Teen finds SECRET room on college campus 

As a lifelong desert rat, I have to confess that the guy in Story 2 made me quite angry with his enormous stupidity. His biggest two mistakes were: 1) going into an unknown area without an experienced guide and 2) going BACK into an unknown area at night.

How can a missing person investigation not involve searching every inch of a room that the person's shoe was found. Mind blowing

Just imagine the thoughts of the guy in the second story while he found himself once again lost in death valley after a day before being rescued from the same desert. He must have been absolutely sick with his own stupidity.

The more I watch Mr Ballen's videos the more I believe claustrophobia is a very valid instinct that we should listen to

It’s really hard to understand how a person who had barely escaped that situation with his life days earlier, would immediately turn around and put himself back in the same desperate situation. I think if I had found myself in that situation, I would write the van off as a loss…And thank my stars that I was found that first time!

"In his drunken state, he thought it was a good idea." We'll probably never know how many unfortunate incidents begin this way.

I was a student at Purdue living in a different dorm very close to all of this when Wade went missing and was later found. I knew he found his way into a maintenance room, but most of the details were not well known to anyone on campus. Such a sad story.

Find it pretty crazy that there were NO visible high voltage signs outside that fenced-off door. Usually, anywhere there's a significant voltage, signs are posted everywhere. Even on doors that most people shouldn't be accessing. I would've sued the school for even more due to negligence of both the signage and of proper locking of that door. Insane.

I know it wouldn’t have mattered either way, but the fact that the police found Wade’s shoe in that pit and yet still didn’t find him for 2 months is insane. You would think that they would have concentrated search efforts around the one piece of evidence they had…

So I understand the student was killed instantly and finding him sooner would not have saved him - but I don't understand how the cops could find a shoe in front of a weird maintenance door pit that no one is supposed to be in, and then choose NOT to go through that door and thoroughly search the whole room. It was their one lead, and they basically shrugged it off. Sure he was already dead.. *but they didn't know that*

Wade's story is exactly why I tell my sister who is in college now not to get drunk. She will of course because people just can't help themselves so I advise her to always make sure she has that one responsible sober friend to watch over everyone. I was that friend in college and boy did I stop a lot of my buddies from doing some stupid shit.

To be fair, being smart enough to prop the door open with your shoe so you don’t get locked in there is something I probably would forget to do sober let alone drunk x

Wow, I thought Wade was going to find a really cool secret room that nobody knew about, where he could go and hang out and have fun with a few of his closest friends. But as the story was unfolding I remembered who was telling it, and realized that this probably wasn't going to happen.

I can't imagine how traumatizing it was for the maintenance guy to find a corpse that's been getting electrocuted for months, and still is, and it's making that crunching noise.... What a nightmare for him, and especially the victim's loved ones.

The second guy deserves a Darwin Award. The last story was tragic.

The way you tell these stories, they feel so much longer than they are. It might only take you fifteen minutes to tell a story, but the way you describe them makes them feel so _full_ that there's no way they're really that short. That's the sign of a truly excellent storyteller.

Please, if you are ever offered a deal with any network, Netflix, A&E, Discovery, Travel, etc. Please don't let them change how you tell stories. The way you explain and your whole setup is absolutely perfect as is.

i feel like your “top 3” style has always been your best and is certainly my favorite.

The first story reminds me so much of something that happened in a university of Thessaloniki in Greece some years ago. After a student party that was taking place in the university grounds came to an end, the people that organized the party waited long enough and shouted loud to make sure everyone was gone before locking the exit doors of the uni hall that was provided to them to throw the party. But little did they know that they was a student that fell asleep in one of the rooms that were connected to this hall, he was lying on a couch that was covered with stuff and jackets so nobody noticed him or saw him when they quickly swiped through the rooms. And then the tragic happen. They locked him inside. But this was not that bad because if he waited till the morning someone would have heard him and would have probably come to open the doors. Also he had a phone with him so if he kept his calm, he would have been able to call somebody in the morning with a clear state of mind to let them know where he was and to ask them to come and open the doors. But instead of keeping calm, when he woke up later in the night, being still drunk and disoriented, he started desperately to search for a way out, he called his friends on their phone but it was early morning hours and everyone was sleeping so nobody picked up. At that point he was full-blown scared and he let the panic take over him. Then he took a literally deadly decision. He though I am gonna jump from the window to a wall top that was standing under the window of the room he was at. But being drunk he miscalculated his steps and the jump and he just fell from the window right down to the floor near the entrance of the uni.. It was a tragic accident. But his friends and co-students that were with him that night felt terribly bad and kind or responsible they left him inside the building and didn't search for him hard enough believing he just got tired and left the party. Because this decision has cost them their friends life. But ultimately it was the poor judgement of this guy that lead to his own death.

