I still believe when the military came in there (1961?), they cleaned house and picked the place dry. What happened to all the treasure after that nobody knows..

What do you all think?

Stolen by the US Government.

Of all the treasure story segments that UM has run over the years OP, the Victorio Peak story is for sure one of the best IMO. I've always believed that our government got up to no good and boosted all that treasure on the DL. Hopefully someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the military petition the state of New Mexico for mineral rights only to be denied? It is what it is I suppose, but I've always felt that the original claimants were straight up stolen from...JMO of course.

Yeah this to me is open and shut. The government took everything in the early 60s.
Babe Noss did the best she could considering what a nutjob her husband, then later ex-husband, turned into in his final years.
Agree this is one of the best segments UM ever produced. The early seasons especially were so well done.

The info regarding Orby Swanner is also key. He died in 1986 according to google information, so by the time UM ran this episode in 1989-1990, he had already passed on.

He definitively WAS AT THE PEAK as early as 1961. According to him, the place was picked dry and he believes the treasure was flown somewhere, probably to Fort Knox.

However, over the years beforehand, Doc did bury some of the gold bars he found and friends who have helped him said they recovered some of the bars back.

This story has always intrigued me.

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Babe Noss did the best she could considering what a nutjob her husband, then later ex-husband, turned into in his final years.
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Please explain further - did Doc become senile or just unusual in his final years before being murdered?

Please explain further - did Doc become senile or just unusual in his final years before being murdered?

To me it sounded like he became very paranoid. Blasted the cave entrance so well even Doc himself couldn’t get in. Went to go bury gold bars, then dug them up and reburied them where only he knew so no one else would find them. Then he was shot to death. The treasure, and protecting it is what made him nuts.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant.
Doc's death was entirely preventable, from fearing the double cross to, if the segment was accurate, Charlie Ryan's wife basically egging him on to shoot Doc.

Babe Noss did the best she could considering what a nutjob her husband, then later ex-husband, turned into in his final years.

I've read a lot about this story. Doc was probably always at best a nutjob and at worst a conman, and Babe wasn't exactly the picture of sober judgement herself. I think there is much evidence to suggest at least Doc fabricated much of the Victorio Peak legend, fully intending to leverage it for financial gain. I think a lot of what he was observed pulling out of that cave, and a good bit of what the exploring airmen found, wasn't at all gold. I reckon Babe to have been a 'true believer', so to speak, because by all accounts she was almost foolishly in love with her husband. She hung on his every word. I don't think she willfully perpetuated anything she believed to be a scam, but Doc I'm not at all as confident about.

If I know anything about the U.S. government, it's not gold it ever wants. It wants land. That, I think, was the real struggle for Victorio Peak.


Agree this is one of the best segments UM ever produced. The early seasons especially were so well done.

I loved the actress that portrayed Babe. That scene where she starts bickering at those military personnel is, well, gold.

I think there is much evidence to suggest at least Doc fabricated much of the Victorio Peak legend, fully intending to leverage it for financial gain. I think a lot of what he was observed pulling out of that cave, and a good bit of what the exploring airmen found, wasn't at all gold. I reckon Babe to have been a 'true believer', so to speak, because by all accounts she was almost foolishly in love with her husband. She hung on his every word. I don't think she willfully perpetuated anything she believed to be a scam, but Doc I'm not at all as confident about.

If I know anything about the U.S. government, it's not gold it ever wants. It wants land. That, I think, was the real struggle for Victorio Peak.

This 100%. Case closed.

I've read a lot about this story. Doc was probably always at best a nutjob and at worst a conman, and Babe wasn't exactly the picture of sober judgement herself. I think there is much evidence to suggest at least Doc fabricated much of the Victorio Peak legend, fully intending to leverage it for financial gain. I think a lot of what he was observed pulling out of that cave, and a good bit of what the exploring airmen found, wasn't at all gold. I reckon Babe to have been a 'true believer', so to speak, because by all accounts she was almost foolishly in love with her husband. She hung on his every word. I don't think she willfully perpetuated anything she believed to be a scam, but Doc I'm not at all as confident about.

If I know anything about the U.S. government, it's not gold it ever wants. It wants land. That, I think, was the real struggle for Victorio Peak.




I loved the actress that portrayed Babe. That scene where she starts bickering at those military personnel is, well, gold.

Darn it Meg! I've been blissfully spinning governmental conspiracy theories in my head for years about the Victorio Peak segment, and then you come along and completely rain on my parade with level headed logic of all things! LOGIC!! I hope you're pleased with yourself... ;-)

All joking aside Meg, your theory makes total sense IMO and certainly gives me a new perspective. While you make a good point about the US government desiring land, I can't help thinking that if said land just happened to come with a boatload of pre-claimed treasure for them to steal, our government wouldn't exactly say no to the idea, lol.

While you make a good point about the US government desiring land, I can't help thinking that if said land just happened to come with a boatload of pre-claimed treasure for them to steal, our government wouldn't exactly say no to the idea, lol.

If there was gold there, the government took it. There's zero doubt about that. And they would've had the "legal" ability to seize it, anyway. US citizens were not allowed to own gold "in excess of 100 dollars" (except in rare cases, such as recognized collections, gold used for industry or art, etc) from 1933 to 1974. I'm sure they would've made the argument that it was illegal for Noss (or anyone else) to own it/profit from it had there been gold that was actually officially discovered. At best, it would've gone to museums. At worst, it would've gone to the smelter and into the government coffers. And that's if there was gold. I'm not certain I believe one way or the other for this case.

If there was gold there, the government took it. There's zero doubt about that. And they would've had the "legal" ability to seize it, anyway. US citizens were not allowed to own gold "in excess of 100 dollars" (except in rare cases, such as recognized collections, gold used for industry or art, etc) from 1933 to 1974. I'm sure they would've made the argument that it was illegal for Noss (or anyone else) to own it/profit from it had there been gold that was actually officially discovered. At best, it would've gone to museums. At worst, it would've gone to the smelter and into the government coffers. And that's if there was gold. I'm not certain I believe one way or the other for this case.

Hey that's RIGHT Bell...I'd forgotten all about the restrictions on gold ownership during that era, lol! I think you're probably right about the fact that our government could have just used those restrictions to "legally" seize any gold that may have been there. That said however, I still choose to believe that the government stole the Noss claim on the DL. Not only is it more fun that way (at least for me), but dirty deeds done dirt cheap are practically the American way...again strictly IMO. ;-)

http://culturecrossfire.com/etc/unsolved-mysteries-victorio-peak-part-1/

http://culturecrossfire.com/etc/unsolved-mysteries-victorio-peak-part-2/

Below is a partial update on this story (IIRC, FilmRise version ends with Noss' family waiting for an act of Congress to allow them to explore the peak).

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-16-vw-1352-story.html

I have a hard time believing a early 1900's traveling medicine salesman (not that far off from a conman) would strike gold and make just about every mistake possible with it including not taking it, telling people about it and letting the government in on it.

If in some way this story is true, that money is long gone.