Script

Near the town of Maules in Switzerland, a terrifying figure stalked the area’s forests and mountains for two decades. Starting in the early 2000s, local residents started reporting encounters with this being as they walking the hamlet's paths and trails. Every witness described the creature using the same characteristics – it was tall. It wore a black, hooded cloak over a military-style boiler suit. Most disconcertingly, the figure completely obscured its face and head by wearing a gas mask similar to those used in the early 20th century.

It is easy to write off a few reports as just urban legends or a deliberate attempt by parents to warn their children from straying into the dark forests that surround the town. But there are too many stories, just too many encounters for this figure to be a prank.  And then, there’s the infamous photo.

Some have tried to explain the sightings by stating the figure was just a person seeking solitude – perhaps a hermit or someone with a mental illness. Some have suggested that the figure is a notorious international fugitive living in disguise. However, others have suggested that the creature has a more paranormal origin – a true boogeyman or ghost.

Today, I will share the story of a mysterious but well-documented being living in Maules, Switzerland.

Hi, I'm MF Thomas, and thanks for walking the dark paths of the world with me. Check us out on YouTube for full video episodes. We're also on X and Instagram. To share your thoughts, you can email me at explore@mydarkpath.com. I'd also like to thank our growing group of Patreon supporters.

Let's get started with episode 70, Stranger in a Strange Land.

Part 1

Several months ago, I visited the town of Maules, Switzerland, to walk the trails and experience the forest home of this mysterious figure.  Over the years, the being has acquired two names – the ghost of Maules and Le Loyon. The reason for the first name is apparent – but the second name given to the creature isn't clear. This part of Switzerland speaks French, but the word loyon isn't standard French. It could be derived from the French word for loyalty, perhaps implying the persistence of the figure who has seen 3 dozen times over the last 2 decades.  

It’s not clear who first encountered the ghost of Maules. One of the earliest documented reports of Le Loyon comes from a woman walking in the forest near the town in the early 2000s. She came upon Le Loyon while he was standing in a clearing, picking wildflowers. Le Loyon saw the woman, dropped the flowers, and fled.

Since then, many other residents have reported their chance meetings with Le Loyon, many documented in the French language publication Le Matin.

Local resident Marianne Descloux described her encounter as a frightening experience. "It was a rainy Sunday. He had a hood, a dark pilgrim and his gas mask. What can go through his head? I don't know, but it was impressive and unpleasant. I hope I never run into him again."

Another resident saw the Le Loyon while walking through the forest. "He came out of the undergrowth with his military clothes. We [couldn’t] see his face or eyes behind his big dark gas mask. It was scary and I know women who no longer venture alone in the forest.”

Le Matin captured the local population’s attitudes toward Le Loyon by using the words of one farmer.  He said that Le Loyon frightened women and children and prevented them from enjoying the beautiful area. "Families simply won't go into the forest any more.”  He went on to clarify that if Le Loyon were a decade-long joke, he and other residents were not enjoying it. "No one here finds this story funny."

A local government member, a Sales region trustee, Jean-Marc Piguet, said: "Yes, this person exists. Yes, some call it "the Loyon." But I repeat that there have never been any complaints or problems. We don't have to worry.”

Perhaps at one time, I might have accepted this government official’s statement at face value – but after the last decade of lying by governments worldwide, I have to wonder what might the local Swiss government know…but not want to disclose.

Intrigued by these stories of Le Loyon, last summer, I arranged to visit the town of Maules during a trip to Switzerland. Maules is a loose network of houses and farms spread across the hills that connect with the forest.   It's a typical Swiss hamlet – beautiful and quiet. The population is around 350 total people.

I took the train from Zurich and then a local bus, which dropped me off at the town center on a cold, rainy day.