I admire your ability to tell stories consistently objectively and neutrally... without making people like Robert sound like a total dumbass. Kudos.

As an electrical engineer, I can say that there are at least 2 reasons why Perdue is responsible for Wade's death (though as a child of an alcoholic, I don't want to entirely dismiss his own personal responsibility). The room should not only have been locked, but by code requirements, that sort of electrical room requires a light switch at any entrance for just this reason. even a professional with a flashlight could enter a room like this, trip over a cable and find themselves in contact with a live wire. to be fair, I don't know the code requirements at the time the room was built but... in modern day, that would have been a big deal.

I can’t imagine the guilt that person that didn’t let Wade in the door must feel. Like they had no idea obviously, but if that has been me I would feel really bad

Just a note, it is very common for people on the East Coast of New Zealand (Gisborne area) to not wear shoes regardless of where we are.

It's crazy to think that he lost his life because he wanted his jacket back, so many chances for that end result to be avoided but everything that went wrong did go wrong, heart breaking

Wade probably didn’t suffer for long (if at all) thankfully, but the mental image of him slumped over being electrocuted for TWO MONTHS is still so horrific. Rest easy, dude. ❤️‍🩹

New Zealand is an interesting place to explore whether you're an expert or not because of how accessible and 'safe' the wilderness feels. You can go anywhere in the country and find somewhere to hike or camp pretty much straight away and since there's no fear of an actual predator or 'threat' you can just sort of wander of a say 'I'm going to camp here.' My old flatmate used to only eat meat he'd gone and hunted himself and so with just the essentials and no real idea where he was going and when he'd be back he'd just go bush for 3 or so weeks. He'd just pick an area and try his luck. Knowing now my BIL who works for DOC (Department of Conservation) in some really remote and rugged terrain, hearing stories and learning far more about the wildlife and areas than the standard amount of Kiwi bush knowledge, I'm SO shocked my old flatmate made it home every time.

The exterior door of a machine room like that is how they are able to move large equipment in and out of the room, in this case, transformers. As such, those kinds of access points are rarely used, and so not frequently checked as to whether they are secure or not. This sad story is a good example of how important it is to control access to machine rooms, mechanical rooms, electrical closets, utility tunnels, etc. There are many hazards in such places, and especially without any illumination, an enormous risk.

Wade's story is so sad. Serves as a warning to never let your drunk friends leave by themselves and about how colleges shouldn't cut corners with safety

I think it’s wild that they found the shoe outside the room, yet they didn’t think it was necessary to actually go in the room to look for him, maybe they would’ve found him sooner. I hope his family is healing from that.

The first story reminds me of stories from my Alma mater campus. We had a series of underground tunnels connecting different buildings for the steam-powered central heating system that some of them had still used. If any student was found in these tunnels, they would be expelled. This is becuase, years prior, a group of students had accessed them, broken a pipe by trying to climb it, then been cooked into a paste by the escaping steam. Wasn't sure if it was an urban legend or not, but the scary thing is it's entirely possible it wasn't.

My dad's dad passed away similarly like the last story. Accepted that he made it back sick. At Thailand. Family members were confused by the death. He's probably poisoned by some plant. They lived in the jungle but moved to America later due to Vietnam war going on. My family believe probably spirits took him with them.

Story 2: imagine being those young boys who literally saved a man from death’s door, feeling so exhilarated that you’ve learned important life skills that you put into actual use, only to find out the same man crawled back out into the desert to die a couple days later… Darwinism at work.

I was a freshman at Purdue when Wade went missing. The whole campus was on edge because nobody knew what happened to him. There was a fear that if someone else had done something to him that they would strike again. What happened to him was just as sad. RIP, Wade.

You are one of the best storytellers I’ve ever heard, and I’m 65, so I’m heard quite a few. Thanks!

Story#3- actually a bit surprised that a plant like that is allowed to grow with no warning signs around or the city of park officials made to come out and access the area every few months or a couple times a year to spray and kill the plant. Where I grew up in Simi Valley which is in Southern California, the city sprayed the wash and hills for Jimson Weed. I had a friend who found a plant that had just grown and he ate it cuz it was said to cause hallucinations much like shrooms. 3 days later we were wondering what had happened to him. He was in a psych hospital babbling incoherently until the plant wore off.

