[thunder rumbling] [haunting instrumental music] ♪ ♪ [wind whistles softly] [thunder rumbling] [gun clicks] [gunshot] [thudding] - [groaning] [gasping and gagging] [gunshot] - THE HISTORY THAT
WE WERE ALL TAUGHT GROWING UP IS WRONG. MY NAME IS SCOTT WOLTER, AND I'M A FORENSIC GEOLOGIST. THERE'S A HIDDEN HISTORY
IN THIS COUNTRY THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT. THERE ARE PYRAMIDS HERE-- CHAMBERS, TOMBS,
INSCRIPTIONS. THEY'RE ALL OVER
THIS COUNTRY. WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE
THESE ARTIFACTS AND SITES, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET
TO THE TRUTH. SOMETIMES HISTORY ISN'T WHAT
WE'VE BEEN TOLD. [percussive music] HE'S ONE OF AMERICA'S
MOST LEGENDARY EXPLORERS: MERIWETHER LEWIS, HANDPICKED BY PRESIDENT
THOMAS JEFFERSON IN 1803 TO TEAM UP WITH WILLIAM CLARK TO MAP OUT THE LAND ACQUIRED
IN THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE. THE AREA WAS ENORMOUS, REACHING FROM LOUISIANA
UP TO WHAT IS NOW MONTANA. JEFFERSON HOPED THEY'D FIND A DIRECT WATER ROUTE
TO THE PACIFIC, CREATE A MAP OF THE AREA, AND CATALOG NEW SPECIES
OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE REGION. BUT THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOME WHO BELIEVED THERE WAS MORE
TO THEIR EXPEDITION. I GOT A CALL
FROM A JOURNALIST FRIEND WHO SAID HE HAD SOMETHING
INTERESTING TO SHOW ME. - I GOT SOMETHING
I WANT TO SHOW YOU HERE. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. AND I BORROWED THESE BOOKS, AND I WANT TO SHOW THEM
TO YOU. - OH, WOW.
WHAT IS THIS? - WHAT YOU'RE HOLDING THERE
IS THE FIRST EDITION OF THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY
BY LEWIS AND CLARK. - REALLY?
- YEAH. - WOW.
THIS IS AMAZING. DOES THIS CHRONICLE
EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAW? - WELL, SEE,
THAT'S THE POINT. IT MAY NOT CHRONICLE
EVERYTHING. - WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? - WELL, IT MEANS THAT
THERE ARE MISSING PAGES IN MERIWETHER LEWIS' JOURNALS. - DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA
WHAT IS IN THOSE MISSING PAGES? - WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA
WHAT'S IN IT, BUT HE COULD HAVE KNOWN
SOMETHING; HE COULD HAVE FOUND
SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE SO FRIGHTENING
TO THAT DAY AND AGE THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT WANT
TO KILL HIM FOR IT. - [sighs] OKAY, I KNOW THAT
HE DIED IN 1809. AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN
ABOUT THREE YEARS AFTER THEY CAME BACK
FROM THE EXPEDITION, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS SUICIDE. THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS HEARD. - IT'S THE PREVAILING THEORY, AND THAT'S WHERE THE EVIDENCE
SEEMS TO POINT. WE DO KNOW
THAT THOMAS JEFFERSON TASKED THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY
AND LEWIS AND CLARK WITH FINDING OUT
ABOUT TRIBES AND THE FLORA AND THE FAUNA
IN THE WEST. BUT HE ALSO TASKED THEM
WITH SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL. HE SAID, "I WANT YOU TO LOOK
FOR ANY POSSIBILITY OF WELSH SETTLEMENT
IN THE WEST." - PRE-COLUMBIAN WELSH? - PRE-COLUMBIAN WELSH. LET'S SAY THEY FOUND THAT. WELL, IF THEY HAD
THAT INFORMATION, IF MERIWETHER LEWIS
POSSESSED THAT IN HIS JOURNALS AND IT DIDN'T APPEAR--
IT WAS PART OF THE MISSING-- THEN IT WOULD TAKE
THE WHOLE IDEA OF AMERICAN COLONIAL HISTORY--
OUR VERY FOUNDATION-- AND TOSS IT OUT THE WINDOW. - WOW. THAT KIND OF A DISCOVERY
COULD HAVE GOTTEN LEWIS KILLED. - YOU KNOW WHAT WE CALL THAT? MOTIVE. - IT'S A SHOCKING THEORY. DID THOMAS JEFFERSON
SEND LEWIS AND CLARK ON A SECRET MISSION? DID THE PRESIDENT WANT THEM
TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE WELSH WERE HERE
BEFORE THE ORIGINAL COLONISTS? AND COULD WHATEVER LEWIS FOUND
HAVE LED TO HIS MURDER? [gun clicks] WELL, THIS IS
REALLY FASCINATING STUFF, BUT I'M A GEOLOGIST. - I WAS LOOKING
FOR A GEOLOGIST BECAUSE I THINK
ONE OF THE ANSWERS RESTS IN A STONE AND, IF IT'S AUTHENTIC, MAY SUGGEST SOME EVIDENCE OF PRE-COLUMBIAN
WELSH SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S CALLED
THE BRANDENBURG STONE. - BRANDENBURG... - AND I'D LIKE YOU
TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. - WHERE IS THIS STONE? - IN KENTUCKY. - AFTER TALKING TO DON, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT
WE ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT AMERICA'S
MOST WELL-KNOWN EXPLORER, LIKE WHETHER MERIWETHER LEWIS
ENDED HIS OWN LIFE OR WHETHER SOMEONE ENDED IT
FOR HIM. IF HE FOUND EVIDENCE THE WELSH WERE IN AMERICA
IN PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES, IT COULD MEAN THEY STAKED
A PRIOR CLAIM TO THE LAND, LAND JEFFERSON
JUST SPENT $15 MILLION ON IN A MOVE THAT WOULD DOUBLE
THE SIZE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE MISSING JOURNAL PAGES
