The disappearance of college student Ronald Tammen Jr.

Is it possible for someone to just disappear? Unfortunately, this country has thousands of missing persons cases. How can someone walk away from their life only to never be seen again? Is this even possible?

In reality, whenever someone goes missing, he or she was most likely murdered. It’s also possible the missing person walked away from his or her life. Nearly 70 years ago, one of Ohio’s strangest disappearances occurred within the walls of a college residence. It’s a story I’ve followed for years. Ronald Henry Tammen, Jr., 19, a Miami of Ohio college student, disappeared in 1953. The story has become legendary. There have been no breaks in the case since Tammen’s disappearance.

Ronald Tammen Jr. called Maple Heights, Ohio his hometown. He was born on July 23, 1933 and would eventually enroll at Miami of Ohio University. While attending college, he wrestled and joined a fraternity. On April 19, 1953, Tammen called Fisher Hall home. Around 8 p.m., he visited the Hall manager for clean sheets after someone placed a fish in his bed that Sunday evening.

After collecting his sheets, Tammen returned to his dorm room to study. He was last seen alive by the Hall manager. Tammen’s roommate arrived home around 10:30p.m. and noticed Tammen’s open psychology textbook in the room. And not only had Tammen left all the lights on, he had also left his wallet and keys behind.

The roommate wasn’t concerned until the next day when he noticed Tammen was missing. His fate remains unknown. Many theories exist about what happened that evening. While some believe he’s dead, others believe he might still be alive. A witness claimed that Tammen showed up at her home with no memory of his name.

Several people have reported seeing his ghost. Although it sounds far-fetched, this cannot either be proven or disproven. Twenty years after he vanished, the Butler County Coroner made an interesting statement. He said five months before Tammen’s disappearance; he had shown up at his office asking for a blood test.

The coroner found it to be a strange request and said Tammen was the only person to ever ask him for a blood test. In 1978, Fisher Hall was destroyed. After the building was demolished, there was an extensive search for Tammen’s remains. Law enforcement found no trace of Tammen.

So what happened to this young man? Could his disappearance have something to do with his lifestyle? He didn’t lead a dangerous life and was described as your typical All-American college student. He played string bass for the university’s school dance band and didn’t have any enemies. It’s believed he had under $20 on his person and $200 in his bank account. This means it’s unlikely he just walked away from his life with no money or belongings.

Law enforcement doesn’t believe anyone had abducted Tammen since there were no signs of a struggle inside his room. It is believed that Tammen had been experiencing some issues in his life. For instance, he was struggling in school. Law enforcement had learned that Tammen had spoken to his parents one week before he vanished. His parents said he seemed fine.

I began studying various theories about what could have happened to Tammen. There are theories that someone abducted and killed him. Another possibility was he could have been injured and suffered memory loss. There are even outlandish theories that he had a psychotic break or that he was a CIA operative. There have been no sightings of Tammen since he vanished.

So what happened to him? Did someone kill him or did he just abandon his life? Unfortunately, it’s unlikely we will ever learn the truth. Too much time has passed without any answers. He will forever remain 19 and the rumors and theories of what happened to Ronald Tammen will continue to keep us guessing about his last moments.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Catchmykiller. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer, where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.