Original subtitles

On this episode of Expedition File.

In 1975, union leader Jimmy Hoffa vanishes from a parking lot without a

Was it a mob hit? If so, where's the body?

A new theory may finally solve one of the FBI's longest running

Then, the Holy Grail, the cup of Jesus Christ.

has been hunted by kings and crusaders.

This biblical relic was said to be lost.

Has it now been found?

And, groundbreaking engineer Rudolf Diesel disappears on an ocean liner

transporting secret plans that could change the course of World War I.

We reveal what may have been one of the greatest espionage operations in

history.

In the corridors of time are mysteries that defy explanation.

Now, I'm traveling through history itself on

a search for the truth.

New evidence.

Shocking answers.

I'm Josh Gates.

And these...

are my expedition file.

One of my first jobs out of college was working as a waiter at a Hollywood

institution called the Magic Castle, a private club for magicians. I learned

things working there. One, magicians are lousy tippers. And two, there's nothing

an audience loves more than watching something disappear.

So tonight, prepare to be amazed as we take vanishing at... to their most

shocking extreme.

I promise, no top hats, rabbits, or $1 tips in sight.

We examine three of history's most extraordinary disappearances, people and

things that were suddenly gone without a trace, leaving the rest of the world

guessing. That is, until now.

We begin on July 30th, 1975.

It's a muggy afternoon just after 2 .30 p .m.

I'm standing outside the Moccas Red Fox restaurant, about 20 miles northwest of

Detroit. The guy on the payphone here, he isn't just your average angry diner.

In fact, he's one of the most powerful men in America.

This is Jimmy Hoffa. At 62, Hoffa is the former president of the Teamsters, the

most formidable labor union in America.

Right now, he's on the phone with his wife, Josephine, upset that he's been

stood up for a crucial meeting.

He tells her to throw some steaks on the grill and expect him back by 4 o

'clock. But those steaks, well, they're going to go cold. And Jimmy Hoffa isn't

coming home for dinner.

Because just minutes from now, he'll disappear, setting off one of the most

extraordinary missing persons cases in history.

For over 50 years, the world will ask the same question. What really happened

Jimmy Hoffa? And why has his body never been found?

In the middle of the last century, pretty much everyone knows the name

Hoffa. To millions, he's a hero.

As Teamster president, he stands up against big business to secure better

and benefits for the blue -collar workers who depend on it.

You've heard of the supply chain?

The vast network that moves goods from factories to stores.

Well, in the 20th century, the Teamsters control it. The organization of truck

drivers and warehouse workers literally keeps the American economy moving.

Hoffa rises through the ranks as a street -fighting labor organizer.

He becomes union president in 1957.

His influence is undeniable, but his methods are often controversial, even

illegal.

You see, in the 50s, organized crime has its hooks in a lot of local unions. In

return for their loyalty and occasional muscle, Hoffa lets mob -connected

businessmen borrow massive chunks of money from the Teamsters pension fund.

That money helps build glitzy Vegas hotels and casinos.

The mob gets low -interest loans, and in exchange, they give union jobs to

Teamsters, everyone from bellhops to cabbies.

Workers adore Hoffa. The government? Not so much. Especially Attorney General

Robert F. Kennedy.

See, it's not just Hoffa's mob buddies who are breaking the law. Hoffa plays

dirty himself.

Extortion, wiretapping, embezzlement.

In 1967, after years of attempts, the feds, led by Kennedy, finally nailed

for jury tampering and misusing union pension funds.

He gets 13 years behind bars.

With his raincoat covering handcuffs, Hoffa arrives at federal prison in

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

It seems the street -fighting labor boss has finally met his match. But don't

count Hoffa out just yet. He's about to get help from a very unlikely friend,

President Richard Nixon.

On December 23, 1971, Nixon commutes Hoffa's sentence.

And Jimmy gets out after serving less than five years.

Nixon thinks that freeing him will earn him support from Hoffa's loyal

followers.

