Up and Vanished Weekly | VANISHED: Richard Cox - Up and Vanished

Podcast Summary

Up and Vanished Weekly | VANISHED: Richard Cox

Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Payne Lindsay (with Maggie Freeling & guest Laura Norton)
Podcast: Up and Vanished | Tenderfoot TV

Episode Overview

In this episode, Payne Lindsay and Maggie Freeling take listeners deep into the mysterious 1950 disappearance of Richard Cox, a 21-year-old West Point cadet who vanished after signing out to meet a mysterious man named “George.” The episode explores one of America's most perplexing missing person cases, weaving together intrigue, espionage theories, questions around Cox’s personal life, and possible sightings decades after he disappeared. With expert insight from guest Laura Norton, the conversation considers the spectrum of theories—suicide, starting a new life, LGBTQ repression, and covert CIA recruitment—leaving listeners to grapple with the question: What really happened to Richard Cox?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Richard Cox’s Disappearance

Who was Richard Cox?
- Bright, top-third student at West Point, engaged to Betty in hometown Mansfield, Ohio. (08:38)
- According to Laura Norton: "He is still to this day, the only West Point cadet to disappear and stay missing." (07:15)
The Night of the Disappearance:
- January 14, 1950: Cox donned his full dress uniform and overcoat, told roommates he was meeting “George,” destination listed as the Thayer Hotel. He never returned; no trace found. (04:02)
Immediate Response:
- Massive search effort—West Point campus searched, FBI joined, letters and savings ($87) discovered untouched in his room. (07:43, 17:38)

Richard Cox’s State of Mind Before Disappearance

Signs of Distress:
- Letters to family and fiancée became more negative, expressing doubts about remaining at West Point. (08:38, 11:07)
- Alleged behavioral changes: increased drinking, depressive letters, and odd, agitated episodes (e.g., shouting “Alice”). (09:43, 10:53)
Pressure & Expectations:
- Norton: "His life was unrolling before him in this very organized manner...it can feel really claustrophobic." (14:10)
- Freeling: "Back then you were supposed to be an adult. You're supposed to be married and having kids by, you know, 21, 22." (14:32)
Possible Contributing Factors:
- Family pressures, a non-close mother-son relationship, aversion to family business, ambivalence toward military life. (11:56)
- Exposure to the postwar environment and intelligence work in Germany. (16:12)

The Mysterious “George”

Who was George?
- Claimed to have known Cox in Germany; left disturbing military stories with Cox. (19:10)
- Freeling: "To me it seems like this was someone he couldn’t say no to." (20:46)
George’s Influence:
- Despite professed disgust, Cox kept meeting him, possibly unable to decline or feeling compelled.
- Witness descriptions of George contradicted—some said tall, blonde, others short, dark. (21:20)
Theories:
- Could George have coerced, recruited, or helped Cox disappear? (20:52, 23:41)

Theories Explored

1. Planned Disappearance / Starting a New Life

Arguments For:
- Cox left critical belongings (money, watch, civilian clothes) behind—possibly an intentional misdirection. (23:41)
- Possible help from George or a figure like Dion Frisbee, an acquaintance involved in fake IDs. (43:32)
Arguments Against:
- Norton: "Even in the 1950s, it was difficult to just simply vanish. At least not without serious help." (17:38)
- Left key funds behind—strange for someone intending to run.
- Emotional cost: “It's very difficult...for your want to connect with people that you once knew, to connect with family.” (50:52)

2. Foul Play

Largely dismissed barring evidence. Norton: “In this case, it was really easy for me to look at foul play being the least likely...” (07:15)
Col. Edwin Howell (1950): “I am convinced this is foul play. I’m sure we will not find this man alive.” (53:08)

