condone it, then why did you contribute? Save yourself the time - That was a rhetorical question.

Inchworm will always be a person and will always have friends and family. She is so much more than the story you want her to be. You taking the time to speak with someone who wanted to make a buck off Inchworm's disappearance is in no way helpful for Inchworm, or her friends and family. If anything, this latest article will make people roll their eyes and less likely to read the next article about Inchworm. It will also be hurtful for her grandkids to read when they get to that age. That nonsense will also just add salt to the wounds that Inchworm's friends and family carry.

Oh, and your parting shot at TJ "Only positive people are invited so you can't come TJ," is not positive at all. It just makes you sound petulant because you were rightly called out.

[ScottishLass]

lol I'm kinda scared to wade into thoughts on this article and Hutch. I met the man, and though hes a 'nice guy' I do not condone his article one bit, as I said to him in person. And I agree with many that there are a variety of points we could break down as malarkey but why bother? I'll give him credit in that he did do his research, even incuding meeting with little old me for a few hours and reached out to many more sources that I believe any other beat writer thus far. I give him props for eluding to the fact that the search effort was conducted almost entirely in the wrong area. Too bad he tread onto a topic so unverifiable and, to be honest, mostly based on an article he read from The Daily News March 24th 1976! The only thing I really got from his new article and that ancient thing is for all of you who are in the foul play 'camp.' Thus far you have the 'lone wolf' without vehicle access ideas, that could be true, but cannot be substantiated to the extent that law enforcement abandoned this theory almost from the beginning. Good vehicle access to the Navy base by a variety of civilian and military personnel gives you a little something to base it on. Now I don't believe in the foul play thing and especially not from SERE. However, it seems like we're adamantly defending an off the grid military base and its unknown occupants and then pointing fingers at who? "Those we do not speak of?" *gulp* https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,2517562&hl=en

I don't understand why people are so quick to rule out foul play from someone at SERE. It's entirely possible that someone there abducted and then killed her. To me, it's more likely that someone from SERE could pull it off than some deranged lunatic who just happened to be in the woods.

[Traveler]

I don't understand why people are so quick to rule out foul play from someone at SERE. It's entirely possible that someone there abducted and then killed her. To me, it's more likely that someone from SERE could pull it off than some deranged lunatic who just happened to be in the woods.

I have less understanding why people buy into such drivel.

And so it starts. Brown's article will attract those who are predisposed to buy into whatever conjecture is offered up, which is how tabloids manage to make money. As a current example, Texas is full of people who think the military training exercise this month in south TX is a smokescreen for the confiscation of everyones guns. Not that some couldn't use confiscation mind you, but thats a bit out there, even by Texas standards, as is the SERE renegade brigade snatching unsuspecting trail folk.

Anecdotes are not data, suggestion is not evidence, questions are not facts. Water Rat said it best, Inchworm was a real person, with a real family and real friends who to this day are still trying to find out what happened. Brown isn't helping that cause, only his own bank account.

[ChuckT]

Our dailey lives are full of such drivel. "Experts" that have nothing to contribute but find persons too willing to believe fantasies. There's a suckered born every minute comes to mind.

[rocketsocks]

Brown is an Onion head.

[TJ aka Teej]

I don't understand

You should've stopped there.

[BirdBrain]

You should've stopped there.

+1 Thank you.

[RangerZ]

So! Does this mean that the 25%+ of thru-hikers that don't get out of GA are being kidnapped by Army Rangers during training? I'm waiting on that ground breaking investigative journalism.

They're kept at Camp Merrill as servants to the Ranger students - cleaning their clothes and weapons, packing their rucks, etc - so the Ranger students can get their beauty sleep. Don't let the secret out.

[yerbyray]

I have less understanding why people buy into such drivel.

And so it starts. Brown's article will attract those who are predisposed to buy into whatever conjecture is offered up, which is how tabloids manage to make money. As a current example, Texas is full of people who think the military training exercise this month in south TX is a smokescreen for the confiscation of everyones guns. Not that some couldn't use confiscation mind you, but thats a bit out there, even by Texas standards, as is the SERE renegade brigade snatching unsuspecting trail folk.

Anecdotes are not data, suggestion is not evidence, questions are not facts. Water Rat said it best, Inchworm was a real person, with a real family and real friends who to this day are still trying to find out what happened. Brown isn't helping that cause, only his own bank account.

Anything is plausible when it comes to the murky world of private armies.