But for Hoffa, freedom comes with a caveat. Nixon bars him from any union

activity until 1980, effectively minimizing his power and influence.

In 1974, Hoffa sues the government to lift the ban.

With an appeal underway, Hoffa tries to shore up support for a run at the union

presidency at the next election.

Which brings us back to the restaurant parking lot on that muggy day in July of

1975.

When Hoffa fails to arrive home, his family calls the police.

The next morning, investigators find Hoffa's car in the Moccas Red Fox

lot. There's no sign of a struggle and no sign of Jimmy.

Several people report seeing the famous labor leader at the restaurant the day

before. One witness claims she saw Hoffa get into a maroon Mercury sedan with

three other men. It is the last time anyone will report seeing Hoffa alive.

A nationwide manhunt is launched.

As it heats up, rumors circulate that the mafia is involved in Hoffa's

disappearance.

Hoffa's family finds his date book and it makes the mob the prime suspect.

It reveals the names of two men he intended to meet that day at the

Tony Giacalone, aka Tony Jack, a senior figure in the Detroit mob.

And Tony Provenzano, aka Tony Pro, a capo or captain for the Genovese crime

family.

Investigators track down both Tonys.

Each has a strong alibi and deny that a meeting with Hoffa was even scheduled.

But there is a thread for the investigators to pull on.

Tony Giacalone's son happens to own a Mercury sedan, just like the one the

eyewitness described.

And there's another interesting wrinkle. A man called Chucky O 'Brien borrowed

the car that morning to supposedly run some errands. Chucky was a known Hoffa

union associate.

Jimmy treated him like a stepson.

When authorities process the car, they find bloodstains on the seat. And that's

not all.

A few strands of hair matching Hoffa's color also go into evidence bags.

Police dogs hit on Hoffa's scent, suggesting Jimmy was in the back seat

even more disturbingly, the trunk.

But O 'Brien claims he didn't pick Jimmy up at the Moccas Red Fox that day.

And the blood on the seat?

Chucky says that comes from a salmon he delivered to a teamster's house that

morning.

If this all sounds very fishy to you, you're not alone.

However, tests on the blood reveal O 'Brien is telling the truth, at least

the salmon. It's fish blood, not human.

As to the hair, well, it's the mid -70s, and we're more than a decade away from

DNA technology that could confirm whether it belonged to Hoffa.

Days turn to weeks, and there's still no sign of Jimmy.

In November of 1975, nearly four months after the disappearance, investigators

catch a break.

Ralph Picardo, a mob -connected convict serving time for murder, claims he knows

the truth of Hoffa's disappearance and gives up the details to the feds in

exchange for a reduced sentence.

Ralph points the finger at the two Tonys, saying they sent four wise guys

kidnap Hoffa from the Moccas Red Fox and that they took him to a second location

where he was shot and killed.

Then, according to Picardo, the body was packed into a 55 -gallon drum, loaded

on a truck, and driven to a mob -controlled landfill in New Jersey,

buried.

However, several days of searching at the dump turns up little more than toxic

waste and animal bones, likely discarded from nearby meat processing plants.

In late 1975, a grand jury grills Tony Pro, Tony Jack, and several of the other

alleged mob co -conspirators. But nobody talks.

They all plead the fifth.

With scant evidence and no body, the case of the missing union leader goes

colder than the Detroit River in February.

In 1982, authorities declare Jimmy Hoffa legally dead.

despite never in any way answering what happened to him. The world is left

mystified as to his final fate. But then, 19 years later, a game -changing

revelation will crack the case wide open.

In 2001, 19 years after Jimmy Hoffa went missing, a shocking discovery jolts the

case back into the national spotlight.

DNA testing confirms the hair found in the car is Hoffa's. There's no longer

doubt. The infamous union boss was inside that vehicle.

But where was he taken and what was done to him?

For over two decades, mafia historian Christian Cipollini has dug into the

-soaked theories surrounding what happened to Hoffa and his body.