COULD BE A CLUE... AND SO COULD
THIS BRANDENBURG STONE, A STONE INSCRIBED
WITH WHAT COULD BE A LAND CLAIM AND POSSIBLY WRITTEN IN WELSH. [camera beeps] GERRY, WHAT'S BEEN
THE REACTION TO THE STONE? - SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE
THE STONE IS ANCIENT WELSH. SOME PEOPLE DISMISS IT. I THINK IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT IT'S
AN ANCIENT INSCRIPTION. - THIS IS AN AMAZING STONE, AND THIS INSCRIPTION HERE
ESPECIALLY IS REALLY AMAZING. YOU KNOW, A COUPLE THINGS
JUST RIGHT OFF THE BAT-- THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
I'VE EVER LOOKED AT THIS STONE. FIRST OF ALL,
THESE ARE LIMESTONES, PROBABLY OOLITIC LIMESTONES. AND IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY, YOU'LL SEE WHAT LOOKS
LIKE LITTLE SAND GRAINS, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY
SAND OF LIMESTONE, AND THEY'RE CALLED OOLITES. WHEN I LOOK DOWN
INTO THE GROOVES, I CAN SEE
SOME OF THOSE OOIDS. SO THAT'S AN INDICATION
OF WEATHERING. BASED ON EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN, WE'RE NOT LOOKING
AT A HOAX HERE. DOES ANYBODY KNOW
WHAT THIS INSCRIPTION SAYS? - IT'S BEEN TRANSLATED
AS A PROPERTY BOUNDARY, A LAND CLAIM STONE. AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN CERTAINLY
THIS WOULD INDICATE A POSSIBLE ANCIENT
OR PRIOR CLAIM. - IF LEWIS
FOUND SOMETHING LIKE THIS, INDICATING THAT OTHER PEOPLE
CAME TO NORTH AMERICA PRIOR TO COLUMBUS,
PRIOR TO THIS LAND ACQUISITION, IF THEY KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT
WHAT WAS IN LEWIS' DIARY, THAT COULD HAVE
GOTTEN HIM KILLED. - QUITE POSSIBLY. - WHERE THIS WHOLE THING
STARTED FOR ME-- A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE
SUGGESTED I COME
AND LOOK AT THIS STONE AFTER WE LOOKED
AT MERIWETHER LEWIS' JOURNAL. - OH, YEAH. - SOME OF THE PAGES IN
THAT JOURNAL HAVE GONE MISSING, AND MAYBE THE REASON IS BECAUSE
DURING THE EXPEDITION, HE FOUND SOMETHING THAT
INDICATED PRE-COLUMBIAN CONTACT. THIS COULD ACTUALLY
CALL INTO QUESTION THE WHOLE LEGITIMACY
OF THE UNITED STATES. [dramatic orchestral music] ♪ ♪ - I'M INVESTIGATING WHETHER FAMED EXPLORER
MERIWETHER LEWIS WAS MURDERED. ONE THEORY IS THAT HIS KILLING
WAS MOTIVATED BY EVIDENCE HE MAY HAVE
DISCOVERED ON HIS EXPEDITION, EVIDENCE ABOUT VOYAGES
TO AMERICA BY THE ANCIENT WELSH. IT MAY SEEM FAR-FETCHED,
BUT FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN LEGENDS
OF WELSH EXPLORERS COMING TO THE NEW WORLD
PRIOR TO COLUMBUS, EVEN INTERMINGLING
WITH NATIVE TRIBES. SOME SAY THE WELSH
LEFT A LAND CLAIM BEHIND IN THE FORM OF AN ARTIFACT
CALLED THE BRANDENBURG STONE. I EXAMINED THIS CLUE AND SAW EVIDENCE OF WEATHERING
THAT TAKES A LONG TIME. BUT NOW I NEED TO SEE
WHERE IT CAME FROM, A PLACE CALLED PARADISE BOTTOM. TODAY PARADISE BOTTOM
IS A QUARRY. THE BRANDENBURG STONE
IS OOLITIC LIMESTONE, AND THAT'S
WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR HERE. IF THE STONE IS REALLY
A WELSH LAND CLAIM, WHOEVER CARVED IT
WOULD HAVE USED LOCAL ROCK. I'M MEETING
WITH LEE PENNINGTON, WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE
THE BRANDENBURG STONE WAS FOUND AND MAYBE A LITTLE SOMETHING
ABOUT HOW IT FIGURES INTO THE MYSTERY
OF MERIWETHER LEWIS' DEATH. I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE AN EXPERT
ON THE BRANDENBURG STONE. - WELL, I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING IT
OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, SO I DO KNOW
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. - OKAY. I'M ALSO INVESTIGATING IT
AND ITS POSSIBLE TIE TO THE DEATH
OF MERIWETHER LEWIS. - WELL, IT CERTAINLY
COULD HAVE A CONNECTION. - OKAY, MY UNDERSTANDING
IS THAT THE BRANDENBURG STONE WAS FOUND SOMEWHERE NEAR HERE,
WHERE THIS QUARRY IS NOW. - THE BRANDENBURG STONE
EVIDENTLY ROLLED DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THIS BLUFF
TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD THERE. - I WANT TO SEE
IF THE STONE THAT I'VE LOOKED AT MATCHES THE ROCK
THAT'S HERE. ♪ ♪ YOU KNOW, LEE,
I WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE ABOUT PRE-COLUMBIAN WELSH
THAT CAME TO AMERICA. - I THINK
THAT'S THE VERY GROUP THAT CARVED
THE BRANDENBURG STONE. INFORMATION
THAT I DISCOVERED IN WALES INDICATES
THAT IN THE SIXTH CENTURY, A FLEET OF 700 SHIPS
CAME TO THIS CONTINENT, AND I THINK THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE
INTERMINGLED WITH THE MANDANS. - THE MANDAN
WERE A NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE WHO LIVED
ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER AND EVENTUALLY SETTLED
IN THE DAKOTAS. FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS,
SOME PEOPLE HAVE REMARKED THAT THEY HAVE EUROPEAN FEATURES
AND THAT THEY SPOKE WELSH. WHAT ABOUT SOME HARD PHYSICAL,
