In 2014, YouTuber Kenny Veach set out to explore a mysterious M-shaped cave he had discovered near Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert — then mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again.
YouTube/SnakebitmcgeeKenny Veach vanished while looking for a cave he’d found on a previous hike.
On Nov. 10, 2014, a 47-year-old solo hiker and YouTuber named Kenny Veach disappeared while hiking in the Mojave Desert — and he hasn’t been seen since.
Veach had been searching for a strange “vibrating” cave shaped like an M he’d stumbled upon earlier that year, not far from Area 51. Today, no one knows what might’ve happened to him. But his disappearance has sparked a number of bone-chilling conspiracy theories over the years.
Kenny Veach: A Passionate Adventurer and Inventor
Born in 1967 in Las Vegas, Kenny Veach was an avid hiker known for his YouTube channel, Snakebitmcgee. On this channel, he documented his days-long solo expeditions through the deserts of Nevada and California, highlighting his love for adrenaline-fueled adventures. During these hikes, he often collected items like animal bones and other curiosities, which he used to decorate his house.
Shortly before his disappearance, Veach had reportedly left his job as a coffee company service technician to try his luck at becoming an inventor. During this time, he created what he claimed to be an improved version of a toilet paper holder and submitted his invention to the show Shark Tank.
He also attempted to sell his house, but with an unusual condition: The buyer had to hire him as a caretaker and agree to let him continue to decorate the home in his own style. Unfortunately, no one took him up on the offer.
But Veach’s true passion was solo hiking in the Mojave and Great Basin deserts. He’d camp for days with just the basics — no GPS, compass, or maps. Occasionally, his girlfriend Sheryon Pilgrim joined him on his adventures, but much of the time he hiked alone.
Eventually, one of these adventures went horribly wrong.
The Encounter With The “M Cave”
In June 2014, Kenny Veach took to the comments section of a video titled “Son of an Area 51 Technician” to relay a chilling story. In his post, he described a hidden cave he had found near Nellis Air Force Base, just south of the infamous Area 51, with an entrance shaped like a perfect capital M.
As soon as he entered the cave, he claimed, he felt unusual vibrations throughout his body, coupled with an indescribable fear.
YouTube/SnakebitmcgeeKenny Veach, 47, has been missing for about ten years after discovering a mysterious “M cave” near the Nellis Air Force base.
“I always enter every cave I find, but as I began to enter this particular cave, my whole body began to vibrate,” he wrote, according to Nevada Magazine. “The closer I got to the cave entrance, the worse the vibrating became. Suddenly I became very scared and high-tailed it out of there. That was one of the strangest things that ever happened to me.”
He added, “I solo hike across mountain tops that most people wouldn’t dare go. I have been in more caves than I can count. I play with rattlesnakes for fun. But this one particular cave was beyond anything I had ever encountered.”
The Search For The Cave Begins
After Kenny Veach posted about his chilling M cave experience, a number of YouTube users responded with interest, encouraging him to return to the cave, document the hike, and provide evidence of his strange discovery.
So in October 2014, armed with a 9mm handgun, Kenny Veach attempted to find the M Cave again. However, in a video titled “M Cave Hike” posted on Oct. 18, he admitted that he was unable to relocate the site.
“I found a tarantula, a tortoise, and a ram, but I could not find the cave,” he wrote on social media, according to The Sun.
Disappointed YouTube users flooded the comments section, criticizing Veach for not proving his original claim. Many of them pushed Veach to go on another journey to find the M cave.
But one comment in particular stood out.
“No! Do not go back there,” the user wrote. “If you find that cave entrance, don’t go in, you won’t get out.”
Unfortunately, Veach didn’t heed this ominous warning.
On Nov. 10, Kenny Veach embarked once again on a desert hike to the Sheep Mountains, telling his loved ones he planned to return the next day.
He never did.
Kenny Veach’s Disappearance And The Rescue Efforts To Find Him
When Kenny Veach didn’t return from his overnight hike, his girlfriend Sheryon Pilgrim reported him missing. In November 2014, the search for Veach began.
YouTube/SnakebitmcgeeKenny Veach’s girlfriend, Sheryon Pilgrim, called the local police and reported the solo hiker missing.
In the days following his disappearance, search and rescue teams explored an abandoned vertical mine shaft that had been featured in one of Veach’s recent videos. There, they found the missing hiker’s cell phone. His vehicle was discovered several miles away.
Dave Cummings, the Commander of Red Rock Search & Rescue in Las Vegas, commented on the find, stating, “We found his cell phone close to a very vertical old mine shaft and we can’t find another trail. It doesn’t mean that he’s down the mine shaft, but we have tracked him as far as we can. We are having our other crews come in from the search areas.”
The trail had gone cold. Then, a user introducing herself as Veach’s girlfriend, Sheryon Pilgrim, left a comment on his “M Cave Hike” video.
She explained that Veach had struggled with his mental health for years, and may have ventured into the desert that day with the intention of dying by suicide.
“I want you to know that I do not think Kenny had an accident. I believe he committed suicide. He battled depression for many years and would not take medication or see a doctor. He quit his job a little more than a year before he disappeared… The search for him was started within a couple days of my call. Over 30 search and rescue team members searched three different times on foot. One helicopter fly over was done and there was no trace of Kenny or any of his camping things.”
Had Kenny Veach died by suicide? Or was something else at play?
Theories Surrounding Kenny Veach’s Fate
Kenny Veach’s body has never been found. To this day, no one knows for sure what happened to him, though a number of chilling theories have emerged.
Veach was often reckless on hikes. This was a man who claimed to “play with rattlesnakes for fun.” He regularly embarked on his multi-day desert journeys alone, exploring caves and abandoned mines in areas with little cell phone coverage. He reportedly didn’t carry a map or compass, and his food and water supplies were minimal.
Many have suggested that because of his recklessness, Veach might have gotten lost or injured and succumbed to dehydration or hypothermia. It’s also conceivable that he had encountered a wild animal. The Mojave Desert is home to rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and coyotes, and an encounter with any of them could have ended tragically.
Veach could have died of exposure, fallen down a mine shaft, or been the victim of foul play.
However, another theory suggests that the M cave could be the entrance to a secret government facility. Veach had described the cave as being near Nellis Air Force Base and Area 51. Some conspiracy theorists believe he might have stumbled upon government secrets, and that his disappearance was an attempt to keep him quiet. Others have theorized that Veach may have disappeared after an encounter with aliens.
YouTube/SnakebitmcgeeKenny Veach stands next to an abandoned mine shaft.
Then again, as his girlfriend suggested, Veach may have died by suicide. Pilgrim wrote on YouTube that she believes he had intentionally left his cell phone behind so that no one could track his whereabouts. She also said he hadn’t brought his camera with him on the hike to the M cave and “had no intention of filming anything.”
Unfortunately, Kenny Veach’s body has never been found, and no one has heard from him in ten years. Whether he was abducted by aliens or perished somewhere out in the Nevada desert, his disappearance remains a head-scratching mystery to this day.
After reading the tale of Kenny Veach, learn about Lauren Dumolo, who claimed she was being followed just a few days before she vanished. Next, find out about Lars Mittank, a German tourist who disappeared from a Bulgarian airport.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or use their 24/7 Lifeline Crisis Chat.
