#8: The Disappearance and Reappearance of Lawrence Joseph Bader

Some people in life will do anything to get a second chance… And the case of Lawrence Joseph Bader, or should we say John “Fritz” Johnson, will shed some light on this situation. Lawrence Joseph Bader was a cookware salesman from Akron, Ohio, with financial problems. In 1957 Bader disappeared after he had gone fishing near his home… A nasty storm hit, and Bader’s boat was found all beaten and bruised. Many people thought Bader to be dead, but four days later, John “Fritz” Johnson set up shop in Omaha, Nebraska.

Over time, Fritz became somewhat of a local celebrity and loved the spotlight. Years later, in 1965, someone recognized Fritz in Chicago as Bader from Akron. This man even brought Bader’s niece to him in order to identify him for who he was. Throughout this process, Fritz maintained his identity and was even amused by the accusations. Fritz’s fingerprints were a match for Larry Bader’s, but he continued to maintain his identity as Fritz as he had no memory of life in Akron. They even got psychiatrists to examine him, but they believed he wasn’t lying… Fritz died in 1966, and the truth was never uncovered.