Following the death of a second person searching for an infamous hidden treasure allegedly located somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, police are calling on the man behind the mystery to end the hunt.
Eccentric art dealer and author Forrest Fenn set off a firestorm back in 2010 when he published his memoir which included a poem that purportedly contained clues to an enormous treasure he hid in the Rocky Mountains.
According to Fenn, the treasure, thought be worth around two million dollars, consists of over 250 gold coins, some hefty gold nuggets, a variety of jewels, and a handful of other pricey artifacts.
Since he revealed the existence of the treasure, a slew of people have attempted to decipher Fenn's poem and determine the location of the riches.
However, authorities are now asking the clever millionaire to call off the treasure hunt after a Colorado pastor recently became the second person to die while searching for Fenn's cache of gold and jewels.
Despite assurances from Fenn that the treasure is not located in a dangerous location, Paris Wallace and Randy Bilyeu both lost their lives while attempting to locate the riches.
As such, the chief of the New Mexico state police, Pete Kassetas, says that Fenn should end the mystery of the treasure before anyone else gets hurt.
"I want Mr. Fenn to retrieve the treasure or call off the hunt," he told ABC News, citing dangers to both ill-equipped explorers as well as emergency personnel who may be enlisted to save those individuals.
In response, Fenn told Kassetas that he would provide a new clue to treasure hunters that will "keep them out of trouble, to make them safer," which did not seem to satisfy the law enforcement officer.
The pressure from police as well as knowing that his treasure hunt was responsible for two deaths may be causing him to change his mind about the endeavor as he also told the Wall Street Journal that "I am thinking about several options, including stopping the search."
While calling off the hunt would surely disappoint many people who have dedicated quite a bit of time and effort into searching for the treasure, it may be a wise decision for Fenn considering what it has cost in human lives already.
Source: ABC News / Wall Street Journal