Anthony Keith Klama, known to his friends and family as Tony, disappeared on the night of November 5, 1998, from Palatine, Illinois. At the time, the 36-year-old was employed as the building manager at the Foxfire Apartments, where he also resided. On the evening he was last seen, Klama visited Spinter's Sports Bar on Rand Road, a short distance from his home. Inside the bar, he withdrew $40 from an ATM and was seen playing darts with an unidentified man. This man was described as being about 5'9' and 190 pounds, with dark hair and a mustache. Klama was last seen wearing a blue and white plaid flannel jacket over a flannel shirt, dark-colored jeans, and a baseball cap. He was known to have elaborate Native American-style tattoos across his arms, shoulders, and chest.
Between 11:30 p.m. and midnight, Klama was seen leaving the bar, apparently walking back towards his apartment. Shortly after, a witness saw him in the parking lot of the Foxfire Apartments. He was seen exiting the passenger side of a light-colored, two-door car with a male companion, who may have been the same person he was playing darts with earlier. Both men were seen entering the main entrance of the apartment building, and Anthony Klama was never heard from again. His loved ones reported him missing the following day when he failed to show up for work. An investigation into his disappearance found no signs of a struggle or foul play in his apartment. His car was left undisturbed in the parking lot, and his bicycle was still in his residence. The only item noted to be missing from his apartment was the handset to his new cordless phone.
The circumstances surrounding Klama's disappearance are considered puzzling by investigators. On the night he vanished, three mysterious phone calls were made to his apartment from payphones. The first call was placed around 9:00 p.m. from a Shell gas station, and two more calls came in around 1:40 a.m. from a Dominick's Finer Foods. Authorities were unable to determine who made the calls or their significance to the case. Klama was described as a responsible person who kept in close contact with his family. He had no known enemies or debts and was not involved in any illegal activities. At the time of his disappearance, he was looking forward to an anticipated promotion at work and had appointments scheduled to get more tattoos. Over the years, the Palatine Police Department has renewed calls for information, including a specific appeal in 2014 for two unidentified individuals who sent an anonymous letter to Crime Stoppers to come forward. Despite these efforts, the case remains unsolved, leaving his family and community searching for answers.
Last Seen: Nov 05, 1998
