In the days leading up to Christmas of 1991, John Michael Baham, a 22-year-old man known as Michael to his loved ones, was back in his hometown of Oakdale, Louisiana, to celebrate the holidays with his family. On the evening of December 23rd, he set out to meet a friend at a local car wash. He made a stop at the Bayou Store around 7:30 p.m. and was seen driving away, but he never made it to his destination a short distance away.
Later that night, at approximately 9:30 p.m., a witness saw his pickup truck near the Calcasieu River Bridge on Highway 10. The witness reported seeing the truck's lights, which were on, suddenly go out. Michael Baham, a young man home for Christmas, was never seen or heard from again. He was last seen wearing a plaid flannel shirt, a red undershirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots.
The following morning, concern led Michael's father to search for him. He discovered his son's pickup truck on a dirt road under the Calcasieu River Bridge. The scene was unsettling and devoid of answers; the keys were found in the ignition, which was in the "on" position, and the battery was dead. Inside the truck were Michael's coat and his shotgun, but there was no trace of Michael himself. The area showed no signs of a struggle. It was a cold night, with temperatures dropping to 17 degrees, making it highly unlikely he would have left without his coat. Adding to the mystery, Michael had recently cashed a paycheck and was believed to be carrying a significant amount of cash, yet nearly $4,000 remained untouched in his bank account. His family insisted he was not the type to leave without a word.
The investigation into Michael's disappearance has stretched on for decades, marked by periods of hope and frustrating dead ends. Early in the investigation, police questioned two men who were found sleeping in a car near where Michael's truck was discovered, but they claimed to have no information. The case went cold for years until 1998, when a jail inmate came forward with a new lead. The inmate, who was only thirteen at the time of Michael's disappearance, implicated a man named Paul A. Kilgore in his murder. He directed police to the Dead Man's Lake area, claiming Michael's body was buried there. Despite an excavation, nothing was found. Based on the inmate's testimony, Kilgore was arrested, but a jury found there was insufficient evidence to indict him, and he was released. Foul play is strongly suspected in the disappearance of John Michael Baham. The case remains an unsolved and painful mystery for his family and community, a story of a young man who vanished into the cold Louisiana night just before Christmas, leaving behind only his abandoned truck and a host of unanswered questions.Last Seen: Dec 23, 1991