Once off the bus, I walked from the town center to the trail that led into the forested hills at the edge of the farmland. From my research about every reported encounter, Le Loyon has only been seen in the forest or at the forest edge – never in town. In other words, the creature hasn’t been seen walking these streets, near houses and the local population. Not that there are many people out and about. In fact, during my day there, I only encountered at most ten people on the roads or driving by. 

The sky was dark, and rain sprinkled down periodically – perfect weather for my monster hunt. And while I've hiked into remote areas on many backpacking trips, this hike would be unique…I was excited that I might actually find what I was looking for.

Thirty minutes later I reached edge of the forest. As I approached the treeline, I could understand the fears of the local population. I’ve read about twelve unique encounters with the Ghost of Maules, and, as I mentioned earlier, reportedly over 3 dozen people have observed the figure.

As an absolute number, that's not a lot of observations. But, if you divide the dozen fully documented encounters by the area’s adult population of 150, then at least 8% of the adults in the area encountered Le Loyon over 2 decades. 

Now, you might smirk and ask: who brings statistics to a monster hunt? It's a dark path here…even as we take a moment to laugh at the absurdity of the argument. But if you think about other encounters of aliens, monsters, and cryptids – the Ghost of Maules has undoubtedly been seen by a higher percentage of the population than, say, brontosaurs in the Congo or the alien survivor in Gdynia, Poland. If almost one out of ten adults in an area have seen something terrifying or, at best, unsettling, you can understand why the Ghost of Maules has had such a grip on the people of this area for so long.

To combat local fears about Le Loyon, an official in charge of the area forests, Guy Savary,  was quoted by Le Matin. He said: "The situation is delicate because we basically have nothing against this person. But since he arouses these fears, we are going to hold meeting to see if we can find a way of locating him, and discouraging him from behaving as he does."

The local police took reports on sightings, but, until 2013, officials never really took residents’ concerns seriously. It was 2013 when photographic evidence of the creature came to light.

Before I tell you about the famous photo, let's consider some additional non-paranormal hypotheses about who Le Lyon might be. Some have thought it could be a person with a skin condition. Others believe it's a person preoccupied with a potential apocalypse. A third option commonly mentioned is that the figure is just someone who enjoys cos-playing. 

But there is another line of thinking - a fourth hypothesis - that the person is not a local resident but someone hiding out – someone who needed to disappear. 

Some of our favorite stories have heroes and antiheroes hiding in plain sight.

Recall the solitary figure cloaked in sun-bleached robes, blending into the harsh environment like a ghost of the dunes. Known to the locals as "Ben Kenobi," he was a reclusive hermit. However, beneath the worn fabric and quiet demeanor lay a shadow of the once-great Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had witnessed the fall of the Republic and the Jedi Order he once swore to protect. His apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, had fallen to the dark side to be reborn as Darth Vader.

Yet, his exile had a purpose. From a distance, he watched over Luke Skywalker, Anakin’s son and the galaxy’s last hope. Obi-Wan waited and prepared for the day when Luke’s destiny would call. Until then, he endured in obscurity.

Then there’s the story of  Walter White? He was once a man of command and calculation before living as a shadow of his former self in the frozen winter of New Hampshire. He had been a drug kingpin, orchestrating his meth empire. But then he had run from everything—his family, enemies, the empire he built.

Occasionally, his lone contact brought him supplies: newspapers he barely dared to read and medication that seemed to mock his fading strength. The cabin's solitude gave him space to think, but every thought circled back to regret and his destroyed life. Walter White was no longer running. He was waiting—for what, even he didn't know.

As compelling as Obi-Wan and Walter White might be, we don’t only have to rely on fiction to find crazy stories of people hiding in plain sight. There are dozens of compelling true stories about individuals who disguised themselves to hide in plain sight to prevent their discovery. What might these real-world stories suggest about who the Ghost of Maules might be?

