Terrifying & True | The Bennington Triangle — Five Unsolved Vermont Disappearances

0:03 Between nineteen forty five and nineteen fifty five, people vanished in the forests of Vermont's Bennington Triangle, never to be seen again. Was this a coincidence, a curse, or something even more sinister. We're telling one of America's strangest legends here tonight. What you were about to take is burd to be based on witness accounts, testimonies, and public record. This is terrifying and truth, my friends, What is it about triangles? Whether we're talking about the Pyramids of Egypt or the pyramids of Central America, there seems to be something going on with three sides being involved. Of course, there's also the old saying that death comes in threes.

1:20 We all know about the Bermuda Triangle, and we've delved deeply into the Alaskan Triangle. But it turns out there's more terror with three sides to still be discovered out in the wilderness of the northeast part of the United States. So tonight we're diving into these strange disappearances and what could have caused them, and so much more after this deep in the forests of southwestern Vermont, as a region shrouded in mystery and fear. Known as the Bennington Triangle, this stretch of land surrounding Glastonbury Mountain has been the site of multiple unexplained disappearances, baffling investigators and terrifying locals.

2:20 Between nineteen forty five and nineteen fifty five, people have vanished without a trace, leaving behind only speculation and unanswered questions. The mystery began in nineteen forty five, when seventy four year old Middy Rivers disappeared while leading a hunting party through the wilderness. A year later, eighteen year old college student PAULA Weldon set off on a hike along the Long Trail and was never seen again. Then, in nineteen forty nine, a war veteran named Jane Sames Tedford boarded a bus to Bennington, yet when the bus reached its final destination, he was gone. The disappearances escalated in nineteen fifty, first with eight year old Paul Jepson, who vanished from his family's truck, and then with fifty three year old Frieda Langer, who disappeared during a hike, only for her body to be found months later in an area that had already been thoroughly searched. To this day, No solid evidence has surfaced to explain these vanishings. Theories range from the work of a hidden predator to the treacherous terrain of Glastonbury Mountain itself. Others believe something more sinister is

3:51 at play, an ancient curse, strange atmospheric phenomena, or even supernatural for four horses. The Bennington Triangle remains one of America's most enduring unsolved mysteries. How could five people vanish in the same area under such strange circumstances, and, more chillingly, could it happen again? The Bennington Triangle, centered around Glastonbury Mountain in Vermont, has long been associated with strange and unexplained occurrences. Reports of UFO activity, sightings of a Bigfoot like creature, eerie lights, and mysterious sounds have all contributed to the area's ominous reputation. Most notably, five individuals vanished without a trace between the nineteen forties and nineteen fifties, adding to the region's mystery. According to Native American lore, the area is said to be cursed, and the indigenous people had long regarded Glastonbury Mountain with deep caution. Their legends warned of an ominous force lurking within the land, a belief reinforced by strange disappearances over the years. Local

5:21 Native American tribes, particularly the Algonquins, avoided the area due to an old legend about a malevolent stone hidden within the mountains. According to the story, this rock had the ability to open up and swallow anyone who stepped on it, causing them to vanish forever. Whether this tale was based on real experiences or served as a symbolic warning remains uncertain. However, the number of disappearances within the region only strengthen fears that something was inherently dangerous about Glastonbury Mountain and its surroundings.

6:09 The term Bennington Triangle was coined in nineteen ninety two by New England author Joseph A. Cicrow, who extensively studied Vermont's folklore and paranormal history. While conducting research, Cicro noticed a pattern of disappearances and unexplained events in the area. His theory, which blended fact with elements of local legend, brought widespread attention to these strange occurrences. Cicro further popularized the concept in books such as Shadow Child, where he dedicated chapters to discussing the disappearances and eerie folklore surrounding Glastonbury Mountain. He also noted similar between this region and the Bridgewater Triangle in southeastern Massachusetts, another area infamous for supernatural phenomena. The landscape of the Bennington Triangle is rugged and isolated, with dense forests surrounding the abandoned ghost towns of Glastonbury and Somerset. The triangle also includes the nearby towns of Bennington, Woodford, and Shaftesbury, all of which have been linked to mysterious events. Among the many strange stories

