So Supernatural - DISAPPEARED: Granger Taylor

Episode Date: December 1, 2021

A 32-year-old resident of Vancouver Island vanishes in November 1980, leaving behind a note that says he’s heading off on an adventure. But Granger Taylor is not your regular voyager. He’s a mechanical genius who’s built a life-size replica of a flying saucer. And he’s heading to space — with the help of aliens.  

If you've ever lost someone you love, then you probably understand just how important closure is. It makes things a little bit easier when you get to give someone a final hug goodbye or say you're sorry or reminisce one last time. But closure is pretty hard to come by when you aren't sure if that person is actually gone. On a stormy November night in 1980, a man named Granger Taylor left a note for his parents, got into his truck, and drove off into the pouring rain. But this wasn't an apology or a suicide note. It wasn't even really a goodbye. It said, quote, Dear Mother and Father, I have gone away to walk aboard an alien spaceship as reoccurring dreams assured a 42-month interstellar voyage

to explore the vast universe. This is Supernatural. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. Today, I'm covering the bizarre disappearance of Granger Taylor. The 32-year-old was a mechanical genius who built a model spaceship in his backyard. Then, Granger said he was contacted by beings from another planet, aliens who needed him for some larger purpose. I have all that and more coming up. Stay with us. On the southeast coast of Vancouver Island, there's this quaint little town called Duncan, which is home to about 5,000 people. It's got this cute little downtown area

surrounded by farmland and woods. Back in the 1970s, it was the kind of place where kids still rode their bikes to their friends' houses, where people walked to go grab milk in the morning. And everyone knew each other in some capacity. But every small town has its secrets. Or, more importantly, its outcasts. In Duncan, that person was Granger Taylor. Even as a kid in the 1960s, Granger's a bit of an odd duck. He has a hard time connecting with other children, and he doesn't do well in school.

It doesn't help that he spends his early years dealing with a pretty significant tragedy. While on a trip to the family cabin on Horn Lake, Granger's father takes their boat out, and, well, he never comes back. Some say that he drowned in some freak accident, but other family members say they aren't exactly sure what happened. Regardless, Granger's mother eventually remarries, and he gains a whole bunch of step-and-half siblings, bringing the total family headcount to 10. His parents are busy,

which may be why they have a hard time keeping Granger in school. Around the 8 eighth grade, he drops out to focus on his real passion, mechanics, which seems a little young to be making any major career choices, but luckily for Granger, it pays off. Once he reaches his teens, everyone is like, hey, this kid is pretty much a genius when it comes to fixing things. See, Granger's not just refurbishing old car engines. He's rebuilding trucks, bulldozers, even a Depression-era locomotive that he finds out in the woods. Like, no joke, he plows a trail through the forest, untangles the web of trees that have grown around it, and tows this train to his parents' farm. Then he restores it from scratch. As you can probably imagine, Granger's not some scrappy little guy. He grows into a six-foot, 240-pound

husky man. But his stature is a complete contrast to his personality. In fact, everyone who knows him apparently calls him Gentle Ben. But just because Granger's known around Duncan doesn't mean he has a lot of friends, at least not ones his own age. Even when he reaches his 20s, he's mostly hanging out with the neighborhood kids, boys who come by to learn a thing or two about mechanics. So yeah, Granger Taylor might be a little strange, but his antics are also some of the most interesting events in the small town of Duncan. At least until New Year's Day 1969. That morning, around 5 a.m., just a few minutes away from Granger's family farm,

four nurses are working a shift at a local hospital. They're tending to patients in the geriatric unit when outside of the window, they spot something hovering three stories above the ground. It's this Saturn-shaped, almost blinding flying saucer. It has a string of lights around the center that light up like a Christmas tree. But that's not all.

A nurse named Doreen says she can see something moving inside the craft. There's two tall human-looking figures behind a glass windshield. She says that one is intently focused on the controls, almost giving her the impression that the ship might be malfunctioning. But apparently, they get their controls back online because the saucer only looms for a few more minutes. Then it glides away through the trees and off into the sunrise. The nurses aren't the only Duncan residents who spot this thing. There are multiple people in the area who report similar objects in the sky, including some local school teachers and a boat captain. Now, I have no idea if Granger is amongst those witnesses that

early January morning, but after this sighting, unidentified aircraft definitely become a hot topic around Duncan, which may be why Granger becomes fascinated with rebuilding old airplanes. In the 1970s, he gets his hands on the scraps of a World War II Kitty Hawk fighter plane and completely refurbishes it. But he really locks in on his true passion in 1977, when Star Wars hits theaters. 28-year-old Granger lines up four blocks away from the cinema with his 12-year-old friend Robert Keller. Together, they see the movie at least four times on the big screen. But Granger isn't just watching the film, he's studying it. And with each viewing, he becomes more and more convinced he's going to build his own spaceship. He recruits Robert and some other neighborhood

