AZ AZ - Glen Hyde, 29, & Bessie Haley, 23, 15 Nov 1928

anthrobones

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http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/645dmaz.html

Glen Rollin Hyde
Missing since November 15, 1928 from Arizona.
Classification: Missing





Vital Statistics
  • Date Of Birth: December 9, 1898
  • Age: 29
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair.


Circumstances of Disappearance
Glen was raised in Hansen, Idaho and attended the University Of Idaho. He was employed as a farmer in the area and was also an avid outdoorsman. Glen traveled to California in February 1927 and met Bessie Helmick aboard a passenger ship from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Bessie and Glen began a romantic relationship afterwards and wanted to marry, but Bessie was still legally wed to her first husband. Earl Helmick refused to agree to a divorce, so Bessie moved to Elko, Nevada to meet residency requirements for a decree in that state. Their divorce was finalized on April 11, 1928; Bessie and Glen wed in Twin Falls, Idaho on April 12.

Glen and Bessie took a honeymoon rafting trip down the Green River and Colorado River during the fall of 1928. Glen was an experienced rafter, while Bessie was somewhat of a novice. They boarded a handmade flat-bottomed wooden sweep scow, a craft commonly used for Idaho river rafting at the time. Glen refused to carry life preservers or jackets on board, also keeping with the general rafting customs of the day.

The couple arrived at the home of Emory Kolb, a photographer who maintained a small riding business on the rim of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, on November 15. The Hydes said that they had been rafting for the previous 26 days and were pausing to restock their supplies. They asked Kolb to take a photo of them posing by the canyon's rim; they planned to retrieve the picture on their return trip a short time afterwards. Kolb believed that Bessie appeared apprehensive about the remainder of the journey. Kolb attempted to tell Glen that he needed some form of life-saving equipment on board, but Glen disregarded the warning.

Glen and Bessie departed Kolb's property after restocking their raft near Bright Angel Trail. The couple has never been heard from again. Glen's father assisted with the search effort when the Hydes failed to return to Idaho by early December 1928. A small plane located their abandoned raft in the river in mid-December. The craft was upright and fully stocked with supplies, but there was no sign of Glen or Bessie. Water was also discovered on board the boat, but authorities were not certain if it was part of the Hydes' supply or simply overflow from the rapids. An extensive search of the area produced no clues as to Glen and Bessie's whereabouts. Investigators determined that the couple was presumed to have died in some type of accident in the river. Glen's father believed that they had difficulties with their craft and attempted to hike out of the Grand Canyon, but became lost and died in the woods. No evidence has been located to support that theory.

Liz Cutler (pictured below), a woman who traveled down the Grand Canyon on a rafting excursion in 1971, claimed she was actually Bessie. Cutler claimed that she stabbed Glen after a disagreement in 1928, then walked out of the woods and began a new life for herself. Cutler recanted her story sometime afterwards.

The unidentified skeleton of a man was discovered in the area in 1976 and rumors abounded that Glen's body had been recovered. The victim apparently died as the result of a bullet wound to the head. Laboratory tests conducted in 1985 concluded that the remains were not Glen's. Another woman and man have claimed to be Bessie and Glen in the years following the skeleton's discovery. None of the stories have been verified. Bessie's brother said that Helmick had a violent temper and mentioned that some people believed he was involved in Bessie and Glen's disappearances. No evidence has been located to support the theory. A witness on the river at the time the Hydes vanished said that he saw a brown leather jacket floating in the water. It is not known if the garment was connected to the Hydes' cases or if the claim is even true.

Bessie and Glen's disappearances are no longer being investigated by law enforcement, but fascination with their cases continues. Brad Dimock wrote a book detailing the disappearances in 2001, entitled Sunk Without A Sound.




http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/855dfaz.html

Bessie Louise Hayley Hyde
Missing since November 15, 1928 from Arizona.
Classification: Missing





Vital Statistics
  • Date Of Birth: December 29, 1905
  • Age at Time of Disappearance: 23 years old
  • Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'0; 90 lbs.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; brown eyes.
  • Other: Bessie's former married name is "Helmick."