TANGIBLE EVIDENCE? - WELL, WE GOT-- ONE THING IN PARTICULAR
WITH THE MANDANS WERE THOSE BOATS
THAT THEY HAD. THE BULLBOATS ARE IDENTICAL WITH THE CORACLES IN WALES. BOTH WERE MADE WITH ANIMAL HIDE
STRETCHED OVER WOODEN FRAMES. - WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING,
LEE. MAYBE ALL OF THAT STUFF
PROVES THAT THERE WAS
AN EARLY WELSH VISIT THAT CAME TO NORTH AMERICA HUNDREDS OF YEARS
BEFORE COLUMBUS. - WELL, CERTAINLY
ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. - AND THIS IS WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING FOR. IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC,
UNIQUE KIND OF LIMESTONE. IT'S AN OOLITIC LIMESTONE, AND WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSELY
ON A BROKEN SURFACE, YOU WILL SEE
LITTLE ROUNDED GRAIN. ALL RIGHT, LEE,
LET'S FIND A MATCH. ♪ ♪ I THINK WE GOT IT. I CAN SAY
WITH REASONABLE CERTAINTY THAT WHOEVER CARVED
THE BRANDENBURG STONE FOUND A ROCK IN THIS VICINITY
AND CARVED IT. BUT I TELL YOU WHAT NOW HAS SUDDENLY BECOME
VERY IMPORTANT IS, WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THAT INSCRIPTION SAYS. IF EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT-- THE ROCK IS HERE, THE BRANDENBURG STONE,
THE WELSH-- IF THAT'S ALL CONNECTING HERE, IT'S POSSIBLE
THAT MERIWETHER LEWIS FOUND SOME OF THAT EVIDENCE, AND IF HE DID, COULD THAT
BE A REASON WHY SOME PEOPLE, PERHAPS FACTIONS
WITHIN OUR GOVERNMENT, WOULD WANT HIM MURDERED? - WELL, I CERTAINLY THINK
IT WAS MURDER. THE CIRCUMSTANCES
SURROUNDING HIS DEATH IS JUST THE FARTHEST THING
FROM SUICIDE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. HE WAS SHOT TWICE. IT'S DIFFICULT FOR A PERSON
COMMITTING SUICIDE TO SHOOT HIMSELF ONCE AND THEN TURN AROUND
AND SHOOT HIMSELF AGAIN, WITH THESE OLD GUNS,
ESPECIALLY. AND THERE'S THIS BUSINESS OF THE MISSING PAGES
OF THE DIARY. - IF THERE WAS
SOMETHING THERE THAT HE FOUND
ON THAT EXPEDITION, PERHAPS EVIDENCE OF THE WELSH, IT WOULDN'T BE A SHOCK TO ME
AT ALL THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
OF OUR GOVERNMENT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND
THE MURDER OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST
AND MOST BELOVED HEROES. [cell phone ringing] HEY, DON. - HEY, SCOTT,
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING DOWN
IN KENTUCKY FOR YOU. - WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT. EVERYTHING'S GOING GREAT HERE. I HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK
AT THE BRANDENBURG STONE, AND IT'S VERY INTERESTING. IT DOES SHOW SOME EVIDENCE
OF WEATHERING. - THAT'S EXCITING. HEY, IS THERE ANYTHING
I CAN DO TO HELP? - WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT.
THERE IS. I'M WONDERING
IF YOU CAN HELP ME FIGURE OUT
WHAT THE INSCRIPTION SAYS. I DID TAKE SOME PHOTOS, AND I WILL SEND THEM TO YOU, AND IF YOU CAN HELP ME OUT,
THAT'D BE GREAT. - I WILL DO IT. HEY, LISTEN, SCOTT, THERE'S
A GUY YOU OUGHT TO TALK TO. HIS NAME IS JIM HOLMBERG. AND I THINK
HE'S GOT SOME CLUES THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE. - IF THERE'S ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN
MERIWETHER LEWIS' DEATH AND POSSIBLE PRE-COLUMBIAN WELSH
COMING HERE, I'M GONNA GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. I'M LOOKING INTO THE DEATH
OF MERIWETHER LEWIS, AND SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT HE WAS MURDERED. OTHERS THINK THAT
HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE. - WELL, YOU'VE CERTAINLY COME
TO THE RIGHT PLACE, BECAUSE IT WAS HERE
AT THE FALLS OF THE OHIO IN OCTOBER OF 1803 THAT LEWIS AND CLARK MET TO FORM ONE
OF THE MOST FAMOUS PARTNERSHIPS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. WHY DON'T WE GO ON DOWN
TOWARDS THE FALLS? - SOUNDS GOOD. - THEY SET OFF DOWN THE OHIO
AND UP THE MISSISSIPPI. EVENTUALLY, IN 1804, THEY WENT
UP THE MISSOURI RIVER. THEY WINTERED
WITH THE MANDAN INDIAN. AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR,
1805, THEY GO ALL THE WAY
TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. - CAN YOU IMAGINE BACK THEN
WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH THE MINDS OF THESE GUYS
BEFORE THEY TOOK OFF? I MEAN, FOR ALL THEY KNEW,
THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE NEVER
COMING BACK. - WELL, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT. THEY MAY NEVER COME BACK. THEY WERE GOING INTO
THE UNKNOWN, THE WILDERNESS. THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WOULD BE AROUND THE NEXT BEND
OF THE RIVER, OVER THE NEXT MOUNTAIN. AND TO THINK
THAT THEY DID COME BACK, ALL EXCEPT FOR ONE MAN,
AND HE DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES. - YEAH. IT'S INCREDIBLE
HOW SUCCESSFUL IT REALLY WAS. - YEAH. - WHAT WERE SOME
OF THE MOTIVATIONS IN THOMAS JEFFERSON'S MIND BEHIND THE LEWIS AND CLARK