kids. Together, they go dumpster diving for discarded satellite dishes and bring them back to Granger's yard. Over the course of the next year and a half, Granger constructs his very own light-sized replica of a flying saucer. He melds the dishes together, creates an aluminum ramp and door, and places it on a pair of stilts. He outfits it with a couch, a bed, a TV, even a wood-burning stove. I mean, it is basically the world's coolest clubhouse. The only thing it can't do is fly. At least, not yet. So Granger turns the ship into his own private research center. He spends his evenings sleeping in this mock-up UFO, poring over books about outer space, possible alien species, and DIY propulsion systems. And apparently, in 1980, this research

actually pays off. One evening, Granger is falling asleep when he hears something in his head. It's a voice, but it's not his voice. It's another being that claims to be transmitting messages from beyond the Milky Way galaxy. Supposedly, Granger asks for the being's advice. He wants to know how to master a propulsion system for the craft. Now, I have no idea specifically what information they gave him, but they tell him it has something to do with magnetism. This information exchange doesn't just happen once. Allegedly, their conversations continue for months. During one of these mind hacks, the voice supposedly invites Granger on a trip through the solar system. Granger later tells a friend that he isn't sure when or where he'll be picked up by

these beings, only that the voice plans to return with further instructions, which it does. A few months later, Granger mentions to Robert that the spacecraft will come for him during a big thunderstorm. This way, Granger can get into the ship and escape without everyone in Duncan noticing. But these aren't just stories Granger's using to spook his young friends. He even confesses this to his own mother. Supposedly, he tells her that his connection with the aliens is getting more powerful as his departure grows nearer. He genuinely seems to be planning his life around this. In June 1980, Granger even prepares a will for himself. He scratches out words like funeral and death from the standard document

and writes in the word departed. Like, this guy genuinely has plans to go somewhere. Then, on November 28th, Granger goes to his stepfather to tell him how much he loves and appreciates him. They have this long, heartfelt conversation, and Granger basically says his goodbyes. Unfortunately, his mother doesn't get the same opportunity. She's on a vacation in Hawaii, and Granger tells his friends he doesn't want to ruin her fun. The following evening, on November 29th, Duncan is hit with this incredible storm, like one for the history books. We're talking torrential rain, thunder, lightning, gale force winds. This downpour is no joke. But it is right on schedule,

at least according to the timeline Granger received from his alien telepaths. So that evening, Granger writes a note for his parents. It says, quote, Dear Mother and Father, I have gone away to walk aboard an alien spaceship. As recurring dreams assured a 42-month interstellar voyage to explore the vast universe, then return. I am leaving behind all my possessions to you as I will no longer require the use of any. Please use the instructions in my will as a guide to help. Love, Granger. On the back of the note is a hand-drawn map of Waterloo Mountain, which is

about 20 miles southwest of the family's farm. Aside from his possessions, Granger leaves all of his money behind, $10,000 cash to be exact. Then he tosses on a sweater, gets into his pickup truck, and drives off into the pouring rain. Coming up, Granger's final moments before his possible abduction. Now, back to the story. On the evening of November 29th, 1980, Granger Taylor leaves a note for his family, gets into his pickup truck, and leaves home. But a man's gotta eat before a 42-month voyage through space. Around 6 that evening, Granger stops at a local diner called Bob's Grill. He takes a seat at a table and orders from the same kitchen staff who always helps him.

Granger tells them, along with a few other regulars, that tonight he's going to space. Now, pretty much everyone laughs him off. They're used to Granger making these kinds of wild claims, so they don't think much of it. After his quick bite, Granger pays the bill and leaves the restaurant. From there, he makes one final stop to say goodbye to his friend, Robert Keller. And this part actually kind of devastates me. 15-year-old Robert looks up to Granger as a sort of big brother. He wants to know if he can go with him on that spaceship. Granger tells him he's sorry,

that he did ask the aliens if he could tag along, but they told him that Robert has too much left to accomplish here on Earth. This trip is something that Granger is destined to do on his own. With that, Granger gives him a hug and assures Robert this isn't goodbye forever. Then he gets back into his truck and drives off into the storm. By the next morning, the bad weather has passed, but fallen power lines and trees still clutter the streets. And Granger Taylor is gone. For the next several weeks, Granger's stepfather Jim scours remote roads around town hoping to find a trace of his missing son.

