Man Indicted for Digging for Treasure in Fort Yellowstone Cemetery
Written by Andrew-Rossi on October 22, 2020
The legendary Fenn Treasure has been found, but another hopeful treasure hunter still must answer for his actions in the ill-fated search.
On Sept. 16, 52-year-old Utah resident Rodrick Dow Craythorn was indited by a federal jury on charges of excavating or trafficking in archeological resources and injury or depredation to United States property.
Craythorn is accused of excavating in the historic Fort Yellowstone Cemetery at Mammoth Hot Springs and possibly other locations between Oct. 1, 2019, and May 24, 2020. It is unknown how many places Craythorn is accused of digging, nor how much damage he caused to the cemetery.
And the reason for this felony? The Fenn Treasure.
Santa Fe Art dealer Forrest Fenn hid a treasure trove of cash, gold, and jewels in the Rocky Mountain Region and left a cryptic poem as the only clue to its location.
Dozens of people have scoured the American West in search of the bounty, and there were four fatalities linked to the search.
There were other crimes as well. 55-year-old Dave Christensen was arrested after repelling into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone last January, convinced the natural wonder was Fenn’s hiding spot. It took several hours to safely rescue him from the canyon.
Shortly before his death, Fenn confirmed the treasure has been found and he had hidden it somewhere in Wyoming. Its exact location and the identity of the successful hunter remain unknown.
Rodrick Dow Craythorn pled Not Guilty to the charges he faces in his federal inditement during an initial hearing in Federal Court.
His trial for his excavation in the Fort Yellowstone Cemetery is set to begin Dec. 14 in the U.S. District Court in Casper.