The Hoffa case fascinates me because this is something that doesn't have

closure. It's like the JFK assassination.

It's like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.

We want some answers.

One of the first major...

theory that really stuck in the American psyche came to light when a former

mobster named Tony the Greek, he said Hoffa was killed and then transported to

New Jersey and buried under the giant stadium which they were building at the

time. The problem with that theory is that the mafia likes to do things in a

practical way.

Keep it simple. What the mob Probably didn't do was pack the body

of the most famous missing man in America on a truck, taking it across

lines to bury it in such a extravagant way.

Rumors swelled into an urban legend that Jimmy Hoffa was buried in the stadium's

foundations. But when it was demolished in 2010, no trace of him was found.

Which leads us to popular theory number two, the Irishman. In 2003, Frank

Sheeran, a former Teamster official and alleged mob hitman, is dying of cancer.

On his deathbed, he gives a jaw -dropping confession to his lawyer.

He claims Hoffa was abducted and murdered by the mob.

Sheeran says he was not only there that day, but he was the one who actually

pulled the trigger.

Sheeran's confession becomes a best -selling book.

later adapted into Martin Scorsese's movie The Irishman, in which he's played

Robert De Niro.

Sheeran gives the exact address of a house in Detroit where he claims Hoffa

murdered.

In 2004, investigators tear up the floorboards, and they do discover blood.

Unfortunately, it's not a match for Hoffa.

The only evidence of Frank Sheeran being involved in the Hoffa hit and

disappearance were his own claims. And his own story changed many times over

years. The Irishman theory is great pop culture Americana, but it

doesn't rest on solid evidence.

So what really happened to Hoffa's body? Why hasn't it been found?

Over the years... Dozens of theories have been put forward, mostly by former

wise guys looking for 15 minutes of fame and a quick buck.

One claims Hoffa was dumped in the Florida Everglades. Another swears he

dropped out of an airplane into the Great Lakes. Yet another says he buried

Hoffa beneath a swimming pool.

It's estimated the FBI has spent tens of millions of dollars chasing bogus

leads. In 2022, they even reinvestigated the dump in New Jersey. But once again,

they came up empty -handed.

50 years of searching for the body of Jimmy Hoffa.

What they did right in this hit, we assume, is they destroyed the body.

So if it is the mob, how did they make Hoffa disappear permanently?

In 2025, it's revealed that the FBI caught a major break when Detroit

Anthony Palazzolo, a .k .a. Tony Powell, confesses to the hit.

saying he turned Hoffa into literal mincemeat at his place of business, the

Detroit Sausage Company.

Supposedly, the remains are then cremated at a mob -owned dump called

Sanitation, and Christian believes the evidence was then further erased.

From the Moccas Red Fox to the Central Sanitation is just a short drive.

This entire crime could have been carried out in less than an hour.

A year or so later, central sanitation burned to the ground, and you wouldn't

able to find any evidence, even if it was there.

The key to pulling off this perfect crime was leave no

body.

Run through a sausage grinder and cremated not once, but twice.

Tony Powell's confession suggests a logical and grisly conclusion to the

mystery. Jimmy Hoffa was a titan of his age. But in death, his remains will

never be found. Because there's nothing to find.

Hoffa's final resting place has gone up in smoke.

Literally.

From a missing man who helped shape a century.

to a missing object that shaped the last two millennia. It's the year 33 AD,

just outside the city walls of Jerusalem.

This group of men here, they're guests at history's most famous dinner party.

That one there is Peter. And over in the shadows, brooding and restless, Judas.

And then there's our host, Jesus of Nazareth.

According to Christian scripture, by this time tomorrow, Jesus will be

on a Roman cross, and the simple cup he now lifts is about to become

Christendom's most sacred and most controversial relic, the Holy Grail.

Many will come to believe the Grail grants divine power or even eternal

but soon it will vanish. Will it be lost forever, or will it end up hiding in

plain sight?

The story of the Grail is one of mystery.

The Bible doesn't even provide a physical description of it.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, written more than a half a century after

Jesus' death, refer simply to a cup.

