Investigators' Search on Taylor's Mountain

This thread is to discuss details or anything related to the search on Taylor's Mountain in Thaxton, Virginia.

Does anyone have confirmation from LE or Investigators that the search on Taylor's Mountain has currently stopped?

I think beachlvr0810 stated that they have left the area.

Yes, the investigators, law enforcment and S&R have left the area. All of the "NO PARKING" signs the state had put up along the sides of the road, along with the chain and signs designating the parking area for law enforcement, have now been removed.

beachlvr0810 said:

Yes, the investigators, law enforcment and S&R have left the area. All of the "NO PARKING" signs the state had put up along the sides of the road, along with the chain and signs designating the parking area for law enforcement, have now been removed.

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They may have stopped for now but I doubt that's the end of their time on the mountain.


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If any of you are interested in the other investigation on Taylor's Mountain for missing James Davis Walker, his son has just joined WS and posted his first post on the James Davis Walker thread.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...een-7-April-2000&highlight=James+Davis+Walker

Amazing to see the COAST GUARD involved now in the search with the use of better equipment for flying low. Beachlvr0810: if you are not under a gag order, can you share with us what you have learned to be what's called, the "Devil's Den"?

I am not under a gag order so I will tell you whatever I can. The story of the Devil's Den has been handed down from family to family, through many generations and has been seen by hunters and people who live in that area. I myself have never seen it but my Mom has told me the story her Dad used to tell her, about how in the dead of winter with a half a foot of snow on the mountain, no snow would be seen around the area of the Devil's Den and there would still be grass and wildflowers growing around the edges. People who lived on the mountain would warn their children about wandering off and possibly falling in, never to be found again and I'm sure hunters were told the story about the hunting dog who fell in and disappeared. There were alot of different versions of the stories but here's the general description found in the book "Our Kin" written in the early 1930s I think...

"On the side of Taylor's Mountain some seven or eight miles west of Bedford, near what is known as "The old Higginbotham place", is a natural phenomenon called "The Devil's Den'. It is a subterranean vent, and when first discovered - and even for many years after the War Between the States - it had a round opening about two feet in diameter. Logs and rocks dropped in could not be heard to reach the bottom. In later years the vent caved in and a big boulder covered the main opening. Since then some half dozen smaller vents have opened up around the boulder and through these hot air escapes. It is said by some who have visited the spot that the ground was covered with seven inches of snow and that immediately about "The Devil's Den" the grass was green and wild flowers were blooming."

If I could get photos to upload correctly, I would show you the terrain and what our mountain looks like.

Thank you so much for that information!

Yes, I was reading about subterranean vents and in one story people lost their lives at a ski resort including rescuers!! (SEE LINK BELOW AND READ ARTICLE!!)

I hope investigators and crews are VERY careful and GO FULLY GEARED because I read that those vents can GIVE OFF TOXIC FUMES and people can die just from that!!

I think it seems logical-- if hot air is coming up out of those vents, that explains the green grass and flowers.

http://articles.latimes.com/2006/apr/07/local/me-mammoth7

beachlvr0810 said:

"On the side of Taylor's Mountain some seven or eight miles west of Bedford, near what is known as "The old Higginbotham place", is a natural phenomenon called "The Devil's Den'. It is a subterranean vent, and when first discovered - and even for many years after the War Between the States - it had a round opening about two feet in diameter. Logs and rocks dropped in could not be heard to reach the bottom. In later years the vent caved in and a big boulder covered the main opening. Since then some half dozen smaller vents have opened up around the boulder and through these hot air escapes. It is said by some who have visited the spot that the ground was covered with seven inches of snow and that immediately about "The Devil's Den" the grass was green and wild flowers were blooming."
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In the 1970s, before many people explored holes/caves for fun, a hole like the Devil's Den, or any other hole in the area, might be an easy place to dump a body since no digging would be required.

But the police may have already found the bodies and confirmed with DNA and are just not telling the public as they build their case.

It's also a long drive from Wheaton MD to that part of VA, 3 or 4 hours.

Criminals do stupid things under pressure, but I always thought bringing a body to or near one's own property, where they would question you, was dumb.

steveP120 said:

In the 1970s, before many people explored holes/caves for fun, a hole like the Devil's Den, or any other hole in the area, might be an easy place to dump a body since no digging would be required.

But the police may have already found the bodies and confirmed with DNA and are just not telling the public as they build their case.

It's also a long drive from Wheaton MD to that part of VA, 3 or 4 hours.

Criminals do stupid things under pressure, but I always thought bringing a body to or near one's own property, where they would question you, was dumb.

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BBM...I have to agree. But the first part of your statement says it all...Criminals do stupid things.

I've also heard there are a few caves up on the mountain, one close to our side and one not too far down the mountain from where they were searching a few months ago. I have never seen either one of them but I've heard and read about them. Makes complete sense to me since those mountains are full of bear! And yes, I have seen THEM! In the summer months when the creeks dry up and we haven't had alot of rain, it's not unusual to see a bear coming across your backyard. If somebody can tell me how to upload photos here, I'll be happy to post some photos so yall can see what our mountain looks like.

This is a view from across the road of the area they were searching

This is how remote it is in some parts on the mountain. View attachment 63906

This is what we call "down in the holler". This is on the opposite side of where the search is happening. View attachment 63907

The area where possibly one of the caves might be.

View attachment 63909

In summer after hard rains, the roads can wash out and the vegetation and underbrush gets thick.

View attachment 63910


View attachment 63911

Beautiful creeks, moss, huge rocks and wildflowers

steveP120 said:

In the 1970s, before many people explored holes/caves for fun, a hole like the Devil's Den, or any other hole in the area, might be an easy place to dump a body since no digging would be required.

But the police may have already found the bodies and confirmed with DNA and are just not telling the public as they build their case.

It's also a long drive from Wheaton MD to that part of VA, 3 or 4 hours.

Criminals do stupid things under pressure, but I always thought bringing a body to or near one's own property, where they would question you, was dumb.

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It would be stupid to bring a body near your own property and yet stupid people keep doing it. People even stuff bodies into the crawl spaces of their homes. Go figure.


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The only advantage I could see in burying a body on your own property is that there would be no random digging that would uncover it. If the Welchs buried bodies there, they could probably sleep well knowing they are not going to be discovered by campers, developers or someones dogs.


The trade off is that the body could be linked to you pretty convincingly.

Just posting this news article from Sept '14 it leads to more links on the search.
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/lyn...n-taking-place-on-taylors-mountain-r/28083490

WaynezWorld said:

The only advantage I could see in burying a body on your own property is that there would be no random digging that would uncover it. If the Welchs buried bodies there, they could probably sleep well knowing they are not going to be discovered by campers, developers or someones dogs.

The trade off is that the body could be linked to you pretty convincingly.

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But the mountain has always been full of hunters and dogs. And even if they were buried on the land, how would the Welches in Maryland know that all those neighbors on the mountain, hours away in Virginia wouldn't see them bringing in the bodies? At the time the girls disappeared, that neighborhood was full of families with kids who spent their days and evenings playing with cousins, even playing up in the woods where they were searching back in September. People sat out on their porches, visited neighbors, planted and worked in their gardens so how would the Welches get those girls up on that land without being noticed by somebody? I understand it's hard for people who have never lived here or been here to understand what I'm trying to describe but I've been here all my life and even though the mountain itself is remote, that particular area was not so remote that no one would have noticed the Welches coming in from Maryland and burying 2 children.