How Robert survived 30+ years is the real bizarre story.

In the first story, I find it amazing that the police did not go into the room via the outside door since his shoe was found there. I would have turned it inside out. IN the second story, Robert seems to have had a hidden death wish.

My new favorite channel! I love how you describe and detail. Great job!

Just discovered your channel. Really enjoying your content. Keep up the good work

Robert has gotta be in line for a Darwin award. Gets lost for over 6 days and rescued, then goes back next night with no ride back and never knew where he was supposed to be dropped off....

For me who has asperger's syndrome, you explain everything so carefully and in detail. There is nothing to be annoyed about. Thank you👍

Truly amazing...your reports are wonderful...thanks so much!

Thank you for your unique style of word choice and detailed story telling ! These are great companion & entertainment while i work from home!

That first story was horrifying. Can you imagine what state his body was in 😨 That maintenance worker was probably scarred for life. Poor Wade.

my dad and I didn't talk for a year and it turns out we had both been binging your videos the whole time. thanks for facilitating this odd bond we have unknowingly shared. 🙂

I never realized how interested I am in the “strange dark and mysterious” until I discovered this channel. And the Lore Lodge. Thanks for all the great stories

Great stories. Thank you Mr. Ballen for such wonderful mysteries and storytelling!

Definition of insanity is the 2nd story. You nearly died the first time, and you were pretty well-prepared water wise. Second time you didn't even bring water with you and that happens. It's like Cahill's Crossing in Australia. One of THE most dangerous bodies of water in the country, with signs, warnings, etc and people still get empty headed and end up saltwater croc food.

Man imagine being the person who didn't let him in. You'd look on the news and see him missing then dead. Knowing if he or she let the guy in he'd be alive.

I love how he uses his hands and fingers as he talks ❤❤

That last case was so interesting! Ultimately absolutely awful for him but I found it really fascinating to learn about! I couldn’t imagine what it could be, I thought perhaps it was some natural phenomenon like a gas cloud or something weird like that due to crevices funnelling underground gases out there or something weird like that 🤷‍♀️😂 I have no clue about mountains but I’m so glad his family actually got an answer to what happened to him in the end though!

Robert was determined to die, clearly. You would think his first experience with Death Valley would've instilled some humility and a sense of caution in him.

My dad and his brothers (my 2 uncles) mistook their trail while backpacking in Death Valley and nearly died from dehydration over the course of a 3-day wander. Nearly 30 years since that trip and none of them have ever chosen to return. It’s absolutely crazy to me that Robert would willingly go back to the desert only a few DAYS after his close-up with death.

As someone who watches a lot of true crime stuff and other content similar to this, I just want to mention how nice it is that you put distance conversions on screen. More people should do this. But also, bless that other pathologist who figured out what happened to Jason immediately. It may have been fifteen years, but the family finally got some answers (as did everyone else involved with the investigation). What an absolutely terrifying way to go though.

Thanks for your stories, Mr. Ballen

I'm a truck driver for an advertisement company and I travel all around the country this has kept me so entertained for the past 6 months thank you Mr ballen love the way you tell your stories!

I can't believe he went back into that harsh desert again!! Couldn't he see that he almost died the 1st time?! Crazy. As always, Ballen, you tell stories so amazingly well.

Not going to lie when you said "Ruahine range" my heart skipped a beat. Gisborne is my home town and I know the Ruahine Range fairly well. I love that you've covered a story from my little hometown, half of New Zealand doesn't even know where Gizzy is so the fact you've talked about it makes me so happy. But also, I hate that we've had something bad enough happen here to make this list. Thank you John!! Forever love your storytelling, content and work!!

Just for reference, it's not volts that kill a person, it's amps. It's a common misconception but might be worth taking into consideration. Love your video btw

Purdue student here and will actually be living in Owen Hall next year. Never heard Wade’s story until now. This should help spread awareness about being safe with alcohol and unfamiliar places!

Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Mr. Ballen has all the details of these stories memorized? He isn’t reading from a paper or cue cards. That’s a lot to remember and tell it like you were there.

Some of your stories would make BRILLIANT movies I swear!!! Especially the older ones I can REALLY imagine a good director shooting through those old 90's lenses and your stories being brought to life on the BIG SCREEN and being amazing motion pictures!!