Part 2

At the turn of the 21st century in the quiet, coastal town of Galveston, Texas, Dorothy Ciner moved into a modest boarding house. She was an unassuming figure: middle-aged, petite, and shy to the point of being mute. The other tenants found her eccentric but harmless, assuming her silence stemmed from some tragedy. But Dorothy was no ordinary recluse. Robert Durst, a multi-millionaire, hid beneath the ill-fitting wig and frumpy dresses.  He was heir to a New York real estate fortune and one of America’s most notorious fugitives.

Dorothy Ciner was not Robert Durst’s first attempt at a false identity, but it was undoubtedly his most audacious. By the year 2000, Durst was a man under siege. For decades, whispers about his role in the 1982 disappearance of his wife, Kathie Durst, followed him. Those whispers grew louder when his longtime confidante, Susan Berman, was murdered in late 2000. Berman had been shot execution-style in her Los Angeles home just as investigators were preparing to interview her about Kathie's case. These unusual circumstances made Durst the focus of newspaper headlines.  Suspicion pointed firmly in his direction.

Faced with intensifying police investigations and public outcry, Durst decided to disappear. He fled New York, adopting a bizarre strategy: he would transform into Dorothy Ciner, a mute woman without ties to anyone. The name was lifted from a real person Durst had met briefly in his youth, but the identity was pure invention. By presenting himself as nearly mute, Durst could avoid conversations that might reveal his distinctive voice and mannerisms. He planned to be completely unremarkable.

Durst moved to Galveston, Texas, a town far removed from the wealthy circles he once frequented. He rented a small apartment in a run-down boarding house, paying cash to avoid creating a paper trail. The boarding house, with its mix of working-class residents and drifters, was the perfect place for someone trying to vanish. Dorthy kept to herself, rarely venturing outside except for trips to the grocery store or the post office. When she did appear, she moved quietly, head down, avoiding eye contact. To maintain her muteness, she communicated through written notes.

Neighbors found Dorothy peculiar but harmless. Some noticed her ill-fitting wigs and occasionally masculine gait, but no one questioned her story. In hindsight, many would later recall something "off" about her. Still, at the time, Dorothy's reclusive nature seemed more pitiable than suspicious. One neighbor described her as "a quiet, strange little lady who didn't bother anyone."

Despite his efforts to stay hidden, Durst’s life as Dorothy began to unravel when he befriended a fellow tenant, Morris Black. Black, a cantankerous older man with a short temper, was a fixture in the boarding house. For reasons that remain unclear, the two struck up a friendship. They were often seen together, sharing meals or watching television in Dorothy's apartment. Some speculate that Durst, in his guise as Dorothy, saw Black as a kindred spirit—an outsider who shared his sense of detachment from the world. Others believe Black may have suspected Dorothy's true identity and used the information as leverage.

Whatever their relationship, it came to a violent end on September 28, 2001. According to Durst, an argument in Dorothy’s apartment escalated into a physical altercation. Black allegedly grabbed Durst’s gun, and in the ensuing struggle, Durst shot him. Panicking, he dismembered Black's body with surgical precision, stuffed the remains into garbage bags, and dumped them in Galveston Bay. But Durst made a critical error: he forgot to weigh down one of the bags. A fisherman discovered the floating body days later. Police traced the Black’s body to the boarding house.

When officers arrived to question Dorothy, they found an apartment full of damning evidence, including blood spatters and identification tying her to Robert Durst. The revelation sent shockwaves through the community. How could the meek, mute woman they knew as Dorothy Ciner be one of the most wanted men in America? The disguise was so outlandish that it almost seemed genius. Durst had managed to evade detection for months.

Durst was arrested and charged with murder, but his story didn't end there. After posting a $250,000 bail, he fled, disappearing again into the vast anonymity of the United States. For over a month, he eluded authorities, drifting from state to state. His eventual capture came in Pennsylvania, not because of a complex police operation, but due to a petty crime: shoplifting a sandwich from a grocery store, even though he had $500 in his pocket.

