Leonard Dirickson missing case

[UMfan77]

Does anyone remember watching this case, probably from the 2000 season. Leonard Dirickson, who was a dairy farmer, was sitting down having breakfast with his 19 yr old son at their house, when an unknown white pick-up truck pulls up to thier house. Neither Leonard or his son recognize the truck, so Leonard goes outside to see what is going on. Leonard comes back in and tells his son that the guy in the truck is interested in seeing some horses. Leonard is never seen again by his family. A waitress at a restaurant saw Leonard with a guy having breakfast, the same day Leonard disappeared. Six months later, Leonard was seen drunk at a dance club, but the person who called in the sighting was never found. Some people speculated that Leonard left at his own free will, but his family doesn't believe that.

[SJP1313]

I found this short article about the case. Sheds some light on his situation I think. -

Investigators, family search for answers to man's disappearance

ELK CITY, Okla. (AP) -- It has been more than two years since Jared Dirickson saw his father at his Strong City farm climbing into a truck with a stranger to view stud horses.

Nowadays, Jared sees Leonard Dirickson only in his dreams, in photographs or on tattered fliers still taped to the doors and windows of area businesses.

''I love him a lot,'' Jared Dirickson said. ''I wish I could see him again. I pray to God he will let me see him again.''

Leonard Dirickson's family would celebrate his 42nd birthday Tuesday, but few things have been normal for the family since March 14, 1998, the day he drove out of their lives.

Investigators also have been confounded by the disappearance.

''We really don't know what happened,'' said Joe Hay, Roger Mills County sheriff. ''We know as much now as the first day he was reported missing.''

Dirickson and his wife, Kathy, built their own dairy business in Strong City. They divorced in 1996, splintering the family with a bitter battle for the couple's two children.

Jared's 16-year-old sister, Connie, lives with her mother in Hammon. Jared lives with his grandparents.

After the divorce, plummeting prices and high feed costs forced the Dirickson's dairy business to fold. Dirickson sold out in December 1997 -- three months before he vanished.

''Leonard was having a lot of financial problems,'' Hay said. ''I don't even think his family realized how bad it was.''

In January, Dirickson found work at a local metal company and told his parents he liked it. He enjoyed the work so much, his father thought about buying the company for his son.

Then he was gone.

Relatives believe he had less than $150 cash on him that day. His last paycheck was not cashed. His credit cards, although maxed out, have had no activity on them.

''Now every time I read in the paper or hear on the news that a body was found, I wonder,'' his mother, Norma Dirickson, 69, said. ''I have to check to see if it's Leonard. I've even walked all the canyons around here to see if I might find him.

''In my heart, I know something bad has happened. He wouldn't have left Jared. They were just too close.''

Investigators have their doubts.

In September 1998, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation received a call from a man in an Amarillo, Texas, bar. The man claimed he knew Dirickson and that Dirickson was in the same bar.

''By the time authorities could check on it, no one could be found,'' Hay said. ''Not even the guy who made the call. We've gone down there, and sat in that bar all night long. Nothing.

''We don't know if he's still alive, but I'm convinced he's still out there somewhere.''

Don Dirickson, Leonard's Dirickson's 73-year-old father, hopes the sheriff is right.

''If he's alive, I just want him to come back home,'' he said. ''Jared needs him worse than we do.''

[UMfan77]

Thanks for posting that article. The fact that Leonard was in financial trouble would make everyone believe that he ran away to start a new life but he was very close to his son. I personally think that he's not alive because way too much time has passed and I truly think that he would've tried to make some type of contact with his family. Maybe the man in the white pick-up truck was a violent criminal. It was said in Unsolved Mysteries that Leonard's horses that were for sale, was never advertised.

[Hambone2421]

This case recently re-aired and I had never seen it before. Its odd to me that the guy who made the phone call from the bar is taken so seriously by the investigator. The investigator says he believes him 100% that he saw Leonard at tat bar. I wonder what would make him say that even though he didn't leave his name or why he was so sure?

There doesn't really seem to be a motive for killing Leonard as the horses Leonard says the man in the truck wanted to look at were never stolen. Some of his ranch hands said that Leonard didn't even stop by that day to look at horses. Just a very very strange case. Does anyone else have any opinions?

[Mastermind]

There doesn't really seem to be a motive for killing Leonard as the horses Leonard says the man in the truck wanted to look at were never stolen. Some of his ranch hands said that Leonard didn't even stop by that day to look at horses. Just a very very strange case. Does anyone else have any opinions?

1. Leonard in all likelihood knew this man that he left with that day. Maybe it's the D.C.'er in me, but I find it odd that he would up and go just then and there to leave with a stranger.

2. Seems like going to see a horse, was an excuse Leonard gave. I think the meeting had some other purpose. He didn;t want to alarm Jared.

3. What could be that important that would require that urgent a response from Leonard? Especially that early in the morning.

4. If you buy the eyewitness report..the conversation and meeting was civil.

5. If Leonard wanted to leave town, he could have found a more opportune moment to vanish. That early before eating breakfast seems strange(he didn;t finish his breakfast, right?)

6. Leonard was having financial problems before his death.

My going theory is that was killed because he couldn't pay up a drug debt.

For some reason it's quite common for your drug dealers or mobsters to eat with the victim before offing him. I guess, maybe because it puts the victim at ease.

I've heard stories of drug dealers in DC, taking their victim out for MacDonald's, and then later bringing him back to his house to kill him.

[Hambone2421]

My going theory is that was killed because he couldn't pay up a drug debt.

For some reason it's quite common for your drug dealers or mobsters to eat with the victim before offing him. I guess, maybe because it puts the victim at ease.

