Rumors are swirling about potential cannibals dwelling in the depths of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, close to North Carolina, despite the lack of concrete evidence to support these spine-chilling claims.
Legend has it that these supposed cannibals are the descendants of soldiers who deserted during the Civil War, choosing to live completely isolated from modern society.
This national park has been the site where five individuals have mysteriously gone missing, prompting even the US Army’s most skilled special forces unit to join the search efforts.
The case that stands out the most is the perplexing disappearance of a six-year-old boy named Dennis Martin, who was last seen on a family camping trip in 1969.
Brian Jeffrey, from the Black Mass Paranormal podcast, revealed that although the elite troops found no trace of Dennis, they supposedly encountered some of the ‘feral’ individuals rumored to roam the area.
On his podcast, Brian stated, “This group of feral people have been known to have cannibalistic tendencies.”
Adding to the mystery, Donnie Laws, another podcast host fascinated by the legend, recounted, “The first reports of any wild man in the US was around 1877, in Western North Carolina.
“Some gold miners encountered one on their way to the mines, followed it back to a cave, and discovered numerous animal bones,” he continued.
Despite not confirming the presence of human bones, the tale certainly adds a layer of eerie intrigue to the legend.
Years later, another mysterious figure was discovered in the same region and taken to an asylum where he disclosed his origins and story.
Brian also noted an uptick in reports concerning these elusive beings, “They are supposedly known for setting traps to ensnare lone hikers, particularly targeting the elderly and children,” he claimed.
In a haunting case from September 1981, Thelma Pauline ‘Polly’ Melton walked ahead of her friends during a hike in the park, only to vanish after cresting a hill, never to be seen again.
Other mysterious vanishings include 16-year-old Trenny Gibson in 1976 during a school field trip, Christopher Cessna, 45, who disappeared 15 years ago in 2011, and 24-year-old Derek Lueking who left a chilling note in 2012 that read, “Don’t look for me.”
Donnie Laws warned about the dangers of letting children wander off alone in the park saying, “You do not let your children run off into the dark woods by themselves. That is a complete no-no.
“You don’t have to meet a wild man or a big foot. He could just meet a bear or a bobcat or any animal.”