The cup is used ceremonially to represent Christ's sacrifice.

The scripture also has nothing to say about where this cup went after the

fateful supper, nor any of the subsequent claims of its magical

For centuries, it seems to have simply vanished.

Then, in the Middle Ages, tales emerge of the grail as an artifact imbued with

incredible power.

Mostly set in the mystical realm of King Arthur, these are stories of heroic

knights and sacred mysteries.

Think of them as the Star Wars saga, only set a long time ago in a castle far

far away.

But here's where things get really interesting, because at the same time

get these medieval myths about the chivalrous knights of the round table,

there's also a real -life group of God's warriors, the Knights Templar, an order

of military monks, equal parts holy and badass. They roam the Christian world

with one foot in the church and the other on the battlefield.

After the First Crusade, they're charged with protecting wealthy Christian

pilgrims on their travels to the Holy Land.

The Templars' home base is in the heart of Jerusalem, and it's said to contain

vast wealth and holy relics.

Rumors begin to spread.

Did they discover Jesus' chalice and keep it for themselves?

If so, where did they put it?

The Holy Grail could be anywhere across the vast Templar network, stretching

from England to Syria.

But in 1312, the Templars are forcibly disbanded, without ever revealing if

did indeed get the Grail.

In the centuries that follow, the legend and lore of Christ's cup only grows,

with many vessels emerging that people claim are the real deal.

There's the silver Antioch chalice found in the ruins of a church in Turkey.

The onyx chalice of Dona Arauca, housed in a basilica in Spain.

And who could forget the Nantios cup, a humble wooden bowl from a monastery in

Wales. At least that one looks like the cup of a carpenter.

In fact, over 200 vessels across Europe have at one time or another been

presented as the possible Holy Grail. Most of them, well, let's just say they

don't hold water.

But a couple seem real enough to cause even skeptical Grail seekers to take a

second look.

Behold the Sacro Cattino, a .k .a. the Genoa Chalice. Sure, it looks like a

satellite dish from the Emerald City, but according to the medieval chronicle

the Italian city of Genoa, crusaders seized this mysterious green vessel

the capture of the biblical city of Caesarea in the year 1101.

Now, according to the Chronicle, the chalice is said to be crafted out of

emerald and is associated with the Last Supper, fueling the belief that it could

possess extraordinary powers.

The cup even appears to glow from within, radiating what some have said is

divine light. But can the Genoa chalice be proven to be the true Holy Grail?

In the Middle Ages, the emerald Genoa chalice is considered by many to be the

Holy Grail. In the 1800s, when Napoleon annexes Genoa, the French emperor

personally demands that the prized chalice is shipped to the Paris Academy

Sciences to verify its authenticity.

But while in transit from Genoa to France, the cup fractures.

Upon examination, Parisian scientists determined the dish is not an emerald at

all, but Byzantine glass.

That's a big problem, because this particular style of glass was not in use

until hundreds of years after Jesus' death.

And so it becomes another failed contender in the enduring quest for the

Grail.

And as it turns out, Napoleon isn't the only power -hungry authoritarian to seek

the Grail.

A century later, Adolf Hitler becomes fascinated with the Grail and its

powers. His most lethal enforcer, Heinrich Himmler, reportedly dispatches

Nazi SS on expeditions across Europe in search of the relic.

For more on this, please see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

And Indy's adventure is just one of many modern spins on the Grail legend.

If you look around, Grail mythology is everywhere in pop culture.

From Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, to Monty Python, to gaming's Assassin's Creed

franchise.

To the faithful, the Holy Grail remains not a thing of fiction, but a divine

relic that could still be found.

Despite centuries of pursuit, though, it has remained elusive. But now,

professor of history and folklore Dr. Lynn McNeil claims there may be

new evidence for the Grail's existence.

Within the context of Christianity, the Grail is one of the most sacred

objects on this planet today.

