Zion National Park, located in southwestern Utah, stands as a stunning testament to nature’s grandeur, steeped in a rich and storied past. Originally known as Mukuntuweap by the indigenous people, Mormon pioneers later renamed it Zion in the late 1800s, a name that reflects its significance as both a sanctuary and a refuge. Formally designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909 by President Taft, this expansive 16,000-acre domain was officially recognized as Zion National Park in 1919. Despite its breathtaking beauty and allure, the park conceals a number of unsettling mysteries, most notably a series of perplexing disappearances. This list delves into ten of the most haunting cases of individuals who vanished within the boundaries of Zion National Park.
William H. Evans
On June 27, 1927, William H. Evans, equipped with a mere 15 feet of rope and a small canteen, embarked on an ambitious climb of Zion National Park’s Great White Throne, a massive monolith composed predominantly of Navajo sandstone. After successfully scaling the southern saddle of the Throne, he decided to spend the night at the summit. When Evans didn’t return the following day, a search party was immediately organized. After days of scouring the rugged terrain, Evans was eventually discovered entangled in a manzanita bush, teetering on the brink of death.
Having been without water or food for almost three days in the scorching summer heat, Evans had little recollection of the preceding days. He was carefully carried down from the mountain on a makeshift stretcher and required months to fully recover. Evans later recounted that he had attempted a controlled slide down the Throne’s steep slopes but lost control, resulting in a tumble of hundreds of feet. His climb made headlines in over 100 national newspapers, and the brave rescue team was widely celebrated. As a result of this incident, Zion Park Services prohibited climbing the canyon-side faces until 1967.
Maurice Francis Graham
In January 1930, air crashes were relatively uncommon, a Western Air Services Boeing 95 mail plane vanished during a snowstorm. Captain Maurice Francis Graham, a WWI hero honored with both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Legion of Honor, was at the helm. Highly regarded for his flying skills, Graham was piloting an airmail route from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. After being sighted flying over Cedar City, Utah, Graham was never heard from again.
A joint effort by the US Postal Service, airlines, Iron County residents, and the Army Air Corps was launched to find Graham, but these efforts proved unsuccessful. Late that spring, Graham’s plane was discovered by residents of Parowan. Remarkably, Graham had managed to safely land at night during a snowstorm atop a 9,500-foot mountain, relying solely on instruments like a turn and bank indicator, airspeed indicator, altimeter, and compass. The mail bin was found still sealed, and fuel remained in the wing tanks. Messages indicated Graham had headed east.
Graham’s remains were later found in late July by his friends in Spanish Hollow, Crystal Creek Canyon, with the securities mailbag still in his arms. His last log entry read, “Arrived: 2:35 AM. No destination.” Today, a memorial stands on Kanarra Mountain, near where Graham crash-landed, slightly north of Zion National Park’s Kolob Canyons.
Lane Kelton Cottrell
In September 1951, 17-year-old Lane Kelton Cottrell, a kitchen helper, suffered fatal injuries after falling off a cliff at a resort in Zion National Park. Lane and two friends were hiking near the Great White Throne when Lane left the trail, informing his friends that he would descend at a more leisurely pace. While descending alone, Cottrell fell off a cliff.
When Cottrell didn’t return to the lodge that night, park rangers were notified, and a search commenced. A park ranger reported seeing lights in the area where Cottrell fell, leading to the belief that they might have been signals for help.
Frank Wilson Johnson
The Virgin River and surrounding areas of Utah experienced severe floods in the 1960s. The peak discharge of the Virgin River on December 6, 1966, surpassed previous high amounts recorded in 1930, with experts estimating its recurrence interval at 100 years. While not as severe, the Virgin River also flooded in 1961. In late September 1961, two young hikers went missing in Zion National Park following a flash flood that sent a 14-foot crest of water through the Virgin River. Alvin Dunyon Nelson and Frank Wilson Johnson, both 17 years old, were presumed dead.
The bodies of three other hikers were also found after the flood. A rescue party, including 200 volunteers, searched the entire Virgin River without success. One sheriff stated he was certain that Johnson and the others were buried under canyon debris.
1965 Cedar Breaks John Doe
On July 16, 1965, two park rangers discovered human remains near Cedar Breaks cliffs close to Sunset View Lookout at the Cedar Breaks National Monument during a climbing site check. The rangers found the body positioned between two logs in a doubled-over position, about 300 feet from the highway.