At his trial for the murder of Morris Black, Durst admitted to killing and dismembering Black  but claimed it was self-defense. The jury, remarkably, acquitted him of murder. They found his explanation credible, though he was convicted of evidence tampering for disposing of Black's remains. The Dorothy Ciner persona ended when police arrested Durst.  For Durst, Dorothy was a mask that helped him survive. For the rest of us, she is a chilling reminder of how individuals can use disguises and isolation to escape justice. 

While some disguises may only survive short-term, others have found ways to hide and evade capture for years.

Part 3

Hiroo Onoda was a Japanese Imperial Army intelligence officer, becoming one of the most famous holdouts of World War II. For nearly 30 years, from 1944 to 1974, Onoda waged a personal war on Lubang Island in the Philippines, refusing to believe that Japan had surrendered. His story is remarkable for how he hid in plain sight, committed to his mission, evading capture for decades.

In December 1944, as Allied forces advanced across the Pacific and the war entered its final year, Hiroo Onoda was sent to Lubang Island with specific orders. He was to sabotage enemy operations, destroy infrastructure, and resist surrender at all costs. Onoda was a well-trained officer specializing in intelligence and guerrilla tactics.  His small team had orders that explicitly forbade surrender or suicide.  They would need to endure, fight, and survive.

When Japan surrendered in August 1945, Onoda and his comrades were deep in the jungle, cut off from communication with their command. When leaflets were dropped announcing Japan's defeat, Onoda dismissed them as Allied propaganda. To him, the pristine condition of the leaflets suggested a forgery. Indeed, if Japan had surrendered, the papers would have looked more authentic, dirtied, or worn over time.

And so, he melted into the jungle, starting his decades-long resistance.

Living in the dense forests of Lubang Island, Onoda relied on his military training to stay hidden. He constructed makeshift shelters camouflaged by vegetation, and moved frequently to avoid detection, scavenging for food from the forest. Onoda became a ghost in the eyes of the local villagers who lived in constant fear of his nighttime raids.  At night, he and his men raided farms for rice, vegetables, and livestock. Of course, these raids angered the villagers but when they organized searches, he anticipated their movements, always staying one step ahead

When locals did encounter Onoda, the encounters were often brief and tense. Villagers described seeing shadowy figures darting through the trees or catching glimpses of uniformed men who disappeared as quickly as they appeared. This fleeting visibility contributed to the legend of the "Japanese soldiers who never surrendered," turning Onoda into a mysterious, almost mythical figure.

Efforts to inform Onoda of Japan's surrender began as early as 1945. Still, his skepticism and deeply ingrained sense of duty kept him from accepting the truth. Leaflets, newspapers, and even recordings from his family urged him to come home. But each time, Onoda dismissed the messages as enemy propaganda.

By the 1960s, Onoda's comrades had either surrendered or been killed in skirmishes with local authorities. Alone in the jungle, Onoda continued his mission, maintaining the same routines that had sustained him for years.  By this point, the villagers knew Onoda as a shadowy figure, a man who existed on the fringes of their lives yet seemed impossible to confront directly.

In 1974, a young Japanese traveler named Norio Suzuki ventured to Lubang Island in search of three things: “Lieutenant Onoda, a panda, and the Abominable Snowman.” Against all odds, Suzuki found Onoda in the jungle. The two men talked, and Suzuki relayed Onoda’s situation to Japanese officials. Soon after, Onoda’s former commanding officer, Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, was flown to the island to formally relieve him of duty.

Only upon receiving direct orders from Taniguchi did Onoda finally lay down his arms. He emerged from the jungle in his uniform, meticulously maintained despite decades in hiding, and surrendered his rifle, which was still working.

Hiroo Onoda became one of history's most famous examples of a holdout soldier. His story is a tale of survival and reflection on duty, identity, and the extraordinary lengths a person can go when they believe in their cause. 

As I researched these stories…I wondered, could le Loyon be a figure like Onoda, hiding because of a midguided view of the world?  Or a person like Durst, hiding to avoid responsibility for a horrible set of crimes?