7:40 associated with the area is the legend of the Bennington Monster, a bigfoot like creature that has allegedly been cited for over two centuries. One of the earliest known encounters occurred in the early eighteen hundreds, when a stage coach was traveling along a washed out road. The driver first noticed enormous footprints in the mud, far too large to be human. Moments later, a massive creature emerged from the forest, overturning the stage coach before disappearing into the darkness. Witnesses later described it as a towering, hairy beast with glowing eyes, while reports of strange activity in the Bennington Triangle date back centuries. The disappearances of multiple people in the mid twentieth century drew widespread concern. Even before the infamous cases of nineteen forty five through nineteen fifty, people had already begun vanishing under peculiar circumstances. One such case occurred in nineteen forty three, when a hunter named Carol Herrick went

9:10 missing northeast of Glastonbury's Ghost Town. Three days later, his body was found under bizarre conditions, surrounded by massive, unexplained footprints. According to reports, Herrick had been squeezed to death, though what could have inflicted such strange injuries remains a mystery. This eerie case set the stage for what would soon be known as the Bennington Disappearances. Although the region had already seen numerous unexplained vanishings, the five cases that occurred between nineteen forty five and nineteen fifty became the most well documented and perplexed of them all. These incidents not only deepened the mystery surrounding Glastonbury Mountain, but also cemented the Bennington Triangle's place in paranormal lore. Theories have ranged from natural causes such as the rugged terrain and unpredictable weather, to more unsettling possibilities, including the supernatural forces long feared by Native Americans. Whatever the explanation may be, the Bennington Triangle remains one of the most mysterious regions in the United States, continuing to fascinate and terrifying those who dare

10:45 to explore its shadowy depths. The first disappearance linked to the Bennington Triangle occurred on November twelfth, nineteen forty five, when seventy four year old Midy Rivers van without a trace. Rivers, an experienced hunting guide, was familiar with the wilderness surrounding Bickford Hollow, an area located about four miles west of Bennington and north of Vermont Route nine near Woodford. On that fateful day, he was on a hunting trip along the Long Trail with his son in law. At some point, the two men separated, expecting to reunite shortly after. Rivers was last seen around four pm on November ninth, by a friend walking in the opposite direction of their camp.

11:43 Given his extensive knowledge of the terrain, few could have predicted that he would be the first of several people to disappear in the region under mysterious circumstances. When Rivers failed to return that evening, concern quickly grew. A search effort was launched, mobilizing around three hundred local volunteers alongside US Army soldiers dispatched from Fort Devons in Massachusetts. The searchers combed the dense wilderness for eight days, hoping to find any trace of the missing man. Despite their efforts, the only clue they uncovered was a single rifle cartridge, which matched the type of ammunition Rivers had carried. Strangely, there were no signs of an animal attack, a struggle, or even a trail that could suggest where he might have gone. As the search dragged on without results, locals remained hopeful, believing that the seasoned outdoorsmen would eventually find his way back to town. Days turned into weeks, and yet there was still no sign of Rivers. Given his survival skills, many found it difficult to accept that he

13:13 had simply succumbed to the elements. His disappearance baffled even the most experienced searchers, as he had been in an area he knew well and should have been able to navigate back safely. The case became even more unsettling because there were no tracks, personal belongings, or any evidence indicating what had happened to him. It was as if he had just vanished into thin air, reinforcing fears that something unusual was at play in the Bennington Triangle. As time passed, any lingering hope of finding Rivers alive faded. Authorities eventually had to call off the official search, though questions remained about how such an experienced outdoorsman could disappear without a single solid clue. Some speculated that he might have suffered a sudden medical emergency or fallen into a hidden crevice, while others wondered if he had been deliberately avoiding detection. However, none of these theories could fully explain the eerie lack of evidence. In the following months, stories about the region's history of strange occurrences only fueled speculation that something far

14:47 more mysterious had been at work. Several months after Rivers disappeared, a hiker made an unsettling discovery along a trail south of where he had last been seen. The hiker came across a handkerchief believed to belong to Rivers. This was the only other piece of evidence ever found in connection to his disappearance. However, the handkerchief provided no new answers. It didn't explain what had happened to him, nor did it offer clues about where he might have gone. Paula Jane Weldon, an eighteen year old sophomore at Bennington College, became the second known disappearance in the Bennington Triangle. On December one, nineteen forty six, nearly a year after Middy Rivers had vanished, Weldon set out for a hike on the Long Trail, a popular path that passed through Vermont's rugged wilderness. That after noon, she left campus on foot, walking and hitchhiking roughly six miles to the trailhead near Harbor Road along Route nine. A local man who later came forward as one of the last people to see her, picked her up and dropped her off about two miles