I've heard stories of drug dealers in DC, taking their victim out for MacDonald's, and then later bringing him back to his house to kill him.

What do you make of the man in the club in Amarillo claiming he knew Leonard and that Leonard was in a bar in Amarillo? Do you think this guy was mistaken, lying or do you think it could have been Leonard?

[Mastermind]

What do you make of the man in the club in Amarillo claiming he knew Leonard and that Leonard was in a bar in Amarillo? Do you think this guy was mistaken, lying or do you think it could have been Leonard?

I believe it is credible.

[Hambone2421]

I believe it is credible.

Any specific reason? Only reason I ask is because the LE agent that was interviewed for the segment seemed like he knew for a fact that the caller was correct and that it was Leonard. To me, that seems odd that the cop would believe him even though he wouldn't leave name or phone number, then he wasn't even at the bar when the cops came. To me, it just seems like another person with a bogus tip. If its legit, why not stay and wait for the cops to arrive and tell them where he was sitting, which beer bottle he had, etc... Then the cops could possibly try to get a print and match it to Leonard's.

The only way I believe that the sighting was credible is if the caller was one of Leonard's kidnappers/abductors/accomplices and was starting to have second thoughts or doubts and wanted the cops to intervene right then and there. Who knows, maybe they were getting him drunk just to kill him later that night and the caller didn't want to be in on that. But then again, if they are trying to harm Leonard, why wait 6 months? UM stated that the bar sighting came 6 months after he vanished. Seems odd.

[Corky Kneivel]

Any specific reason? Only reason I ask is because the LE agent that was interviewed for the segment seemed like he knew for a fact that the caller was correct and that it was Leonard. To me, that seems odd that the cop would believe him even though he wouldn't leave name or phone number, then he wasn't even at the bar when the cops came. To me, it just seems like another person with a bogus tip. If its legit, why not stay and wait for the cops to arrive and tell them where he was sitting, which beer bottle he had, etc... Then the cops could possibly try to get a print and match it to Leonard's.

The only way I believe that the sighting was credible is if the caller was one of Leonard's kidnappers/abductors/accomplices and was starting to have second thoughts or doubts and wanted the cops to intervene right then and there. Who knows, maybe they were getting him drunk just to kill him later that night and the caller didn't want to be in on that. But then again, if they are trying to harm Leonard, why wait 6 months? UM stated that the bar sighting came 6 months after he vanished. Seems odd.


I've thought the same exact thing since the 1st time I saw that segment. Why is so much credence given to someone who insisted on being anonymous and split before investigators got there?

The only thing I can come up with is that its easier on the investigating authorities to treat Mr. Dirickson as a willfully missing adult rather than devote the manpower and energy to treating it a fou play investigation when there is no evidence to support this. That's not to put the investigators in a negative light, just a practicality.

[Hambone2421]

I've thought the same exact thing since the 1st time I saw that segment. Why is so much credence given to someone who insisted on being anonymous and split before investigators got there?

The only thing I can come up with is that its easier on the investigating authorities to treat Mr. Dirickson as a willfully missing adult rather than devote the manpower and energy to treating it a fou play investigation when there is no evidence to support this. That's not to put the investigators in a negative light, just a practicality.


I agree. I'm not sure if its because they are taking the easy way out, but I do believe that they may be hiding something. I can remember the LE agent's face when adamantly said he believed the tip to be credible. I wonder if it was someone he knew or possibly another cop that didn't want his name released. It just seems so strange that this mystery caller is believed without ever talking to him face to face or describing the alleged person that he supposedly saw. Just saying "I know Leonard Dirickson and I know that I'm looking at Leonard Dirickson.", just doesn't do it for me. (Supposedly, that is what the mystery caller told the cops when he called to report seeing Leonard) I would need more proof or evidence before I adamantly declared this sighting to be credible.

[Mastermind]

Any specific reason? Only reason I ask is because the LE agent that was interviewed for the segment seemed like he knew for a fact that the caller was correct and that it was Leonard.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the investigator knew something else that verified the witness claims. Something that was not and will not be released to the public.

1.Perhaps the witness had been a source or informant at some time?

2.It was a bar. Not unusual for barflies and bartenders to be good sources of information on people.

They see a lot, hear a lot and know a lot.

Not to mention alcohol loosens tongues and lets people say things that they shouldn;t.

3. There may have been some identifying feature, mark or whatever that made it very obvious to the police that the subject was Leonard. What that was probably is being withheld for the investigation.

[WishfulDreamer]

Didn't someone else at the bar confirm the guys story? A woman working at the bar? I'm not saying this makes the sighting credible just because there's someone else who said they saw the same thing or anything like that, just wondering if that's why they believed the account.

[Hambone2421]

Didn't someone else at the bar confirm the guys story? A woman working at the bar? I'm not saying this makes the sighting credible just because there's someone else who said they saw the same thing or anything like that, just wondering if that's why they believed the account.

I could be wrong but I don't think there was anyone else there that verified the story. The LE agent said that once they got to the bar, they couldn't find Leonard or the man who called. He said they waited there til the bar closed hoping that one of them would return but never did.

[WishfulDreamer]

Hmm...I seem to remember someone corroborating the story but I would have to see the segment again to be sure.

[crystaldawn]

Hmm...I seem to remember someone corroborating the story but I would have to see the segment again to be sure.

