Found Deceased KY - Raphael “Ray” Taliaferro, 79, radio journalist, Paducah, 10 Nov 2018

[HarvestMoon]

Ray could very well be trying to make his way back to California.
My heart is breaking on this one.

How?

Yeah a lot of folks particularly in the Bay Area are torn up over this.

 

[HarvestMoon]

If he is, I hope people are being kind to him.

Dementia can be odd--with my mother in law, she'd have clear spells and then go off into her own world. Her old memories were far more vivid than current ones. It wouldn't surprise me if he's trying to get to some place from his past--childhood home, perhaps?

The music minister he spoke with in the church said Ray knew his address in San Francisco.

Why didn't he go back to Brookport? Why didn't he go back to the rental car?

 

[rosesfromangels]

If he is, I hope people are being kind to him.

Dementia can be odd--with my mother in law, she'd have clear spells and then go off into her own world. Her old memories were far more vivid than current ones. It wouldn't surprise me if he's trying to get to some place from his past--childhood home, perhaps?

If I were going to look for Ray it would be at Radio stations and Baptist churches.

 

[Sapphires13]

How far and how difficult is it from the West End Baptist Church to the Ohio River downtown?

It’s a three mile fairly straight shot and slightly downhill the whole way. But it’s further than I would want to walk and I’m only in my 30s. The church he was last seen on is near two local bus routes and I suppose it’s possible that he could have caught one of them, but I don’t think it’s very likely that he rode a city bus that day and no bus driver has come forward to say they saw him.

 

[fred&edna]

Ray could very well be trying to make his way back to California.
My heart is breaking on this one.

Trying to make his way back "home" certainly makes sense to me. But, it's difficult to imagine Mr Taliaferro asking for a ride to CA, or catching a bus.

Of course it is entirely possible he accepted a ride from a stranger.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Trying to make his way back "home" certainly makes sense to me. But, it's difficult to imagine Mr Taliaferro asking for a ride to CA, or catching a bus.

Of course it is entirely possible he accepted a ride from a stranger.

I just had a wild card thought, and a rather happy one. He is an accomplished musician. Maybe he is playing a gig with a jazz band and sleeping musician style. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful outcome? : )
Unlikely, but can’t help but hope.

Where is the wife in all this? Has she been posting flyers and organizing search parties? I assume she took the obligatory polygraph and passed?

Amateur opinion and speculation

Editing to add a personal note to Ray:
Ray, i am one of your long time listeners and forever fans. We love you and want you to go back home to the Bay Area. Please call your son or your old station and let us all know you are okay. We love you!

 

[HarvestMoon]

It’s a three mile fairly straight shot and slightly downhill the whole way. But it’s further than I would want to walk and I’m only in my 30s. The church he was last seen on is near two local bus routes and I suppose it’s possible that he could have caught one of them, but I don’t think it’s very likely that he rode a city bus that day and no bus driver has come forward to say they saw him.

Thank you very much. It's quite appreciated to hear from someone local.

He was and is quite fondly thought of in the San Francisco Bay Area. A really smart man, it's sad to think of him so vulnerable with dementia out there like that- so very very far from friends and family.

Is there any thought at all locally of that river in this disappearance?

Any other bodies of water in those parks?

Ray was- a walker. Walked all over the city, made a real point of it. But since having dementia- I don't know how far he would get.

Too much of a mystery.

 

[Lilibet]

How far and how difficult is it from the West End Baptist Church to the Ohio River downtown?

Another former devoted KGO listener here (many years until the cruel firing of Ray and other KGO hosts in 2011)

From the looks of the captured video in the church, Ray had the short gait shuffled walk of one with dementia.

Been missing 3 weeks today.

You’re quite right about Ray’s short shuffled walk of one with dementia (or Parkinson’s). The church music director on the video linked below said that Ray didn’t seem to know what year it was when he commented that President Obama was doing well and he thought he’d be re-elected.

Missing radio host seen in Paducah church surveillance video

I have to wonder if time stopped for Ray when he was fired in the KGO purge in December 2011 with the other talk-show hosts...”the day the talking died” (shamelessly stealing from Don McLean’s “American Pie”). Ray was about 72 when it happened...I can’t imagine the sense of loss he must have felt. Please be OK Ray.

https://www.sfgate.com/entertainmen...hosts-ambushed-by-news-of-firings-2420461.php

I’m glad there are others here who remember Ray and the glory days of talk radio on KGO. Thank goodness my Mom didn’t live to see the end. It would have crushed her spirit. This was a community, and even if you never called in, you knew the frequent callers and you cared about them and the hosts. They kept you company and made you think. They weren’t even allowed to say goodbye.

 

[HarvestMoon]

You’re quite right about Ray’s short shuffled walk of one with dementia (or Parkinson’s). The church music director on the video linked below said that Ray didn’t seem to know what year it was when he commented that President Obama was doing well and he thought he’d be re-elected.

Missing radio host seen in Paducah church surveillance video

I have to wonder if time stopped for Ray when he was fired in the KGO purge in December 2011 with the other talk-show hosts...”the day the talking died” (shamelessly stealing from Don McLean’s “American Pie”). Ray was about 72 when it happened...I can’t imagine the sense of loss he must have felt. Please be OK Ray.

https://www.sfgate.com/entertainmen...hosts-ambushed-by-news-of-firings-2420461.php

I’m glad there are others here who remember Ray and the glory days of talk radio on KGO. Thank goodness my Mom didn’t live to see the end. It would have crushed her spirit. This was a community, and even if you never called in, you knew the frequent callers and you cared about them and the hosts. They kept you company and made you think. They weren’t even allowed to say goodbye.

