Without A Trace

Have you heard any good stories lately? Tales of adventure, mystery and the macabre, horror and the supernatural, stories that fascinate and capture the imagination, many out of the minds of prolific and accomplished writers, or just common folk like me.

The most interesting and captivating for me are those that tell about people or groups of people, who, for whatever reason, mysteriously vanish without a trace. The recorded number of missing people, which can involve a lone individual or a group, from 1900 through 2023, is 563,389, and of this number, few have been known to have been found. You may be familiar with some of them. 

> Amelia Earhart an accomplished aviator, lost at sea in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe.  

> Jimmy Hoffa, head of the AFL/CIO; many believe murdered by organized crime. 

> D.B. Cooper, an unassuming man of small stature who to this day has never been truly identified, other than the fictitious name, Cooper, he gave. He hijacked a commercial airline, absconding with a bag full of money and parachuting out of the plane. 

> Ambrose Pierce, accomplished writer and author. 

> In 2018, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared off radar and vanished over the Indian Ocean, with 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Some have suggested that the airliner was lost in a black hole.

> The Roanoke Mystery/ The Lost Colony of Roanoke - The Roanoke Mystery is thought to be one of the most perplexing and mysterious disappearances in recorded history. In 1585, it was intended to be the first permanent settlement in North America. The Roanoke Colony consisted of 117 colonists who settled on Roanoke Island, present-day North Carolina, by Governor Ralph Lane at the behest of Sir Walter Raleigh. 

The colony was plagued with difficulties, insufficient supplies, and troubled relations with local Native American tribes. Supply ships on missions from England were delayed. Governor Lane became impatient and disheartened, and abandoned the colony, returning to England. 

In 1587 a second attempt was made to reestablish the settlement on Roanoke Island, led by Governor John White, again at the behest of Sir Walter Raleigh. White left the colony for England to acquire supplies, but upon his return in 1590, the settlement was deserted, and the 117 colonists had vanished off the face of the earth.

Further investigation revealed no evidence of foul play, and the fate of the colonists was undetermined. The one thing that was cause for concern was that the word ‘’Croatoan’’ was carved into a tree. What made this so unsettling was that this was the name of a Native American tribe located just south of Roanoke Island.

In an effort to find answers, and hopefully one that would reveal that the colonists were safe and unharmed, several theories were postulated.

• The colonists assimilated, and were integrated into one of the Native tribes.
• The colony was invaded, decimated, and the colonists assaulted and possibly killed by a Native tribe.
• The colonists succumbed to disease or were victims of famine or the elements.
• The colonists may have attempted to return to England on their own, and were lost at sea.

To this day, the Lost Colony remains a mystery. The fate of the colonists remains unknown, and no further attempt was made to establish another settlement on Roanoke Island.