Paula Jean Welden was a college student who vanished while walking on Vermont's Long Trail in December 1946. Her disappearance sparked the creation of the Vermont State Police, but despite efforts to find her, she has never been located. The case has generated several strange theories, but no definitive answers have emerged.

The small town of Bennington, Vermont has gained notoriety for a series of strange disappearances that occurred between 1945 and 1950. During this time, five people, including a 74-year-old hunter and an 8-year-old child, vanished from the area without a trace. These events have left many to wonder about the town's mysterious past.

One of the most famous and well-known disappearances to occur in Bennington was that of Paula Jean Welden, a college student who vanished without a trace on December 1, 1946. This mysterious event was the catalyst for the creation of the Vermont State Police in 1947 and has continued to haunt the community and town for years.

The Unexplained Disappearance Of Paula Jean Welden

Paula Jean Welden was an 18-year-old sophomore at Bennington College who had a range of interests including hiking and playing the guitar. On December 1, 1946, she told her roommate, Elizabeth Parker, that she was going for a long hike, which was thought to be a way for her to cope with a recent bout of depression. However, she never returned and was never seen again.

The Search Begins

Concerns were raised when Paula failed to return for her classes on Monday. Her family was alerted, and a search was launched. The first area that was checked was Everett Cave, as Paula had expressed an interest in hiking there. However, when a small team led by a guide searched the cave, there was no sign of Paula or any evidence that she had been there.

The search for Paula then focused on Vermont's Long Trail, a 270-mile hiking route that stretches from the southern to the Canadian border. Witnesses claimed to have seen her wearing red along the trail, and it is believed that she started her hike sometime after 4pm. However, as darkness fell and the weather worsened, the situation became increasingly dangerous.

The Real-life "Red Riding Hood"

Paula Welden has sometimes been referred to as the "real-life Little Red Riding Hood" due to the clothing she was wearing at the time of her disappearance: a red parka jacket with fur, jeans, and sneakers. This light clothing was unusual for a winter hike when snow was expected.

There are speculations that Paula may have underestimated the change in weather, as it was only 10 degrees Celsius when she left. However, the weather quickly turned harsh, dropping to as low as minus 12 degrees Celsius. The extreme weather conditions may have played a role in her disappearance, but it is not the only theory that has been proposed.

A Number Of Strange Leads

Despite efforts to search the trail, no clues were found. However, the Bennington Banner reports that "tantalizing and unquestionably strange leads" began to emerge, including a claim by a Massachusetts waitress that she had served an agitated woman matching Paula's description.

When this lead was discovered, Paula's father disappeared for 36 hours, allegedly in pursuit of it. This unusual behavior made him a prime suspect in Paula's disappearance. It was also revealed that Paula's home life may not have been as perfect as her parents had initially claimed to the police.

It was later revealed that Paula had not returned home for Thanksgiving the week before her disappearance and that she may have been upset over a disagreement with her father. Paula's father suggested that she may have been distressed over a romantic interest and that the boy in question should be considered a suspect.

Paula Welden's Disappearance Gradually Became Cold

Over the following decade, a man from Bennington claimed to friends that he knew where Paula's body was buried. However, he was unable to provide any concrete evidence to the police. Without a body, forensic clues, or strong evidence of a crime, the case of Paula Jean Welden remained unsolved and theories surrounding her disappearance became increasingly bizarre, including those involving the paranormal and supernatural.

New England author and occult researcher Joseph Citro proposed the "Bennington Triangle" theory, which suggests that the disappearances in the area, including Paula's, are linked to a special "energy" that attracts visitors from outer space who then take the missing people back to their own world. There are many other strange theories, including the existence of a "time warp" and "parallel universe", that support the idea of the Bennington Triangle. For decades, many people have gone missing in this area without explanation and have never returned.

If you're interested in other strange and mysterious disappearances, you might want to check out these 16 creepy cases where people simply vanished. You might also be interested in these 12 mysterious places on Earth where people have disappeared without a trace.