VANISHED: Richard Cox

Summary

Up and Vanished Weekly: Episode Summary - "VANISHED: Richard Cox"

Released on April 30, 2025, "Up and Vanished Weekly" delves into the mysterious disappearance of Richard Cox, a West Point cadet whose vanishing act in 1950 has left investigators and true crime enthusiasts baffled for decades.

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1. Introduction to the Case

The episode opens with host Maggie Freeling introducing the enigmatic disappearance of Richard Cox, setting the stage for an intricate investigation intertwined with personal turmoil and possible espionage. Richard Cox, a 21-year-old cadet at West Point Military Academy, vanished on a cold January night in 1950, sparking one of the most extensive manhunts in U.S. history.

2. Background on Richard Cox

Richard Cox enlisted in the army at 18 in 1946, seeking to escape his life in Ohio and join his family's insurance business. His academic prowess saw him excelling at West Point, placing him in the top third of his class. Engaged to Betty in Mansfield with plans to marry post-graduation, Richard's life appeared to be unfolding according to the quintessential American dream.

However, cracks began to show when Richard's correspondence became increasingly somber. As Payne Lindsay narrates, "Richard was unhappy at school," pointing to his deteriorating mental state leading up to his disappearance ([08:25]).

3. Disappearance Details

On January 7, 1950, Richard received a cryptic phone call from a man named George, whom he claimed to have known "in Germany." Despite professing ignorance of George's identity, Richard ended up meeting him. This meeting marked a drastic shift in Richard's behavior. Around 9:30 PM that evening, Richard was found extremely intoxicated by his roommates, exhibiting distress and incoherent screaming—a stark departure from his usual demeanor ([10:41]).

4. Theories and Speculations

a. Personal Struggles and Possible LGBTQ Issues

Laura Norton, a guest on the show, explores the possibility that Richard was grappling with his sexual identity in a repressive environment. In the 1950s, anti-sodomy laws were pervasive, and being gay in the military could lead to discharge or worse. Norton highlights, "The physical repercussions that could come to someone at West Point who was seen to be gay... I can't even imagine what that would be like" ([29:23]).

b. Espionage and CIA Recruitment

One of the most compelling theories discussed is Richard's potential involvement with the CIA. Given his time in Germany and interest in the rise of communism, it's speculated that Richard might have been recruited for intelligence purposes. Maggie Freeling posits, "It is alleged that perhaps George was a CIA recruiter and he was recruiting Richard" ([40:41]).

5. Alleged Sightings

a. 1952 D.C. Sighting by Ernest Shotwell

Four years after Richard's disappearance, Ernest Shotwell reported seeing him at a bus station in Washington, D.C. They conversed briefly before Shotwell learned of Richard's missing status, lending credibility to the sighting ([36:37]).

b. 1960 Florida Sighting as R.C. Mansfield

In 1960, an undercover FBI source encountered a man identifying himself as R.C. Mansfield—a pseudonym closely resembling Richard's hometown, Mansfield, Ohio—in Melbourne, Florida. The man confessed, "the U.S. army and my mother think I'm dead," before vanishing without a trace ([38:31]).

6. Investigation and Aftermath

The disappearance triggered a massive search operation, involving military personnel, local police, and the FBI. Despite extensive efforts, including helicopter sweeps and inquiries across the nation, Richard was never found. Authorities remained puzzled, especially when two alleged sightings surfaced years later, suggesting that Richard might have been in hiding or operating under an alias.

Marshall Jacobs, a retired history teacher and dedicated researcher, presents a controversial viewpoint. He asserts that Richard may have joined the CIA and lived under an assumed identity, possibly returning to the U.S. and meeting an untimely death without any public record ([50:43]).

7. Current Status and Conclusions

Seventy-five years have passed since Richard Cox's disappearance, and the truth remains elusive. Maggie Freeling concludes that while theories abound—from personal crises and espionage to starting anew—the lack of concrete evidence ensures that Richard's fate continues to be a profound mystery. She reflects, "This case is a good reminder that we may not always understand what other people are going through or why they do certain things. It's also a reminder that sometimes we simply can't explain things" ([55:48]).

The episode underscores the complexities surrounding disappearances, especially when personal turmoil and potential government involvement intersect. Richard Cox's vanishing act remains a poignant example of how layers of secrecy and human vulnerability can intertwine, leaving behind enduring questions.

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For those intrigued by this case and others like it, "Up and Vanished Weekly" offers a comprehensive exploration into the shadows of unsolved mysteries, blending meticulous research with engaging storytelling.

Transcript

[Maggie Freeling]

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[Payne Lindsay]

Hey, it's Payne. I want to thank everyone for being a listener of this show and I know a lot of you have been here since the very beginning and for a very long time we've had no merch or anything for you to show off that this might be your favorite podcast if it is. But now we do. If you go to shop Tinderfoot tv, we have some brand new up and vanished podcast T shirts that you can wear wherever you are in the world and show your support. And right now we're offering 20% off of every order. Just go to Shop Tinderfoot TV and then use the promo code PAYNE20. That's P A Y N E20 at checkout and get 20% off your entire order. Again, that's Shop Tinderfoot TV. Code PAIN20 for 20% off. Thank you again for supporting this show. We love you guys.

