The Tanzanite Case File
Two cache listings. Dozens of search parties. Hundreds of hours. Zero finds. A geocaching cold case in the heart of Aggieland.
Case Overview
On the campus of Texas A&M University sits a seemingly ordinary stretch of concrete and gravel: a blue-and-red pipeline, a bench, a trash can, and a patch of rock that has swallowed more search hours than any other 10-foot radius in the Brazos Valley.
For years, this spot has been the epicenter of a mystery that refuses to resolve itself — a difficulty 5, terrain 1 micro known simply as Tanzanite. Two different geocache listings have occupied these same coordinates. Neither has ever been logged as found.
This report collects the history, the witnesses, the evidence, and the theories behind what many now call the most famous unfound cache in Texas.
- Primary Location: Texas A&M University Campus — Central Area
- Lead Investigator: Brazos Valley Geocachers
- Case Type: Geocaching Cold Case
- Difficulty / Terrain: D5 · T1 · Micro
Case File 001 – The Original Tanzanite (2021–2023)
The first known incarnation of Tanzanite was published in September 2021 under the code GC9GNVD by a Texas A&M student using the handle Jojohnite. The description was simple: a brief mineralogy note on Tanzanite, a warning about difficulty, and the usual reminder to sign the physical log to claim the find.
Years later, the cache owner would openly admit that this hide was born out of a very human cocktail: exam stress, annoyance at online "TFTC" logs without signatures in the physical logbook, and a streak of petty creativity.
The goal was straightforward: build a cache so cleverly hidden that it was impossible to fake a find.
“I did hide a container at GZ and did maintenance on it regularly... I don’t think I’ll reuse this cache idea in the future because it’s simply too tricky. Part of the fun for me as a hider is having people actually find my cache...”
What followed was not just a run of DNFs. It was a phenomenon. Search parties formed. Out-of-town experts arrived. Entire evenings were devoted to this single set of coordinates. Some cachers logged multiple visits, stacking up double-digit hours on the case.
Witness Statements – Original Era
- “This may end up becoming Texas geocaching’s biggest unsolved mystery…”
— myzjyph - “Nine of us spent a good hour looking for this one and came up empty. I can’t even think of
where else to look!”
— PittPack - “I’m now up to a combined total of 6+ hours hunting for this cache. It will be found.”
— kiecker - “I’ve spent over 10 hours looking for this cache... I will be back for more.”
— AggieRyan - “We shamelessly attempted to bribe the CO for a hint, but it did us no good.”
— BaytownBert - “Someone stopped and offered to call EMS when they saw me on the ground looking under the bench.”
— SpunkyMonkee
A blue-and-red pipeline apparatus adjacent to a concrete bench and trash can has become the unofficial symbol of the Tanzanite case. Multiple independent witnesses reference this structure; most exhaustive search efforts focus on, around, under, or near these fixtures.
Despite countless deep searches, the cache was never found. In May 2023, after a period of owner inactivity and ongoing DNFs, the reviewer archived GC9GNVD. The container was never recovered, Well, That we know of...... One of these days a suspect will be forced to find a micro in the woods until they speak.
Intermission – A Legend Without a Log
After archival, Tanzanite didn’t fade into obscurity. It became a campfire story. Local events featured retellings of midnight searches. Visiting cachers were urged to “go stare at the pipe for a while anyway.” New students at Texas A&M heard about a campus cache so evil that no one ever signed its log. It became a ghost legend to every freshman on the campus, one that chilled their souls.
For two years, the coordinates sat empty. The physical hide was gone, but the legend remained very much alive.
Case File 002 – The Reopening (2024–Present)
On November 6, 2024, a new listing appeared with a familiar name: Tanzanite (GCB0390), this time owned by Paintballvet18.
The description, difficulty, terrain, and coordinates all matched the original listing. Within hours the watchlist grew; within days the DNFs returned. Once again, the community converged on the same stretch of pipe, bench, gravel, and rumors.
Key details of the reboot:
- Cache type: Traditional · D5/T1 Micro
- Location: same GZ as original Tanzanite
- Description text: nearly identical mineral-themed write-up
- Attributes: wheelchair accessible, available 24/7, family friendly
A photo of an underground access hatch near campus infrastructure fueled speculation that the cache might be hidden in or near steam tunnels. While the terrain rating and accessibility attributes make a true “in-tunnel” hide unlikely, the idea remains a fan-favorite theory.
On November 7, 2025, the original cache owner, Jojohnite, posted a public note on the new listing, confirming that he invented the original Tanzanite, that a container did exist and was maintained, and that he has no involvement with the current version.
“For all who are wondering, I did hide a cache at GZ and did maintenance on it regularly... The hider of this current cache never knew how or where I hid the original exactly, so I’m sure this one is hid differently.”
When contacted directly for this investigation, the new cache owner replied:
“Until there’s an FTF, I’m going to stay quiet on this one. I feel like saying anything about the current cache or the previous one may give finders an unfair advantage. After it’s been found and logged, happy to answer your questions.”
Persons of Interest
Subject A – “The Architect” (Jojohnite)
Motive: frustration with online logs not matching the physical logbook.
Modus operandi: clever, high-difficulty hides that reward careful searching and proper logging.
Subject B – “The Silent Successor” (Paintballvet18)
Motive: tribute, challenge, and perhaps a bit of mischief (unconfirmed).
Modus operandi: revival of Tanzanite with matching metadata but unknown container type and placement.
Additional recurring witnesses: AggieRyan, PittPack, dealfarms1, Indigo Parrish, BaytownBert, and many more who have spent time at GZ without logging a find.
Theories
- Pipe Integration Theory: the cache is perfectly blended into the pipe hardware.
- Perfect Decoy Theory: the pipe is a red herring; the real hide is nearby but boring.
- Maintenance Removal Theory: campus facilities unknowingly removed the original cache.
- Gemstone Color Theory: lighting, color, or perception tricks might play a role.
- Same Spirit, Different Hide: the reboot is a new container meant to recreate the same chaos.
Current Status – Open Investigation
The original CO has promised that the full story of his container and placement exists, but prefers to share it face-to-face. The current CO has agreed to an interview only after someone finally claims the FTF on GCB0390. But, as of now, the only hint we may ever get is the single word "low".
Until a log is signed, the Tanzanite case remains one of the rarest creatures in geocaching: a long-running, community-documented D5 that exists more as story than as statistics.
Call for Information
If you have searched for Tanzanite, taken photos, or developed new theories, your testimony is part of this story. Log your attempts, share your notes, and help document one of Texas geocaching’s strangest ongoing mysteries. Because if you read through this whole thing, you will be able to tell we have no good information either.
Someday, someone will sign the Tanzanite log. When that happens, this case file will be updated with interviews, debriefs, and — finally — answers.
Compiled by 2xrCody
for the Brazos Valley Geocachers community.
No actual crimes were committed in the making of Tanzanite, nor the Cold Case File, unless you count crimes against free time, sanity, or the ugly blue sad face, which is basically a crime against my map.
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