Get a $10,000 reward for providing info on mysterious Utah monolith
If you know the mystery behind the origins of the Utah monolith, Ripley's says you could end up earning some serious money.
Do you know why and who put up the monolith in Utah?
When a 2001: A Space Odyssey-like metal monolith was spotted in the Utah desert last week, the internet went absolutely crazy trying to figure out who put it there and why. Then suddenly, the unusual object disappeared.
On Wednesday, it was reported that two men have taken credit for removing the monolith for "environmental reasons," though they are not the original owners of the monolith they dismantled.
Ripley's, however, wants to get to the truth of the origins of this mysterious Utah monolith and is willing to pay for it. Ripley's said Monday it will pay $10,000 to the first person who comes forward as the "the proud legal owner of the monolith or who provides accurate information exclusively to Ripley's."
While another monolith popped up in Romania and then vanished as well, and yet another monolith has surfaced in California, Ripley's reward is only for the Utah monolith. Tips can be submitted online at Ripleys.com.
There are already plenty of clues to help would-be sleuths get started on the monolith mystery. Originally, the monolith was spotted by Aero Bureau and wildlife resource officers during an overhead count of bighorn sheep in the Red Rock Country area.
Colorado adventure photographer Ross Bernards said on Tuesday he was visiting the bizarre structure on Friday night when he saw four men dismantle it. He posted photos of the structure on Instagram, as well as a photo taken by Michael James Newlands of the men taking it down.
"As they walked off with the pieces, one of them said, 'Leave no trace,'" Bernards told The New York Times. The men then put the monolith pieces in a wheelbarrow and carted it off, he added.
We may not know if an extraterrestrial or earthling installed the “monolith” structure, but we can confirm that it has been taken by an unknown party or parties. More: https://t.co/zmlHF4kPn9 #monolith #utahmonolith #utah pic.twitter.com/TiQMHK9cyM
— BLM Utah (@BLMUtah) November 30, 2020
Amateur detectives on Reddit made an attempt to uncover the origins of the monolith. After finding the monolith on Google Earth, they used historical imaging data to determine when it first appeared in the desert, which was between August 2015 and October 2016.
Because of the date range, some people believe it could have been a prop for the sci-fi drama Westworld, which was filming nearby.
However, no one at HBO Entertainment, Kilter Films, Bad Robot Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions, nor Warner Bros. Television (who are behind the creation of the Westworld TV series) have yet to claim it as as a Westworld prop.
To keep up to date on all the monoliths popping up in Utah, California, Romania and possibly more sightings, check out our round-up of all the latest monolith mystery news here.
Originally published on Dec. 1. Updated with more monolith info on Dec. 2.