[Maggie Freeling]

Hey y'all, it's Maggie. I want to take a second to let you know about an upcoming bonus episode we have in the works. In a few weeks, the team and I will be giving you a behind the scenes look into up and Vanish Weekly. I'll bring you some exciting new updates and we'll be taking questions from you, our listeners, but we need you to participate. If you have thoughts about a case we've covered or a burning question from the world of true crime, or maybe you want my take on something totally random. We want to hear from you. Just go to Apple Podcasts, leave your question as a review and say maggie sent me for a chance to be featured. Thanks.

[John]

Up and Vanish Weekly is released every Wednesday and brought to you absolutely free, but for one week early access and ad free listening. Subscribe to Tenderfoot plus at tenderfootplus.com or on Apple Podcasts. If you're already a subscriber. Thank you for your support.

[Maggie Freeling]

This podcast discusses mature and sensitive content, including descriptions of violence that may be triggering for some audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

[Payne Lindsay]

It's the Evening of Saturday, January 14, 1950, a cold, dreary night in upstate New York. At West Point Military Academy, students are returning from winter break. Like Many other cadets, 21 year old Richard Cox is preparing to start a new semester. Those close to Richard can tell that something's been off with him lately. He doesn't seem very enthusiastic about being back to school. Richard's roommates observe him getting ready in his full dress uniform and a long gray overcoat he shares. He's going out to dinner with an old friend he met, someone they know only as George. When he signs out of the dorm, Richard records his destination as the Fair, an upscale hotel located on campus about a mile walk from his dorm. Like all cadets, he has to be back before 11pm curfew. But that night, Richard never returned. In fact, as far as anyone can tell, he never even made it to the Thayer Hotel. All signs seem to indicate Richard Cox simply vanished. For 75 years, his disappearance has been the focus of a lot of speculation. Many have questioned whether he tragically died or possibly went AWOL as part of a plan to start a new life. Others believe Richard may have been secretly recruited by a covert government agency. But the question at the heart of everything is what role, if any, did this mysterious man known as George play in his disappearance?

[Laura Norton]

Foreign.

[Payne Lindsay]

From Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta, I'm Payne Lindsay.

[Maggie Freeling]

And I'm Maggie Freeling, and you're listening.

[Payne Lindsay]

To up and Vanished Weekly.

[Maggie Freeling]

Hey y'all. Welcome back to up and Vanished Weekly. I'm Maggie Freeling. Today we're talking about Richard Cox. One of the things that I often talk about when we talk about missing people is how actually hard it is to disappear yourself. If you want to know more about that, I spoke to Elizabeth Greenwood who wrote Playing Dead. It is a great book if you want to check it out. I don't find this a particularly plausible scenario, but Richard is a man who may have actually had the means to do so. This case is freaking fascinating, and it is unlike any missing person case I've covered. We're dealing with potential espionage. Joining me today to talk about this case is Laura Norton. Laura, you're in studio. I'm in your town, Atlanta. I'm so excited to be here with you.

[Laura Norton]

We are so excited to have you here.

[Maggie Freeling]

So, Laura, you know Richard Cox's story really well. You even did an episode on him for one strange thing. What stands out to you about Richard Cox's disappearance?

[Laura Norton]

What stands out to me is that I think in most disappearances, I'm, you know, really focused on the serious nature of the disappearance. But 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. And that's what really attracted it to me. And also that he is still to this day, the only West Point cadet to disappear and stay missing.

[Maggie Freeling]

This search went on for two months, and according to everything I've read, it's one of the biggest manhunts in the history of the U.S. oh, yeah.

[Laura Norton]

And the FBI continued their search, you know, overseas and throughout the United States for almost three years, too. So it was just huge amounts of money and manpower poured into this to find this one man. And you have to think about, like, how difficult it would be to hide with all those people after you. It's just fascinating to me.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yeah, I feel like in disappearance cases, I often feel like foul play is the number one theory. It seems like the most plausible, the Occam's razor. But that's not what we have here. So let's start by understanding more about who Richard was. Here's Paine with more about what we know.

[Payne Lindsay]

In the 1940s, a dark chapter of history was unfolding, and the world was at War. In 1946, Richard enlisted in the army at the age of 18. He wasn't necessarily the career soldier type, but nobody was surprised when he applied to West Point after the service. He fit in easily at West Point, with grades that put him in the top third of his class. Richard had a fiance, Betty, back in Mansfield, but the two had planned to postpone marriage until after he was finished with school. At the time, everything was going smoothly in his life, or so his friends and family thought. Then, In January of 1950, his mother, Minnie, said that Richard's correspondence suddenly changed in tone. In an unmailed letter to his fiance, Betty, he even discussed thoughts of leaving West Point for good. On January 7, a phone call came in for Richard. He wasn't in the dorm, so another cadet took the message from the caller. Just tell him George called. He'll know who I am. We knew each other in Germany. I'm just up here for a little while and tell him I'd like to get a bite to eat. When Richard got the note, his reaction was very strange. He told the cadet who took the message he had no idea who George was. Yet hours later, his roommates say he left to meet up with a man with the same name and same description. So what's the deal here? Around 9:30 that evening, a roommate found Richard so drunk that he passed out at his writing desk. A short time later, Richard stumbled to the stairwell and began screaming incoherently and eventually had to be led to bed. Some say he was screaming an unfamiliar name. Alice. He seemed very disturbed, and his roommates had never seen Richard like that before. The change in his demeanor seemed to coincide with the unexpected arrival of this man named George.

[Maggie Freeling]

So it is clear that things were not as simple as they may have appeared in Richard Cox's life. He was a great student. He was doing well in school. But then it started to decline a little bit right towards the last month or so.