You've got me crying here. No they and the very devoted fans never got to say goodbye. I have read that they had 3 minutes to leave the building. Gene, went into shock, and had to be aided out. Lifetimes devoted to that station- imagine how they felt.

Even those radios, sold out of Fortuna- I bet after the demise, they went belly up. (C Crane - I think they were called)

 

[HarvestMoon]

I think Ray by all accounts, went into isolation after being fired from KGO.

 

[Lilibet]

I think Ray by all accounts, went into isolation after being fired from KGO.

I’m not surprised if Ray went into isolation. Just a little over a year later, his son died at 50. Too much loss. But I’m glad he found love again recently, although I’m quite curious about marrying someone with dementia.

In Memoriam: Anthony Taliaferro

 

[fred&edna]

I’m not surprised if Ray went into isolation. Just a little over a year later, his son died at 50. Too much loss. But I’m glad he found love again recently, although I’m quite curious about marrying someone with dementia.

In Memoriam: Anthony Taliaferro

Anyone seen wife's name mentioned?

 

[HarvestMoon]

Anyone seen wife's name mentioned?

I have. But not sure it's ok to write it here?

 

[Lilibet]

I have. But not sure it's ok to write it here?

Yes. It was in MSM. We just can’t post our sleuthing. Quoting the link:

His wife, Charlotte Crawford, said he has “forgetful spells”.

Search continues for missing San Francisco radio host last seen in Paducah, KY

 

[HarvestMoon]

Yes. It was in MSM. We just can’t post our sleuthing. Quoting the link:

His wife, Charlotte Crawford, said he has “forgetful spells”.

Search continues for missing San Francisco radio host last seen in Paducah, KY

Good that you published it then- I suppose.

 

[Sapphires13]

Is there any thought at all locally of that river in this disappearance?

Any other bodies of water in those parks?

Not any indication that I have heard. But the Ohio river is swift and deep here and it’s hard to find bodies in it even when you know exactly where to look.

Other than the river, the large park that’s halfway between where he left his car and the Brookport bridge (that he likely crossed to come into Paducah) has a large pond/small manmade lake. But if he had fallen in there he would have been found quickly since it is an enclosed body of water. There is a nature trail that exits that park to go through a wooded area (and later connect to another park) which has a couple of bridges that cross over a creek. The creek is fairly shallow though.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I'm curious too. How can you legally marry someone with dementia? Are individuals with dementia considered able to consent?

 

[Lilibet]

I hadn’t noticed this in my first reading of this article about Ray’s visit with the church music director Brian Henry late in the afternoon Saturday Nov. 10:

Still, Henry said he was concerned for Taliaferro’s mental state. So Henry looked online for Taliaferro’s family members and found the man’s son on social media. They communicated back and forth before Henry learned from investigators that Taliaferro was reported missing.
Missing radio host seen in Paducah church surveillance video

I’m interested to know when Henry was told Ray was a missing person. It had to be after Nov 16 when his car was reported parked in Paducah. I wonder when Ray’s son was told Ray was missing. He may have tried calling his Dad’s phone which was left in the car, but may not have been able to reach the wife. Did she call the son?

From this quote in an article updated Nov. 28, I think we can figure out a timeline FWIW:

Massac County Sheriff Ted Holder says Taliaferro’s wife reported him missing 17-days-ago.

<snip for relevance>

Six days later on Friday, Nov. 16, the Sheriff’s office received more information.

On that Wednesday, the Independence Bank noticed the car. They reported it on that Friday.
Search continues for missing San Francisco radio host last seen in Paducah, KY

Timeline:

Saturday Nov 10–Ray disappeared on from IL.

Sunday Nov 11–Ray was reported missing in Massac County, IL

Do we know where his wife went or stayed on November 10 and subsequent days without the rental car?

Wed. Nov 14–his rental car was spotted at the Independence Bank in Paducah, KY.

Fri. Nov. 16–parked rental car was reported to Paducah Police, a week after Ray disappeared.

LE subsequently discovered Ray had spoken to people in the bank and at the Mellow Mushroom Nov 10. Do we know when LE discovered that Ray had also been to the church that day?

Fri Nov 23–The first MSM reports (I think), two weeks after Ray disappeared.

Where are you Ray?

 

[Lilibet]

I'm curious too. How can you legally marry someone with dementia? Are individuals with dementia considered able to consent?

It would depend on how advanced their dementia is. For example, we help look after a friend in assisted living who has dementia and no family. He knows us, is able to sign checks so I can pay bills, and he can carry on a conversation and make his wishes known very clearly! Almost two years ago when he was in the hospital, he was able to explain to a notary that he was giving power of attorney to another friend of thirty years to handle all his finances. This was something he had said he wanted previously, and we knew it was then or never, as it was only a matter of time before he couldn’t make such a decision legally and it would have to go to court. But we held our collective breaths while he explained what his wishes were! It could have gone either way. We would never betray his trust, but someone could have. He has deteriorated in the past two years, repeats himself constantly, and if I explain something to him he asks about it again in 30 seconds.

Ray was perhaps not as impaired six months ago as our friend is now, so maybe he was clear in the moment and could “legally” consent to marriage just as our friend was clear in the moment when he appointed our friend with power of attorney two years ago. It may be that Ray and his lady had been together for a long time, had planned to marry and it was now or never. I hope so.

 

[HarvestMoon]

More perplexing: initially Ray's wife reported to authorities that they had flown in the day before he disappeared. They had been driving around in the rental car for a month.