10 Mysterious Disappearances You've Never Heard Of

The story of New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater was, for a time, the most famous missing person case in the country. Crater, who disappeared on 6 August 1930, was 41 years old at the time, and already infamous for his alleged corruption and frequent affairs with showgirls. He was last observed leaving a restaurant in Manhattan on West 45th Street and, despite being the subject of a large-scale investigation, was never seen again.

In the days leading up to his disappearance, Crater received a mysterious phone call at his summer home in Belgrade, Maine. Telling his wife that he had to hurriedly return to New York, Crater arrived at his Fifth Avenue apartment the next day, but then continued on to Atlantic City in the company of his mistress. He returned to Maine briefly on 3 August before once again leaving for New York, promising to be back by 9 August.

He spent some time in his office, cashed checks worth around $80,000, and went to dinner with his mistress and a friend, William Klein. At some point, Crater left. Klein's and the mistress' accounts differ, but Crater was never to return.