He even ropes in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who comb through hospital, passport, and vehicle registration records, but there's no sign of Granger or the pickup truck that he drove off in. All his friends and family can do is wait. I mean, who knows? Maybe Granger will walk back through those doors with a remarkable story to tell. Now look, when I first heard Granger's story, I thought it was pretty bananas. Of all the places Granger could have disappeared to, outer space does not seem like the most probable option. But then I heard a similar story to Granger's, one that happened just a few years before his. Only this is tied to someone a little more mustache, and boy can he rip on the guitar.

But like many 20-something artists, he's having a hard time breaking into the industry. Eventually, he lands this regular gig at a bar called The Raft in Malibu, California. He starts hanging out with actors like Harry Dean Stanton, gains a bit of traction, and records his debut album. The title? UFO. Now around this time, psychedelic rock is hitting the mainstream. I mean, Abbey Road's just been released, tickets to Woodstock are selling like hotcakes, but Jim isn't just leaning into a trend. His music almost seems to be based on some personal experience, or at least a sort of belief system. In one of his songs, Jim sings that Jesus will one day return to Earth, but as an alien visitor. And his wife Barbara buys into the idea of UFOs too. In a

later interview, their son Chris explains how extraterrestrials were a big topic of conversation around their dinner table. Specifically, the idea of multi-dimensional realms where humans and aliens could coexist. Now, you can believe in UFOs without having a personal experience with them, I understand that, but certain events after Jim's album is released seem to suggest he really did have an alien encounter. Three years after UFO comes out, Jim signs with Playboy Records. He has immediate success and pours his heart and soul into a new album. But ultimately, Playboy can't get anyone to buy it. Jim and his family suffer for it, both emotionally and financially. So Jim decides, I'm going to go down to Nashville, see if I can get some songwriting

work or maybe a few gigs here and there. If it works out, I'll move my wife and kid out to Tennessee. On March 4th, 1975, Jim hops into his Volkswagen Bug and leaves the Golden State behind. The following day, he arrives in New Mexico. He calls his wife to check in, says he's doing okay, but then his tone kind of changes. According to Barbara, Jim isn't making any sense. I'm not sure exactly what he tries to explain to her, but I know he eventually gives up and says, quote, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Barbara tries to press him for more details, but he brushes her off, says he'll call when he reaches his next stop.

So obviously this is a little bit unsettling for Barbara, but it only grows worse over the next few days when she realizes Jim definitely should have made it to Nashville by now, but she's heard nothing. She phones hospitals and police stations in every town Jim was supposed to pass through. She learns that the morning he called her, he was actually pulled over for swerving in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. But the odd part is, Jim wasn't drunk. He passed a sobriety test, so the police let him go. Later, he checked into a roadside motel, but the bed in his room was completely untouched, and he left his keys behind.

26 miles away from the motel, parked on a sprawling desert ranch near the highway, police eventually find Jim's Volkswagen Bug. The car is locked and the engine is dead. But it's what's inside the car that's really weird. For some reason, Jim didn't take his wallet, didn't take his clothes, or the one item he never goes anywhere without, his guitar. Now, this is the middle of the New Mexico desert. If he pulled over for a smoke and a walk, it's not like a dense forest blocked his view. He should have been able to see his way back to his car. Even if he did go

wandering, the fact that the engine is dead suggests that he may have left the vehicle running. And he apparently didn't plan to go far since he left his wallet and his guitar behind. And yet, police and multiple search parties are unable to locate Jim anywhere. Missing person posts turn up zero clues. It's literally like Jim vanished from the face of the earth. Interestingly, Santa Rosa is only a two hours drive from Roswell, home to one of the most famed alien sightings of all time. Even Jim's wife Barbara says she wouldn't be surprised if Jim was taken by aliens. In fact, she says it would be kind of

great. To this day, no one's found a single trace of the lost folk singer. Jim's family never got an explanation for his sudden disappearance. But Granger's family eventually receives a clue. One that, depending on how you look at it, might confirm that his interstellar voyage was the truth. Up next, a break in Granger's case. Now, back to the story. It's May 29th, 1984, 42 months to the day since Granger Taylor's departure. At the Taylor home in Duncan, there's been this unspoken countdown. They're holding out hope that he's going to come stumbling through their front door with tales of interstellar journeys.

By this point, Granger's stepbrother Douglas is a member of the Canadian Coast Guard. He spends the night watching the sky from his patrol boat, searching for any evidence of a UFO or even a shooting star. Anything that might imply Granger's on his way back to Earth. But that night comes and goes without any sign of his brother. And there are still a lot of lingering questions about what happened to him. There's one in particular that even the Canadian police can't seem to figure out. What happened to Granger's car? I mean, it's hard enough to believe a 240-pound man could just vanish into thin air, but a 2,000-pound pickup truck?