And we're left wondering what happens if we still have it, if it is

findable, if it exists, if it is extant in the world. This would be magnificent.

Recent research is starting to show that the Chalice of Valencia is the historic

cup of Christ.

This may be more than just a local belief. This could actually be possible.

The Holy Chalice of Valencia, also known as the Santo Caliz, has been protected

in the Cathedral of Valencia, Spain, for the last 600 years.

Although details are spotty, it is believed the chalice came from the Holy

to Rome with St. Peter in the 1st century AD.

Later, in the 3rd century, St. Lawrence brought the cup to his native Spain,

where it has been safeguarded for centuries.

Since arriving in Valencia, religious pilgrims have traveled from all around

world to glimpse what they believe to be the one true cup.

But others are unconvinced. After all, it's kind of hard to imagine Jesus would

use something this ornate.

But in 1960, a Spanish archaeologist discovers this chalice is actually three

separate pieces.

He claims the sand of the cup comes from the medieval period, while the base

dates to the 9th century.

But here's the kicker. The cup itself was crafted between the 2nd century BC

the 1st century AD, and the agate stone it's made from is only found in the Holy

Land. This cup really could date from the time and place of Jesus.

The entire cup itself is not what Jesus would have drank out of. Just that top

part, that simple stone cup, that would be the grail. The rest of it, would be

casing placed around it. And this is a common practice of putting sacred

in an intentionally ornate container to show their importance through the way we

display them.

Another interesting element is the idea that this cup would have needed to

meet certain ritual requirements.

A lot of people forget that the Last Supper wasn't just any meal. It was a

Seder. It was a Passover meal.

Any cup used in the Passover meal needs to hold a minimum amount of liquid.

And this particular cup is just the right size to hold the

required two revits, is the Talmudic measurement, that's needed to be held

wine. And this holds 2 .5.

holy chalice, that it's dated to the right time period, that it is ritually

correct for a Passover dinner.

For believers, these elements really just become the final proof that this

is, not just in our hearts, but in history, the Holy Grail.

To many, this case is far from closed.

After all, the chalice has many gaps in its history before arriving in Spain.

Like many religious mysteries, this ultimately comes down to a question of

faith. The grail's significance lies in what it represents to those who seek it,

whether that means it's a physical cup or not.

I'll raise a glass to that.

Nearly 2 ,000 years after the grail vanishes, another disappearance sends

shockwaves through history.

It's September 29th, 1913. I'm about to board the SS Dresden, a British

passenger liner sailing from Belgium bound for England.

Checking in behind me, a brilliant engineer named Rudolf Diesel.

The very name powers the world, engine and fuel alike.

And in his suitcase are revolutionary design, ideas that could challenge

empires, rattle industries, and maybe even get a man killed.

And sure enough, by dawn, Diesel will disappear. For over 100 years,

will spin their wheels asking what really happened to him. That is, until a

theory fuels the search for answers.

In the late 19th century, the

world is racing toward the future.

But its steam -powered engines are stuck in the past, burning through coal,

guzzling water, and constantly breaking down.

Enter Rudolf Diesel, a German engineer with a mind like a finely -tuned

precise, relentless, and absolutely obsessed with efficiency.

In 1897, he unveils his masterwork.

The engine that bears his name.

The diesel engine's innovation?

Compression ignition.

That means air inside the engine's cylinder gets squeezed really hard until

pressure makes it white hot.

Then, fuel is injected and spontaneously combusts, creating a massive amount of

power.

It's cheaper than steam, and best of all, no more coal shoveling.

Diesel's prototype is fueled with peanut oil.

Almost overnight, Diesel's engine becomes an economic and industrial game

changer around the world.

Soon, Diesel achieves incredible wealth and fame.

But success comes with serious headaches.

Rivals want his secrets.

Powerful industries feel threatened.

The German government wants greater control of their favored son.

And over the next decade, Diesel's fortune slips away.

lost to bad investments, legal battles, and his own lavish lifestyle.