One of the more baffling UM cases to me. Yes I do believe UM stated that LE did go to that bar and showed Leonard's picture and the bartender corroborated the story that he was there. I can see Leonard being stressed out with bills but it was the way that he disappeared. Having this "stranger" pick him up. I don't really think he met with foul play as like the segment said why would you be seen in public eating breakfast with a man you're soon going to kill? What I don't get is if he did leave on his own what he has done to his poor son. He had to have known that Jared would be worried sick that day when he never arrived and every day he was missing. The only thing I can think of is that Leonard, in his possibly deeply depressed state, wasn't thinking clearly and thought Jared would be better off without him and left to avoid all his financial problems. Still a lot of things about this case make no sense.

[Mastermind]

I don't really think he met with foul play as like the segment said why would you be seen in public eating breakfast with a man you're soon going to kill?


1. Well it;s not a murder till the body is found. So he really runs no risk. If he's going to hide the body, it doesn;t really matter.

2. He may have not been the person that ultimately killed Leonard. All this guy may have done was to pickup Leonard. For all we know this guy may be completely innocent and was just planning to do some business with Leonard when they ran into

3. The killer may not have had a choice. Leonard may have been the one that requested they stop for breakfast. Rather than draw suspicion at

4. Murder may not have been the goal of the meeting. It may have been much later that the decision to "off" Leonard occurred to the killer.

5. The person Leonard met with may be "missing" as well.

6. It's one thing to be seen with Leonard...it's another thing to be identified by name. Apparently nobody knew the guy so he was never identified. Which probably means that this guy wasn;t local or known to the people in the town or the bar.

[RobinW]

In most missing persons cases, I definitely do believe family and friends when they claim that the person would never leave on their own and abandon them and never try to contact them.

However, the Alex Cooper case they did on UM definitely gave me a different perspective on things. Here was a someone who looked like a sweet old man that genuinely loved his family and no mental illness issues, but because of personal pride, made a pretty stupid and seflish mistake by disappearing and giving his family the impression he had with foul play. And this was all because he was worried about them finding out he changed his name after committing some petty theft crime 35 years beforehand where the statutes of limitations had probably expired. Before the guy was found, I'm sure almost NO ONE who originally watched this segment would have thought that he disappeared on his own.

As rare as it is, sometimes people who genuinely do love their family will abandon them for a silly reason, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that Leonard Dirickson did the same thing.

[soilentgreen]

I don't put much credence into the sighting; I just find it odd that Dirickson would yell out his name in a bar, and have another person coincidentally be there who knew about his case.

Would Dirickson willingly skip out on his life, when it was already well established that he was in financial dire straits and his farm was already sold? No mention of official bankruptcy but I assume it wasn't far off; suicide is a possibility.

Apparently his father was willing to purchase a business for him (I am curious why there was no mention of Dirickson's father attempting to refinance or purchase the farm, though), so he did, to some degree, have financial options. So for what purpose was the guy there? A man who apparently knew how to find his isolated farm and never, as far as we know, checked back in about purchasing a horse.

If it wasn't murder, Dirickson may have decided to run off due to threats from criminal elements that he had been involved with. UM doesn't provide much information about his life in the months prior to his disappearance.

[RobinW]

The only way I could see Leonard Dirickson willingly disappearing from his family and breaking off all contact with them is if (much like Alex Cooper) he had some secret that he was just too ashamed to share. I'd always like to believe that if someone who genuinely loved their family willingly disappeared, the least they could do is make a quick phone call to them to clarify that even though they won't be coming back, they are still alive and well. As cruel as it is to be abandon one's family, it's even crueler to force them to live in painful uncertainty about what's happened to you.

[WishfulDreamer]

This case is very fishy. I always thought the bar event was very shady. But interestingly enough, the waitress there coorborated the witness' story. I think, though, sadly the man in the truck was there to commit foul play. It just seems the most logical explanation.

[Zlatko]

This case is very fishy. I always thought the bar event was very shady. But interestingly enough, the waitress there coorborated the witness' story. I think, though, sadly the man in the truck was there to commit foul play. It just seems the most logical explanation.It certainly is interesting that the waitress did back up the witness' story. Because of that, I think there's a good chance Leonard is still alive.

Still, it's a bit ominous that Leonard was last seen with some unknown guy. It's also bizarre that Leonard went with the guy on his own will. Maybe he was involved with shady people.

BTW, this would be a great case for ID's show 'Disappeared.'

[TheCars1986]

I know this has no relevance at all to Leonard's disappearance, but I always thought he looked like Wyatt Earp.

[Clockworkhigh]

There are two schools of thought here:

For starters I don't think the fact that his last cheque wasn't cashed gets brought up enough. Not to mention his credit cards not being used. This leads you to believe he was murdered/missing unvoluntarily.

I'm sorry but I don't buy the sighting of Leonard 6 months later at a bar in Texas. It's weak at best. The witness never stuck around, he never gave his name and even though the waitress corroborated the story how in the world can she be sure it was him? She didn't know him, the guy was from out of state. I have believed eye witness accounts in the past, but this was is fishy.

If you abandon your family I hardly doubt you would be whooping it up at a country bar with ease.

I am also not convinced that the guy who came by the house was the killer. Leonard was a farmer, there was legitimate business that could have been done. It wouldn't have been hard for someone to refer them to Leonard, I'm sure that happened all the time. Maybe he is the killer, who knows, and maybe Leonard got into some trouble that caused him to go missing.

All I can say is that I think he is likely dead now and did not leave by choice. Too bad, because the interview with his son kind of broke your heart

[Thiussat]

Something people are overlooking: The segment said he just went through a bitter divorce and had been in a custody battle at one point. I say look at the wife. The man in the white truck obviously appeared to be using the horse as a ruse to get Leonard to leave with him. Was he a hit man? Possibly. Though, I admit driving to his home to pick him up is quite brazen.