Along with the body, rangers found an empty wallet, an empty suitcase, a cane, $1.51, and a flashlight. One of the Iron County sheriffs involved in recovering the remains estimated they had been there for about a year. At the time, no individuals were reported missing from Cedar City or Iron County, and no abandoned vehicles had been reported in the area within the previous year. The identity of the person remains unknown.
1970 Washington County Jane Doe
On October 1, 1970, a Washington County road worker discovered the body of an unidentified woman near St. George. The body was found about 5 feet from the county road to Gunlock north of U.S. 91.
Initially, the woman’s body was thought to be that of a Native American, but teeth fillings suggested otherwise. Law enforcement initially considered the unidentified woman might be Katharine Shapiro, who went missing from Santa Ana, California, in early November 1969, as she was the only person reported missing in the area in recent months. No clothes belonging to the female were found nearby.
The district attorney and Washington County Sheriff later stated that they had not ruled out foul play. Despite the case being decades old, there have been no rule-outs regarding the potential identities of the unidentified female.
1994 Kane County John Doe
On February 2, 1994, hikers discovered a human skull approximately 1,320 feet south of State Road 89 and two miles west of Big Water in a remote and rugged crevice. Initially believing it to be an archaeological discovery, they later learned that the skull had dental work. A potentially significant clue was a faded paper found in the corpse’s pants pocket, originating from Flagstaff, Arizona, but the documents were too faded to be useful.
The body was wearing a red baseball cap, plaid jacket, flannel shirt, blue denim pants, and action tennis shoes. Authorities estimated that the man had been dead for 10 to 15 years. Examination of the skull revealed two blows from a blunt object. The Kane County Sheriff believes the man hitched a ride from Flagstaff and was either killed along the way or murdered in Kane County.
Bernadette Vandermeer
In August 2006, Washington County sheriff’s deputies investigated the death of 29-year-old Bernadette Vandermeer, who fell more than 1,000 feet from the top of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. Deputies reported that she fell from an overlook area while hiking with her husband.
The case is notable for two reasons: law enforcement investigated the death to rule out foul play and ultimately determined it to be an accident. Also, Bernadette’s accident is one of several deadly falls at Zion National Park. Four similar deaths had been recorded at the park since 1983. Zion National Park is ranked the 10th most dangerous national park, with 22 deaths due to falls in the last decade.
Michael Milken
In 2014, the remains of an unidentified male were found in North Creek, north of Virgin, Utah. Hikers discovered the skeletal remains in a drainage wash following heavy rain. Additional remains, including a pelvis, were subsequently found. Investigators initially determined that the remains belonged to a white male between 35 and 45 years old at the time of death, estimating that the remains had been in the location for one to two years before discovery. In 2015, a short tandem repeat (STR) analysis failed to yield a known match.
Details of the case were then entered into the NamUs system. Despite efforts to solve the case, it remained unsolved until 2023, when the Utah Department of Public Safety submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully extracted DNA from the man’s remains.
A comparison of this DNA to a woman thought to be his sister proved to be a match. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the man’s identity as Michael Lance Miliken, originally from Texas, who had traveled from Texas to Las Vegas and then to Hurricane, Utah. The authorities returned Miliken’s remains to his family.
Corbin McMillen
In February 2021, 42-year-old Corbin McMillen was found deceased at the base of Moonlight Buttress on the West Rim Trail near Angel’s Landing. He had informed his mother that he planned to hike the Angels Landing trail. Park officials found his vehicle unoccupied at the Grotto Trailhead that evening, prompting a formal search.
Search team members discovered McMillen’s body at the base of the Buttress with injuries consistent with a high-elevation fall. Angels Landing is known for its steep ascent along a sharp ridge, which overlooks a 1,000-foot drop-off. Chains are bolted into the rock in some sections to aid hikers in navigating the steep terrain.
Zion National Park’s breathtaking landscapes hide stories of mystery and tragedy. From the early 20th century to recent years, numerous individuals have vanished or met unfortunate ends within its borders, leaving behind unanswered questions and haunting reminders of the park’s hidden dangers. These cases underscore the unpredictable nature of the wilderness and the importance of safety and preparedness when exploring such environments.
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