In the winter of 1874, six men entered the snowy Colorado mountains. Only one came out. That man was Alfred Packer, and what followed became one of the most chilling survival stories in American history.
Alfred Packer: A Guide With a Secret
Alfred Packer was a former soldier who claimed to be familiar with the rugged mountain terrain. He offered to lead a group of gold-seekers through the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. The trip began in November, a perilous time to travel due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures. But Packer convinced five men to follow him into the wild.
A Journey Gone Wrong
It didn’t take long before the group ran into trouble. Their guide, Alfred Packer, didn’t seem to know the trail as well as he claimed. The snow was deep, their supplies were low, and the mountains were unforgiving. Eventually, the group became stranded.
Only Alfred Packer returned.
Where Are the Others?
Sixty-five days after leaving with the others, Packer stumbled into a camp near Saguache, Colorado. He was alone, dirty, and begging for food. Alfred claimed the others had abandoned him. He claimed to have survived on rosebuds and snow.
But something didn’t add up.
Too Much Cash, Too Many Lies
Soon, people noticed that Packer, who said he was broke, had a lot of money. He bought a horse, spent big at saloons, and even gambled. Even worse, he was carrying items that belonged to the missing men. When asked, he gave shaky explanations. Locals grew suspicious.
Five Bodies, One Cannibal
A search party found the bodies of the five missing men. They were badly mutilated, missing flesh and organs. It was clear something terrible had happened. Packer was arrested. When confronted, he admitted to eating the bodies — but only to survive. He claimed he had no choice.
Alfred Packer became known as Colorado’s Cannibal.
The Trial of the Cannibal
Packer went to trial. At first, he was sentenced to hang. But because Colorado wasn’t a state yet when the crime happened, that decision was overturned. Instead, he got 40 years in prison for manslaughter — eight years for each man.
He served just 18 years before being released.
Life After Prison
After prison, Alfred Packer moved to Littleton, Colorado. He lived quietly, worked odd jobs, and became a vegetarian. He died in 1907. His cause of death was listed as “trouble and worry.”
Despite everything, some people believed Packer was innocent. Others saw him as one of the most disturbing figures in the Old West.
Remembering Alfred Packer
Today, his story lives on in museums, college cafeterias, and ghost tales. The University of Colorado Boulder even had a cafeteria named after him: the “Alfred Packer Memorial Grill,” with the slogan “Have a friend for lunch.”
Some called him a survivor. Others called him a monster.
But most agree on one thing: Alfred Packer was, without a doubt, a Cannibal.
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning and laughing a lot while you do, you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
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