Another possible scenario, as others have pointed out, is a drug deal gone bad. I think the "start a new life" theory is sort of weak because of the circumstances of his disappearance. He wasn't prepared, had only a $150 on him and left absolutely everything behind. The caller at the bar could have been someone involved in his murder trying to throw the authorities off. Or it could have been a simple case of mistaken identity (as is so common in these cases).

Other thoughts: the sketch of the man in the truck looks like Toby Keith, the country singer.

[Clockworkhigh]

Something people are overlooking: The segment said he just went through a bitter divorce and had been in a custody battle at one point. I say look at the wife. The man in the white truck obviously appeared to be using the horse as a ruse to get Leonard to leave with him. Was he a hit man? Possibly. Though, I admit driving to his home to pick him up is quite brazen.

Another possible scenario, as others have pointed out, is a drug deal gone bad. I think the "start a new life" theory is sort of weak because of the circumstances of his disappearance. He wasn't prepared, had only a $150 on him and left absolutely everything behind. The caller at the bar could have been someone involved in his murder trying to throw the authorities off. Or it could have been a simple case of mistaken identity (as is so common in these cases).

Other thoughts: the sketch of the man in the truck looks like Toby Keith, the country singer.

I get the feeling the wife has been cleared. Nice point though and this wouldn't be the first divorce to end up in murder. Dennis Dupue, possibly Steven Page for those that believe he did it (I don't) are examples.

But the son looked like he was 19 or 20. And the daughter was in her teens too. That wouldn't be much of a custody battle in my mind.

[TheCars1986]

In all honesty the amount of debt Leonard could be the sole factor in his disappearance. Whether or not he left on his own is up for debate. I personally think he borrowed money from some shady people, they sent an intermediate person, who was friendly with Leonard (the "mystery guy" his son saw that morning) to pick him up (under the pretense of a meeting as to when Leonard would come up with the money). I think when he was brought to these people he was ultimately killed and his body hidden.

[Thiussat]

In all honesty the amount of debt Leonard could be the sole factor in his disappearance. Whether or not he left on his own is up for debate. I personally think he borrowed money from some shady people, they sent an intermediate person, who was friendly with Leonard (the "mystery guy" his son saw that morning) to pick him up (under the pretense of a meeting as to when Leonard would come up with the money). I think when he was brought to these people he was ultimately killed and his body hidden.

Very plausible. The waitress at the cafe said the unknown fellow did all the talking while Leonard just listened. It seems to me that he may have been "laying the law down" about paying the debts.

I still think the guy at the bar who claimed to have seen Leonard might have been a ruse in an attempt to make authorities believe he was still alive.

[TheCars1986]

Very plausible. The waitress at the cafe said the unknown fellow did all the talking while Leonard just listened. It seems to me that he may have been "laying the law down" about paying the debts.

I still think the guy at the bar who claimed to have seen Leonard might have been a ruse in an attempt to make authorities believe he was still alive.

If the witnesses at the bar are correct, and they in fact really did see Leonard then this is nothing more than a case of a man who was in over his head in debt who just decided to leave and start a new life. Alex Cooper is a great example of a "disappearance" profiled on UM in which the guy was really alive and well the whole time, and not once did he make any effort to contact his family until after the authorities found him.

[lindamichelle1]

wow weird case! just watched it on youtube.
One of the first things i thought was maybe it was a date? maybe he was secretly gay and put in a personal ad and this guy responded, and leonard gave him his address, then then guy randomly turned up (thats why he didnt recognise him) went to talk to him found out who he was and made up the story about the horse. (WHY would somenoe wanting to buy a horse off you agree to go out to breakfast?)

Still i dnot know what would make him completely up and walk out of his life, while is teenage son was at home alone

Even though he was in financial trouble, it said his father was rich, willing to buy him a business etc. so its not like he was going to be homeless, unless he had got himself into alot more debt then anyone realised.

Maybe the anonymous caller WAS lenoard and it was a way to let his family know he is still alive without directly telling them coz he is in hiding

[TheCars1986]

wow weird case! just watched it on youtube.
One of the first things i thought was maybe it was a date? maybe he was secretly gay and put in a personal ad and this guy responded, and leonard gave him his address, then then guy randomly turned up (thats why he didnt recognise him) went to talk to him found out who he was and made up the story about the horse. (WHY would somenoe wanting to buy a horse off you agree to go out to breakfast?)

Still i dnot know what would make him completely up and walk out of his life, while is teenage son was at home alone

Even though he was in financial trouble, it said his father was rich, willing to buy him a business etc. so its not like he was going to be homeless, unless he had got himself into alot more debt then anyone realised.

Maybe the anonymous caller WAS lenoard and it was a way to let his family know he is still alive without directly telling them coz he is in hiding

The gay angle makes no sense. It's not that uncommon that people will go out over a meal to discuss a business matter. Maybe this "mystery guy" was hired by the people Leonard owed money to, to go their under a ruse to buy a horse only to kill him.

[lindamichelle1]

yeah but how would they go from being on his property looking at a horse, to being in town having breakfast?

[TheCars1986]

yeah but how would they go from being on his property looking at a horse, to being in town having breakfast?

If the horse was being kept and "trained" at another property, it would make perfect sense to go out to breakfast before heading over there.

[Hambone2421]

There are two schools of thought here:

For starters I don't think the fact that his last cheque wasn't cashed gets brought up enough. Not to mention his credit cards not being used. This leads you to believe he was murdered/missing unvoluntarily.
100% agree. This is something I always bring up when a person goes missing or is presumed missing; is their ongoing transactions with the bank and/or credit cards.

