Fort Apache Indian Reservation

We had a great trip.

That trip we made to Arizona to hunt the White Mountain Apache Reservation with Van for black bear with hounds.

When we talked to Van, he said, you know, typically your shots range, they're either in the tree close, but you may, you know, we may run across one at 300 or 400 yards.

And so we all packed two rifles for that trip.

The prints found a mile away were size 13, far too large for Fisher, and were likely left by a person hiking or scavenging elk antlers.

That said, the vehicle was abandoned about 300 yards west of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

The reservation sits on sovereign land, so by default, it was never searched as thoroughly as the surrounding federal territory.

But despite the overall lack of physical evidence, a few leads did surface.

He'd be aging in a body that was already compromised when he disappeared.

If he is dead, forensic experts note it's highly unlikely his remains are sitting undiscovered in the heavily trafficked Federal Forest.

Instead, if he did die in the wilderness, he likely crossed the nearby boundary onto the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, sovereign land that was never searched thoroughly.

Either answer is disturbing in its own way, but what's easy to get lost in this story are the human beings that Robert Fisher killed and the people that loved them.

a truly terrible movie starring Jimmy Stewart.

The movie addresses the fragile peace treaties and negotiations surrounding the establishment of the Apache Reservation in Arizona.

Number four is Debra Padgett.

There you go, four actors, one of them gone.

PRESENTLY THEY RETURNED DRIVING A DOZEN LOOSE HORSES, AMONG WHICH WAS A BEAUTIFUL SPOT AT APOLUZA.

THIS HORSE HAD BELONGED TO A SHAMAN OR MEDICINE MAN OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHES AND HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM HIM IN A NIGHT RAID.

IT WAS ALWAYS NECESSARY TO HAVE EXTRA HORSES WHEN GOING INTO ENEMY COUNTRY FOR ANY REASON, THEY COULD SERVE AS REMOUNTS, IF THERE WAS NO OTHER FOOD THAT COULD BE EATEN OR THAT COULD BE TRADED, IF THERE WERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADING.

BUT GERONIMO WONDERED WHY NEGIZI AND SANCHEZ HAD INCLUDED THE APOLOOSA.

THE SPOTTED HORSE WAS FAMOUS THROUGHOUT THE LAND.

even the papagos and pebolo dwelling zuni knew him and whoever saw him would surely send winged words to the shaman then a war party from the white mountain apaches will come to rescue their medicine man's horse geronimo thought but he asked no questions surely delgadito knew what he was doing NAGIZI AND SANCHEZ DROVE THE LOOSE HORSES ON AT A FULL GALLOP, FOR THE SOONER THE ANIMALS WERE TIRED THE SOONER THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO STAY WITH THE REST AND THE LESS TROUBLE THEY WOULD CAUSE.

THE OTHER RAIDERS RODE OUT FROM THE VILLAGE MORE SLOWLY.

AN HOUR LATER THEY OVERTOOK NAGIZI AND SANCHEZ AND THE DRIVEN HORSES, NOW TOO TIRED TO RUN.