WI WI - Max Metcalf, 33, Princeton, 7 Oct 1958

[mst]

If Max was defaulting on the farm, is it possible he either took his own life or staged it in order to leave his family in a more secure financial situation? Or if watching his property being sold off too much to bear? The amount of hay supposedly stolen out of the barn would be quite physically strenuous to load and move. Then to move that amount off the farm without anyone noticing would be quite difficult unless it was moved to a neighboring farm, perhaps the neighbor that recanted his story? With the idea that he was in a financial crisis, could he have arranged a sale of the hay prior to his disappearance that only a select few knew about? Interesting that the part of the farm being sold was the parts that should have held animals. Animals need hay. What an odd case

 

[Keiri]

If Max was defaulting on the farm, is it possible he either took his own life or staged it in order to leave his family in a more secure financial situation? Or if watching his property being sold off too much to bear? The amount of hay supposedly stolen out of the barn would be quite physically strenuous to load and move. Then to move that amount off the farm without anyone noticing would be quite difficult unless it was moved to a neighboring farm, perhaps the neighbor that recanted his story? With the idea that he was in a financial crisis, could he have arranged a sale of the hay prior to his disappearance that only a select few knew about? Interesting that the part of the farm being sold was the parts that should have held animals. Animals need hay. What an odd case

The auction was going to happen whether he was alive or not, because it was set for so soon after his disappearance (if I recall right, a month?) and the hay was disputed if it was stolen or not. But the biggest question is did he have insurance, otherwise it wouldn’t help at all. I doubt it. His family ended up moving back home with her sister, I don’t think they benefitted from him being gone unless there was insurance or he was abusive or something. But if he did have insurance maybe it would help.

 

[mst]

The auction was going to happen whether he was alive or not, because it was set for so soon after his disappearance (if I recall right, a month?) and the hay was disputed if it was stolen or not. But the biggest question is did he have insurance, otherwise it wouldn’t help at all. I doubt it. His family ended up moving back home with her sister, I don’t think they benefitted from him being gone unless there was insurance or he was abusive or something. But if he did have insurance maybe it would help.

That's why I also offered the can't bear to watch it happen angle. I do wonder why his family bought it at auction instead of stopping the default to begin with

 

[Keiri]

That's why I also offered the can't bear to watch it happen angle. I do wonder why his family bought it at auction instead of stopping the default to begin with

I don't want to guess what happened to him because my guesses go to saying bad things about people which isn't allowed on here. But I strongly suspect his remains are near where the neighbor saw the grave. I don't think anyone's going to try to dig it up again, and it's private property (part of a golf course) now, so this one may remain unsolved Wife is deceased, but some of the kids are still alive. Not sure if a podcaster could reach out to them, they are still in the Princeton area.

 

[Richard]

]

Max Edward Metcalf, age 32, vanished from Princeton, Wisconsin on October 7, 1958.
Max was a US Air Force Veteran of the Korean War.

You are correct. The Dodge 330 was a car made between 1962 and 1964. Obviously an error in his case summary. His Pick up truck was probably made some time between 1947 and 1958.

It seems that the vehicle in question was a 1950 Dodge pick up truck, which is listed at the bottom of the auction notice.

Max was obviously a fan of McCormick-Deering Farmall equipment. He owned three Farmall tractors; 400, 300, and a C model - as well as a lot of associated Farmall implements.

 

[Keiri]

Error, disregard.

 

[Molly's Mom]

I don't want to guess what happened to him because my guesses go to saying bad things about people which isn't allowed on here. But I strongly suspect his remains are near where the neighbor saw the grave. I don't think anyone's going to try to dig it up again, and it's private property (part of a golf course) now, so this one may remain unsolved Wife is deceased, but some of the kids are still alive. Not sure if a podcaster could reach out to them, they are still in the Princeton area.

Could ground penetrating radar be used? That wouldn't disturb the land and it could settle if a body is there or not.

 

[Keiri]

Could ground penetrating radar be used? That wouldn't disturb the land and it could settle if a body is there or not.

Since the pd is actually just one guy in that town, I was thinking of contacting the green lake county sheriff (the guy who was in charge of the kayaker case) and asking him to take a look. He is pretty good about using tech.

 

[bartman333]

Could you please attach documentation that you found about Metcalf defaulting in August 1957 to Bluemke? I cannot find it in newspaper sites online. Thanks.