EXPEDITION? - WELL, HE VERY QUIETLY HAD $2,500 APPROPRIATED
FOR THE EXPEDITION, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY BEFORE
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE WAS MADE. EVER SINCE JEFFERSON
WAS A YOUNG MAN, HE WANTED TO KNOW
WHAT WAS OUT WEST, WHAT WAS TO THAT UNKNOWN
BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, WHAT WERE
THE NATIVE PEOPLES LIKE. DID THE NATIVE PEOPLES
HAVE AGRICULTURE, BETTER PLANTS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP
THE AMERICAN FARMERS? THE GEOGRAPHY, THE GEOLOGY,
EVEN THOUGHTS OF MASTODONS-- YOU KNOW,
WERE MASTODONS EXTINCT? AND THEN IT ACTUALLY BECAME
NATIONAL SECURITY. JEFFERSON HAD A FEAR OF THE BRITISH
COMING OUT OF CANADA AND WHAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO DO. WOULD THEY HEM IN
THIS YOUNG AMERICAN REPUBLIC AND KEEP THEM FROM GROWING AND GOING ALL THE WAY
TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN? - SO, JIM, ANOTHER THING. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT JEFFERSON TOLD LEWIS AND CLARK
TO GO LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF WELSH CONTACT
AMONGST THE NATIVES. DID THEY EVER FIND ANYTHING? - WELL, THE LEGEND
OF THE WELSH INDIANS, THE MANDAN INDIANS. AND LEWIS AND CLARK
NEVER SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT THEY DID FIND THAT. NOW, WHEN THEY GOT
FURTHER WEST IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
AMONG THE FLATHEAD INDIANS, SOME OF THE MEN COMMENTED THAT THEIR DIALECT
SOUNDED A LOT LIKE THE WELSH. - IF LEWIS AND CLARK
HAD FOUND EVIDENCE OF PRE-COLUMBIAN WELSH CONTACT AND WERE ON THE WAY
TO BRINGING THAT BACK, COULDN'T THAT HAVE STRENGTHENED
THE BRITISH CLAIM TO THE WESTERN TERRITORIES? AND COULD THAT ALSO HAVE MADE
LEWIS POSSIBLY A TARGET? BECAUSE HE HAD THIS INFORMATION
IN HIS JOURNAL, MAYBE THERE WERE PEOPLE
WITHIN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THAT WOULDN'T WANT THAT
TO COME OUT. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? - SO A CONSPIRACY?
- MAYBE. - AND THAT'S A THEORY,
YOU KNOW, AND IT COULD
OR SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I THINK PERHAPS THERE ARE
MISSING PARTS OF HIS JOURNAL. SOME THINGS THAT WE KNOW HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN
WRITING ABOUT AREN'T THERE. THERE ARE SOME GAPS THAT JUST DON'T SEEM
TO HANG TOGETHER. - THAT BRINGS
ANOTHER QUESTION. WHEN I THINK ABOUT HIS DEATH, YOU KNOW, WAS IT MURDER? WAS IT SUICIDE? AND COULD
WHAT WAS IN THOSE PAPERS HAVE LED TO HIS DEATH? - MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION
IS THAT HE HAD A BREAKDOWN AND DECIDED
TO END HIS OWN LIFE. WHEN HE COMES BACK
FROM THE EXPEDITION, THINGS JUST DON'T SEEM
TO CONNECT FOR HIM. HE HAS JUST KIND OF A WHOLE
CASCADING NUMBER OF PROBLEMS. HE WAS DRINKING TOO MUCH. HE WAS SELF-MEDICATING
WITH OPIATES. AND AT GRINDER'S STAND ALONG
THE NATCHEZ TRACE IN TENNESSEE, ABOUT 70 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF NASHVILLE, HE HAS HIS FINAL BREAKDOWN. [gunshot] [thudding] - [groaning] [gunshot] - LEWIS WAS SHOT TWICE, ONCE IN THE HEAD
AND ONCE IN THE BODY, AND I'VE READ WHERE
PART OF HIS SKULL ACTUALLY WAS BLOWN OFF. AND IF HE WAS SHOT FIRST
IN THE HEAD, I HAVE AN AWFUL HARD TIME
BELIEVING SOMEBODY'S GONNA KEEP GOING
AND SHOOT THEMSELVES IN THE BODY IF THEIR BRAIN'S EXPOSED. - BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE
OUT THERE WHO BELIEVE
HE WAS MURDERED. - WELL, WHO IS THAT? - THE LEWIS FAMILY. I'VE HEARD
THAT LEWIS' OWN FAMILY MEMBERS INSIST THEIR FAMOUS RELATIVE
DIDN'T COMMIT SUICIDE BUT WAS SHOT DEAD
BY SOMEONE ELSE. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU'RE
RELATED TO MERIWETHER LEWIS? - WELL, HIS SISTER,
JANE LEWIS, WAS MY GREAT-GREAT-
GREAT-GRANDMOTHER, SO HE WAS MY GREAT-GREAT-
GREAT-GREAT-UNCLE. - OKAY. - I CAN'T KEEP UP
WITH THE GREATS SOMETIMES. - I THINK I GOT THAT, THOUGH. WHAT DOES THE FAMILY THINK
ABOUT HIS DEATH? - PRETTY MUCH,
THE FAMILY THINKS THAT HE WOULD HAVE
BEEN MURDERED. - YOU DON'T THINK
HE COMMITTED SUICIDE? - NO, WE DON'T. - WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT SOME OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED UP TO HIS DEATH? - WELL, AFTER HE CAME BACK FROM THE EXPEDITION IN 1806, HE DID GET STARTED
ON TRYING TO PUBLISH THE JOURNALS
INTO A BOOK, BUT HE REALLY DIDN'T GET
THAT FAR ALONG WITH IT. - SURE. - HE WAS CARRYING HIS JOURNALS AND GOING TO WASHINGTON, WHICH PUT HIM
ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE. HE STOPPED AT A PLACE
CALLED THE GRINDER'S STAND, WHICH WAS RUN BY THE GRINDERS. MRS. GRINDER GAVE HIM
A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THE INNKEEPER
HEARD SEVERAL SHOTS AND FOUND HIM THE NEXT MORNING,
DEAD. [gunshot] - THERE WERE
NO FIRSTHAND WITNESSES THAT ACTUALLY SAW HIS DEATH
OR THE SHOTS RING OUT? - NO.
