The state of Virginia has some of the most dense and vast forests in the nation, and aside from being a great place for outdoor recreation, these forests are a home to some of the most mysterious disappearances in American History. The “Sons of the Forest” is a case of five men who vanished without a trace in the forests of rural Virginia.
On Sunday, November 20th, 1959, five friends embarked on a short hunting trip in the area of Nelson County, Virginia. The “Sons of the Forest” consisted of:
The men had set off early in the morning, planning to spend the day hunting deer in an area near Routes 643 and 640. None of them were ever heard from again.
The investigation surrounding their disappearance was a monumental undertaking. Search parties combed the forests for weeks, searching for clues as to their whereabouts. However, the search yielded no results, and the investigation eventually came to a standstill.
A few theories were presented, however none of them could definitively explain what had happened to the five men. Some speculated that they had gotten lost in the deep, dense forests and perished, while others thought that they might’ve been involved in criminal activity and were possibly murdered.
Regardless, the disappearance of the “Sons of the Forest” remains unsolved to this day.
For years the case remained open and unsolved, until November 2019 when the Virginia State Police decided to reopen the investigation. In an effort to bring closure to the families of the missing five men, they began to review witness statements, forensic evidence, and any other evidence that may help to uncover the truth behind their disappearance.
The case of the “Sons of the Forest” is an infamous unsolved mystery in the state of Virginia, and perhaps in the entire nation. Many believe that the truth behind these five men’s disappearance may never be known, however hope lives on that the renewed investigation by the state police will finally bring closure and closure to the families of the missing five.