This case is perplexing. The main problem withe the "walkaway" theory is that he was retirement eligible in six months and could have "left" with a dependable income. I admit that he appeared to be "living below his means" and it is likely that he had some money stashed away. If he was cleaver, he could have gotten money into an offshore account without a paper trail. He could have a stash of cash buried somewher (that would earn no interest).
Living with a bogas identity would have entailed many risks and problems. Even with a "good" social security number and other basic id. He would be limited to marginal employment opportunities. Even if he were planing this for years I can't see him socking away more than a few hundred thousand and, realistically. that isn't likely to last all that long. Most walk offs I am aware of, involved folks who either had a stash, or more likley. were walking away from a situation involving financial insecurity and legal or other serious problems. This was not Ray's situation.
One possibility that no one has considered is that Ray was found by Law Enforcement but he was not found to have broken any laws and he did not want to be found. Privacy laws would prevent LE from disclosing any information but they would obviously drop the investigation. This case is pretty high profile and I would expect something to "leak" but this senario is actually a very common resolution of missing person cases/
Kemo, you're right. People do walk away from their lives, and LE does find them, and keeps the info confidential. It is not a crime to leave one's life behind for whatever reason. It IS a crime when deliberate misinformation is left behind, such as a fake suicide note or faked evidence of a kidnapping.
One thing you did not address was the possibility that he did not leave to be alone. That a person out of the spotlight has substantial income and means, and is a partner in Ray's walk away and subsequent life. We don't know, but it is possible.
I find it more credible to walk away right before retirement eligibility than to wait if financials were not a consideration. If he did walk away, then your argument against his doing so just before retirement is what most people are thinking. Why would he leave just before retirement set in?
Because the looming retirement, uncollected, is in itself a cloak.
Mr. Gricar probably handled many missing persons cases and knew of them incidentally. He would have known what to do to and how to do it regarding bank funds, ID, SS#, etc.
There are several aspects of the specifics of Mr. Gricar's life at the time of his disappearance which lead me to believe that a walk away is possible. I agree that LE should search if they don't know what happened to him, and that we should hope for the best always. But, if LE does know what happened to him and that he is safe, they are doing the right thing in keeping his confidence.
IMO, the unfortunate people who want to leave are those with high profile positions in life which attract media attention with their leaving.
Until just recently with the turmoil in the world financial markets, a person could live quite well, with minimal or faked ID, and in very lush surroundings in most parts of Central America, Costa Rica being the prime spot for voluntary walk aways.
Mostly, I believe that people have a basic right to live their own life exactly how they want to as long as they are not intending to commit a crime through their leave- taking. I also believe that many people live lives of quiet desperation because they lack the courage to walk away from a life that is lacking and pursue their passions, whatever and whoever those passions may be.