Part 4 – The Death of Le Loyon

And so it was in Maules, amid these many sightings and rumors of sightings of Le Loyon, that an unnamed amateur photographer stumbled upon the figure while hiking in the area. The tourist photographer spoke with a reporter of the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper when his photo became public. "I came across him near the marches.  I approached him up to a dozen meters away. He had a military cape, boots, and an army gas mark - an antique type, I think. He measured more than 1.90m. He stared at me, then turned his back and left in silence."

The photograph shows someone or something that is very consistent with the resident’s past descriptions – a tall figure whose identity was entirely obscured by the mask and boiler suit. It's an eerie photo.  If you’re just listening, you can see it on the youtube version or at mydarkpath.com.

When the Daily Mail published the photo on September 11, 2013, the headline increased the anxiety many locals felt about the creature.  It read: "Who is Le Loyon? Police hunt 'terrifying' figure who has stalked Swiss woodland wearing a gas mask, boiler suit and cloak for TEN YEARS."

After a decade of living anonymously, there was now hard evidence of the Ghost of Maules.  The photo blew his cover, and suddenly interest in his case exploded.  Within a month, a town leader published a message in the municipal bulletin – the town’s government newsletter – from someone claiming to be Le Loyon.

But Jean-Marc Piguet, the town administrator, wrote a preface to Le Loyon’s letter, admonishing the readers, saying:

The presence of the man with the gas mask and military cape in the woods of Maules and Mont-Gibloux, as described in this scandal press, will not have been without effects and consequences. He has been walking around our region for many years without ever seeking contact or threatening anyone. Perhaps frightening and surprising for some people, there has never been a complaint to the commune or the police. Since his media coverage, the feeling of insecurity has grown and the curious have come forward.

We will never meet him again.

I found this statement to be odd.  It has the tone of a parent, telling a wayward child that their ice cream treat will have to be delayed until tomorrow because of the child’s behavior.  His message is unusually forceful as he discusses about a situation where, by his own admission, no one had been hurt.  It’s similar to statements of government officials who condemn whistleblowers who reveal the illegal or wasteful practices of their governance. 

All of this is to say that Piguet’s statement makes me believe that somehow the local government knew more about the identity of Le Loyon, or at least had an interest in maintaining his anonymity. 

Jean-Marc Piguet explained that he received the following, along with the gas mask and coat, that had been left at the small Oratory or chapel that he, in Piguet's words, "loved so much."

So I visited this chapel – it’s a beautiful small church in the center of town. Piguet's statement invites questions for additional reasons. Le Loyon was never seen in town or at the chapel. Why did Piguet believe Le Loyon loved the chapel so much? For me, this statement is a logical fallacy. I can't resolve it in any other way than thinking that Le Loyon’s identify was known by the town's government. I'll come back to this later, but first, let's read what the Ghost of Maules called his "death certificate," that Piguet then printed after his odd statement. 

Here’s a translated version that I’ve edited for clarity. 

"Dear Martin <note, Martin is the name of the French language newspaper>, not only are you an idiot, but you are, above all, a murderer.

You have murdered a very harmless being who found, in his walks, a real therapy for happiness, a cerebral resource allowing him to face the responsibilities and vicissitudes of his "normal" life.

The ghost is not able to explain this happiness, but you do not seem to know Sacher-Masoch; you would discover that it takes all sorts to make a world.

Then, you are a murderer of freedoms.

To hear you, we find ourselves in the Middle Ages, in the time of witches. Why don't you rise up against the little toads, helmeted and hooded, dressed in leather, who backfire on their motocross bikes in these same forests, they in violation!

Do they take the time to meditate in front of the little Oratory to ask for a better world? I terrify children, make me laugh! Why are they not terrified by the horrors and crimes, very real ones, that they see on television, in the media?