16:18 west of the Long Trail. Several other witnesses claimed to have seen her walking in the area, including a Bennington Banner employee who provided her with directions. However, despite multiple sightings that day, Weldon never returned, and no trace of her was ever found. At the time of her disappearance, Weldon was dressed in a red jacket, jeans, and lightweight sneakers, clothing entirely unsuitable for Vermont's frigid December weather. She carried no extra supplies, camping gear, or warm layers, suggesting she had not planned to be out for long. When she failed to attend class the following morning, concerns grew and an extensive search operation was launched. Authorities, along with volunteers, combed the Long Trail and its surrounding areas, but found no footprints, clothing, or any signs of a struggle. A five thousand dollars reward was offered for any information leading to her whereabouts, and even the FBI was brought in to assist. Despite these efforts, her case went cold, deepening

17:51 the mystery surrounding the region. Weldon's sudden disappearance captured national attention and led to speculation about what might have happened to her. Some suspected foul play, while others theorized that she may have gotten lost or succumbed to the elements. Over time, her case became one of Vermont's most infamous missing person stories and even served as the inspiration for Shirley Jackson's nineteen fifty one novel Hangs a Man. Yet, despite decades of speculation and theories, no credible evidence has ever surfaced to explain her fate, making her one of the most baffling cases associated with the Bennington Triangle. Three years later, on December one, nineteen forty nine, the exact anniversary of Paula Weldon's disappearance, another unsettling case emerged. James Tedford, a sixty eight year old World War One veteran and resident of the Vermont Soldiers Home in Bennington, vanished under mysterious circumstances while traveling by bus. Tedford had been visiting

19:21 family in Saint Albans, Vermont, and they accompanied him to the local bus station, where they watched him board and depart for Bennington. He was later seen at the Burlington depot, where he had a brief conversation with an acquaintance before catching his connecting bus home. The bus driver later told authorities that a man resembling Tedford may have disembarked in the village of Brandon, about seventy miles north of Bennington. That same night, Brandon police received reports of a man matching Tedford's description behaving oddly in the downtown area. However, what makes Tedford's disappearance particularly eerie is the widely circulated claim that he seemingly vanished while still on the bus.

20:21 Passengers on the Bennington bound bus recalled seeing him in his seat when the journey began, but by the time the bus reached its final destination, he was gone, yet his luggage remained on board. This led to the bizarre notion that he had somehow de materialized mid journey. Although later reports suggest Tedford may have suffered from mental illness and was deeply unhappy about returning to Bennington, no concrete evidence never explained his disappearance. His family described him as despondent, but there was no indication of where he might have gone after boarding the bus. Some researchers argue that the idea of him vanishing into thin air is well an exaggeration, pointing to gaps in the timeline between when he was last seen and when he was officially reported missing. Nonetheless, no trace of him was ever found, adding yet another perplexing case to the growing legend of the Bennington triangle.

21:41 The disappearance of eight year old Paul Jepson on October twelfth, nineteen fifty added yet another tragic mystery to the triangle. Paul had been playing in his family's pickup truck while his mother tended to pigs at the dump where they lived and worked. She left him unattended for approximately thirty minutes, and when she returned around four p m. He was gone. His mother initially assumed he had wandered off, but after an immediate search of the area turned up nothing, she reported him missing. The search quickly escalated, drawing in hundreds of volunteers, police officers, and even bloodhounds to scour the area for any sign of Paul. The bloodhounds picked up paul sent and followed it toward Glastonbury Mountain, but the trail abruptly ended at a nearby cross roads. This led investigators to speculate that he may have been abducted by a passing motorist. However, with no witnesses or evidence to support this theory, the case remained open ended. Rain had fallen that day, possibly washing away any additional tracks or clues.

23:05 Paul's father suggested that searchers could have missed him in the woods because his brown and tan clothing blended in with the autumn leaves, adding to the eeriness. Paul had reportedly spoken about going to the mountains in the days leading up to his disappearance, fueling speculation that he may have wandered into the wilderness on his own. Despite the extensive search, no trace of him was ever found, and his fate remains unknown. Just sixteen days later, on October twenty eighth, nineteen fifty, fifty three year old FRIEDA. Langer became the final person we know of to vanish under mysterious circumstances in the Bennington Triangle. Langer was camping near Glastonbury Mountain with her family when she and her cousin Herbert Elsner set out on a short hike near the Somerset Reservoir. However, after slipping into a stream and soaking her clothes, Langer decided to return to camp to change while Elsner waited. It was a short distance, only a few hundred yards, yet she never made it back. After waiting for a considerable time, Elsner returned to the camp site, expecting to find her there, but she was nowhere to