By 1913, Europe is at a crossroads. The storm clouds of World War I are

gathering. Desperate for cash to pay down his debts, diesel makes a bold and

risky move, taking on a business partner to open a diesel engine plant in

England. That's where he's headed on the SS Dresden to cut the ribbon on his

brand -new English factory.

But with pre -war tensions rising between Britain and Diesel's native

transferring cutting -edge technology is a dangerous game.

The morning of September 30th, Diesel's business partner expects to meet him for

breakfast.

When the famously punctual Diesel doesn't show, his partner pays a visit

cabin.

Inside, Diesel's nightshirt lays neatly atop the bed, which hasn't been slept

in. His gold watch, luggage, and his wallet are in the room.

But neither Diesel nor the important documents he's said to be traveling with

are anywhere to be found.

His diary is empty, save for the sign of a cross penciled next to yesterday's

date. September 29th, the last time anyone saw Rudolf Diesel.

Famous inventor Rudolf Diesel is on his way to England on the SS Dresden when he

mysteriously vanishes.

The crew scours the decks for any sign of the missing engineer.

At the stern of the ship, a curious discovery.

Diesel's hat and jacket neatly folded near the railing. The crew declares him

man overboard.

Almost immediately, news of Diesel's disappearance makes international

headlines. And 11 days later, the story takes a truly tragic turn.

Sailors aboard a Dutch steamer find a body floating in the North Sea.

Given the state of decomposition, they retrieve a few personal effects before

returning the dead man to a watery grave.

Diesel's son later identifies a pillbox and an eyeglasses case as belonging to

his father.

Diesel's family claims it must have been an accident.

But the sea was calm that night, and the Dresden's railings were too high for a

simple misstep.

If Diesel went overboard, it wasn't by chance.

But could it have been by choice?

Perhaps Diesel's dire financial situation prompted him to commit

For a man who revolutionized engines, his bank account was running on fumes.

Before he set sail, he gave his wife a sealed bag, instructing her not to open

it for a week.

After his presumed death, she looks inside, finding documents revealing his

debt. and 20 ,000 marks, worth about $120 ,000 today.

This final gesture would seem to frame this as a suicide.

But is it?

Because here's the thing. No one who knows Diesel believes he's capable of

-harm. Not his friends, not his family, not his colleagues.

Yes, he was in debt, but he was also on the verge of winning another fortune.

And for a man as meticulous as Diesel, there was no note.

No will, just that enigmatic cross in his diary. It all seems very out of

character. And then there's the missing important documents Diesel was said to

be traveling with, which leads many to believe that this isn't a suicide on the

high seas, but a maritime murder.

The approach of World War I makes the Diesel mystery even murkier.

At the time, submarines are the hottest thing in warfare, and Diesel's engine

could superpower them, making them cheaper, faster, with more range, giving

whoever has Diesel's technology a deadly advantage.

The Kaiser wants that tech locked down in Germany. The government warns Diesel,

share it with foreign powers, and it's treason.

But the engineer believes his invention is for everyone, not just one military.

And there's more.

Diesel's journey has a double agenda.

Publicly, he was set to attend the ribbon -cutting of his new factory, set

build engines for agricultural machines and cargo ships.

But behind the scenes, he was meeting with British military officials,

discussing how his engines, German -designed engines, could power

British warships, including submarines.

Some believe German agents silenced Diesel to keep his plans out of enemy

Possible, but as it turns out, the Kaiser isn't the only one with the

means to do diesel in.

His engine doesn't just threaten military power, it threatens big oil.

Unlike gasoline, diesel's engine runs on peanut oil or coal tar, cheap fuels

that don't require massive oil empires.

Empires like that of the world's richest man, J .D. Rockefeller, who has a

reputation for protecting his riches by any means necessary.

As intriguing as the murder theory may be, there is a glaring problem.

Not a shred of evidence has surfaced in over a century to prove Diesel was

assassinated by the German government or Big Oil, operations that would surely

have left witnesses and some sort of paper trail. So if he wasn't murdered

he didn't commit suicide, then what happened to Rudolf Diesel?

