Butch Cassidy's Lost Loot

**Butch Cassidy's Lost Loot** is the 5th episode in Season 4 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh immerses himself in Wild West lore on a quest to find Butch Cassidy's missing money; he traces the iconic outlaw's footsteps through Colorado, Utah and Nevada, eventually learning he may have to find the man himself to locate the lost loot.

## Historical Context

"At the end of the 19th century, Butch, Sundance, and their gang, the Wild Bunch, launched the longest run of heists in American history, but in the years following the Wilcox train robbery, law enforcement sent each and every member of the gang into exile, jail, or a casket. As to the fate of their stolen fortune, many believe it's buried in a desolate corner of Utah along the infamous Outlaw Trail. If you've seen the movie, you know the Butch and Sundance were famously gunned down in Bolivia in 1908. Or were they?"

~ Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to Telluride, Colorado and to the New Sheridan Bar where he meets Roudy Roudebush, a historian, who tells him about Butch Cassidy's life. Roudy shows him a map of the Outlaw Trail and says the money is most likely buried at Browns Park. Josh goes to Browns Park in Utah where he meets Mark Allen, a historian, who tells him about how the Wild Bunch was known to hide out there. Josh and Mark meet Ryan Kelly, a river guide, and they head downriver to Doc Parsons hideout.

Mark and Josh meet Mark's brother, Merlin Allen. They use dowsing rods and metal detectors and find a bullet casing. They discuss how Butch may have not died in Bolivia but survived. Josh goes to Las Vegas, Nevada and then to Goodsprings where he meets Tim France, a historian, who tells him stories from Butch's family saying he became a miner in Nevada.

They go out to a man named Charlie Overfield's house, who Tim interviewed before he died, and say she and Butch lived out there together. They explore the house and find a false wall which may lead to the room where Butch may have died. They meet with Jeffery Patterson, a GPR expert, and use the GPR to search the area for Butch's burial. They find a disturbance and dig to find bone fragments. They call the authorities and Marin Pilliioud, a forensic anthropologist, who collects the bone to test. Josh goes to meet Paul Applegate, whose grandmother was Butch's sister. Josh recovers Paul's DNA to test it against the bone fragment but it doesn't match.

## Final Words

"The final chapter of America's most enigmatic outlaw will ride on, at least for now, but we have Butch's genetic signature on record, which means that one day, someone might turn up another set of bones that could be matched with the famous outlaw. My journey to find Butch Cassidy's stolen money took me across some of the most desolate terrain the American West has to offer. I saw firsthand how Butch and his gang revolutionised the art of the heist, and I learned just how remote the Outlaw Trail really is. I zeroed in on a site that may still hold some of his treasure and explored the area where his family maintains he spent his final days. I have to admit there's a part of me that hopes these particular mysteries are never solved. Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch were certainly criminals, but they've also become icons of unrivalled freedom and adventure. As long as their mystery survives, so does a little piece of the Wild West."

~ Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* *This is where you can put notes and trivia, anything that is interesting or strange can be included here*

## Quotes

* "Greatest bar entrance ever."
* "Is Merlin your real name?"
* "What's your actual level of confidence at your brothers treasure finding abilities?"
* "Let me tell you something right now, if I could do a television show about finding old beer cans, I'd be in my 50th season."

## References

1. ↑ https://discovery.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/discovery/go/shows/e/expedition-unknown/400/butch-cassidys-lost-loot.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.616.347.suffix/1561658341635.jpeg