A Colorado boy, who sadly passed away while living off the grid in the beautiful Rocky Mountain wilderness, had been taken away by his mother and aunt due to their fears of pandemic conspiracy theories. Before his untimely death, he kept a journal that reveals a haunting glimpse into his life of seclusion.
In a shocking discovery, a worn-out notebook was discovered alongside the preserved body of 13-year-old Talon Vance. The notebook initially exuded a sense of joy as Talon shared his experiences and bid farewell to his friends. However, the tone gradually shifted to a more somber note as he documented his overwhelming sadness and a distressing incident that occurred at an Arby’s fast food restaurant, which ultimately led to a mental breakdown.
In 2022, the trio made the bold decision to leave their Colorado home and embrace a life off the grid. Their new abode? A tent nestled near Gold Creek Campground, just an hour away from Gunnison, Colorado. Their motivation? A desire to break free from the constraints of society.
Before they departed, Talon bid farewell to his online Roblox gaming buddies. In a journal entry spanning 24 pages, he detailed this emotional goodbye, as reported by Tom Conover of Outside Magazine.
“NOOO COME BACK,” cried Fluffy, a passionate gamer.
Another individual expressed their heartfelt plea, saying, “I would do anything just to have you return.”
During their trip, they made a stop at Arby’s to grab some food. Talon, feeling overwhelmed, expressed his struggle with a mental breakdown, as he described that “nothing feels the same.”
“I had a mini breakdown at Arby’s because nothing feels the same anymore [sad face],” he expressed.
He even shared a delightful anecdote about accompanying his aunt to the grocery store, where she graciously allowed him to choose a special treat.
“When I was going through a tough time, she brought us to Safeway and allowed me to choose any candy I wanted. I was feeling so down that nothing seemed enticing to me. I ended up picking chocolate for my mom mostly, and my aunt suggested fruit snacks for me, so I just went along with it.”
The family members, still struggling to come to terms with the tragic outcome, expressed their unawareness that their escape would be a permanent one.
Becky’s stepsister, Trevela Jara, admitted that she couldn’t bear to read the journal entries, as she shared with The Independent.
According to Conover, Talon’s half-sister, Emma, informed him that the journal entries she provided had a distinct aroma of campfire smoke.
According to family members, none of the three individuals had any previous experience in outdoor survival. However, one of the entries indicated that Talon’s mother had been attempting to prepare him for the trip by encouraging him to acquire survival skills, such as knot tying.
“Square knot! I tied it with the right over left, and then left over right,” he wrote, concluding the entry with a cheerful smiley face.
He also explained the steps to tie a clove hitch, bowline, Japanese square lashing, and timber hitch. He enthusiastically added, “Side note: I nailed the trucker’s hitch on my first try!”
Right before they departed from Colorado Springs, he expressed his sorrow over leaving his beloved cat Oreo behind, playfully referring to him as his “stinky” companion.
“Whenever we sat on the couch, Oreo would always find a way to plop onto our laps,” he reminisced. “It was on July 29th when Oreo chose to squeeze in between me and mommy while we were practicing ropes and knots. Since I spent a lot of time working on the couch during online school, Oreo would often plop on top of me. Little did I know that day would be the last time Oreo would ever plop on me.”
Before the trio embarked on their journey, Trevela Jara was entrusted with taking care of the cat.
According to Ms. Jara, her stepsister was determined to live in a remote destination away from the pressures of modern life because she was feeling disheartened by the state of the world.
“She went with good intentions,” she explained. “She believed she was safeguarding her son and our sister, Christine, as she didn’t want them to become entangled in the increasingly worrisome state of the world, as she perceived it.”
According to Ms. Jara, the Covid-19 pandemic further heightened her uneasiness with the current state of the world.
Becky’s sister, Christine, reluctantly decided to join the mother-son duo on the trip. She believed that by being with them, they would have a higher likelihood of survival.
Their makeshift shelter, which investigators later referred to as a humble “eighty-dollar Walmart tent,” proved to be inadequate against the brutal winter conditions in the wilderness. Unfortunately, they lacked the necessary gear to endure such harsh circumstances.
Although no firearms or knives were discovered at the location, investigators did come across a fishing rod. It is worth noting that the lakes in the area are frozen and therefore not accessible during the winter season. In addition to this, a set of four fantasy-themed Choose Your Own Adventure books, a Bible, and a journal belonging to Becky were found. The journal contained detailed information about plant identification and high-altitude foraging.