I'm sorry but I don't buy the sighting of Leonard 6 months later at a bar in Texas. It's weak at best. The witness never stuck around, he never gave his name and even though the waitress corroborated the story how in the world can she be sure it was him? She didn't know him, the guy was from out of state. I have believed eye witness accounts in the past, but this was is fishy.

Agree as well. I think that in some cases, a few yahoo's will get word of a missing person, do research on this person including their height, weight and appearance and then call the police claiming to have seen them. It happens all too much and almost every time, when the police arrive at this place they were supposedly at, they "just missed them."


I am also not convinced that the guy who came by the house was the killer. Leonard was a farmer, there was legitimate business that could have been done. It wouldn't have been hard for someone to refer them to Leonard, I'm sure that happened all the time. Maybe he is the killer, who knows, and maybe Leonard got into some trouble that caused him to go missing.

Agreed. Leonard could have been hit by a drunk driver and had his body hidden. We just don't know. However, I would not write off that guy as a suspect just yet. Leonard and his son seemed to have a close relationship. When I was growing up and living at home, I would always tell my parents when I was leaving and when they could expect me back and they did so vice versa just to keep each other in the loop. Leonard's son seemed to indicate that they did the same and he found it odd that his Dad went off with this guy and did not tell him who it was. His son seemed to genuinely love and respect his father. I've always assumed that Leonard was in with some bad people by force due to his debt and did not want his son to know about it.

[Avante]

His financial trouble could also be his motivation to get into the truck of a stranger to sell his horse. He likely wanted the money and perhaps this person offered an above market price for it.

Although his family might have not known about his financial trouble, other could have.

[Hambone2421]

We all assume that this person Leonard was last seen with was a "mystery person" but for all we know, this could be someone Leonard knew well and did business with alot but just did not tell anyone about. Just throwing that out there.

Also, one avenue that tends to be overlooked is that during the segment, Stack said Leonard had just been through a bitter divorce and custody battle. Is it possible that his ex wife had anything to do with this. Maybe the mystery person was someone acquainted with the ex who killed Leonard.

[TheCars1986]

We all assume that this person Leonard was last seen with was a "mystery person" but for all we know, this could be someone Leonard knew well and did business with alot but just did not tell anyone about. Just throwing that out there.

Also, one avenue that tends to be overlooked is that during the segment, Stack said Leonard had just been through a bitter divorce and custody battle. Is it possible that his ex wife had anything to do with this. Maybe the mystery person was someone acquainted with the ex who killed Leonard.

That's an interesting theory. It actually makes sense that the wife would have motive to "off" Leonard as a way to regain custody of their son. I am convinced the guy Leonard was last seen with had something to do with his disappearance. If it were a legitimate business transaction, or a friend of Leonard's, I'm sure he would have surfaced by now to clear himself of any wrong doing. If he was a friend of Leonard's he most certainly would have known he was missing and would have wanted to come forward to provide information about what he knew (since he was the last person seen with him).

[Zlatko]

That's an interesting theory. It actually makes sense that the wife would have motive to "off" Leonard as a way to regain custody of their son. I am convinced the guy Leonard was last seen with had something to do with his disappearance. If it were a legitimate business transaction, or a friend of Leonard's, I'm sure he would have surfaced by now to clear himself of any wrong doing. If he was a friend of Leonard's he most certainly would have known he was missing and would have wanted to come forward to provide information about what he knew (since he was the last person seen with him).The one thing that baffles me about this guy being the one who killed Leonard: why did he let himself be seen in public with Leonard? IMO, the guy would have to be extremely stupid to let himself be potentially identified.

In regards to the call, there's a good chance that it's legitimate. The caller identified himself as an Elk City native like Leonard Dirickson. Plus, the waitress backed up the eyewitness. I'm not saying that it's fact but it seems hard to write it off as a prank call.

[TheCars1986]

The one thing that baffles me about this guy being the one who killed Leonard: why did he let himself be seen in public with Leonard? IMO, the guy would have to be extremely stupid to let himself be potentially identified.

This guy simply could have been a "middleman" that was an acquaintance of Leonard's, who ultimately took him to the people or person who killed him. If Leonard owed someone money, perhaps this guy took him out to breakfast under the pretense of a possible business transaction, but led him to his death. It was probably a ruse to not arouse suspicioun in Leonard.

In regards to the call, there's a good chance that it's legitimate. The caller identified himself as an Elk City native like Leonard Dirickson. Plus, the waitress backed up the eyewitness. I'm not saying that it's fact but it seems hard to write it off as a prank call.

I just don't think Leonard would willingly leave his son behind. If he intended on starting a new life, why not take the boy with him?

[Hambone2421]

I just don't think Leonard would willingly leave his son behind. If he intended on starting a new life, why not take the boy with him?

I agree. Something definitely happened to Leonard Dirickson but without knowing the ins and outs of his personal life, its hard to determine exactly what may have happened. Could he have been in with some bad people? Did he owe money to the wrong people?

[Zlatko]

I just don't think Leonard would willingly leave his son behind. If he intended on starting a new life, why not take the boy with him?With his failing dairy, perhaps Leonard felt ashamed of himself as a father. If he couldn't provide for his son, maybe Leonard didn't want to face the music.

Still, if he did leave his family, it's strange that he's been able to hold out for so long. IMO, there's probably a lot of details that weren't highlighted on UM.

[TheCars1986]

With his failing dairy, perhaps Leonard felt ashamed of himself as a father. If he couldn't provide for his son, maybe Leonard didn't want to face the music.

Still, if he did leave his family, it's strange that he's been able to hold out for so long. IMO, there's probably a lot of details that weren't highlighted on UM.