 

[snooptroop88]

An isolated cranium was found in Algoma, Kewaunee County WI (south of Door County) about two weeks after Max went missing, listing is Male/Multiple, had reached skeletonization. A hunter found the cranium. The decedent was 22-50yo. Algoma is on the western shore of Lake Michigan. I've got no idea if scavengers could have had significant impact where decomposition might have been more accelerated, no idea if the location near a large lake might have had an impact, no idea when the examination of the remains were done and if that might have had an impact.

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 Max disappeared from Princeton WI and his truck was located in Winnebago County. Oshkosh is about an hour and a half to Algoma.

And just an additional note on this, for the remains found, Namus lists "male/multiple." When I search, I'm trying to figure out if this means multiple races for the individual or uncertainty generally, and so far, it looks (?) like it could be either of these.

 

[Richard]

Could ground penetrating radar be used? That wouldn't disturb the land and it could settle if a body is there or not.

Ground penetrating radar or sonar can locate magnetic anomalies in the ground, but cannot specify what the anomaly is. Archaeologists have to dig to determine if it is a grave or not.

Use of this type of equipment is considered only sparingly for a number of reasons. First is expense of using the equipment, and then there is the monetary impact should something like a grave or graves are found. Any development or business is halted or impacted - and subsequent archaeological work will run up the cost.

Developers pay archaeologists to NOT find graves, or to limit their search to a specific area.

 

[Quoththeraven]

I’ll search for the tavern name. I’m still weirded out by the auction timing. The auction says the court was appointed receiver for the absentee owner - which is astonishingly fast. And where was the wife? Had the couple previously abandoned the farm? Usually you need to put notices to the absentee owner for a few weeks before the court would hear anything about a receiver.

And it makes the hay story sound like a lie. What’s going on here?

According to the auction notice, the farm was located 1.5 miles south of WI-23 on County Road T, which is located in Brooklyn Township, Green Lake County. Brooklyn Township borders Princeton Township to the west. A news article states the tavern was a half mile from the farm. I couldn't find any tavern within a half mile of the farm on Google.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Here it’s said he already had farmland there, but acquired more. Was this the land he bought with the kohnke family? Or the first lot? He was deeply in debt, and the auction only sells off his interest in the farm, not the kohnkes. I wish I could pull title to the farms. Who was he in debt to? The kohnkes? And in the wife’s obituary, the wife’s sister’s married name was kohnke. She moved off the farm and lived with family.

Now suddenly the tipster doesn’t remember where the disturbed dirt was.

Definitely deeply in debt.

Source: Green Lake County Reporter, October 30, 1958

ResCarta-Web - Image Viewer

archives.winnefox.org

 

[Richard]

It appears that the loan which they defaulted on was for farming equipment, and not for the farm itself. However, it is possible that other previously owned equipment or even real-estate might have been used as collateral to secure the loan.

I agree that it seems like the foreclosure and auction proceedings were started before Max went missing.

 

[snooptroop88]

This is pure speculation based off what I've read here and the scant information I can locate for Max and his situation online. I don't know about the tavern location, my guess is that it may be extremely difficult to trace the exact whereabouts of taverns in such a small, rural community in this timeframe, so cannot really question that aspect. Such an establishment may not even have had a listed number since patrons drinking in the taverns around these times often don't want to be disturbed while they're relaxing there. Also, the place may be somewhat "exclusive" to just a small group of in-the-know locals. The handbrake aspect is just extremely telling, the vocal argument he'd had with a hired man, the possible marital strife, the precarious financial situation, the theft of the hay... It all seems to indicate homicide by someone he was acquainted with, and something with a very personal aspect attached to it, not solely motivated by money. The handbrake found as it was with the vehicle behind a storage facility, that for me particularly indicates the involvement of another individual driving that man's truck, I just don't think Max committed suicide or that he simply took off, but jmo. Also don't think the wife was behind it, solely because of that handbrake. And she did apparently make some efforts to hang onto the property, but could not manage it. But where are his remains after all of these years?? I tend to veer away from the Oct 20 Doe, that would have to be extremely accelerated decomposition for someone to come across "only" a cranium with no other bones. I did research, though, and there are turkey vultures in those areas, they gravitate towards the shorelines of Lake Michigan during migration season, and they can strip a corpse in a matter of hours. But the idea of him buried on the property-- it sounds entirely possible, and it's a terrifying thought because as one poster has noted on here, this case will probably go forever unsolved. And that's tragic for everyone, jmo.