Joe and his wife were on vacation in their cottage on a lake in Maine on the 3rd of August, 1930. The 9th was her birthday and the two were going to celebrate. Joseph Force Crater was a justice of the New York Supreme Court. He received a phone call that day and left immediately for the city, promising to return in time for his wife’s birthday. Crater never returned. He was last seen getting into a cab after dinner with some friends. He waved them goodbye and then he was gone. That was August 6th. Three days later, a very worried Mrs. Crater received her birthday present – a bright red canoe. It was hand delivered to her cottage.
On this eery note, the search began. The lake was scoured, New York was questioned, their New York apartment was searched twice, and nothing was found. There was no trace of Judge Crater. The search went on for months to no avail. There was absolutely no trace of the man, no motive or evidence of his murder, and not a clue to what had transpired in that taxi.
In January of the following year, Mrs. Crater was putting away somethings in her dresser drawer when she noticed a plain yellow envelope with her initials on it. Immediately she noticed that it was Joe’s handwriting. Inside, there was $6,000 and a letter for her either dead or missing husband. The letter was not dated, but it had not been found the year prior during either of the two searches of her apartment.
How did the letter get there? Did Joe put it there? Did someone deliver it on his behalf? Why is it here now? Was it there before? Does this mean he is still alive? If he is alive why is he in hiding?
In 1939, Crater was declared legally dead. His case was never solved.
Can you solve the mystery? Learn more about this missing judge in The Empty Robe.
Other Events Today In history…
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
First Woman Swims the English Channel
Bolivia Independence Day
Voting Rights Act of 1965 Signed: Anniversary
Source:
Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013
Augh! I’m getting chills!