Disappearance of Alfred Beilhartz

Alfred Edwin Beilhartz was a young boy who vanished in 1938 at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Disappearance and search: He was on vacation with his family. They all went to Estes Park to fish. He was hiking with his parents on a trail that ran along a creek. He fell behind and vanished. After realizing he was no longer around, the family searched for him, but having no luck, they called in park rangers. Assuming he had drowned in the creek, searchers dammed it and dragged for his body, finding nothing. Searchers then concentrated on a land search. Bloodhounds were called in, but had little luck. The search was called off after ten days. Possible sightings: Hikers in a different part of the park saw a small boy on an elevation called Devils Nest on Mt. Chapin, while walking along Old Fall Road. The boy looked at the couple before being jerked back out of sight. It had looked like someone had pulled him back. They recognized a photo of him in the paper the next day. They contacted the park, who sent climbers to search the clifftop, but found nothing. It included 150 men and members of the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was supposedly sighted walking along a road with a man in Nebraska. Aftermath: A bandage found in an abandoned cabin was also tested, since the child had a similar one when he vanished. A ransom note for $500 (equivalent to $9,082 in 2019) was sent to the parents after he had been missing for five months. Police determined it was a hoax. His father believed that Alfred was abducted but still alive.