SHE HEARD THE SHOTS. BUT SHE DID NOT SEE THEM
ACTUALLY OCCUR, AND SO SHE DID NOT KNOW
WHO ACTUALLY PULLED THE TRIGGER. - [chuckles] SO WHAT OTHER THINGS MAKE YOU THINK
IT WASN'T A SUICIDE? - WELL, ONE THING, THERE WERE TWO SHOTS
OR MAYBE THREE. [gunshot] ONE WAS TO THE HEAD, WHICH, BY SOME ACCOUNTS, PARTIALLY TOOK HIS BRAIN OUT, AND AN ABDOMEN WOUND, WHICH IS KIND OF STRANGE FOR SOMEONE COMMITTING SUICIDE. HE WAS OVERHEARD TALKING. HE MAY HAVE BEEN TALKING
TO SOMEONE ELSE, OR MAYBE HE WAS JUST PRACTICING
WHAT HE WAS GOING TO SAY WHEN HE GOT TO WASHINGTON OR-- YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS SAYING. - MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT ELEMENTS AT HIGH LEVELS
IN OUR GOVERNMENT, POSSIBLY EVEN AS HIGH
AS PRESIDENT JEFFERSON, MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN THE CONSPIRACY TO KILL LEWIS. - WELL, IT'S POSSIBLE
THERE WAS POLITICAL INTRIGUE. - SOME PEOPLE SUGGEST
THAT HE FOUND EVIDENCE THAT THE WELSH CAME TO AMERICA
PRIOR TO COLUMBUS AND PLACED A LAND CLAIM. THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A REASON FOR PEOPLE TO WANT
TO SILENCE HIM. - IF THAT WERE THE CASE, I COULD SEE WHERE THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR SOME PEOPLE. - A POSSIBLE MOTIVE.
- RIGHT. - HAS YOUR FAMILY DONE ANYTHING TO TRY TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS, MAYBE AN AUTOPSY
OR EXHUMING HIS BODY? - THE FAMILY HAS TRIED
TO HAVE THE BODY EXHUMED. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
IS IN CHARGE OF THE LAND HERE, BUT TO THIS POINT, THEY HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW US TO EXHUME THE BODY. - I LOOK AT THIS.
I SEE THAT PILLAR. IT'S A BROKEN PILLAR. AND I'M SURE THAT MEANS
SOMETHING TO YOU. - WELL, THE BROKEN PILLAR IS TO REPRESENT
THE LIFE CUT SHORT, BECAUSE LEWIS' LIFE
WAS DEFINITELY CUT SHORT. - WAS HE NOT ALSO A FREEMASON? - YES, HE WAS.
HE HAD JOINED IN, I THINK, 1796. IN FACT,
WHEN HE WENT TO ST. LOUIS, HE FOUNDED
A MASONS' LODGE IN ST. LOUIS. - THE FIRST LODGE IN ST. LOUIS.
- YES. I DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT MUCH
ABOUT THE MASONIC PRACTICES, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT HIS APRON
IS IN HELENA, MONTANA, AT THE LODGE THERE, IT'S REPORTED
THAT HE HAD IT WITH HIM AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, AND THERE APPEAR TO BE
BLOODSTAINS ON IT. - THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE MAYBE IF THIS THING
WAS TESTED, WE MIGHT BE ABLE
TO FIND SOMETHING OUT, FOR EXAMPLE,
IF THERE WAS A STRUGGLE. IF WE COULD GET ACCESS TO IT
AND TEST IT, WE COULD DO DNA ON IT. AND IF WE FOUND EVIDENCE OF ANOTHER PERSON
OTHER THAN HIS BLOOD, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS MYSTERY ONCE AND FOR ALL. OH, HEY, GUYS. - REID GARDINER.