[Laura Norton]

There were so many elements here that were interesting to me. And the one that stood out to me first was we have this West Point cadet. He comes back after Christmas break. He's being a little bit quiet, and he's writing a few letters home that are expressing some dissatisfaction. But then around January 7, he gets a phone call from a man named George. And after that, things just start going downhill really quickly.

[Maggie Freeling]

Okay, so he was a. He was a great student. And then suddenly he just starts acting really strange. There's a lot of drinking. His letters seem a little depressed. He's kind of saying like, you know, he doesn't think he was cut out to be a cadet. I mean, in. In your opinion and your research on this case, like, what do you. What do you think was. Was causing all of this? What does this seem like this behavior is coming from?

[Laura Norton]

It's interesting because there's a couple of factors. We know that he had never dreamed of becoming, you know, a career military man. And based on my research, he mostly joined the army to get out of Ohio. This is something that's kind of interesting. He was one of six kids, and he had a Kind of strange relationship with his mother. And I don't mean like big ass strange, but more like they didn't get along super great. He called her by her first name, he called her Minnie, not Mom. And she really wanted him to take over the family business, which was an insurance business. And it seemed like he wasn't too into that. So he joined the army. And this was right after World War II. So he didn't see direct action, but he did end up in Allied controlled Germany, which of course you can imagine he was seeing a lot of things there. So after two years there, he goes to West Point. But there's something about those first two years that is disillusioning to him. We just don't know quite what it is. We do know a couple of things. He sent some letters home expressing dissatisfaction. And then there's two letters found in his room that aren't sent that express even more dissatisfaction. One even where he's actually drawn a little doodle of a cadet spitting on the West Point logo, which is pretty intense.

[Maggie Freeling]

That's for the 50s. That's crazy.

[Laura Norton]

That's crazy.

[Maggie Freeling]

That's for me.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah, that's, you know, that's getting in trouble for that. And he'd also gone out to lunch with one of his old buddies a couple of weeks before and said, maybe I'm not cut out for this. But what we don't know is, is why. There have been some theories. One theory was that he was caught up in perhaps this academic cheating scandal that was going on at the time. But when other cadets were asked about it, you know, even some who were involved, they all said Richard had nothing to do with it. So that's not really a strong theory. So there's nothing really there specifically related to school that seems to have upset him. So I keep coming back to was he more dissatisfied with his life overall?

[Maggie Freeling]

Mm. Right. Cause he was, he was engaged to be married to Betty. But then I guess some friends did say he was dating other women and might not be ready to settle down.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah, they had a very set wedding date and it was 1952 as soon as he graduated. So his life was kind of unrolling before him in this very organized manner, which, you know, can seem to many people like the perfect American dream. But maybe to other people it can feel really claustrophobic.

[Maggie Freeling]

Mm. You know, it's so interesting because we are talking about the 50s, a 21 year old today. To me as a child, this would all feel incredibly claustrophobic. But I think we can't Forget that. Yes, he was a child, but back then you were supposed to be an adult. You're supposed to be married and having kids by, you know, 21, 22, in the 50s. So I can't imagine how much pressure.

[Laura Norton]

He was feeling, especially someone that had gone off and seen the world in a way that a lot of people, you know, perhaps had not. Of course we did had a lot of returning soldiers, but this is something that his family and Betty just simply could not understand on the level that he could and his friends at West Point could. We know he didn't want to be an insurance salesman, but perhaps he was also realizing that he didn't want to be a military man either. So what then?

[Maggie Freeling]

Right. And I mean, again, being so young, but supposed to have it figured out could be devastating. You know, he's thinking, this isn't what I'm supposed to be doing or what I don't feel like I should be doing, but I'm supposed to have kids and be married and have a career like that could just feel completely life shattering.

[Laura Norton]

Precisely. Especially if you're also figuring out who you are, which we all are at 21 years old, which is my point.

[Maggie Freeling]

He's 21, but you're supposed to have it figured out, but you're still today a child. It's. It's so hard for me to look back at the 50s and like, reckon with what a 21 year old was supposed to be like then compared to now.

[Laura Norton]

I know.

[Maggie Freeling]

So speaking of, he saw this war, World War II, horrible, horrible things that he saw when he was over in Germany. What were some of those things that he was doing that could have led to perhaps some of this distress?

[Laura Norton]

So it's interesting because he got there in 1948, he was just seeing the aftermath. But when I say just, I think that's kind of minimizing because there was a lot of aftermath. He was working with the Intelligence branch, which a lot of people are like, ooh, intelligence branch. He was a clerk, though. So as a clerk, a lot of people said he wouldn't have seen much. He didn't have a high security clearance. But I think we could argue that a clerk might see a lot. And he did interact with a lot of different people with a lot of different roles. And that is allegedly how he met this man, George, who you're going to hear so much about and we heard about at the top of the episode.

[Maggie Freeling]

Our discussion continues after a quick break.

[Payne Lindsay]

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[Maggie Freeling]

All right. Now back to our case.