He could have at least left a note to let his son know he was alive and well. Or even a phone call after all of these years.

[crystaldawn]

Something that I just thought of is that the mystery man could have been a loan shark Leonard owed money to. That would explain why Jared didn't know him and why he was willing to leave with him perhaps to shield Jared from any possible danger. Still not sure about the bar sighting though. It could have been him but we all have lookalikes out there. Maybe it was something similar to height and weight to Leonard that also had that rather distinctive mustache.

[Hambone2421]

Something that I just thought of is that the mystery man could have been a loan shark Leonard owed money to. That would explain why Jared didn't know him and why he was willing to leave with him perhaps to shield Jared from any possible danger. Still not sure about the bar sighting though. It could have been him but we all have lookalikes out there. Maybe it was something similar to height and weight to Leonard that also had that rather distinctive mustache.

Definitely could have been a loan shark. Leonard did have some financial issues so that's a good theory.

As for the bar sighting, I just don't believe it. Too many "eyewitness accounts" have sworn up and down that they saw person X alive and well yet later it turns out to not be the case. I very rarely believe any eyewitness accounts unless it comes from the family.

[crystaldawn]

Definitely could have been a loan shark. Leonard did have some financial issues so that's a good theory.

As for the bar sighting, I just don't believe it. Too many "eyewitness accounts" have sworn up and down that they saw person X alive and well yet later it turns out to not be the case. I very rarely believe any eyewitness accounts unless it comes from the family.

Thank you. Yes I was surprised to read that even law enforcement seems somewhat skeptical about the bar sighting. They said the waitress who corroborated it was him saw a photocopy of a picture and they think it could have been someone with a mustache like Leonard's.

[TheCars1986]

Unless the particular witness personally knew the missing person, you usually have to take their "eyewitness" account with a grain of salt. Most of the time it's a simple case of mistaken identity. This is what I think happened with the bar sighting of Leonard.

[scc1222]

In most missing persons cases, I definitely do believe family and friends when they claim that the person would never leave on their own and abandon them and never try to contact them.

However, the Alex Cooper case they did on UM definitely gave me a different perspective on things. Here was a someone who looked like a sweet old man that genuinely loved his family and no mental illness issues, but because of personal pride, made a pretty stupid and seflish mistake by disappearing and giving his family the impression he had with foul play. And this was all because he was worried about them finding out he changed his name after committing some petty theft crime 35 years beforehand where the statutes of limitations had probably expired. Before the guy was found, I'm sure almost NO ONE who originally watched this segment would have thought that he disappeared on his own.

As rare as it is, sometimes people who genuinely do love their family will abandon them for a silly reason, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that Leonard Dirickson did the same thing.
that's what I think.something about his disappearance seems all too convenient.I think he had it all planned out,even not eating b-fast that day to make it seem he hadn't planned it.or maybe the guy just showed up too soon,and that's why they were seen getting bfast later.it could be he went to work as an under -the- table ranch hand or something,getting free room/board in exchange.ppl who meet with foul play just don't tend to do so in such an obvious manner,generally speaking.
I suspect not cashing his last check was also planned.and it would be interesting to know just when his cc's were maxed out,and what were the last items he bought.it could be he stocked up then with what he needed to make a run for it,hoping his son would be able to use the last check for himself. (would be interesting to know if he'd signed it).
Idk if he's still alive,tho,possibly.he may just be too embarrased by the wrong choices he made back then to return.
Idk what penalties applied back then to things like not paying child support,but that could have been another factor..if he would have lost his license/gone to jail,etc. for not being able to pay it anyway,then why not just give up the fight without 'giving in' to the ex and save face by disappearing?some ppl just don't have much in the way of emotional strength (also ref. to as emotional liability),so they just give up,yet want to save face at the same time.just a few thoughts,i'm not firm on it.

[WishfulDreamer]

Besides taking the bar sighting so seriously, I also have a few nitpicks about the LE theories.

Why so shocked Leonard would go to a restaurant with the man? Maybe the man wanted to talk and they decided to eat because that's a great way to settle business deals and break the ice. LE acted as though it was crazy for him to have two breakfasts. I think if the man is responsible (which seems the most plausible out of all the theories) he would have wanted to make Leonard comfortable.

This case is really weird though. It seems premeditated, as he needed to know the complex location of his home and he knew about a horse for sale that wasn't advertised as for sale.

What could the motive have been? Not robbery. Could someone have wanted to off him for another reason not disclosed on UM?

[TheCars1986]

What could the motive have been? Not robbery. Could someone have wanted to off him for another reason not disclosed on UM?

The only other motives I could think of off the top of my head would be revenge or a debt that Leonard owed. Anyone ever considered the possibility that a jealous lover may have killed Leonard?

[scc1222]

well,imo he wasn't very handsome,but who knows.

[TheCars1986]

well,imo he wasn't very handsome,but who knows.

He very well could have been seeing someone who was married or had a boyfriend.

[scc1222]

He very well could have been seeing someone who was married or had a boyfriend.
yes that kind of thing will do it.my cousin barely survived such an attack and it took him well over a yr to recover.
perhaps the guy interested in the horse was really a jealous lover?jat,i don't have any firm thoughts on this case,given the lack of info.i wish UM could have revealed more,like what his last cc purchases were,etc.

[baloony]

Leonard is deceased. I just don't see it being any other scenario.

[TheCars1986]

Leonard is deceased. I just don't see it being any other scenario.

The majority of us agree that he is dead, but we still would like to know how and why. I think if they find the guy who was last seen with him this case would be solved.

[baloony]

The majority of us agree that he is dead, but we still would like to know how and why. I think if they find the guy who was last seen with him this case would be solved.