- HI, REID. - I'M GRAND SECRETARY
AND THE CURATOR OF THE MUSEUM. - NICE TO MEET YOU. - HEY, SCOTT, THOM CHISHOLM, GRAND MASTER
OF MASONS OF MONTANA. - SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, MERIWETHER LEWIS WAS A MASON
AT THE TIME OF THE EXPEDITION, SO WOULD THAT MAKE HIM
THE FIRST FREEMASON INTO WHAT IS NOW MONTANA? - YES, I THINK THAT'S TRUE. IT HAD BEEN RECORDED THAT HE WAS INITIATED IN 1796 WITH HIS FIRST DEGREE. - WHAT IS THE MISSION
OF FREEMASONS? - IN A GENERAL SENSE,
IT'S A FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION. THE FIRST ORGANIZED
MODERN VERSIONS OF FREEMASONRY DEVELOPED IN THE LATE 1700s
IN ENGLAND. IT TRAVELED
WITH THE COLONIAL CONCEPT, AND IT REALLY TOOK OFF
IN THE AMERICAS BECAUSE IT FIT THE DESIGNS
OF THE EARLY NATION AND EVEN THE COLONIES
AT THAT TIME. - I'M HERE INVESTIGATING
THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS, AND I SEE THE PAINTING
ON THE WALL THERE. AND I UNDERSTAND
THAT HIS MASONIC APRON IS HERE. - YES, THAT'S CORRECT. - I MEAN, WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT TO A FREEMASON? - WELL, THE APRON
IS THE BADGE OF A FREEMASON. EVERY MASON,
ONCE HE BECOMES A MASTER MASON, RECEIVES AN APRON. AND MUCH LATER,
THEY MAY ACQUIRE, THROUGH SOME MEANS,
A MORE DECORATIVE APRON. THE ONE
THAT YOU'RE INQUIRING ABOUT THAT BELONGED
TO MERIWETHER LEWIS WAS REPORTEDLY FOLDED IN A POCKET OF MERIWETHER LEWIS WHEN HE MET HIS DEMISE. - AND IS IT TRUE
THAT THERE'S BLOODSTAINS ON IT? - THERE ARE. - WOW. - PRETTY AMAZING, ISN'T IT? - YEAH. I MEAN,
IT'S REALLY SOMETHING. I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT IT, AND TO SEE IT
FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT'S REALLY AMAZING. - BACK IN THE '70s, WE DID HAVE IT TESTED, AND AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE ONLY ABLE TO DETERMINE THERE WAS HUMAN BLOOD
AND DEER BLOOD ON IT. - WOW. THIS APRON REPRESENTS ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST
MURDER MYSTERIES, AND WHAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE
TO BE ABLE TO DO, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, IS TO TAKE A SAMPLE
OF THIS BLOOD. I THINK WE CAN ANSWER
THIS QUESTION ABOUT, HOW DID THIS MAN DIE? - UH...
- UH, I'M NOT-- I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT
THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. - YEAH, WE ARE...
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE
ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE, WHEN THEY DID THE TESTING
IN THE '70s, THEY LITERALLY PICKED UP
THE APRON, HELD IT OVER A BEAKER, AND POURED WATER
THROUGH THE BLOOD TO COLLECT THE SAMPLE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
THERE'S THE STAIN ON THE SIDE. - WELL, THAT WAS
BACK IN THE '70s. ALL WE NEED TO DO
IS TAKE A VERY FINE SWAB AND BARELY TOUCH THE SURFACE
AND COLLECT SOME OF THE BLOOD. - YEAH, BUT AS GRAND MASTER
OF MASONS IN MONTANA, I'M RESPONSIBLE
FOR ALL OF THESE ARTIFACTS IN THIS MUSEUM. THIS IS QUITE AN UNDERTAKING
YOU ARE ASKING OF US HERE. - YEAH, WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T
WANT TO SEND IT OUT EITHER, BECAUSE, I MEAN,
THIS IS OVER 200 YEARS OLD. IT IS EXTREMELY FRAGILE
AND DELICATE. - OH, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT, AND BELIEVE ME,
I UNDERSTAND, AND I RESPECT YOUR CONCERNS. THIS IS A CRITICAL PIECE
OF AMERICAN HISTORY RIGHT HERE. IF YOU'RE WILLING
TO GRANT ME PERMISSION TO TEST THE BLOOD
ON THIS APRON, WE FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE
TO GET THE HISTORY STRAIGHT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
MERIWETHER LEWIS WAS MURDERED. - TESTING CAN BE DONE ON-SITE? - WE CAN DO IT
RIGHT HERE, YEAH. - WELL, I THINK,
AS GRAND MASTER AND SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY
IN MONTANA MASONRY, OUT OF THE RESPECT THAT'S DUE
TO THE HISTORY OF THE ARTIFACT AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY,
THE HONOR THAT'S DUE TO MERIWETHER LEWIS
AS A FREEMASON, I'LL GRANT YOU PERMISSION
TO TAKE YOUR SAMPLES. - THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS GREAT. WITH THE BLOOD SAMPLE
FROM THE APRON SENT OFF TO THE LAB, WE FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO SHED MORE LIGHT
ON LEWIS' DEATH. IF HE SHOT HIMSELF,
IT STANDS TO REASON ONLY HIS BLOOD
WOULD BE ON THE APRON. BUT IF HE WAS SHOT
DURING A STRUGGLE, SOMEONE ELSE'S BLOOD
MIGHT BE ON THERE TOO. EITHER WAY,
IT'S A CLUE TO THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING HIS DEATH. ANOTHER CLUE
MAY BE THE BRANDENBURG STONE, AN ARTIFACT
THOUGHT TO PROVE THAT THE ANCIENT WELSH
CLAIMED THE NEW WORLD LONG BEFORE COLUMBUS. MY ANALYSIS
OF THE STONE'S WEATHERING SUGGESTS IT COULD HAVE
BEEN CARVED BEFORE 1492, BUT THERE'S NO WAY
TO GET A MORE PRECISE DATE BECAUSE IT WAS TAKEN
OUT OF ITS ORIGINAL ENVIRONMENT AND ITS PROVENANCE
ISN'T CLEAR. BUT UNDERSTANDING
WHAT THE STONE SAYS AND THE LANGUAGE
IT WAS WRITTEN IN COULD HELP ME PROVE WHETHER THIS
WAS THE KIND OF EVIDENCE JEFFERSON TASKED LEWIS
TO DISCOVER. I'VE GOT A LOT TO TELL YOU. - I'VE GOT A LOT TO TELL YOU,
BUT I WANT YOU TO GO FIRST. - [laughing]
OKAY. I JUST GOT BACK FROM MONTANA, WHERE I WAS ABLE
TO OBTAIN A SAMPLE OF BLOOD FROM MERIWETHER LEWIS'
MASONIC APRON. - WOW. - WE SENT THAT SAMPLE OF BLOOD OFF TO THE LAKEHEAD PALEO-DNA
LAB IN THUNDER BAY. AND WE'RE HOPING THAT
WHEN THOSE RESULTS COME BACK, IF THERE'S A SECOND PERSON, SOMEBODY ELSE'S BLOOD
THAT IS ON THAT MASONIC APRON, IT COULD INDICATE THAT THERE WAS
SOMEBODY ELSE IN THAT ROOM THE NIGHT HE DIED. - UNBELIEVABLE. I'VE GOT THE TRANSLATION
OF THE STONE. - OH, GREAT. - IT SAYS, "TOWARD STRENGTH
AND PROMOTING UNITY, "DIVIDE THE LAND
WE ARE SPREAD OVER PURELY BETWEEN OFFSPRING
IS WISDOM." - DIVIDE THE LAND? THIS SOUNDS TO ME
LIKE A LAND CLAIM, DON. - [sighs] HERE'S THE PROBLEM: IT'S NOT ANCIENT WELSH. - IT'S NOT?
