EATEN ALIVE? The Alaskan Bear Mauling Mystery | The Death of Gary Sotherden

In 1976, Gary Frank Sotherden, a young adventurer from New York, embarked on a cross-country road trip in Alaska that ended in his unexplained disappearance. For over four decades, his family grappled with the anguish of not knowing his fate. However, in 1997, a human skull was discovered in Alaska, reigniting hope that it might provide answers. The skull showed signs of a bear attack. It was not until 2022, with the aid of advanced DNA analysis, that the skull was conclusively identified as belonging to Gary. Although his family had given up the search, they had always wondered what happened to their relative. With the discovery of the skull and the advanced DNA test years later, they finally got of what happened to Gary, so what did happen? This is the story of Gary Frank Sotherden.