It looks like this is another case bungled by law enforcement in Oklahoma. Just like the disappearances of Wendy Kamp, Cynthia Britto, and Lisa Kregear as well as the case involving Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible.

[Clockworkhigh]

About the bar sighting...............look, it was probably nearly last call, but even if it wasn't how hammered was the guy in the first place? How many things sound like a good idea when you are drunk? We know that excessive alcohol impairs your judgement. The guy was probably just hammered. I don't doubt that a ton of country bar patrons would look similar to Leonard and that would only magnify with alcohol. The fact that he didn't hang around leads me to believe no one was there in the first place and this could be the killers throwing people off.

Also, I don't find the breakfast thing weird either. But here's a thought, what if it wasn't Leonard at the breakfast table? I mean, we are relying on an eyewitness - a waitress - who could have her days mixed up and would have had enough patrons to worry about at the time. It probably was them because the sketch of the suspect seemed to match the one Leonard's son gave but it is possible he was never at that restaurant.

I think he had money trouble. He isn't going to let his son know about that and he certainly isn't proud of it. So he runs in with some shady people and the rest is history

[TheCars1986]

About the bar sighting...............look, it was probably nearly last call, but even if it wasn't how hammered was the guy in the first place? How many things sound like a good idea when you are drunk? We know that excessive alcohol impairs your judgement. The guy was probably just hammered. I don't doubt that a ton of country bar patrons would look similar to Leonard and that would only magnify with alcohol. The fact that he didn't hang around leads me to believe no one was there in the first place and this could be the killers throwing people off.

While I usually don't hold much stock in eyewitness sightings profiled on UM, the detective interviewed in the segment thought the sighting was credible. IIRC, he was pretty adamant that the sighting was reliable because he says the caller to 911 was "screaming and hollering that "It's Leonard!" so it sounds to me like this caller was extremely adamant on the phone that the man seen was Leonard. If this caller really did see Leonard then that tells me he did not meet with foul play of any kind, and simply ran off to start a new life due to finanical strain and a bitter divorce.

Also, I don't find the breakfast thing weird either. But here's a thought, what if it wasn't Leonard at the breakfast table? I mean, we are relying on an eyewitness - a waitress - who could have her days mixed up and would have had enough patrons to worry about at the time. It probably was them because the sketch of the suspect seemed to match the one Leonard's son gave but it is possible he was never at that restaurant.

I've never thought about this, but I could see this as a possibility. If the waitress did indeed see two different men, then it would explain why neither has come forward nor has the suspect been identified. It's interesting to note that on the Charley Project website it's stated that the authorities believe the waitress misidentified Leonard. It never occurred to me until just now, but Leonard ate breakfast with his son right before this guy showed up at his ranch, so why would he go right back out and eat again? Maybe the waitress's description of the man seen eating with Leonard didn't gel with what Leonard's son had described. I can't remember if they mentioned that in the segment or not...

One final eerie part mentioned on the Charley Project website, they say that although Leonard's family believes he would have never abandoned his son, but there is little to no evidence to support any theory. Which, IMHO, strengthens the possibility that Leonard did in fact run off to start a new life.

[Clockworkhigh]

While I usually don't hold much stock in eyewitness sightings profiled on UM, the detective interviewed in the segment thought the sighting was credible. IIRC, he was pretty adamant that the sighting was reliable because he says the caller to 911 was "screaming and hollering that "It's Leonard!" so it sounds to me like this caller was extremely adamant on the phone that the man seen was Leonard. If this caller really did see Leonard then that tells me he did not meet with foul play of any kind, and simply ran off to start a new life due to finanical strain and a bitter divorce.

I am pretty sure you and I talked about Elizabeth Campbell's two sightings. I thought they were credible. They were very similar. She is with an Asian man who pretty much has his thumb over her. They buy gas, she never talks and both clerks describe the same mood, the same atmosphere and the same man. So I believe that. But I have trouble with believing a likely intoxicated man who never gave his name and never stuck around at a bar.

But in this case? Not so much. I'd barely be able to keep my composure if I saw Leonard knowing he is missing. I'd have called the cops, waited for them and probably in the meantime confronted Leonard. But if he books it from the bar, I still wait and give a report to the police. Why chicken out if its a reliable eye witness encounter? Also, why would Leonard be spotted so close to home? Why not go over a couple of states where no one would recognize you? Nothing makes sense. And how as he not been spotted since then either? Usually when something like this happens there is a reason, and the person is dead and always was dead.


One final eerie part mentioned on the Charley Project website, they say that although Leonard's family believes he would have never abandoned his son, but there is little to no evidence to support any theory. Which, IMHO, strengthens the possibility that Leonard did in fact run off to start a new life.

I think there is at least SOME evidence that he would never leave his son. For instance, they worked together daily. I know there are lots of deadbeat dads out there and some don't think anything of it. But nothing points to Leonard being a deadbeat prior to this. No one ever said he was a bad father. As a father myself to a son I cannot fathom leaving him and not seeing what kind of man he ends up being or me not having anything to do with how he ends up. But I'll keep it open to the suggestion that even a son may not know who is father really is. This case just didn't strike me as an abandonement case.

[Thiussat]

I am pretty sure you and I talked about Elizabeth Campbell's two sightings. I thought they were credible. They were very similar. She is with an Asian man who pretty much has his thumb over her. They buy gas, she never talks and both clerks describe the same mood, the same atmosphere and the same man. So I believe that. But I have trouble with believing a likely intoxicated man who never gave his name and never stuck around at a bar.