Circumstances of Disappearance
Bessie was raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia. She married Earl Helmick on June 5, 1926 in Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Bessie and Earl had attended high school and college together. She returned to West Virginia shortly after their wedding. A local newspaper reported that Bessie planned to study art during the following year in San Francisco, California. No explanation of her decision was given and rumors persisted that Bessie was pregnant, which has never been confirmed. It is believed that Bessie and Helmick never lived together during their marriage.

Bessie departed from San Francisco in February of 1927 and traveled aboard a passenger ship to Los Angeles, California. She met and Idaho farmer and outdoorsman named Glen Hyde during the trip and the two began a romantic relationship. Helmick refused to agree to a divorce, so Bessie moved to Elko, Nevada to meet residency requirements for a decree in that state. Their divorce was finalized on April 11, 1928; Bessie and Glen wed in Twin Falls, Idaho on April 12.

Glen and Bessie took a honeymoon rafting trip down the Green River and Colorado River during the fall of 1928. Glen was an experienced rafter, while Bessie was somewhat of a novice. They boarded a handmade flat-bottomed wooden sweep scow, a craft commonly used for Idaho river rafting at the time. Glen refused to carry life preservers or jackets on board, also keeping with the general rafting customs of the day.

The couple arrived at the home of Emory Kolb, a photographer who maintained a small riding business on the rim of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, on November 15. The Hydes said that they had been rafting for the previous 26 days and were pausing to restock their supplies. They asked Kolb to take a photo of them posing by the canyon's rim; they planned to retrieve the picture on their return trip a short time afterwards. Kolb believed that Bessie appeared apprehensive about the remainder of the journey. Kolb attempted to tell Glen that he needed some form of life-saving equipment on board, but Glen disregarded the warning.

Glen and Bessie departed Kolb's property after restocking their raft near Bright Angel Trail. The couple has never been heard from again. Glen's father assisted with the search effort when the Hydes failed to return to Idaho by early December 1928. A small plane located their abandoned raft in the river in mid-December. The craft was upright and fully stocked with supplies, but there was no sign of Glen or Bessie. Water was also discovered on board the boat, but authorities were not certain if it was part of the Hydes' supply or simply overflow from the rapids. An extensive search of the area produced no clues as to Glen and Bessie's whereabouts. Investigators determined that the couple was presumed to have died in some type of accident in the river. Glen's father believed that they had difficulties with their craft and attempted to hike out of the Grand Canyon, but became lost and died in the woods. No evidence has been located to support that theory.

Bessie and Glen's disappearances are no longer being investigated by law enforcement, but fascination with their cases continues. Brad Dimock wrote a book detailing the disappearances in 2001, entitled Sunk Without A Sound



http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hyde_glen.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hyde_bessie.html
 
Quote >> Bessie's brother said that Helmick had a violent temper and mentioned that some people believed he was involved in Bessie and Glen's disappearances. No evidence has been located to support the theory. << Unquote

A violent person might indeed be considered a suspect in a mysterious disappearance, but the facts in this case would tend to argue against this possibility. Unless it could be proven that Helmick was an experienced outdoorsman and master hunter of people, it is highly unlikely that he would/could have located two people traveling through wilderness down a river. One reason for traveling by river is that is the only way to get through such rough country. This was in an era long before helicopters and four wheel drive jeeps. The most advanced vehicle of 1928 would have been a Model A roadster, more suitable to good roads than to driving around desert and into canyons.

I think the most likely solution to this mystery is the one the father came up with - that they became separated from their supplies and died in the wilderness.
 
Being an Occam's Razor sort of person, I think Bessie and Glen almost certainly died on the river. The author of Sunk Without a Sound attempted to duplicate their journey on the river using a boat just like theirs, to scale and everything, and he could not do it. He had people watching him, and help close by, and he was getting tossed out of the boat time and time again. He concluded that it was simply not possible to get a sweep scow through the Colorado River.

I think probably one of the sweeps knocked Bessie into the water (this had happened before) and Glen jumped in to save her and they both drowned.

Incidentally, pictures http://www.charleyproject.org/images/h/hyde_bessie4.jpg and http://www.charleyproject.org/images/h/hyde_glen3.jpg were of Bessie and Glen on the day of their disappearances. They don't look too happy, do they? Probably scared to death.
 