[Payne Lindsay]

When Richard didn't return from his dinner at the hotel, the reaction was immediate. News of a missing West Point cadet rallied an all hands on deck response. West Point's campus stretches over thousands of acres. Within just days, school officials had searched every inch of it. The woods were swept by a helicopter. They scoured the nearby town, even visiting every hotel and rooming house. Yet no one had Seen or heard from Richard Cox. Eventually, the search went national, with police, military, and even the FBI joining the school took his disappearance pretty seriously. Upon searching his room, authorities found $87, which was thought to be the sum total of Richard's savings. Also uncovered were two unmailed letters, his civilian clothes, and an heirloom watch. When authorities read the letters, they discovered he'd been unhappy at school. But was that enough to stage a disappearance? Even in the 1950s, it was difficult to just simply vanish, at least not without some serious help. As officials began formulating theories, their interest began to point back to George. The sudden appearance of this strange outsider led many to wonder who this man really was and what knowledge he may have about the disappearance.

[Maggie Freeling]

What we know about George was that he was allegedly an army ranger. He made these, like, horrible claims, allegedly to Richard, about castrating Nazi soldiers and after they were dead. And then he even said that he got a German girl pregnant and then he killed her so that she didn't have the child. That's horrific that he was even around someone saying these things.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah. And according to Richard, he had only kind of known George back in the day. And so when George showed up, he was like, oh, hey. And so they went out to eat and got drunk. And he kind of implied that George forced him into getting drunk, came back passed out at his desk, woke up in the morning, and told his roommates this disturbing story. And it was really clear to them that he was disgusted and disturbed by this. And what they couldn't figure out was, why was he continuing to associate with this man? Because he obviously was horrified by these stories. And he yet kept taking his calls and kept saying he'd go out with him again. And the best that Joseph and Dean could come up with was, well, it's winter, and there's not a lot going on. That's why he's still hanging out with him. But I feel like you could find something else to do. So it never really answered the question of this man that you claim you didn't know that well, in Germany, you're going and hanging out with him. Those experiences seem to depress you. You're already kind of in a bad state. Why?

[Maggie Freeling]

Right. To me, it seems like this was someone he. He couldn't say no to.

[Laura Norton]

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? Mm.

[Maggie Freeling]

It's so Interesting that George pops up, what, a week before he goes missing. It's like it has to be related.

[Laura Norton]

I think that we have to say that there has to be some connection there.

[Maggie Freeling]

His roommates, Richard's roommates, never saw George. But other cadets on campus did. See this person, George, that he was speaking with. And he stands out to people. What can you describe George?

[Laura Norton]

Yeah, and the weird thing is, is he was seen by at least two people who described him extremely differently. One person described him as very tall and fair complexioned, blonde, at least 6ft tall. One person described him as dark and rough complexioned. I'm still not 100% on what. Rough complexion.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yeah, that's confusing.

[Laura Norton]

I don't know what that means. Rough complexioned. And maybe more around Richard's height, which was about five foot. So does this come down to two people? Just poor witness statements? We know this is a thing. Or is it that he was talking to two different people? And something I want to note here is that West Point folks tend to recognize each other. So was he actually speaking to two different strangers in the same week? That's another, you know, fold in this. That's so strange. But he definitely was speaking to George at various points during the week. Cause he would come back and report this to Joseph and Dean. At various points. He said he saw a basketball game with him, for instance, earlier in the day before he disappeared.

[Maggie Freeling]

And that that was one of the different descriptions was who they saw him at the basketball game talking to this man that was quite tall, I believe.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah.

[Maggie Freeling]

Which again, if the person was closer to Richard, that'd be five'eight I wouldn't necessarily describe. That man is tall. So one of the things that's really interesting is when Richard goes to meet George, he's only carrying $5, even though they're allegedly going out for dinner. And then when the roommates discovered that Richard was missing and his room was searched, they found his prized possession, at least according to his roommates, his watch in. In the room, which he wouldn't normally leave behind. They found money in the room, which amounted to about $1,000 in today's currency. It's really weird for someone who would maybe be going to start a new life to leave all of these things. I mean, you could sell the watch for money. Why not take your thousand dollars? You know, what do you. What do you make of that? If he was gonna run away, he.

[Laura Norton]

Also left all his civilian clothes behind, including some he'd sent out to be cleaned and brought back. So if someone was meticulously planning. It's strange. Unless they were meticulously planning. That's the thing.

[Maggie Freeling]

Okay, tell me more. You gave me the look.

[Laura Norton]

If you wanted to plan to make it look like you disappeared by accident, leaving your things behind would make it look like you had accidentally disappeared or there had been foul play. If you took all your stuff, it's extremely clear that you left on purpose.

[Maggie Freeling]

Right?

[Laura Norton]

There we go again. We're back to the same problem. But that watch was something his family really hung onto. The idea that he would never leave that watch behind. But the issue is, of course, whenever we talk to people who know someone really well, they tell us things they'd never do. I don't know about you, but I do things that people would probably expect me to never do at least once a week. So, you know, the idea of, like, what choices we make in the moment, you know, what choices we might make to surprise people in order to, you know, send them down the wrong path. If I wanted to make people think I had disappeared against my will, there are certain things I would put into place to create that image.

[Maggie Freeling]

If you believe this theory that he, you know, left with George, somehow it almost seems like they were planning, like, get your clothes cleaned, so it looks like you kind of just vanished like you were. You were planning your future. So I can't help but think maybe in that week, that's what they were discussing.

[Laura Norton]

That's what some people think. And also making George seem kind of weird, gross, disgusting. I don't really want to be. Meeting with this person could also help that out a little bit. You know, let's talk about that.

[Maggie Freeling]

Why would he disappear? I mean, it. On the surface, and from what we know, it seems like he had a fine life. What was he disappearing or running from that he couldn't do as Richard Cox?

