Overview
Between Worlds Case Files has launched a Washington State–focused public map and archive for documenting reports of unexplained events. The project, presented as a “living map of Washington’s unexplained,” covers reports involving unusual lights, alleged unidentified aerial phenomena, cryptid encounters, hauntings, missing-person cases and other incidents that do not fit readily established explanations.
According to the project’s website, the archive currently contains 11 case files across nine counties, with records dating as far back as 1892. Its dashboard lists “0% identified & filed,” a status that appears to describe the project’s current classification system rather than a claim that every report is inexplicable. The site emphasizes that some cases may ultimately receive ordinary explanations, while others may remain unresolved. “Some we explain. Some we can’t. All of them get counted,” it states.
How the Archive Works
The project invites witnesses to submit reports through a phone-friendly form that it says takes approximately two minutes to complete. Reporters may choose to keep their submissions private, release anonymized information or make a case fully public. Exact locations are said to remain in a protected internal archive, a feature intended to reduce privacy and safety risks associated with publishing witness information or precise sites.
After submission, a human reviewer evaluates each report. The project says its process begins with conventional possibilities, including aircraft, satellites, weather and the planet Venus. Reports that pass an initial review may be added to the public map as “beacons,” while cases remain open until the available evidence supports a conclusion. The site also says its ledger records private cases, although those reports are not publicly displayed, in an effort to prevent cases from disappearing without acknowledgment.
Current Cases and Historical Context
The public ledger includes cases labeled with categories such as “Historical Archive,” “Investigating” and “Unexplained.” Among those listed are the disappearance of Chet Hanson in Pierce County; a reported large figure near Bumping Lake in Yakima County; alleged Sasquatch encounters in the Colville National Forest; apparitions associated with Northern State Hospital in Skagit County; the long-running “Mel’s Hole” account in Kittitas County; and reports of unusual lights in the Yakima Valley.
The archive also places Washington’s history of aerial anomaly reports at the center of its project. It highlights June 24, 1947, when pilot Kenneth Arnold reported seeing a series of objects near Mount Rainier. Arnold described their motion as being “like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water.” The website notes that a newspaper account helped popularize the phrase “flying saucer,” although the wording became associated with a broader phenomenon than Arnold’s original description. Between Worlds says it is compiling historical cases from period newspapers and public records and labeling them as historical rather than presenting them as newly verified events.
Access, Membership and Investigation
The project says reporting, access to the live map and published case files will remain free. Its stated commitments reject a paid membership requirement for basic participation and promise that witnesses—not editors—will determine how much of a report becomes public. The site also says it accepts reports across multiple categories, including aerial observations, cryptid claims, hauntings and unexplained lights, without treating any one subject as automatically disqualifying.
Beyond the archive, Between Worlds promotes “the Hall,” a community that holds monthly in-person meetings and maintains a private online discussion space for evidence review and case conversations. Participation requires an application, though the site says approved members can join without charge. The project does not present its files as definitive proof of extraordinary claims; instead, it frames the archive as an ongoing documentation and investigation effort. Its value will ultimately depend on the quality of its sourcing, the transparency of its reviews and whether future case updates clearly distinguish eyewitness testimony, historical reporting, corroborated evidence and unresolved speculation.