I can think of two other cases off the top of my head on UM where the eyewitnesses were known to be dead wrong even though they were adamant. One was the Kerry Lynn Nixon case where the older woman said she was positive she met her in another state (didn't happen, as her body was found not far from her home). The other case was that of Lisa Kimmel. Several people swore they saw her car with the license plate. However, now we know they were either mistaken all together or had the wrong day because her car was buried at Dale Eaton's property the whole time (as was found out later). Keep in mind one of the witnesses in her case was the wife of a Sheriff.

So, yeah, the studies that show eyewitnesses are often mistaken are accurate imo.

[TheCars1986]

But in this case? Not so much. I'd barely be able to keep my composure if I saw Leonard knowing he is missing. I'd have called the cops, waited for them and probably in the meantime confronted Leonard. But if he books it from the bar, I still wait and give a report to the police. Why chicken out if its a reliable eye witness encounter? Also, why would Leonard be spotted so close to home? Why not go over a couple of states where no one would recognize you? Nothing makes sense. And how as he not been spotted since then either? Usually when something like this happens there is a reason, and the person is dead and always was dead.

Yeah, I don't understand why the caller left before the police arrived. It very well could have been some sick prank, or the guy was just mistaken. But didn't the bartender corroborate the caller's story when the police arrived? And the sighting was in Amarillo, TX and Leonard was missing from Cheyenne, OK...I'm not sure how close in proximity that is to one another. Leonard could have easily shaved his moustache and cut his hair, and I think he would look extremely different than what people remembered him as looking. So that might be why he hasn't been spotted since. The reason I don't want to write off this sighting is because police seem to believe it was authentic, so maybe they have more information then we don't have (or what was shown on UM).

I think there is at least SOME evidence that he would never leave his son. For instance, they worked together daily. I know there are lots of deadbeat dads out there and some don't think anything of it. But nothing points to Leonard being a deadbeat prior to this. No one ever said he was a bad father. As a father myself to a son I cannot fathom leaving him and not seeing what kind of man he ends up being or me not having anything to do with how he ends up. But I'll keep it open to the suggestion that even a son may not know who is father really is. This case just didn't strike me as an abandonement case.

There have been several recent cases (profiled on "Disappeared") were "family-men/women" just up and abandoned their family to start a new life. No one ever believed they would ever walk away from it all but that's exactly what they did. I don't think we should necessarily rule that possibility out in this case either just because Leonard was close to his son.

[Clockworkhigh]

Yeah, I don't understand why the caller left before the police arrived. It very well could have been some sick prank, or the guy was just mistaken. But didn't the bartender corroborate the caller's story when the police arrived? And the sighting was in Amarillo, TX and Leonard was missing from Cheyenne, OK...I'm not sure how close in proximity that is to one another. Leonard could have easily shaved his moustache and cut his hair, and I think he would look extremely different than what people remembered him as looking. So that might be why he hasn't been spotted since. The reason I don't want to write off this sighting is because police seem to believe it was authentic, so maybe they have more information then we don't have (or what was shown on UM).

It is a little over two hours away from each other. I don't know if I start a new life and barely get out of the same area code. I know the bartender corroborated the story but that's easy to corroborate. The bartender could have been aware by the caller that he was waiting for police to come. She could have been pointed to the man in question (Leonard). Basically all we know is that she was aware of it, not that she even knew Leonard.

There have been several recent cases (profiled on "Disappeared") were "family-men/women" just up and abandoned their family to start a new life. No one ever believed they would ever walk away from it all but that's exactly what they did. I don't think we should necessarily rule that possibility out in this case either just because Leonard was close to his son.

The reason being that I don't think it is an abadonement issue is because we have an eyewitness account of the last person Leonard was seen with. We have his potential abductor (and the last man he was ever seen wife) drive off with him.

[TheCars1986]

The reason being that I don't think it is an abadonement issue is because we have an eyewitness account of the last person Leonard was seen with. We have his potential abductor (and the last man he was ever seen wife) drive off with him.

This guy could have been a friend who drove Leonard to a bus stop/train station/gave him a lift, etc. anywhere to help him start a new life. It's probably not likely that this is what happened, but I still wouldn't discredit it totally.

[Clockworkhigh]

This guy could have been a friend who drove Leonard to a bus stop/train station/gave him a lift, etc. anywhere to help him start a new life. It's probably not likely that this is what happened, but I still wouldn't discredit it totally.

Well I guess not, but the more time goes on the more I think its is a murder. I mean, we are living in the age of information right now. How hard can it be to hideout nowadays? Leonard was a farmer, so I don't think he'd be living in Manhattan or parts of Europe. He would likely still be in the south in the States still. There is one questionable sighting and then nothing for 20 years. How could no one have seen him. Things like this happen for a reason. Look at Mike Reimer. The guy was a borderline suspect, but if he were alive someone probably would have seen him.

Leonard isn't a suspect at all. You would think there would be some trace of the guy wanting to see how his family is doing, his mother might be dead by now, his son could be married and he's probably a grandfather. You would think at sometime a non-criminal would want to check on that stuff right? Which would lead to the chances of him being spotted much higher. But no, I think the guy died.

[ontarioboi]

http://www.zabasearch.com/messages/zaba_messages_thread.php?fid=696694

how bout this link? it even mentions a few names??????

[crystaldawn]

http://www.zabasearch.com/messages/zaba_messages_thread.php?fid=696694

how bout this link? it even mentions a few names??????

Wow thats really interesting!! Maybe there's more to this story than we're being told.

[sdb4884]

This guy had the best mustache as stated in another thread.

[ontarioboi]

it appears he is still alive.....or atleast was for a while since he disappeared.....