I think i fully understand why Robert went back to death valley alone. He was horny before that first trip but having survived because of his immense supplies and the resulting adrenaline rush from his rescue going over the next 4 days made him beyond HORNY thinking about that nudist resort. He was without doubt the horniest man alive and he really needed to let off some steam that night after his initial intense experience in the desert. RIP!

I found myself saying, several times, during this episode: "Wait, nobody is THAT stupid?!" And, oh, yes, they are.

As an electrician and heating and air worker, some equipment you come across is just flat out dangerous. Usually it's the older buildings with older equipment built during a time with far less safety features and code. Electrical rooms/vaults and boiler and equipment rooms are supposed to be locked for this exact reason, keep untrained persons away.

Isn't it amazing how often death and injury involve alcohol consumption and the words "it seemed like a good idea at the time"?

I grew up 20 miles from Purdue near West Lafayette, IN. Sad, that it's part of one of MR. Ballen's stories!

I felt sorry for Robert with his first mistake getting his van stuck. Then I realised he was a total moron when he got dropped back off. If I were him I would have hired a self drive tow truck, took maps, water, food, maybe another person and informed the police and my family of what I was doing. However, based on the first experience I think I would have just left the van there and never returned.

John, losing my Dad and Grandfather years ago meant the loss of two great men who were my favorite storytellers. I want to thank you for bringing back my love of listening to storytelling because you do them both justice with the way you narrate. You have a natural gift and I'm thankful you share this with the rest of us. You help me remember them both in such a meaningful and positive light. I really appreciate that. 🖤🖤🖤

You are the best story teller!!

@12:20 You can touch 50,000 Volts and feel nothing, it's actually the current that kills you. That's why high current is very dangerous. 50 Volts of AC with a 30 Amp rating could kill you easily if it crosses your chest. Transformers transform high voltage/low current to low voltage/high current and vice versa. (It's more efficient to transfer high voltage/low current electricity over long distances)

Can’t believe this channel has gotten this big….I remember first finding this channel on long trips back and forth to Florida, maybe 60k-70k subs at the time….you’ve worked hard and earned it.

I remember Mr Ballen only having like 300 thousand followers, and thinking wow this guy can tell a story, gets you involved, and now to see that he had 6 million followers is amazing, congrats on the success Mr Ballen

Whoa! did not know about this rare plant. i like the way you put your stories together. keep up the good work.

Just wanna say this guy is a really good storyteller!

Man, I feel sad for Robert. The minute you said his plan was to go back and fix his car himself, I knew he was doomed

Gotta say, the student in story 1 who didn't let Wade in is probably going to suffering a lot guilt knowing that if they had just let him in he would probably still be alive today. It wasn't their fault but still- it would definitely be a lifelong regret.

Hope all is well Brother, dont forget to take a rest once and awhile. Its a must. If you arnt well it will show in your work.your body will give way under you, no matter how much endurance you have or energy you feel at the moment. You are loved. Appreciated. Take care buddy

I LOVED THESE STORIES lol......Wow nature sure is amazing....how plants become situated where they are and how truly necessary all living things effect our ecosystem is remarkable and humbling.....off to hear more juicy stories while sick in bed....thanks so much for sharing ❤

As someone who has been raised in the desert nearby Death Valley, that was pure foolishness! Its easy to get lost in the desert during the daytime as it is, its pretty much pure inky darkness at night. *And* you've got venomous snakes and scorpions who's whole routine is done during the night/early morning hours because its simply too hot otherwise. Lack of an experienced guide, lack of proper equipment, lack of a GPS/map, lack of water combined with dangers from venomous creatures. It really is a death trap. Death Valley is precisely named. Pure dry air, dry heat, basically you're drying out like a living raisin along with being in the lowest sea level, the sun just beating on you relentlessly with no real shade or cover. I feel bad for the guy, I wish he had respected the dangers presented by Death Valley to preserve his life. It was so avoidable after being rescued!

This is why electricians to me are the top high risk job in existence. One touch is all it takes, heck even being around something with high voltage can kill you.

I remember wade… i remember other students handing out flyers to us at WL JR HS. There was one girl i talked to… she was very emotional about it. She knew him well. I will never forget her desperation to find him…

As a mother, we preach about making sure to wear a jacket but knowing wade lost his life for one is just heartbreaking.

Never thought I'd see Jason's case mentioned here. My neighbour was the one who found Jason in his Cessna. MrBallen did a great job telling the story.

That third story is so much creepier than some of the unknown stories because there is nothing nefarious, just nature. Wonder how many generations of these plants have grown over mounds of skeletons.