I guess you are forgetting the 2007 Nisour Square massacre by Blackwater (US hired contract civilian “mercenaries”) who killed 17 and wounded a bunch of other innocents in Bagdad.There are other horror stories ranging from sexual assault to sex trafficking attributed to hired guns working on behalf of the US military. They are not all saints.

Accidents do happen in these sort of locations and incidents… On Sunday, February 24, 2002a Fort Bragg (NC) soldier was killed and another was seriously injured Saturday in a shooting that involved a Moore County sheriff’s deputy.
The soldiers were taking part in Robin Sage, the culminating field exercise of the Special Forces Qualification Course.
The soldiers were in a vehicle that had been stopped by Deputy Randall Butler about 2:30 p.m. on Acorn Ridge Road, about one-half mile from N.C. 705. Acorn Ridge Road runs northeast from N.C. 705 about one mile northwest of Robbins in northern Moore County.
The soldiers were in a vehicle driven by a civilian who was playing the role of a resident of a fictitious country in which Robin Sage takes place, said Maj. Richard Patterson of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School on Fort Bragg.
The soldiers were carrying weapons, but Patterson said he did not know what kind. Soldiers do not carry live ammunition during Robin Sage, he said.
Patterson said he did not know if the soldiers were wearing uniforms.
The shooting is being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation, with the help of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Sheriff’s Department and the Army Special Operations Command.
Randy Myers, a criminal specialist with the SBI, said he would not comment on why Butler stopped the vehicle or why he drew his weapon.
Butler has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
No charges have been filed.
Robin Sage is the 19-day final exam of the Special Forces Qualification Course. It tests skills in survival, tactics and dealing with people, as well as judgment, decision-making and ethics. It is the largest unconventional warfare training exercise in the world.
Special Forces soldiers have been training in Robin Sage, or its predecessors, for more than 40 years. It is staged four times a year throughout nine counties in central North Carolina
In previous Robin Sage sessions, law enforcement officials have helped the military by setting up roadblocks during some missions. Civilians have also played a role, volunteering to act as guerrillas.
Patterson said soldiers must negotiate and develop a rapport with residents of the fictitious country “Pineland,” where the exercise takes place.

Don't rule anything out

[ScottishLass]

I have less understanding why people buy into such drivel.

And so it starts. Brown's article will attract those who are predisposed to buy into whatever conjecture is offered up, which is how tabloids manage to make money. As a current example, Texas is full of people who think the military training exercise this month in south TX is a smokescreen for the confiscation of everyones guns. Not that some couldn't use confiscation mind you, but thats a bit out there, even by Texas standards, as is the SERE renegade brigade snatching unsuspecting trail folk.

Anecdotes are not data, suggestion is not evidence, questions are not facts. Water Rat said it best, Inchworm was a real person, with a real family and real friends who to this day are still trying to find out what happened. Brown isn't helping that cause, only his own bank account.

I did not say I believe someone from SERE took Gerry. What I said is, I don't understand why so many people are so quick to dismiss it as impossible. I am not suggesting an entire platoon of trainees abducted her. It just seems to me that the probability of a lone nut-case from SERE abducting her is at least as likely as a lone nut-case not from SERE abducting her. Anyone who is entertaining the theory that a deranged stranger took Gerry must consider that the deranged stranger came from SERE. ( I don't think it was a lone, deranged stranger. I'm just pointing out that it may have been, and if so, he may have come from SERE.)

[TJ aka Teej]

I don't understand why so many people are so quick to dismiss it as impossible.

Those folks are at an installation where intense small group 24/7 training occurs. The suggestion that someone went AWOL from their duty, scaled a fence, avoided the sentries, ascended a ridge, crossed acres of clear-cut, climbed a mountain, snatched a hiker in broad daylight, and then disappeared with her body is beyond belief.

[BirdBrain]

Those folks are at an installation where intense small group 24/7 training occurs. The suggestion that someone went AWOL from their duty, scaled a fence, avoided the sentries, ascended a ridge, crossed acres of clear-cut, climbed a mountain, snatched a hiker in broad daylight, and then disappeared with her body is beyond belief.

I am.with you TJ. However, they are freely roaming the woods in that area. I talked with a pile of them at Poplar Lean-to 6 or 7 days after she went missing. They all signed the journal at that lean-to the night I stayed there. It is not area 51 there. It is not advertized, but it is far from hidden. I have posted about that here many times.