Exploring The Hidden Grave Of America’s Biggest Showman Buffalo Bill | Expedition Unknown

Billy the Kid, Jesse James, [music] Wyatt Herp.  Larger than life heroes and villains of the Wild West [music] still loom large in our imagination.  But amongst this pantheon of historical legends, only one man can lay claim [music] to  the title of king. Buffalo Bill Cody, whose crown was a broadbrimmed Stson. Before  the turn of the 20th century, when the American frontier was still being forged, William  Frederick Cody made a name for himself. His legendary adventures as an army scout and hunter  were published in newspapers and [music] adapted into novels and plays, culminating in Buffalo  Bill’s Wild West, a live touring spectacle that brought the myths and [music] heroes  of the Wild West to the rest of the world.

[00:55]Cody became a friend to every president from  Ulissiz Srant to Woodro Wilson, entertained European royalty, and earned millions. By the year  1900, he was America’s biggest celebrity and the most famous showman on the planet. When Bill died  in 1917, he was buried here on Lookout Mountain, just outside Denver, Colorado. Or was he? Because  here lies one of the great mysteries when it comes to the legendary cowboy. Despite what this  marker claims, that he was laid to rest here at his request, there are many who contend that his  mortal remains are somewhere else entirely. One historian claims his own grandfather helped  steal the body and buried him near the town that Buffalo Bill founded. You believe this is  where Buffalo Bill is buried? Yes, I believe it and I know it. Okay. Now you got to convince me.  That’s easy. Okay, perfect. So, take me through it

[01:55]because I went to the the grave there on Lookout  Mountain. There’s a grave, there’s a plaque, the whole nine yards. So, tell me why everybody’s  got it wrong. They couldn’t bury him in the middle of the winter. Right. So, he was put at  olinger’s mortuary. Without back hose to dig the frozen ground, Olinger’s mortuary hosted Buffalo  Bill’s refrigerated remains for several months while his widow decided where to bury him. She  was leaning toward Cody, but according to Bob, the city fathers of Denver wooed her with about  $20,000 in cash, or a half a million today, to keep Bill local. She opened up a [music] big  lease and scooped it in, said, “He’s yours.” And I imagine the people here in Cody are furious.  They were bad. [music] Okay. But it seems like the die has been cast. He’s going to be buried  down by Denver. So, what happens to change that?

[02:46]A few months go by and a rancher south of Cody  had a cowhand pass away. And here’s where things get wild. The body of the cowboy was brought to  a local mortician named John Vogle who noticed he bore an uncanny resemblance to Buffalo Bill. And  with that, a plan was hatched. Vogle looked at the body and he says, “I think we can exchange him  for Bill down in Denver.” And oh, a body swap. And they want to do a body swap. And then he called  Fred Richard, my granddad, and Ned Frost, friends of Buffalo Bill, guides for Buffalo Bill. So, your  grandfather was one of Buffalo Bill’s guides. He and Ned both were guides for Buffalo Bill’s guests  from Europe. This is awesome. I love this. This isn’t some 12-hand account. Your grandfather was  working for Buffalo Bill and knew the mortician here in town. Oh, very well. They were all friends  of Buffalo Bill. Okay, buckle up, people. This

[03:43]is one crazy caper. Bob’s grandfather, Fred  Richard, and his friend Ned [music] Frost, along with help from the local mortician, hauled  the random cowboy’s corpse on ice from Wyoming all the way down to Denver. A trip that would have  taken 2 days on horseback. And then, under the cover of darkness, they snuck into Oolinger’s  mortuary and switched the bodies. Then they turned around and went right back to Cody with the  one true Buffalo Bill. Finally, the group brought him all the way up here and secretly put him in  the ground right here on Cedar Mountain. Right in this area. And here’s where the plan turns  ingenious to make sure the folks in Denver don’t look too closely at the Buffalo Bill impostor  they left behind. The group then [music] wires Denver and warns them that an angry mob from the  town of Cody is coming to take the body by force,

[04:35]which scares the folks in Denver enough to rush  their fake Buffalo Bill into his grave on Lookout Mountain and then seal it with enough cement that  nobody would ever be able to steal the body except that it had already been stolen. Phew. So, let’s  say that this absolutely astounding story is true.

[04:54]How do we prove it? like how do we figure out  where Bill was buried exactly buried up here on this mountain? Uh my dad was a photographer and  photographed Ned Frost pointing to where Bill was buried. I’m sorry. There are photographs  that show where Buffalo Bill was buried. Yes, we have photographs. Can I see those? Bob leads  me across the summit to look at what he believes is the proof of his grandfather’s story. Josh,  take a look at things. Who is this? Mid Frost. So, this is one of the men who claimed to take Bill’s  body. And he is literally standing next to a sign that says Buffalo Bill’s chosen burial place with  what looks like a rock pile. A burial pile. It is. And these photos were taken up here. Right  here. So, this formation here is exactly the same as that formation back there. Yes, sir.  That’s Jim Mountain. This is in the area of

[05:48]a historic photo of Ned Frost that marks Buffalo  Bill’s reported grave. It’s also the exact spot where one of the trained cadaavver dogs strongly  indicated a target. Okay, let’s see what’s here.

[06:18]Oh, we got a soil soil color change. You see that?  Yes. This white colored soil. What is that? It’s much much lighter. Almost looks like ash, does it?  Looks like something out of a fireplace. You bet.

[06:31]Turns out that in this case, an ash hole is a good  thing. At that time of year, at this elevation, they would still need to set a fire to thaw  the ground to be able to get a burial in. Wow, that’s an interesting possibility, right? Somebody  set a fire here so they could make this ground easier to work so they could dig a burial hole.  Always a possibility. Okay, let’s keep at it.

[06:55]With a clue that we could be digging in the  right place, we put our backs into it until the sun begins to descend. I’ll tell you  one thing. If there’s no dead body in here, there’s about to be. [laughter]  Just lay me down inside of this.

[07:13][music] Okay. Let’s look at this stone that runs  all through here. I’m going to try to get the pick under it. See if we can wedge it.  Yeah. Yep. Okay. Here we go. Okay. Stand by.

[07:32]See if we can get that shovel in. Hold on. I’m  under it. [snorts] Okay. Hold on. Got it. Yep.

[07:42]Okay. Up, up, up. Good. Hey, hold on a second.  That’s natural. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, a couple things. First of all, this ash is everywhere once  you get down a couple feet. I think definitely fire here of some kind. Yeah. Yes. And we have  this huge rock. Could this be what you saw on the radar? Very much so. Yeah. Beyond that,  there is clearly a soil disturbance here, which is that we have this loose kind of ashy  layer below this. And below that, there’s a layer that’s hard and undisturbed. So, I think no  question that at some point somebody dug a hole here and at least had a fire. But I don’t see any  signs of a burial. Paul, Jamie, no. No. Now, Bob, I’m not doubting your grandfather, but in this  spot, which seems like it’s where that photo was taken, we don’t seem to have a burial. That  appears to be the case. Yeah. But there’s a lot of

[08:37]space around here where it could be. That’s right.  And we’ve just started. I have to say though, reading that first will of his, he’s so clear and  passionate that he wants to be buried here. Well, this is the prettiest place in the world. In  fact, I want to be buried up here when it’s my time. Really? My sons are going to bring my  ashes up and scatter them here with Bill. I mean, I can’t imagine a better place to be.  That is as beautiful as it gets. Perhaps Buffalo Bill’s body is still near Denver.  Perhaps [music] it’s somewhere nearby, just beneath our feet. But in either case, I  still get a big win. A sunset over the Wild West.