Alfred Nicholas Kochendorfer — Vanished From Jim’s Creek, Butte
On October 27, 2000, Alfred Nicholas Kochendorfer disappeared during a solo bear‑hunting trip near Butte, Montana. He was 49 years old, 5'8", 170 lbs, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a beard. Kochendorfer was an experienced outdoorsman with extensive hunting and survival knowledge. Nothing about this trip was unusual for him.
That morning, he told his wife he was heading to Butte to hunt bears — something he had done many times before. He knew the area well and was fully prepared, taking:
- An ATV
- Cold‑weather gear
- Extra gasoline
- A grey dome tent
- Ample supplies
He was not a novice. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Later that day, he was seen at a gas station in Butte. This is the last confirmed sighting of Alfred Nicholas Kochendorfer.
The ATV Is Found — But Nothing Else
A few days later, hunters found his ATV parked near Jim’s Creek. All of his supplies were still on the vehicle — untouched. The tent, the gear, the fuel, everything.
There were no tracks around the ATV. No sign of a struggle. No indication he had set up camp. No footprints leading away. It was as if he had stepped off the ATV and vanished into thin air.
He was reported missing, and an extensive multi‑day search began. Ground teams, trackers, and volunteers combed the area. Nothing was found. Not a scrap of clothing. Not a piece of equipment. Not a single clue.
His nephew later mentioned that the family had a history of depression, but Kochendorfer’s wife said he was acting completely normal the day he left. The family dynamic was complicated — the nephew said the family disliked Kochendorfer’s wife — but by all accounts, the couple appeared happy.
None of this explains the disappearance.
Vanished.us Says
The detail that stands out — and refuses to make sense — is the total absence of tracks. No blood. No drag marks. No torn clothing. No sign of an animal attack. A bear or mountain lion would have left a horrific mess around the ATV. That didn’t happen.
Some people suggest he walked up the creek to avoid leaving tracks. I say bollocks to that. No experienced outdoorsman willingly wades into freezing water, alone, in the middle of nowhere, for no reason. It’s dangerous, irrational, and completely out of character for someone with his level of skill.
Could he have slipped into the creek and been carried downstream? Possibly — but that still doesn’t explain the lack of tracks leading to the water.
So what happened to Alfred Nicholas Kochendorfer?