WI WI-Leonard Lawrence Rader, 48, Douglas County, 01 Apr 1998

[ADKGemini]

Leonard Lawrence Rader Jr. – The Charley Project

Leonard Lawrence Rader Jr.

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Rader, circa 1998

• Missing Since04/01/1998
• Missing FromMinong, Wisconsin
• ClassificationEndangered Missing
• Age48 years old
• Height and Weight6'1 - 6'2, 180 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionPossibly carrying a knife, a backpack, and a 9mm pistol with two magazines.
• Medical ConditionsRader was possibly suicidal at the time of his disappearance. He may have had mental health issues stemming from his experience serving with the military in Vietnam.
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian male. Sandy brown hair, blue eyes. Rader may have a beard. He may wear prescription eyeglasses and/or sunglasses. He has gunshot wound scars on his right thigh and left knee, a scar on his right arm where he was burned with hot tar, and scars on his left arm and the right side of his face. He has previously fractured his nose and the right side of his collarbone. Rader's pants size is 34x32, his shirt size is large and his shoe size is 10 or 11.

Details of Disappearance
Rader was last seen by his attorney and his brother in Minong, Wisconsin on April 1, 1998. He has never been heard from again. He had previously left a suicide note for family members. Few details are available in his case
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Leonard - it's now been over 23 years.

 

[Pennysmom1]

most recent I could find Dec 2022

<<At the time, Leonard was possibly suicidal. He had previously left a note for family members. He has had possible mental health issues post-military service in Vietnam.

Leonard is a white male, 6’1”-6’2”, and 180 pounds. He has sandy-colored hair, blue eyes, and is known to have a beard at times.

He has burns from hot tar on his right arm, the right side of his face, and both thighs. He has military-related gunshot wounds involving his right thigh and left knee near his thigh. He has a scar on his left arm. He has previously fractured his right clavicle and has fractured his nose.

It is unknown what Leonard was last wearing, but he wears a size 34 waist, 32” length pants and size large shirts. He wears size 10-11 men’s shoes.

He was carrying a backpack, a knife, and may have had a 9mm pistol and 2 magazines for it. He may have also had sunglasses and prescription glasses.

Leonard was 48 years old when he went missing.>>

Leonard Lawrence Rader, Jr.

Leonard Lawrence Rader, Jr. was last seen by his attorney and his brother in Superior, Wisconsin (also referred to as Minong, WI) on April 1st, 1998. At the time, Leonard was possibly suicidal. He had previously left a note for family members. He has had possible mental health issues...

www.wimissing.org

 

[Teamir]

I located his father’s obituary newspaper clipping on this site.
Pasting the part that mentions the missing subject.

 

[Teamir]

From a News clipping, (Daily Tribune Wisconsin Rapids Nov 24, 1972) he may have been engaged at one time.

“Mr. and Mrs. Henry R. Ebsen 440 Saratoga announce the engagement of their daughter, Jean Patrice, to Leonard Lawrence Rader 830 19th Ave. son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard L. Rader Waunakee. Miss Ebsen is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and her fiance is the frozen food manager at the local Red Owl Store.” It’s interesting that she is mentioned in the obit as Jean Ebsen Rader - that would indicate they did get married?

Timeline:
Born approx 1950 (if 48 when he went missing in 1998)
Married sometime after 11/24/1972
Vietnam War ended April 1975 and from previous articles, it appears he served.
Missing 1998

Call me crazy, but I think he’s still alive somewhere, just a hunch.
He would be approx 74.

 

[Keiri]

I don’t think you are crazy but I think if someone leaves a suicide note they probably are dead.

 

[Keiri]

Important to note, the sheriff of his county said he was last seen in SUPERIOR, not in MINONG. This was changed from the original statement.

"Leonard was last seen by his attorney and brother in Superior, WI on 04/01/1998."

 

[Keiri]

He filed his will in February of that year. Seems he had been planning this. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access

The medal on a collar thing above is mason.

 

[Keiri]

Comps other than Virginia,
NamUs #UP15497 (not going to link because the cover photo is post-mortem)

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[Keiri]

His Doe link: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=6268DMWI

 

[Gee_rich1]

What about this unidentified doe?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

I know it’s quite far away, but the circumstances of this individual match Leonard

 

[Keiri]

Oh, Ring doe. I cannot figure how the initials HFM fit for him or any other missings. Seems like a man's ring, too.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Important to note, the sheriff of his county said he was last seen in SUPERIOR, not in MINONG. This was changed from the original statement.

"Leonard was last seen by his attorney and brother in Superior, WI on 04/01/1998."

Yes, Superior and Minong are approximately 50 miles apart, so it makes a difference where he was last seen. Also for anyone who might not know, Minong is located in a very forested area of Wisconsin.

 

[Teamir]

I located his father’s obituary newspaper clipping on this site.
Pasting the part that mentions the missing subject.

View attachment 495096

Clarifying that his father died 2/26/1998. So that was right before he disappeared.

 

[Teamir]

Located this and took a screenshot. It’s in answer to the question, what is your wish for the world.

 

[Keiri]

Yeah he was definitely hurt by the war, poor guy.

 

[Teamir]

Clarifying that his father died 2/26/1998. So that was right before he disappeared.

Adding that he was divorced from wife Jean on 11/18/1997. (Source 11/21/1997 Daily Tribune, WI Rapids) His address was Minong and her was WI Rapids. So he moved to a new area, got divorced and his father died, all in a 4 month span or so. That’s a lot.

 

[Teamir]

What I don’t understand though, is if he planned his death, and filed a will, why would he make his own body impossible to find - thereby causing years of issues getting the will carried out?

 

[Keiri]

I thought I read somewhere he stormed out of the lawyers office, did I read that wrong? Maybe he just gave up. Has the execution been finished? I’m not sure how much he even had.

 

[Teamir]

There’s a few case numbers for his probate; here’s one of them 1998PR000035.
All of the leins/ claims were settled and it’s all closed. His son was his heir.
Question: did he have a vehicle and was it ever located? If he lived in Minong, and his attorney was in Superior, then he must have. But where is it?