24:36 be seen. Langer's disappearance triggered an exhaustive search effort, involving over four hundred people, including police officers, volunteers, firefighters, soldiers, and even aircraft scanning the region. However, despite their efforts, no trace of her was found, and the search was eventually called off. The case took an even more unsettling turn seven months later, on May twelfth, nineteen fifty one, when Langer's body was discovered near the Somerset Reservoir, an area that had already been thoroughly searched. Given the advanced state of decomposition, authorities were unable to determine her cause of death. How her remains ended up in a previously scoured location remains a truly baffling question, one which simply deepens the mystery surrounding her fate. Unlike with the other disappearances in the Bennington Triangle, Langers was the only case where a body was eventually recovered. However, it provided no clear answers. The absence of definitive evidence, such as signs of an attack, an accident, or exposure left investigators with little to go on. Speculation ran wild, with some theorizing

26:07 that she had been abducted and later returned to the site. While Others believed she had somehow remained undiscovered in the wilderness for months before her body was found. The lack of clarity only intensified the eerie reputation of the region. Although no concrete links have been found between the disappearances, the pattern of missing persons in the same geographic area over a short span of time led to several theories. Some have speculated that a serial killer may have been active in the area, though no evidence ever emerged to support this claim. Others believe that the region is cursed, referencing Native American legends that speak of supernatural forces tied to Glastonbury Mountain. Paranormal enthusiasts have suggested that the area acts as a window into the unknown, with people vanishing due to unexplained phenomena. During the investigation into Paul Jepson's disappearance in nineteen fifty, journalists in the Bennington region began drawing connections between his case and the three previous vanishings.

27:29 The eerie similarities individuals disappearing without a trace, the proximity to Glastonbury Mountain, and the complete lack of evidence led to growing speculation that something strange was occurring in the area. As the cases gained more attention, the media fueled public intrigue, with many questioning whether these incidents were mere coincidences or part of a larger, more sinister pattern. By November nineteen fifty, the mystery surrounding the disappearances had gained enough traction for the Bennington Evening Banner to publish an article which compared the region to a lost horizon. The reference was drawn from James Hilton's nineteen thirty three novel, which tells the story of people lost in a mystical and remote area of Tibet. The implication was clear. The Bennington Triangle was beginning to take on a legendary status. Shrouded in intrigue, folklore, and fear. With no bodies except for Frieda Langers and no concrete evidence to explain the vanishings, theories ranging from

29:00 from the paranormal to the supernatural, managed to gain traction Over the years. These disappearances have continued to capture public imagination, making their way into books, documentaries, and podcasts. One of the most notable retellings of the events came in episode sixty seven of the popular podcast Lore, a show dedicated to Uncovering eerie and unexplained historical events. Titled The Redcoats, the episode delved into the Bennington Triangle, examining the disappearances and the local legends that have grown around them. Through careful narration and masterful storytelling, lore helped introduce the mystery to a new generation of listeners fascinated by unsolved cases.

29:59 In addition to podcasts and articles like this, the Bennington Triangle has also been featured in television series that explore haunted and mysterious locations. The Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places in America dedicated a segment to the region in its twenty eighteen episode titled Unnatural World. This episode explored not only the documented disappearances, but also the local lore surrounding the area. Among the legends discussed was the so called Bennington Monster, a bigfoot like creature that some believe roams the wilderness of Glastonbury Mountain. According to local stories, this towering, hairy beast may have played a role in the disappearances, either by abducting victims or causing them to flee into the dense forest, never to return. Despite being dismissed by skeptics as mere folklore. The idea of the Bennington Monster has persisted over the decades. Some locals claim to have seen large, shadowy figures moving through the woods, while others report hearing strange noises that cannot be easily explained. Whether these accounts are exaggerations, misidentifications, or evidence of something truly unusual,

31:37 they continue to add to the aura of mystery surrounding the Bennington Triangle. The region has become a hotspot for paranormal investigators, cryptid enthusiasts, and those simply drawn to the unexplained. In the end, the disappearances within the Bennington Triangle left behind a haunting mystery. Though theories have emerged over the years, from serial killers to supernatural forces, no definitive answers have ever been found. The lingering questions surrounding these cases have left an undeniable mark not just on the families of those who vanished, but on the entire region. Investigators, researchers, and locals continue to be captivated by the eerie history of Glastonbury Mountain, unable to shake the unsettling sense of the unknown. Even as time moves forward, the mystery remains unsolved, leaving the world to wonder what truly happened to those who disappeared and will the seats of the Bennington Triangle ever be uncovered. Terrifying and True is narrated by Enrique Kuto.

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