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On June 14, 1969, tragedy struck when seven-year-old Dennis Lloyd Martin went missing while camping with his family in the Great Smoky Mountains. Joined by his brother and other relatives, Dennis’s playful spirit led him to wander away from the group while playing hide-and-seek. In mere minutes, the innocent game turned into a frantic search. His father and grandfather scoured the area, but all search efforts yielded no sign of the boy.
As the hours morphed into days and then weeks, a massive search operation ensued. Over 1,400 people, including local law enforcement and even Green Berets, joined the hunt for Dennis. Eyewitness accounts began to emerge as well. One individual reported hearing a child’s screams followed by spotting an unusual, hairy figure fleeing into the dense woods.