FOUND FOOTAGE fuels decades long MYSTERY (*WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT*)

Over the years I've heard this story told a few times, and it always reminds me of an old saying: "There's two types of ppl in this world: those who want to be left alone, and those who won't leave them alone"

The fact that Michael could have been rescued if he had just stayed back with Renè is especially heartbreaking.

Tribe: "Oh him? Yeah we killed him, here is every detail." Rest of the world: "Nah he drowned."

John, thank you for your service. I am a bedridden paraplegic and your stories give me something enjoyable to do and make my day. Thank you so much!

Thank you for always making it clear what pictures are real or not. This is one of the only channels that does so, and as AI fakes take over, it's more important than ever

I remember when mrballens channel was so small that he’d like or react to every single one of his comments but now he’s getting 13k comments each video that is insane, dude blew up quickly

My grandpa was in New Guinea during WWII and told me about the dangers of “the head hunters.” A couple of guys went missing and then nobody was allowed to go into the jungle alone for any reason.

18:00 the fact that you acted out ‘a shot… taken from a distance’ is one reason why your videos are sooo good.

Being part of a sacrificial ritual would really suck man.

The fact that Micheal didn't tell his family about being shot with an arrow because they may seek retribution and wipe them out speak volumes about the kind of people he believes them to be.

I’ve heard about this incident several times over the years. I have watched videos and read articles about it. This video is by far the most interesting and informative (and believable) version I’ve come across. What a tragic situation it was, but the narrative was detailed and riveting. Good job.

Thanks for indicating which photo is not real which one is real. You are the only one being honest about using images to tell story. Thanks.

The really sad thing is the sister was his twin and she became a psychologist specializing in twin bereavement. Tell you how affected she was. 😢

MrBallen I'm from New Guinea and a big fan of your content. I am from a deferent province from where Michael went missing. Its my first time hear this story and if I may add, it is most likely Michaels fait ended the way the book Savage Harvest depicted. During those days all tribes in New Guinea have strong boundaries which forbids outsiders from obtaining valuable artifacts. Any attempt to steal or obtain items could lead to death by cannibalism. But if its true or not, we can only speculate. cheers mate keep on coming with more content

Mr. Ballen takes talking with your hands to a whole other level

i took an anthropology class about "magic" rituals and religion of indigenous peoples, i remember us actually talking about micheals story very briefly, our professor used it as a lesson to always respect the cultures and people you are researching.

Shout out to the two teenagers that swam to shore and got help!

This is taking “eat the rich” to a whole new level!

I love that this guy really puts a lot of feeling into telling the story.

Shooting a documentary and not reviewing the footage for 40 years. Too relatable☠️