3. Espionage / CIA Recruitment

Recurring speculation that George was a recruiter, Cox was “disappeared” for intelligence work. (37:53, 38:30)
- Freeling: “What I find confusing is why? Why Richard?” (37:53)
Possible reasoning: Cox's experience in Germany, language skills (possibly Russian), ease in military settings.
Possible FBI/CIA tension: FBI allegedly called off search hours from finding Cox, possibly at CIA’s instruction. (37:53, 39:00)
R.C. Mansfield: Pseudonym used by a man in Florida who claimed (while drunk) to be Richard Cox; showed knowledge of Cuba/Castro before Bay of Pigs, bolstering CIA ties. (36:20, 42:07)

4. LGBTQ Repression

Hints Cox was gay or bisexual; could have been threatened with exposure or simply unable to live authentically.
“There were some letters that came in from New York City from people who said they had dated Richard.” (25:47)
Several statements from cadets (in FBI files) suggesting romantic involvement; 1950s military setting was extremely repressive and dangerous for LGBTQ people. (27:17, 28:42)

THE SIGHTINGS

1952, Washington D.C.:
- Ernest Shotwell, an old friend, claims to have had a conversation with Cox in a bus station, not knowing he was missing at the time. (32:32)
- Norton: “That feels to me like a pretty credible sighting.” (34:38)
1960, Melbourne, Florida:
- Undercover FBI source meets "R.C. Mansfield," who drunkenly claims to be Richard Cox: "The U.S. Army and my mother think I'm dead." (36:20)
- FBI sets up another meeting; Cox never shows. (36:20, 37:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Disappearance vs. Foul Play

"In this case, it was really easy for me to look at foul play being the least likely, you know, thing that could have happened."
— Laura Norton (07:15)

On the Challenge of Disappearing

"It's very difficult to stay hidden. It's very, very difficult. Not just because people will cite you, but for yourself, for your want to connect with people that you once knew, to connect with family. I mean, you really have to think he went the rest of his life, 50 years, never reaching out to family members..."
— Maggie Freeling (50:52)

On George’s Power

"That's kind of the key. Someone he couldn't say no to. And the real question is why? Is it because George had something on him? Is it because he was afraid of George? Or is it because he needed something from George?"
— Laura Norton (20:52)

On CIA Espionage Theory

"The FBI actually was allegedly 24 hours of finding Richard, and then they were called off. So that, to me, makes me feel like there was someone higher up calling the shots than the FBI. So let's talk about the CIA theory. That is the most prominent theory, and I find the most plausible theory."
— Maggie Freeling (37:53)

"So, of course, they can always listen to my podcast, the Fall Line or One Strange Thing... You can learn more about that and my work on unidentified persons cases, John and Jane Does."
— Laura Norton (52:46)

Timeline & Timestamps of Critical Segments

04:02 – First narrative retelling of Cox’s disappearance
08:38 – Insights into Cox’s early background and life at West Point
10:53 – Discussion of behavioral changes, mental state
16:12 – Family dynamics, pressures, and experiences in Germany
19:10 – Introduction of George and disturbing stories
21:20 – Contradictory witness descriptions of George
23:41 – Key questions on why Cox would leave belongings if planning to disappear
25:47 – Appearance of LGBTQ theory based on letters and FBI files
32:32 – Coverage of D.C. bus station and Florida bar sightings
36:20 – Detailed retelling of the R.C. Mansfield (Florida) incident
37:53 – CIA theory examined, connections to Cuba/Castro
43:32 – Dion Frisbee and the “fake ID” theory
47:40 – Marshall Jacobs, the retired history teacher’s research and conclusions
49:19 – Laura Norton’s final theories and plausibility breakdown
53:08 – Closing thoughts, perspectives from Cox’s family and investigators

Episode’s Final Thoughts

Foul play is ruled out by the hosts/guests—Cox almost certainly left deliberately, likely with help.
The CIA recruitment theory is considered most plausible due to unexplained FBI withdrawal, credible later sightings, and knowledge of events before they became public.
The challenge and strain of “disappearing yourself” is reiterated throughout, with strong skepticism for the possibility of starting anew unaided.
The case endures as unsolved, a testament to the limits of evidence, the possibilities at the confluence of history and human vulnerability, and the marrow-deep mysteries that decades can’t dissolve.

Podcast Summary