[Laura Norton]

So some people think it's because he wanted to leave West Point. That's kind of a weak one, because you can leave West Point. You can even get discharged. You know, Edgar Allan Poe managed it 119 years before. So you can leave West Point, whether by choosing to leave at the proper times or through a dishonorable discharge if you really want to get out. Some people think that he wanted to leave because he was living a heterosexual lifestyle that he did not want to live. There have been some reports that he was part of the LGBTQ community, and that was not something he could express openly at West Point. It's a little bit more than rumors. Now. There were some letters that came in from New York City from People who said they had dated Richard, these letters were kind of treated like eh, because people always send in letters. But later on, when the FOIA files were released by the FBI, there were actually a couple statements from cadets suggesting that Richard may have been bisexual or, you know, we can't really label someone's sexuality, you know, but this is something we're looking at the incredibly repressive 50s. We're looking at West Point. This is not a military career starter here. You know, someone who may have been looking at trying to live their life in a more authentic way, in a way that they couldn't. And if that's the case, some people have said maybe George was a romantic partner, you know, that that could be an option.

[Maggie Freeling]

You know, it was the 1950s. Every state in the US at the time had anti sodomy laws until 1964. So we're talking about 1950. And so at this time, actually in the military you could not be gay. And we've all heard of don't ask, don't tell laws, but back then, actually you could be discharged for being gay in the military. What did you make of all this when you were looking into the possibility that he did run away?

[Laura Norton]

So in terms of like Richard's romantic life, we don't have strong answers, you know, and honestly, you know, that's his life too. You know, those are not answers for us. But we do know that a few people reached out to his roommates and said that they had dated Richard from New York. His friend Joseph said that he wasn't aware that Richard had ever dated men. But I would say back to his friend Joseph, that's not something you'd necessarily know. It did come out when the FBI FOIA released that there were a few statements from cadets who did indicate that they'd been romantically involved with Richard. And that was something that, you know, they weren't willing to go on record with their names attached to it for. For obvious reasons. So I think that we have to look at that in the repressive context it exists in. Right. This is not only just repressive, but violent context.

[Maggie Freeling]

It's incredibly violent and repressive. Sure.

[Laura Norton]

Like the physical repercussions that could come to someone at West Point who was seen to be gay by the people around them. I can't even imagine what that would be like. But would that affect his decision to simply leave West Point? Very likely it could. Would that make him want to disappear? You know, leave everything he knows, change his name? That's a whole different question? I think so. When I think about the fact that Richard may have chosen to disappear, whether or not he was gay is not the main factor for me. I think it might have had to do with pressures at home that had something to do with his family. That has something to do with perhaps not wanting to pursue the family business.

[Maggie Freeling]

Some other factors More of our discussion after a quick break. You're listening to up and Vanish Weekly.

[Unknown]

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[Maggie Freeling]

Hey listeners, if you have a tip or theories about a case you want to share or a case of interest you'd like to recommend to us, then we want to hear from you. Email us casesnderfoot tv dm us on Instagram at UAV weekly or give us a call at 770-545-6411. Now here's John with this week's critical missing case.

[John]

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, 49 year old John Ganz mysteriously went missing from the Thomasville, Missouri area. According to reports, John left an airbnb in Springfield, Missouri around 4:10 that Saturday afternoon and his family later spoke with him on the phone around 9:12pm that evening. He's not been seen or heard from since. Now, police later found his abandoned car along with his keys, wallet and id, a laptop, tablet and a suitcase and carry on bag. John is of Caucasian ethnicity. He has a height of 5 foot 10 inches and a weight of 190 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. Identifying marks include multiple tattoos, such as a dragon on the back of his leg and a woman on one of his arms. So, listeners, if you know any information about the disappearance of John Gans, you're asked to please reach out to Sheriff Eric King with the Oregon County Sheriff's office at 417-778-6611. And you can reference case number 25 9641.

[Maggie Freeling]

All right, now back to our case.

[Payne Lindsay]

The FBI soon became deeply involved in the search, but it wasn't long until that too turned out to be a dead end. Years passed and Richard's whereabouts remained a complete mystery. But the speculation continued. Then, four years after he disappeared, authorities finally caught a break. A possible sighting of Richard Cox. Ernest Shotwell, an old friend of Richard, spotted him at a bus station in D.C. he called out to him by name, and the man turned and answered, yes, how are you? The two chatted for several minutes. Ernest stated that his old friend was acting strange, jumpy even. He didn't think too much about it until he later heard that Richard had been reported missing. For years, authorities considered Shotwell's encounter to be a genuine sighting. Then, in 1960, an undercover FBI source was on location at a bar in Melbourne, Florida. While there, he met a man who called himself R.C. mansfield. Initially, the introduction didn't raise any red flags. But then the two got to drinking and talking. At one point, the man said, quote, the U.S. army and my mother think I'm dead. Then he claimed that his real name was Richard Cox. The FBI source tried to set up another meeting, but he never showed. So were these two sightings years apart merely a coincidence? Or Richard Cox been in hiding this entire time? Or maybe there was a different explanation entirely, One that possibly involved a covert government program with national security implications.

[Maggie Freeling]

These alleged sightings that happened years after Richard went missing are really interesting to me. What are the chances of something like this happening not only once, but twice?

[Laura Norton]

So the first one was old friend of his named Ernest Shotwell. Saw him at a bus station in 1952 and had an entire conversation with him. He said that he was acting a little bit weird, but that Richard answered to his name. But he didn't actually report this to the FBI until 1954, because he didn't know he was missing. And the FBI said this was a credible sighting and, you know, put it out there, reported it to everybody. So that feels to me like a pretty credible sighting. Not just saying, I saw him, he looked like Richard, but they had a conversation. Would there be any reason for this man to lie?