- NO. IT IS IN A LANGUAGE
CALLED COELBREN, AND IT WAS INVENTED
IN THE 18TH CENTURY. IT WAS INVENTED BY A GUY
NAMED EDWARD WILLIAMS. HE WAS A WELSH POET,
AND HE ALSO WAS-- YOU WON'T LIKE THIS--
ONE OF WALES' GREATEST FORGERS. SO THIS IS NOT ANCIENT WELSH. WELL, LET ME ADD
ONE MORE POINT. EDWARD WILLIAMS WAS ALSO A MAN GIVEN TO GETTING HIGH
ON LAUDANUM, AND THAT IS BASICALLY
LIQUID HEROIN. - REALLY?
[laughs] THIS IS A CRAZY STORY. IT LOOKS LIKE
WE CAN'T USE THIS ARTIFACT AS PART OF OUR EVIDENCE
OF THIS POSSIBLE WELSH CONTACT. - JUST BECAUSE THIS DOES NOT
APPEAR TO BE AUTHENTIC DOESN'T MEAN
THE WELSH WEREN'T HERE, BECAUSE THERE IS
OTHER INFORMATION, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
FROM EXPLORERS THAT RAN INTO INDIAN NATIONS
THAT HAD EUROPEAN FEATURES, LIGHT SKIN, LIGHT HAIR,
SOMETIMES BLUE EYES-- PARTICULARLY THE MANDAN NATION. - BUT LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS: WHAT DO YOU THINK
ABOUT THE WHOLE WELSH THEORY? - I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT
FOR QUITE SOME TIME. BUT THERE'S NO REAL WAY
TO KNOW FOR SURE, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT
A LOT OF EVIDENCE THAT EXISTS TO THIS DAY. HAVE YOU HEARD OF JOHN DEE? - ABSOLUTELY I'VE HEARD
OF JOHN DEE. HIS NAME HAS COME UP A NUMBER
OF TIMES IN MY INVESTIGATIONS. SO I KNOW HIM VERY WELL. - WELL, JOHN DEE, BASED ON THE RESEARCH
THAT I HAVE DONE, MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE CLAIM THAT THE WELSH ARRIVED
IN THE NEW WORLD PRIOR TO COLUMBUS' DISCOVERY. AND HIS MOTIVES
WERE PRIMARILY POLITICAL, BECAUSE BEING
FROM THE BRITISH EMPIRE, HE WANTED TO BE ABLE
TO ESTABLISH THAT THERE WAS A BRITISH CLAIM
IN THE NEW WORLD BEFORE SPAIN. - TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THAT
DOESN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL, BUT WHAT WE CAN
BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT ARE THESE DNA RESULTS. IF WE GET RESULTS BACK
THAT SAY THAT THERE WAS SOMEBODY ELSE'S BLOOD
ON THAT MASONIC APRON, THAT COULD VERY WELL MEAN
THAT SOMEONE ELSE WAS THERE WHEN MERIWETHER LEWIS DIED, AND MAYBE THAT'S THE PERSON
THAT KILLED HIM. - I'VE TALKED
TO SOME FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTS WHO SAY THAT IF THE SEQUENCE
OF EVENTS WAS A GUNSHOT TO THE HEAD AND, THAT--FAILING TO WORK-- LOSING,
ACCORDING TO SOME PEOPLE, A PORTION OF HIS SKULL,
EXPOSING HIS BRAIN, AND THEN SHOOTING HIMSELF
BELOW THE STERNUM-- A GUT SHOT, IN OTHER WORDS-- THAT THAT DOESN'T SEEM
REALISTIC. - WE'RE NEVER GONNA
BE ABLE TO KNOW FOR SURE: DID HE SHOOT HIMSELF
IN THE HEAD, THE STOMACH? WE'LL NEVER KNOW
WHICH CAME FIRST, SO THAT IS WHY
THESE TEST RESULTS ON THE BLOOD WITH THE DNA
ARE SO IMPORTANT. IT MAY BE THE ONLY PIECE
OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT WE'RE EVER GONNA HAVE
TO HELP US TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DEATH OF ONE OF AMERICA'S
MOST IMPORTANT HEROES. HEY, KEITH.
- HELLO, SCOTT. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
- GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. THESE TEST RESULTS
THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO GET COULD OPEN UP THE DOOR
TO A WHOLE HOST OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT
MERIWETHER LEWIS DIED. YOU BROUGHT
YOUR FAMILY RESULTS, RIGHT? - YES, I WAS GIVEN A COPY
THE PROFILE OF THE FAMILY FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES. - YOU REALIZE,
IF THESE TEST RESULTS COME BACK INDICATING THAT THE BLOOD IS SOMEBODY
OTHER THAN YOUR RELATIVE, THAT'S A BIG DEAL. - EITHER WAY, I THINK
IT MIGHT RAISE MORE QUESTIONS. THEN THE EXHUMING OF THE BODY
MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY COURSE LEFT. - WELL, STEVE, YOU'RE GONNA
LOOK AT THESE RESULTS TO COMPARE WITH WHAT YOU GOT. SO ARE YOU GONNA
BE ABLE TO TELL US IF THERE'S A MATCH
WITH THIS FAMILY? - YES, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS AN EXACT MATCH
OF DNA PROFILES. - WELL, KEITH, ARE YOU READY? - I'M READY TO FIND OUT. - YOU'VE GOT
YOUR FAMILY RECORD THERE. - GREAT, I HAVE MY RESULTS
RIGHT HERE OF THE APRON, AND I'LL MAKE A COMPARISON. SO THE BASES ARE NOT A MATCH. - WHAT? - THIS MEANS
THAT THE LEWIS FAMILY MEMBER IS NOT RELATED TO THE PROFILE THAT WE RECOVERED
FROM THE APRON. - WAIT A MINUTE.
