UTAH (ABC4) – It’s been a year since the mysterious metal monolith was found in a remote Utah region, and there’s still some pieces of the puzzle that remain missing.
On November 18, 2020, the structure was spotted by the Utah Department of Public Safety from a helicopter while members of their team were assisting the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources with a bighorn sheep count in Southeastern Utah. Because of the isolated and largely inaccessible nature of the region – and the fact that the monolith was over 9 feet tall – the three-sided form sparked conversations, questions, and conspiracy theories surrounding its mysterious appearance.
Although the location of the monolith was never revealed by authorities, it was found days after its initial discovery by some, particularly intrepid travelers, like Discovery Channel’s Diesel Brothers star Dave Sparks. Soon, curious adventurers began to flock to the remote location, despite discouragement from local authorities.
“The Bureau of Land Management would like to remind public lands users that using, occupying, or developing public lands or their resources without a required authorization is illegal, no matter what planet you’re from,” the Bureau of Land Management said in an official statement.
Even though the monolith was discovered in late 2020, Google Maps evidence emerging after its discovery suggested it had actually been installed in the area since 2016. But regardless of when it came, the monolith quickly became an overnight sensation, piquing interest worldwide with its enigma.
And as mysteriously as it arrived, it disappeared. On the evening of November 27, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management received reports that the monolith had been removed.
Despite the fact that it disappeared less than 10 days after it was discovered, the world had certainly not heard the last from the monolith. The three-sided structure sparked so much speculation that it created a global phenomenon, and a second monolith was discovered in Romania on November 30, 2020.
A metal monolith stands on the hills of Batca Doamnei, near Piatra Neamt, Romania, November 27, 2020. Picture taken November 27, 2020. Inquam Photos/ziarpiatraneamt.ro via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. ROMANIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ROMANIA 
Monolith found in Atascadero, CA, @Atownreporter/Twitter 
Gingerbread monolith in San Francisco, Courtesy: Josh Ackerman
Three more monoliths have been discovered in the United States since the first structure was found in Utah last November. Two were found in California, one in Atascadero on December 3, and the second – a Christmas Day treat made of gingerbread – in San Francisco. Another monolith was found in Southern Utah in April.
Many of those intrigued by the monolith suspected supernatural involvements, and even the San Juan County Sheriff’s Department wasn’t afraid to play into the fun a little. On November 30, 2020, they released a lineup of individuals suspected to be involved in the disappearance of the metal structure.
None of their suspects turned out to be the culprit. After a Colorado-based photographer reported seeing four people removing the monolith, Andy Lewis and Sylvan Christensen revealed that they helped take down the structure. The local adventure sportsmen stated that they removed the form because of the effect the monolith – and the internet sensationalism that sent people flocking to it – had on the natural environment.
However, as of November 24, 2021, the Bureau of Land Management stated that the installation of the structure is still under investigation. Even though we know who took it down, we still don’t know how the monolith got there in the first place.