[Maggie Freeling]

And again, that you made the point like, he didn't know he was still missing. So, like, what? He didn't. To me, it doesn't seem like there's a reason to lie there. It seems like it would be a weird lie.

[Laura Norton]

And we could say, okay, but maybe he just ran off to start another life. Right? It could be because he was feeling repressed because of the reasons that we mentioned. It could be simply because he hated the military, you know, and he didn't want to get married, and he wanted to have more freedom. But then we get to that 1960 sighting that you just mentioned with the FBI, and that sighting just feels a little more CIA espionage.

[Maggie Freeling]

Let's talk about that sighting. So, in 1960, he's seen in the Shoebar Tavern in Melbourne, Florida. Again, this is super far from West Point. Allegedly, he's on an undercover assignment, and an FBI source begins drinking with a contact. And this contact is accompanied by a woman and a man named R.C. mansfield. Do you want to take it from there and kind of explain this? R.C. mansfield?

[Laura Norton]

So, and actually, this is fascinating. I ran into this, like, 1950s Life magazine article when I was researching this about how people choose pseudonyms. And they say that people will often stick with their real first name. People are just really attached to them, and they'll pick a last name, and if the last name is not their middle name, they're going to choose either the town they're from or a street they lived on.

[Maggie Freeling]

It's making me think of DB Cooper.

[Laura Norton]

I know immediately. And then I started to be like, I'm going to do better than this when I go undercover and, you know, leave behind my husband, child, and mortgage, you know, but, you know, R.C. mansfield. Mansfield, of course, is the town that Richard Cox is from, Mansfield, Ohio. And so that was what was so fascinating about this. But the FBI source didn't pick up on it immediately, because why would you immediately think of Mansfield, Ohio? But luckily, our friend R.C. mansfield got drunk and explained it to him and let him know that he was indeed Richard Cox and that his mother and the army were looking for him, which makes me think he had to be pretty deep in his cups. There to explain that. And so the FBI source is, like, noted, goes back, shares the information, sets up another meeting, but RCD Mansfield never shows up. And it's really fascinating to me that rather than following up on this lead, the FBI just kind of pulls back and doesn't further explore it. Right.

[Maggie Freeling]

So 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. So it is alleged that perhaps George was a CIA recruiter and he was recruiting Richard. What I find confusing is why? Why Richard? Do you have any thoughts on that?

[Laura Norton]

I don't. Unless there's just a lot about his time in Germany that Richard simply never shared, even with the people who were working with him there, or if there's stuff that went on while he was at West Point that we simply do not know about. There are some people who thought that because of his ease in Germany, his contacts in Germany, his ability to speak Russian, that he would simply be able to move around easily, and that would have been helpful. That's the strongest theory I've seen.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yeah. I think what I'm a little. It confuses me is at the time they were building the CIA, they were doing a lot of recruiting. So if Richard was recruited to the CIA, wouldn't there have been a bunch of other guys going missing also? Like, wouldn't you have a bunch of missing West Point cadets? Like, why is just one missing?

[Laura Norton]

That's the interesting thing. And I also go back to, would the FBI have done such a thorough hunt for this man?

[Maggie Freeling]

Like, you mean, like, wouldn't they know from this? Like, you don't need to be searching?

[Laura Norton]

And I don't know how much these two agencies communicate.

[Maggie Freeling]

So from what I vaguely know is that they actually really don't. Like, the CIA is clandestine and they operate rogue. Is my understanding from my partner, who is actually a former army ranger who was going to go into the CIA. This is really interesting to me. From what I understand is they. It's. They do what they do. So the FBI would not need to be informed of something like this. Like, so, okay, we see this with witness protection, right? Police will be looking for a missing person. And then you hear these theories, like, oh, they were put into wit pro because they saw this thing. Well, police don't know that. Police don't need to know that. So my assumption and My understanding is it's similar. They don't need to know. In fact, it would be more secure for the FBI to not know that. But again, if it's so secretive to recruit to the CIA, they're obviously recruiting other people. Why are there not other missing cadets? Why just. Richard?

[Laura Norton]

The only thing I could come up with, and this is just on the fly, is that they needed him for something specific based on someone he knew that would be it, you know, and then they needed him to do something specific. And we're not talking necessarily high level operative here. Right. Because a lot of times we see them referred to like an FBI source, you know, a CIA source. And this is not someone who's out there doing what we consider to be like espionage, but just stuff, gathering information, living out in the world, doing things. So I do wonder if there was just something he learned when he was out there. We do know that they really looked into his background in Germany and found out he was not involved in the black market there because there was a thriving black market. What he mostly did was he played basketball, army basketball, and he did a lot of sightseeing. Those were the two major things he did in Germany. And that he was really interested in the rise of communism in Russia. That was something he was keeping up with and writing to a friend about actually, you know, that was what was going on. But did he encounter someone during his time there? Did he work for a particular officer when he was the clerk that, you know, may have created some connections they found valuable. So that, that's really, you know, the closest I can come up with. But would that then lead someone to maintain that secret identity for the rest of their lives and never contact their family again?