WAIT A MINUTE. SO YOU'RE SAYING THIS IS NOT
MERIWETHER LEWIS' BLOOD? - YES, THAT'S CORRECT. WELL, WE DO HAVE
MORE INFORMATION. WE ANALYZED TWO SWABS, AND ON EACH SWAB,
WE GOT DIFFERENT DNA PROFILES. - DIFFERENT HUMAN?
- DIFFERENT HUMAN. THE FIRST SWAB
CONTAINED ONE INDIVIDUAL. BUT THE SECOND SWAB
WAS A MIXTURE, MEANING THERE'S MORE THAN
ONE INDIVIDUAL'S DNA PRESENT. - WHAT? - AND NONE
OF THOSE TWO PROFILES WERE A MATCH
TO THE LEWIS FAMILY MEMBER. - KEITH?
- I DON'T KNOW. IT'S INCREDIBLE. - YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THAT,
DID YOU? - NOT REALLY, NO. - [scoffs]
WOW. THAT'S--THAT'S A BIG DEAL. THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT
SOMEONE ELSE'S BLOOD, POSSIBLY TWO PEOPLE-- - AT LEAST TWO.
- AT LEAST TWO. THAT, TO ME, REALLY ONLY POINTS
TO THE NIGHT THAT HE DIED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
A STRUGGLE. DIDN'T MRS. GRINDER
SAY THAT SHE HEARD WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS ARGUING? - YES, SHE DID, AND THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
SOME OTHER PEOPLE THERE. - WELL, NOT NECESSARILY. IT COULD BE TWO DIFFERENT
INDIVIDUALS' BLOOD. IT COULD MEAN THAT THERE WAS
SOME KIND OF CONTAMINATION, THE BLOOD ON THE APRON AND SOMEBODY ELSE SPITTING
ON IT. IT COULD BE FROM A HANDLER
OVER TIME. - ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. BUT THE FACT IS, I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF BLOOD
ON THAT APRON, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW-- WHY WOULD HE BE CARRYING AROUND
A BLOODY APRON THAT SOMEBODY ELSE'S BLOOD
IS ON? THERE'S NO WAY
A MASON WOULD DO THAT. A MASON WOULD KEEP
HIS MASONIC APRON PRISTINE. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS TO THEM. AND TO HAVE IT SPLATTERED
WITH SOMEBODY ELSE'S BLOOD HAS TO MEAN IT HAD TO HAVE
HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. THE ACCEPTED STORY HERE IS THAT MERIWETHER LEWIS
TOOK HIS OWN LIFE. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT BEFORE, AND I SURE AS HECK
DON'T BELIEVE IT NOW. RIGHT NOW, I WOULD SAY
IT LOOKS LIKE MURDER TO ME, AND IF SO,
THERE HAS TO BE A MOTIVE, AND ONE OF THE MOTIVES, TO ME,
COULD POSSIBLY BE SOMETHING THAT MERIWETHER LEWIS
AND WILLIAM CLARK FOUND DURING THEIR EXPEDITION, POSSIBLY EVIDENCE
OF PRE-COLUMBIAN CONTACT, MAYBE EVEN EVIDENCE
OF AN EARLIER LAND CLAIM, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN
A MOTIVE FOR HIM TO BE KILLED. - THE FAMILY'S ALWAYS THOUGHT
THAT IT'S BEEN MURDER, AND THIS COULD BE A CRITICAL
OR CRUCIAL POINT. - EVERYBODY THOUGHT AND ACCEPTED
THAT IT WAS SUICIDE. NO WAY,
NOT IN MY MIND. IT WAS MURDER. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT THE DEATH OF FAMED EXPLORER
MERIWETHER LEWIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN
AN AMERICAN MURDER MYSTERY. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DEATH
OVER 200 YEARS AGO STILL LEAD US TO QUESTION
IF HE ACTUALLY COMMITTED SUICIDE OR WAS MURDERED. LEWIS HAD A PRESIDENTIAL MANDATE
TO SEARCH THE AMERICAN WEST FOR EVIDENCE
OF AN ANCIENT WELSH PRESENCE PRIOR TO COLUMBUS. ALONG THE WAY,
THERE WERE REPORTS OF NATIVES WHO SPOKE WELSH
AND LOOKED EUROPEAN, AND MISSING SECTIONS
OF LEWIS' JOURNALS TELL ME
THERE'S A POSSIBLE MOTIVE. I BELIEVE THAT WHAT LEWIS
DISCOVERED ON HIS EXPEDITION COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM KILLED. NOW TESTING
THAT I'VE HAD CARRIED OUT ON THE BLOOD
THAT STAINED LEWIS' APRON HAS PROVEN THE PRESENCE
OF MORE THAN ONE DNA PROFILE. I THINK SOMEONE ELSE
HAD TO BE THERE THE NIGHT
MERIWETHER LEWIS DIED. AND TO ME,
THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION IS THAT HE WAS KILLED
FOR WHAT HE FOUND OUT. <i> I BELIEVE MY INVESTIGATION
HAS BLOWN A HOLE</i> IN THE HISTORY
WE'VE ALL BEEN TOLD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
TO ONE OF OUR NATION'S MOST PIONEERING EXPLORERS.