Could it be that he didn't die at all?

While Jimmy Hoffa vanished without a trace, leaving only rumors of his fate,

other mob hits unfolded in broad daylight designed to stun the public.

In 1957, Albert Anastasia, once head of Murder, Inc., was gunned down in a New

York barbershop.

A towel over his face as bullets tore him apart.

In 1979, Carmine Galante was murdered mid -meal in Brooklyn, a cigar clenched

between his teeth.

Then, in 1985, Gambino boss Paul Castellano was brazenly executed outside

Steakhouse in Manhattan, ambushed in the street as crowds looked on.

These assassinations were more than power plays.

They were spectacle.

Unlike Hoffa's vanishing act, they left indelible, gruesome evidence, reminders

that the mafia often preferred its messages written in blood.

Rudolf Diesel was one of the greatest engineering minds our world has ever

known. Now, a bold new theory shakes up everything we thought we knew about what

happened to him.

Author and historian Douglas Brunt claims that there's a shocking truth

Diesel's disappearance, something you'd never expect.

Rudolf Diesel is the most underappreciated inventor of his time.

sort of liberal approach to the sharing of information around the technology.

and Diesel abhorred the nationalism and the more aggressive foreign policy of

the Germans.

There was also evidence that he had very high contact with the British Royal

Navy, which was at that time run by Winston Churchill.

And so the most likely conclusion of the Diesel mystery, looking at all the

evidence, is that he did not slip and fall overboard, he did not commit

he was not murdered, but with the assistance of British naval

staged his own disappearance.

Brunt believes the British government orchestrated one of history's greatest

cover -ups, faking Rudolf Diesel's death to secretly harness his genius while

protecting him from deadly German retribution.

My belief is that Rudolf Diesel got on the Dresden and then got right back

off.

And then the Dresden left without him.

This is supported by the steward's cabin list saying he was not aboard when the

Dresden set sail.

In the very first days after Diesel's disappearance, the mysterious details of

his financial position start to show up in the media to try to get the suicide

theory some traction.

They wanted to get it to look like Diesel was sad and depressed and

bankrupt. It would be very easy to plant those kinds of stories and get it

printed. Spinning a tale of Diesel's despair may have fueled the suicide

but what about the body found at sea, the one bearing his belongings, yet

strangely never recovered for autopsy?

It's possible there may have been a corpse as part of this deception.

Perhaps British intelligence felt they needed to float a corpse out there, some

happenstance steamer would come upon.

But then, strangely, there are no interviews with the fishermen on record.

There's no record of their names.

And they return the corpse to the water, which is not the custom of the day.

Okay, so we've got young Winston Churchill and the British Royal Navy

a plan to drop a dead body into the ocean, one that isn't diesel, to mislead

German government.

Sounds a little out there, but what if I told you that Churchill pulled exactly

the same stunt 30 years later during World War II in something known as

Operation Mincemeat?

Operation Mincemeat was a World War II deception operation using a corpse.

They handcuffed a briefcase with fake battle plans to a corpse and floated it

into the coast of Spain where they knew Nazi agents would find it.

And Hitler took the bait. He thought we were going one way, we went the other.

could be a precursor to Operation Mincemeat.

And then there's the bizarrely exceptional performance of the

British Navy in the war.

And they're all diesel -powered.

So it seems like diesel might actually have been alive in the service of

Churchill's Royal Navy building submarine diesels in Canada for the war

There's an interesting final twist to this theory. In 1914, a newspaper ran a

story claiming Rudolf Diesel was alive and living in Canada. Maybe the story

a hoax, or maybe British intelligence had it buried.

Coincidentally, around that time, Vickers Shipyard in Montreal suddenly

much more successful at churning out diesel engines for submarines.

Today, a century after his disappearance, Rudolph Diesel's engines

running all over the world, proving, if nothing else, his legacy is alive and

well. I'm Josh Gates, and I'll see you on the next expedition.