I wish Mr Ballen would do a single video on each story. I think they deserve their own video.

i love the context of, "oh theres the shoe of the victim, lets go search literally anywhere else"

Regarding the first story, it’s hard to discern what qualifies as “police work”. You’d think that finding a shoe right in front of a door would lead to an investigation of at least that immediate area. There were two ways he coulda gone: in that door or out onto the streets. Had they looked inside that door from that direction, they could have saved that family a ton of heartache and they could have avoided the kid being liquified. There are far too many cases that take far too long to solve because of laziness or taking the obvious for granted.

Seriously, it's hard to feel sympathy for the dude who perished in the desert. When I was 17, I embarked on a 12 mile hike through a mountainous area of Glacier National Park and failed to bring enough water to remain comfortably quenched. The thirst I felt was something I will never forget in my life. I wasn't even close to death, just very very thirsty, and nearly 20 years later I STILL insist on making sure I always have a surplus of water for any outdoor outing with even just a remote chance of experiencing unforeseen difficulties. I just can't wrap my head around the idea that this man almost perished after SIX DAYS alone in DEATH VALLEY, and then just days later willingly ventures back out into the desert without even stocking up on extra resources, or making sure a search team would come for me if I didn't turn up at a predetermined checkpoint before a predetermined time. Like....HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?!

As an European what i appreciate the most is the convertion of the numbers such a small detail that makes a big difference especially when it pops up after every number. After some time you kinda get a feel for american measures thanks Mr. Ballen❤️🙏🏽

(Just FYI, Mr. Ballen, the past tense of “lie”-when a person lies down-is “lay,” not “lied.” So a person doesn’t “lay” down, although in the famous prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep” it sounds otherwise; what’s happening here, though, is that the speaker is “laying himself/herself down,” just as you would lay your coat down on the sofa or lay some beats down on a music track. It’s just a sort of old-fashioned, poetic way of saying “Now that I’m lying down to sleep”. The English language would love it if you could remember that “lie” and “lay” aren’t regular verbs when they refer to the action of reclining all the way or putting something somewhere but that “lie” when referring to deceit is definitely a straightforward regular verb. English would also love it if you could learn the conjugations of the irregular verbs “lie” and “lay,” but since even smart, educated people have trouble with these, English would love it if you didn’t make “lied” the past tense of “lay”, which seems to be the biggest problem, a really offputting one. Maybe ask yourself why you’re tempted to say “lied” as the past tense of “lay”, and I think you’ll realize you truly know you should be saying “lie” instead of “lay” and “lay” instead of “lied”, becauseI “lay” is the past tense of “lie”. For example, “Yesterday I had some extra time during my lunch hour, so I lay down in my office for a quick nap.” Thanks for reading!)

"Top three places you can't go" is by far the best genre of your story telling....CANT WAIT FOR THE MERCH!!¡!!

Man these stories "especially the ones involving alcohol" really drive home the realization of just how lucky I am that I didn't end up with the same fate. At that age, according to me I was invincible, and that's WITHOUT alcohol on board! I took some stupid risks myself. Your videos are not only addicting, they're very informative, and educational as well! A smart man learns from his mistakes, but a REALLY smart man learns from the mistakes of others. 😎🤙

I done so many drunken silly Wade type things when i was younger. I feel it's a miracle nothing awful happened and very grateful after listening to these stories!

These stories make me so sad. They’re so tragic. 😢

I was really happy for Robert when he got rescued, I was like yeey a good ending... and then the story didn't end there and I knew something bad was coming

i'm from new zealand, and i find it weird that he went into the bush without telling anyone or packing correctly. everyone in new zealand is taught that the bush is very, very dangerous and to a) tell someone where you're going b) if you go off a trail, leave markers (turn over fern leaves; they're silver on the underside and easy to see both day and night, etc) and to pack well as it's incredibly easy to get lost

The first story really makes me think of how many alternate universes where I have died running back into my house for my jacket. It's just crazy to think that all he wanted was his jacket but ended up in that situation, it seems far fetched on paper but it's clearly possible and makes me wonder how many times I could've made the wrong choice.

Wade's story is tragic but is like many other's that have happened in the state I live in, college kids getting too drunk and making fatal mistakes they'd otherwise avoid. Sounds like he had a bright future ahead of him, at least Purdue made a scholarship and helped his family.

I am an electrical engineer and in terms of safety there should have been a danger sign on the High Voltage room. The compensation from Purdue was debatable.