[Maggie Freeling]

Well, it's funny because any one of us could be a CIA operative sitting around here because it's so secretive. I know that's kind of the scary thing to me when I've talked with my partner about, like, what would you have done in the se. Like just finding out all these things about how the secret organization operates. Keyword, again, is secret. So we really don't know what. What they do. I find it interesting too, that allegedly the FBI had been within 24 hours of finding him, but they were abruptly removed from the case, suggesting that a higher up was pulling the strings. And the only higher up from the FBI would be CIA. And I think the other really interesting thing is too, is that this R.C. mansfield, he mentioned Cuba and Castro, and this was right before the Bay of Pigs invasion. So he, you know, this is interesting Pointing kind of to the CIA, too, because at the time, the CIA was trying to push out Fidel Castro from power in Cuba. And so the Bay of Pigs invasion was about to happen in 1961. And when the FBI met with this R.C. mansfield, he knew information about this before it happened, which, again, just makes me think that there was this CIA connection. I mean, he knew this information before it was happening.

[Laura Norton]

So when we look at the idea that maybe Richard was just trying to escape for whatever reason, Right? And we know there's kind of several reasons on the table. People have looked at this man named Dion Frisbee, and he first came to the attention of the public because of a citizen sleuth who was working with the Miami Herald, who then brought it to the attention of the police, who then investigated it. And they found that a man named Dion Frisbie, who had actually been stationed in Kentucky briefly with Richard, had actually come up on murder charges. He'd killed an elderly woman on a cruise ship. And this is how this all kind of came to light. And it turned out that he'd been living in New York City around the same time that Richard disappeared. And his major business there was black market fake IDs. And so the theory developed that perhaps he was George because he fit one of the physical descriptions, and it was the taller physical description. And people then said, what if he was George? And he made Richard a fake ID and helped him get out. My issue with this, although it's a very popular theory, is there are a few too many what ifs in that sentence for me. What if they reconnected? What if they did this? What if they did that? Right? And what if all of these things came together and it gave him a fake ID and helped him get out? But what if he never saw him again? What if he didn't remember Dion Frisby? You know, what if their paths never crossed? So that's kind of that angle for who George might be. Because I think that people headed in that way because they could find absolutely no George in the past of Richard Cox. They could fit. They looked into every single George he'd ever known. They actually almost arrested one George. And this is a George who knew a woman named Alice, you know, because he shouted a name that sounded like Alice down the stairs. They found out that poor guy had been at a dance on the night in question. They had to let him go. So to me, the whole Dion Frisbee angle, while interesting, is ultimately kind of grasping at straws.

[Maggie Freeling]

More on this case after a quick break.

[Unknown]

Everyone has that friend who seems kind of perfect for Patty. That friend was Desiree. Until one day I texted her and.

[Maggie Freeling]

She was not getting the text. So I went to Instagram. She has no Instagram anymore. And Facebook. No Facebook anymore.

[Unknown]

Desiree was gone. And there was one person who knew the answer.

[Payne Lindsay]

I am a spiritual person, a magical.

[Unknown]

Person, a witch, a gorgeous Brazilian influencer called Cat Tourists, but who was hiding a secret from Wondery. Based on my smash hit podcast From Brazil comes a new series, Don't Cross Cat, about a search that led me to a mystery in a Texas suburb. I'm calling to check on the two.

[Laura Norton]

Missing Brazilian girls, maybe get some undercover crew there. The family are freaking out. They are lost.

[Unknown]

I'm Chico Felitti. You can listen to Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

From the most prolific serial killers, to missing persons cases you've been invested in for years, to victims you've never heard of before. On Inhuman, a true crime podcast, we delve into some of the craziest true crime cases to give you an in depth look at the stories behind the names. If you are fascinated by the world of true crime, dive in with us today by listening to Inhuman. Check out Inhuman on any podcast platform or go to inhumanpodcast.com to learn more.

[John]

Hey, it's John from the up and Vanish team. If you're enjoying this episode, then you should check out the Tenderfoot original series Status Untraced Justin Alexander was a survival expert, a full time vagabond, and the kind of man who could disappear if he wanted to. But in 2016, after venturing into India's remote and unforgiving Parvati Valley, he didn't come back. Justin left behind whispers, half truths and a cryptic haunting. If I'm not back by mid September, don't look for me. The podcast takes you on a gripping journey into the unknown and a search through treacherous landscapes. And one thing becomes clear. In the wild, the line between lost and gone can be razor thin. Listen to Status Untraced wherever you get your podcasts or binge ad free exclusively on Tenderfoot plus. And now back to the show.

[Maggie Freeling]

One of the people who has found out a lot about this case is a retired history teacher named Marshall Jacobs. He decided to pursue this as a research project, and Jacobs probably got farther than a lot of people have gotten in his research. Can you tell me a little bit about what Jacobs found or what Jacobs believes?

[Laura Norton]

Yeah, so Jacobs was a writer who I think in his retirement got really obsessed with this case and just sort of doggedly followed it. He's not the only one, but he seems to have gotten the furthest, as far as we know, in terms of his research. His research can be seen as somewhat controversial in that the family of Richard Cox disputes almost all of his claims. But I think it comes down to what assumptions he makes about Richard's life and their essential point, which is they simply do not believe that Richard would have gone out of contact for the rest of his life. And Jacobs very strongly believes that not only did Richard join the CIA, but that Richard lived out his life not only overseas, but came back here and actually died in America under assumed identity without ever making contact with anyone he knew ever again. So I think that's something that's been kind of difficult for them to deal with if that was indeed the case.