Well, that's even stranger. By now, Granger's license and registration have expired. Not to mention his parents are still putting out ads in the paper offering a cash reward to anyone who spots him or his vehicle. Meaning, if Granger was driving across borders, someone certainly would have spotted him or the truck by now, right? Well, in 1986, someone certainly would have spotted him or the truck by now, right? Well, in 1986, someone actually does. Six years after Granger seemingly disappears from the face of the earth, a group of forest workers discovers a strange scene near Mount Prevost. It's about an 18-minute drive northwest of Granger's family farm.

And here, they find what appears to be a blast site. There's a crater in the forest floor littered with metal debris. There's even a tire lodged high up in the branches of a nearby tree. Police are called to the site where they later discover two human bones close by. One is an arm bone with a significant break, which means that the explosion packed a real punch. So for the first time in six years, investigators are feeling confident that they found Granger Taylor. According to Granger's family, he often carried explosives in his truck for projects like clearing out tree stumps. So from the police's point of view, the likeliest scenario is that Granger went out into the woods that night, caused an explosion, and either accidentally or intentionally got caught in the

middle of it. Which is enough for police to essentially say, okay, until we can prove otherwise, we're considering this to be the remains of Granger Taylor. Case closed. But Granger's friend Robert sees massive flaws in the evidence. For starters, the police say they positively matched this vehicle to Granger's pickup truck. But according to their reports, the car they discovered out in those woods was blue. And Robert remembers vividly he helped Granger paint that truck Pepto-Bismol pink. So unless he applied a fresh coat of paint in a rainstorm the night he left, the truck isn't his. Also, Mount Prevost, where his truck was found, is in the opposite direction of Waterloo Mountain, the location that Granger mapped out on the back of his note.

The biggest issue is DNA testing is still in its infancy at this time, meaning those bone fragments are never positively linked to Granger Taylor. They could be anyone's. And according to the CBC documentary Spaceman, they can't bring those remains in for testing today because nobody knows where they are, which is a whole nother conspiracy that I won't even go into. Robert also has a problem with the TNT argument. He says that Granger only carried a small amount of dynamite

with him at any given time, but to completely disintegrate a truck and a man, Granger would have needed a couple tons of TNT. Now, I'm no explosives expert, but I'd imagine that even if he was left to the elements for six years, there would be some other evidence of his body or the truck, more than just a few scattered pieces. And you know who was an explosives expert? Granger Taylor. He knew how to handle dynamite, and Robert says that he was always mindful about safety precautions. Robert doesn't see any way that this could have been an accident. And unlike some other people, he doesn't believe Granger blew himself up intentionally either.

He and the Taylor family argue that Granger wasn't suicidal. He never hinted at hurting himself and apparently didn't show signs of depression. That said, when someone mysteriously leaves home and never comes back, one of the natural assumptions is death, possibly by self-harm. Which is why this became the most publicly accepted version of what happened to Granger. After all, a lot of people in Duncan knew him as the town outcast. He didn't fit in well with the people his own age. He was quiet, a bit of a shut-in. He also left behind all of his money and possessions, so it doesn't seem like he was trying to run away or start a new life.

But who knows, maybe Granger was harboring some dark demons and wanted to leave his family and friends with a semblance of hope. However, there was another theory that was later put forth by Granger's sister Grace. Apparently, he'd been experimenting heavily with LSD. Turns out the summer before Granger's disappearance, he'd been doing quite a bit of acid in his UFO clubhouse. Like we're talking a few hits a day, according to Grace, which could have played a huge part in why he thought he was communicating with aliens. Is it possible that Granger, Taylor and Jim Sullivan were experiencing some drug-induced hallucinations? That the two men both wandered out into the elements simply hoping that aliens would pick them up and transport them to another world? Yeah, absolutely.

And it's possible that their friends and families believe that they were abducted simply because it's easier to accept. After all, that explanation still offers a bit of hope. A slight chance that maybe one day their loved one will return to this world. But between the perfectly timed rainstorm, the UFO sightings in Duncan, and the fact that Granger was a mechanical genius, I can't help but wonder, maybe he wasn't lying. After all, 42 months on Earth might be a little different than 42 months in space. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the faster we travel, the slower we pass through time. If we're moving at the speed of light, a year in space would last about seven years on Earth. So what's to say Granger isn't still out there, just a little delayed?

Maybe one day Granger will return to a completely different world. One where he is the first human known to have made contact with alien life. To be continued... To hear more stories hosted by me, check out Crime Junkie and all AudioChuck originals.