Who is responsible for adjusting the Tolerance and Freedom button in this society? These beautiful notions benefit dealers, pimps, burglars, rapists, and hooligans more!

Switzerland is small; everything that does not conform to the garden gnome must be eradicated.

I thought, during these years, while I was always left alone, until you, that these feelings were evolving, you give me the opposite proof, unfortunately.

The Ghost disappears, the risk of a hunt for the Beast is too great. He will come back to haunt the narrow minds of your kind because ultimately, a ghost never dies.

To the kind walker or mushroom picker who will discover my rags:

Deliver this missive to the mayor or even to a journalist capable however of discussing Freedom and Tolerance.

Farewell, the Ghost of Maules,

I find four things of interest in the letter…assuming its authenticity.  Certainly, the town thought it to be credible. 

First, the Piguet’s preamble says that the Ghost left his letter along with the gas mask and coat at the town chapel.  However, I’ve found no record that the Ghost’s clothing was ever shown to the public.  I know I’m jaded now, especially with the revelations about the insane amounts of wasteful and immoral spending uncovered by DOGE, but I’m skeptical of Piguet’s prounouncements.

Second, the letter references Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who lived from 1836–1895 and was an Austrian writer and journalist. He was best known for his novella “Venus in Furs” and for lending his name to the term masochism, which is now used to describe deriving pleasure from pain or humiliation. Venus in Furs explores themes of dominance, submission, and power dynamics in relationships, revolving around the character Severin, who willingly becomes subservient to his lover, Wanda. The Ghost's sentiment that it takes all types of people to make the world function is humanistic. I believe one can appreciate differences in people without accepting immorality – but Le Loyon's invocation of Sacher-Masoch’s name – associated with unbridled sensuality and eroticism – is a peculiar way to evoke such a call for civility.

Third, the Ghost calls out some of the evildoers of the modern world – drug dealers and pimps, for example – and lumps them in with those who wear leather and ride motorcycles. He was clearly frustrated with those who ride motorcycles in the area.   

Fourth, he's angry with the narrow minds of the people of the area and Switzerland, who he claims can't tolerate anything more than the familiar garden gnome.

While the letter wasn't published until December 2013, it was reportedly received in late September. 

While the Ghost of Maules and the mayor were equally angered by the publicity, others in the town were delighted by the news that the ghost wouldn’t be stalking the area.  One told a newspaper:

"It's pretty good news!  It was anything but pleasant to meet him, especially with children."

Part 5

Even though the Ghost called it a death notice, it indeed wasn't – instead, it appeared to be a feint intended to divert attention. This made me think of this incredible story from the mid-eighteenth century about Timothy Dexter from Massachusetts.

Dexter was born in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1747 and is one of the most eccentric figures of early American history.  He was a businessman, as well as a self-proclaimed philosopher, and an unconventional thinker. His life was filled with strange decisions, and outrageous claims. Among his many peculiarities, one of the most bizarre episodes was his decision to fake his own death and stage a funeral—just to see how people would react.

Dexter was born into a poor family and started working as a leather dresser in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Despite having little formal education and no social connections, Dexter displayed an uncanny knack for turning unlikely ventures into success. In his early twenties, he married a wealthy widow, Elizabeth Frothingham, which gave him the capital to begin his business career.

Dexter quickly became known for his unconventional investments, often buying large quantities of goods that others deemed worthless.  For example, he purchased a huge number of warming pans sent to the Caribbean, repurposed them as molasses ladles and sold them at a huge profit. Dexter was an unconventional thinker.

Dexter’s newfound wealth only seemed to amplify his eccentricities. He declared himself the "Greatest Philosopher of the Western Hemisphere". He adorned his lavish Newburyport mansion with wooden statues of himself and historical figures, including George Washington and Napoleon. The inscriptions on these statues were often riddled with grammatical errors. Dexter reveled in the attention his bizarre displays attracted.