I'm inclined to agree with the drowning theory. It is the most rational. And I recently ordered Sunk Without a Sound from Amazon.com and am looking forward to reading it.It sounds like Glen and Bessie got in over their heads trying to navigate such difficult waters. Forgive the pun. It really was unintentional.
 
Today, November 15, 2007, marks the seventy-ninth anniversary of the disappearance of Glen Hyde and Bessie Haley. Please keep their families in your prayers. Although this case is very old, closure is needed. If you have any information whatsoever regarding their disappearace, please contact your local police department or the Arizona Police Dept. at (602) 262-7626.
 
Thank you for reminding us of this case. I've seen it featured on a couple of Unsolved Mystery type shows.
Hope someday we know all the answers.
 
They talk about the Unsolved Mysteries show in the book. They said it was inaccurate in many ways.

I may have to read the book. I saw the Unsolved Mysteries show around 15 yrs. ago. I saw it featured somewhere else a couple of years ago (History channel?). I don't remember any details, tho. But I do remember that it was an intriguing case.
 
I read Sunk Without a Sound. It presented a very logical argument for drowning. I don't think there was a murder. I think it was just a series of tragic mishaps.
 
Sunk Without a Sound is a very good book. I agree that they drowned too. It's interesting to read about the other scenarios though. I wouldn't mind reading the book again, however, my dog chewed it up after I read it the first time! But there are copies on eBay for $1.00. The book is well worth reading IMO.
 
I think they drowned as well. When a person disappears while rafting or hiking or boating or some such thing, I would assume they had a fatal accident unless there is evidence to prove otherwise. There's a case on my site where a little boy disappeared in the wintertime, and his footprints were found in the snow leading up to a hole in the ice of a nearby river. I think some of his clothes were found in the water, too, but they never found his body. A very clever abductor could probably have staged all that, but unless there's evidence to the contrary I would go with the most obvious explanation for what happened.
 
From what I read, along the canyon floor the temperature ranges anywhere from the 40s to the 60s that time of year (and about 20 degrees cooler along the rim). At those temperatures they could easily have died from exposure even if they had not drowned. Remember that there is also going to be the normal day-to-night temperature shift out there in the desert, so you could swing from almost 70 degrees to 40 all in one day. And it is desert, mostly scrub along the canyon floor. It seems most likely that they either took a day hike and got into trouble, or drowned and their bodies did not wash up where they were found. Either way, I doubt that there are even bones left to find now.
 
Bumping case up. It will be 80 years ago this November that this couple disappeared.
 
Could it be possible that something else happened to them, besides being drowned in the river? I am getting the book today and cannot wait to read it. But... I read somewhere about a woman who came forward and she was very old, and said she was the real Bessie. She said she killed her husband and hiked out of the woods. Than a man's daughter comes forward and says she believes her father was the missing man, and he had a big stab wound on his back and said that he and Bessie did not work out. Putting two and two together, could Bessie have stabbed him, believed he was dead, or he played dead, she hiked out of the woods, and he got out too? Just a thought.
 
Oh and I read somewhere the old woman said she had stabbed him to death. I need to find out where I read that. That's why I am wondering. Seems odd to me that the woman comes forward and says I stabbed him to death, than a girl comes forward to say her dad is the missing man and says he had a stab wound still visible on his back. It's an interesting thing, because they both essentially came up with the same story.
 
Oh and I read somewhere the old woman said she had stabbed him to death. I need to find out where I read that. That's why I am wondering. Seems odd to me that the woman comes forward and says I stabbed him to death, than a girl comes forward to say her dad is the missing man and says he had a stab wound still visible on his back. It's an interesting thing, because they both essentially came up with the same story.

That was Liz Cutler..she later recanted her story. Through birth records they verified she was actually Elizabeth Cutler, not Bessie Hyde, and was born in Ohio in 1908. I put Bessie's Charley Project link below, which has quite a good, lengthy description of Bessie, similar to what anthrobones posted when he started this thread.

