They Found a Buried School Bus in the Forest. What Was Missing Inside Is the Real Mystery (2 of 3)

Theories exploded in the days that followed. Some blamed a mechanical failure. Others pointed fingers at the bus driver, a soft-spoken single father named Daniel North who had no criminal record. Flyers plastered every telephone pole in the county. Helicopters swept the forest. Divers scoured nearby lakes. But nothing—not a single trace—was found.

Until now.

Last month, a construction crew clearing land for a new subdivision on the outskirts of Brookhaven struck something hard beneath the soil. At first, they assumed it was an old septic tank or rusted trailer. But when a backhoe peeled away the last layer of earth, what emerged sent a chill through every man on site: the unmistakable roof of a yellow school bus.

Investigators were immediately called. The area was sealed off. The bus was carefully excavated under supervision, mud sliding down its windows like tears. Its number—Brookhaven #6—was still faintly visible on the side.

Inside, time had done its damage. Seats were collapsed. Windows cracked. But the most haunting detail? It was empty.

“There were no bodies. No bones. Not even scraps of clothing,” said current Police Chief Angela Ruiz in a press conference. “The bus appears to have been deliberately buried.”

Tests confirmed it had been underground for at least 30 years, but authorities believe it was buried shortly after the disappearance, likely within days. The tires were deflated intentionally. The ignition system had been stripped.

And yet, there were signs someone had visited the site after the burial.

Fresh roots had been cut cleanly. A rusted shovel was found nearby. And carved into the inside of the bus door, almost invisible beneath the grime, were three letters: “L.K.S.”

For the families of the missing children, the discovery reopened wounds that never fully healed.

“I waited on that porch every day for a year,” said Ellen Carter, whose son Jacob was one of the missing. “I always thought maybe they just ran away. Maybe they were safe somewhere. But this… this feels like a cruel trick.”