Dexter also fancied himself a writer. In 1802, he published A Pickle for the Knowing Ones, a rambling, punctuation-free manifesto filled with his musings on politics, religion, and society. Despite—or perhaps because of—its chaotic nature, the book became famous and was reprinted multiple times.

Amid his wealth and notoriety, Dexter became obsessed with his public image, leading him to stage one of the most bizarre stunts of his life: he faked his own death and funeral to gauge how people would react. He meticulously planned the stunt.  After spreading news of his "death" throughout the town, hundreds, including family members, neighbors, and acquaintances, attended the funeral.

Dexter secretly observed the proceedings, at first relishing the outpouring of grief and admiration from the attendees. However, when he noticed that his wife, Elizabeth, didn’t appear distraught, his happiness turned to fury. Unable to hold back his anger, Dexter leapt into the room, stunning the mourners.  In front of the assembled audience, he chastised his wife for her lack of emotion. 

As the case of Timothy Dexter shows, odd people can invent outrageous situations to observe how others react. Did the Ghost of Maules invent his death – purportedly hanging up his costume to see how the people of the canton would respond?

Part 6

And so, we return to the opening question – who is the person who was hiding behind the mask and boiler suit? 

All of the examples I’ve shared from history show that the Ghost of Maules is likely an eccentric person – hiding from either mental illness, a crime, or both. Robert Durst, Hiroo Onoda, and Timothy Dexter all lived with a mania that colored how they saw the world and responded to it.

But what if the Ghost of Maules is more than just an eccentric? Swiss banking laws, particularly their historically strict secrecy regulations, have made Switzerland an attractive destination for individuals seeking to hide assets or evade scrutiny. The country has harbored money for despots like Jean-Claude Baby Doc Duvalier of Haiti, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, and Carlos Lehder, the co-founder of the Medellin cartel….not to mention facilitating the transit of many notorious Nazi leaders to South America after World War II.

Does the seeming complicity of the local government in hiding Le Loyon’s identity reveal anything? Swiss law hasn't just protected criminals in the past. Switzerland has long been a destination for individuals seeking refuge, discretion, or favorable conditions for managing their wealth, attracting high-profile figures such as Roman Polanski, Viktor Khrapunov, and members of the Sackler family. Roman Polanski, the acclaimed filmmaker, is one of the most controversial residents of Switzerland. After fleeing the United States in 1978 to avoid sentencing in a high-profile statutory rape case, Polanski found sanctuary in his chalet in the luxurious Swiss village of Gstaad. Although briefly arrested in 2009 at the request of U.S. authorities, Swiss officials ultimately declined his extradition, citing legal ambiguities and preserving Switzerland's image as a neutral haven. Similarly, Viktor Khrapunov, the former mayor of Almaty, Kazakhstan, relocated to Switzerland amid accusations of embezzling millions of dollars and laundering funds through international networks. The Swiss legal system, emphasizing impartiality and requiring strong evidence for extradition, has resisted Kazakhstan’s attempts to bring him back, citing concerns over judicial fairness in his home country. Adding to this roster are members of the Sackler family, founders of Purdue Pharma, and one of the drivers behind the U.S. opioid crisis, who reportedly have connections to Swiss enclaves like Gstaad amid lawsuits and intense public scrutiny in the United States.

Could the Ghost of Maules be an international fugitive, deliberately hiding from justice and protected by elements of the Swiss government?

I doubt we’ll ever know.  My visit to Maules ended as I emerged from the forests that hid the identity of le Loyon.  Unfortunately, I found nothing of his life or the reasons why he hid his identity for decades.  I found nothing other than the beautiful, rural town in Switzerland that will forever be linked to his odd history, forever known as the Ghost of Maules.

Thank you for joining me in this episode of My Dark Path.  If you enjoyed the episode, thanks for listening to the end!  And if you didn’t, I’m grateful you made it this far.  Either way, thank you for walking the dark paths of the world with me. Until next time, good night.