No One Can Explain: He disappeared in a storm, was declared dead, and then showed up on television 8 years later.

It has happened before that someone disappears without a trace. There have been even more famous and well-known cases, but few are as bizarre as this one!

On March 15, 1957, Lawrence Joseph Bader, better known as Larry, a kitchenware salesman from Akron, Ohio, rented a boat, kissed his wife Mary Lou, and went fishing on Lake Erie.

Although there were weather warnings for a storm that day, Larry ignored them. As an experienced fisherman, he didn't need to worry much about being caught off guard by bad weather.

A few hours later, it seemed that exactly this had happened! The entire area was hit by a severe storm, and Larry was never seen again after setting sail.

His boat was found the next day. It had minor damage, and one oar was missing.

The Man Who Disappeared

Everyone concluded that Lawrence had perished in the storm. The lake was searched, but although his body was not found, no one thought it suspicious. The fact that the missing man had tax problems and a substantial debt of nearly $20,000 did not attract the attention of the police, and everyone agreed—it was a terrible accident and a great tragedy.

Lawrence left behind three children and a pregnant wife. The news that his widow would receive nearly $40,000 in life insurance, which would help her to continue with her large family, brought some comfort to the public and friends.

The Man Who Appeared

Eight years later, a family friend visiting Chicago experienced a minor shock when he met a man who looked incredibly like Lawrence! The "double" was named John Fritz Johnson, a well-known television and radio host from Omaha, a frequent wrestling commentator, and the winner of numerous shooting competitions.

He was married and had two children—one biological and one adopted. Just a year earlier, he had been diagnosed with a tumor behind his left eye, which led to the loss of the eye, and he wore a patch.

The family friend couldn't stop thinking about the man who resembled Lawrence so much. He brought Lawrence's niece to Chicago. Together, they found Johnson and openly asked him: "Are you Lawrence Joseph Bader, who disappeared eight years ago?"

Johnson laughed. He said he didn't know who Bader was and that he grew up in an orphanage and spent 14 years in the military before moving to Omaha.

However, he agreed to fingerprint, which was compared with those Lawrence Joseph Bader had left during his military service. The results matched!

Lawrence Joseph Bader and John Fritz Johnson were the same person!

Amnesia or Deception?

The case was incredible!

A team of psychiatrists examined Bader-Johnson for ten days. Their conclusion was clear: cases of amnesia lasting several years, in which a person "fills in the missing time" with false memories, are rare but not unheard of.

Another group of psychiatrists speculated that the tumor might have been responsible for Bader's memory loss.

In any case, both groups agreed—Larry genuinely did not remember his previous life and was not faking it!

Despite the experts' opinion, the public was convinced it was a scam.

The story of Bader's debts at the time of his disappearance resurfaced, as well as the fact that his family had received a large insurance payout based on his "death." He lost his job on television, as well as many of the friends he had made in his "second life," all of whom labeled him a fraud and a liar.

Bader's reappearance caused many problems for Mary Lou, his first wife. She lost her right to social assistance, which she had been receiving since his disappearance. The insurance demanded she return the money she had received. She had to break off her recently announced engagement.

Bader's second wife didn't fare any better—since he was already married when he wed her, their union was declared invalid. However, unlike Mary Lou, who did not want to have any further contact with her husband and soon sought a divorce, the second Mrs. Bader/Johnson decided to stay by her husband's side despite everything.

Ultimately, any further investigation into this bizarre case was halted by death—this time, for real! The malignant tumor that had cost Bader his eye returned in an even more aggressive form, and he passed away on September 16, 1966, in a hospital in Omaha. He was just under 40.

Whether it was a scam or Lawrence Joseph Bader truly did not remember who he was for eight years remains a mystery to this day.