I'm glad you got the book. It was really good. I'd like to read it again so I may buy another copy, too. I read it around 2005 but my dog I had at the time ate my other copy. I've always thought this was a fascinating case.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hyde_bessie.html
 
After reading the book, (I finished it in around noon today), I wonder about the other Glenn. He looks so much like Glen Hyde it is uncanny. And the fact that he was water rafting down the same Grand Canyon the same time, and no one saw HIS boat, but lots of people say Glen and Bessie it just makes me think they are/were the SAME person. He had a huge stab wound on his back... Now... Liz was a big joker, etc. But she DID say that she "Stabbed him" and in particular "In the back". Now, we all know that Liz was not Bessie. But could Liz have known Bessie and heard her tell the story of what happened with Glen? And could Glen have survived, or played dead so the real Bessie would not have stabbed him more times? In Liz's account, she said she pulled his body to the river and dumped in after she had stabbed him. Looking at Bessie's size, I would have said no way, but... If she was strong enough to man one of those huge oars and between the two of them they were able to keep that boat afloat and okay for quite a long time, she may have been very strong. Glen was reported to be a great swimmer, strong and agile. Could he have somehow made it back to the shore, far enough away that Bessie didn't see him? I know, the obvious conclusion, the easiest solution, (and the easiest is usually right, but not always the right one), is that they drowned. A lot of maybe's here, not to mention the fact that lots of people have drowned in the grand canyon and if they didn't have life jackets most of their bodies were never found. But could it be possible these two walked right out, and Glen out of embarrassment, and Bessie out of fear of having killed her husband, (she may have believed his body would wash up right away and LE would see a great big knifewound), did not come forward?
 
1 more thing. In the book it talks about Georgie Clark, a river woman, who went rafting a lot. During her funeral, the woman she left everything to, was going through her things, and in the woman's underware drawer, found a pistol and a marriage license for Bessie and Glen Hyde. That is why they thought perhaps, Georgie was really Bessie. But Georgie could not have been Bessie. The heights were different for the two women, Georgie would have been four months pregnant during the time of the trip etc. But... I wish we could see Georgie's diaries or her notes or something. She took trips down the Grand Canyon. I bet she found those items somewhere in the grand canyon. She would hike through the Grand Canyon, she and another man together hiked the route that would have been the most likely route for Glen and Bessie had they been stranded. What if they found the marriage certificate and the gun, (which is stated is the same gun they believe, that Glen took with him and looks identical to the gun in the photos? What if she was searching for the couple, and found those articles? Now... The marriage certificate was in good condition, didn't look as though it had ever been waterlogged, so it was probably found on land. Which makes me believe either one or both of the couple walked out of the canyon alive, Or and more likely, they tried and could not find their way out and ended up dying eventually of starvation, or exposure or both.... Just some thoughts. She could have been the right track to finding them.
 
Wow! I can't believe you just got the book and finished it already. It is one that's hard to put down. I do want to get another copy because it's a book I intended to keep and re-read at some point. I'm always fascinated by this case.

I came to the conclusion that they drowned after reading the book, and the fact that the witness said there was a brown leather jacket floating in the water. Bessie had a leather jacket. You're right though, there are so many other possibilities. I think Glen Hyde had a temper and was stubborn, i.e. refusing to have life preservers on the boat, but I don't think he would have done away with Bessie. On the other hand, she may have discovered she didn't care for his stubborness and disregard about safety, and she may have been really afraid. It almost sounds like everything had to be his way or the highway. The photographer, Emory Kolb, said he sensed she was apprehensive about continuing the trip after they stopped to visit him. Her ex-husband did have a horrible temper and I've never quite written him out of the equation. I think he remarried a couple years after they disappeared and he refused to discuss Bessie ever again. Maybe that points to his guilt. But I can't see how he could have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. If he had followed them, they surely would have known it at some point. Glen's father thought they ran into trouble and got out of the boat and got lost in the woods and died of exposure. I think that's possible too, but if that was the case, you would have thought they would have been found eventually with all the thorough searches that were done.

You have to admit, that would have been an eerie scene to come across their boat sitting so peacefully in the river like that.

Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where there are so many questions and since it happened nearly 81 years ago, there won't be many answers. Of course I thought the same thing about Everett Ruess and they found his remains after 75 years!
 

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