[Maggie Freeling]

So, knowing all of this, Laura, and you've looked into this for a bit, and I said to you that I believe he went into the CIA. I think that's the most plausible. What do you think happened?

[Laura Norton]

I am, like, let's say 60, 40. Okay, so I'm like, 60, CIA, 40. Simply started a new life. I don't have quite enough to say it was the CIA. I know people saw him. Right, but you can see someone without them having joined the CIA, Right? They can be out and about in the world. I feel like if people had seen him overseas, that would push me 100% into the CIA camp because he knew so many people who'd been in the military and even people who'd been in intelligence, you know, who. They could have seen him overseas pretty easily. Um, I also wonder if he was indeed in the CIA, if he would have even acknowledged people who knew him or if he would have blown his cover. But then also, maybe I'm giving him too much credit, you know, So I don't know. But I. I do think we can 100% rule out foul play.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yeah. You're. You're buying the sightings? You believe he was actually seen alive?

[Laura Norton]

I do. I think they are credible sightings. Particularly that Shotwell sighting is credible to me.

[Maggie Freeling]

Mm. Yeah, I. I guess I struggle with running away to start a new life, I guess. Why? Again, I just. I just think you could have left West Point. Like, why?

[Laura Norton]

I don't have a good answer for that. Except that, you know, when you're 21, you don't have a full frontal cortex. I don't know. You know?

[Payne Lindsay]

Well, that's always.

[Maggie Freeling]

That's always my. My counter to this. Person ran off is. 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, just because he wanted to start a new life. It's. It's not plausible for me. Often, Often I would say in this situation, to me, it doesn't seem plausible either.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah. And to your point. Oh, you're working on me here. Even in the 1950s, I was reading some stats that over 95% of people who went missing were eventually found where foul play hadn't been committed.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yes.

[Laura Norton]

And I think without some help, it would be quite difficult. Now, certainly, people can start a new life. It was easier to get that paperwork in the 50s, but as old, it's more difficult still. And like you said, he could simply have waited out the year. He could have not gone back to West Point. Did he need to do all the pomp and circumstance to disappear? Where would he be getting the money? Of course he could have had money put away. But we know based on what we've learned in this episode, that they couldn't find a single bank account tied to him. So without some sort of outside source of money. And then who would be providing that?

[Maggie Freeling]

And he left all of his money.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah.

[Maggie Freeling]

He left a thousand dollars.

[Laura Norton]

Yeah.

[Maggie Freeling]

Which is a lot.

[Laura Norton]

It's a lot of money. And so he'd have to have someone giving him money. And who would that be? Okay, I'll go 80. 20. I'll go 80. CIA 20. Start a new life.

[Maggie Freeling]

Laura, thank you so much for talking with me about this case. If people want to know more about you or the work you do, where can they find you?

[Laura Norton]

So, of course, they can always listen to my podcast, the Fall Line or One Strange thing. I'm also a writer. My book Lay Them To Rest was released last year. I have a website, lauranorton.com you can learn more about that and my work on unidentified persons cases, John and Jane Does.

[Maggie Freeling]

I'm sure at this point, y'all can understand why this case drives me insane. There's a handful of really strong theories about Richard's disappearance, and each one has some level of credibility to it. And it's easy to go back and forth the deeper you dig. In March 1950, Lt. Col. Edwin Howell, the West Point provost marshal, told the Des Moines Register, I am convinced this is foul play. I'm sure we will not find this man alive. In July 1951, Ms. Rupert Cox told the Daily News, Dick was a fine boy who wouldn't worry us if he was thinking straight. Something must have snapped in his mind. There must have been some problem he couldn't work out by himself, so he took this way. Like I said earlier, it's extremely difficult to disappear yourself and start a new life completely disconnected from everything you once knew. And for someone like Richard, that seems impossible to do with a multi continent and multi agency search underway. Unless he was somehow helped by Someone. We're now 75 years past Richard's disappearance and it's very likely we will never know what happened to him. I think this case is a good reminder that we may not always understand what other people are going through or why they do certain things. It's also a reminder that sometimes we simply can't explain things. Y'all, thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of up and Vanish Weekly. Be sure to tune in next week as we dig into another new case. Until next time.

[Payne Lindsay]

Up and Vanish Weekly is a production of Tenderfoot TV in association with Odyssey. Your hosts are Maggie Freeling and myself, Payne Lindsay. The show is written by Maggie Freeling, myself and John Street. Executive producers are Donald Albright and myself. Lead producer is John Street. Additional production by Meredith Steadman and Mike Rooney. Research for the series by Jamie Albright, Celicia Stanton and Carolyn Tallmadge. Edit and mix by Dylan Harrington and Sean Nurney. Supervising producer is Tracy Kaplan. Artwork by Byron McCoy. Original music by Makeup and Vanity set. Special thanks to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at uta, Beck Media and Marketing and the Nord Group. For more podcasts like up and Vanish Weekly, search Tenderfoot TV on your favorite podcast app or visit us@Tenderfoot TV. Thanks for listening.

[Unknown]

I just found out that my dad lived a secret life as a hitman for the Chicago Mafia for all these years. It doesn't make any sense. He was a firefighter, paramedic. How the hell can he be a hitman? I need answers. So I am currently on a plane back to Chicago to interview everybody, anybody that knows anything about this. I'm in shock. This is absolutely insane. I just don't understand. I need to figure this out.

[Maggie Freeling]

The shocking new true crime series Crook county from Tenderfoot TV and iHeart podcasts is available now. Binge the entire series for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.