Is the Eric Langford missing boy scout a true story ? Viral 1989 disappearance claim explored

The alleged story of Eric Langford is going viral on the internet. The YouTube channel Unknown Files shared the story on December 13. Eric, a 14-year-old Boy Scout from Albany, supposedly got kidnapped in the Adirondack forests of New York in 1989.

The video claimed that a man named Charles Daniels reportedly led the boy deep into the woods before using a stun gun on him. Then Langford was seemingly kept imprisoned in a bunker in Daniels' home for 12 years.

Eric was forced to perform labour, and would get punished when he tried to run away. In October 2001, Charles Daniels supposedly had a stroke, and Eric Langford ran away.

He went to a gas station in a nearby town and contacted the police. Unknown Files stated that Daniels never recovered and eventually passed away without getting punished. Authorities reportedly found evidence to support that Charles had kidnapped more people in the past.

The Eric Langford missing Boy Scout story is fake. There are no verified sources to confirm the details of the story. The YouTube channel also used AI narration. The video has garnered nearly 35,000 views, and in the comment section, viewers called out the creator for faking the content.

"Instead of worrying about content creators saying a bad word or blocking viewer comments, maybe YouTube should be banning channels that post lies. This Eric Langford story is fabricated and (obviously) using AI narration," one YouTube user noted.

"Why are they making stories up like this when there is so much real stories like this this makes me so mad should be banned," another user wrote.

Fake AI videos like Eric Langford's are quickly spreading on the internet

Ever since the launch of the powerful AI-generating tool Sora 2, a surge of fake videos has been noticed on the internet. From animals doing absurd things in public spaces to fake surveillance and body cam footage.

On YouTube, AI artists and faceless channels have increased, as content creator uses AI narration and even AI-generating tools to make videos. Many netizens have created numerous online threads and videos on how to remove the Sora watermark, as it would be easier to generate views without it.

The Sora team announced in September 2025 that every video includes "embed C2PA metadata" that is traceable back to its source. OpenAI has since stated that it would partner with several platforms to ensure people can trace AI-generated content.

The company also claimed that it would work on improved labeling systems. Stay tuned for more news on fake videos, such as the Eric Langford Boy Scout story.