Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a running theory about what happened to Ronald Tammen?

Yes, I do.

What do you think happened to Ronald Tammen?

As it so happens, you can now binge the roughly 70 posts on this website whenever you feel like it and learn what has taken me ten years (and counting) to figure out. I’m not going to tell you here, in the FAQs, because how anticlimactic would that be? But if you read the April 19, 2019, post, titled “The I&I guys,” you’ll know exactly what I think happened to Ron Tammen. But please don’t do it that way. You wouldn’t fast forward a crime thriller to the very end, when the detective is slapping handcuffs on the perp as a muted trumpet wails and the credits roll, would you? Of course not. I’d suggest you start at the beginning, with my search for Ron’s prom date, and work your way to the end. And when I say “the end,” I mean the end for now. My search is far from over.

What if you never have 100 percent proof of what happened to Tammen?

So far, I believe I’ve provided ample evidence to support my theory, even though there are some gray areas. What I’m currently going for is the slam dunk. If I don’t get there, I believe the evidence I’ve provided has helped shift the conversation in a dramatic way. And if I can get corroboration from the powers that be, as I’m hoping? Well, that will just open up a few new areas in need of further investigation.

When is your book coming out?

Oh, you just had to go there, didn’t you? Another purpose of this website is to show a prospective agent that a lot of people still have an interest in what happened to Ronald Tammen, even though he disappeared 68-plus years ago. Chapters are being written as we speak, even though I’m still not sure how the book is going to end. But there will be a book, so help me God, there will be a book.

Did you really quit your full-time job to write this book?

I know. I can’t believe it either. But sometimes a person reaches that fork in the road called life where you need to do something that you are truly passionate about. I’ll say it loud and proud: I love talking and writing about Ronald Tammen. Am I on Groupon? You betcha. Do I shop retail anymore? Hardly ever. But I’m happy, and that’s what matters.

You should have started writing this book about 25 years ago, when many of the major players were still alive.

I’ll give you a pass on this one since you didn’t phrase it as a question, but yeah, this nags at me every so often. It would have been amazing to interview Richard Tammen, Carl Knox, H.H. Stephenson, and countless others. But, 25 years ago, I don’t think I would have been ready to conduct my search in the way I’m capable of going about it now. I lacked the maturity and the stamina. (I still lack the maturity, but the stamina I have in spades.) Plus, there wasn’t an internet back then and phone calls are so much cheaper these days. It’s all good, in my view.

How often do you post updates?

Although I don’t post on a regular schedule, if there’s news to share, I’ll share it. Of course, once I hear from the powers that be about the very significant pieces of evidence that I’m refraining from naming here, I’m going to be letting everyone know, hopefully within five or ten minutes. In the meantime, think of this blog site as you would your family cat. Just go about your business and let it do its thing, and then, when it makes an appearance, be there…preferably, with a treat.

(For readers currently lacking a cat — or dog — this pandemic might be the perfect time to get one. Follow this link to find a shelter near you: https://www.aspca.org/adopt-pet/find-shelter)

Why do you use aliases for some of your sources but the real names for others?

In conducting my research, I’ve located people who offer new insights into the Ronald Tammen story. They may have been friends, neighbors, or classmates of Ronald Tammen. They might have even met with investigators about the case way back when. But they’d never spoken with a reporter before on this topic, so they’ve never been publicly named. Finding these people has taken a lot of time and effort. What I’m not prepared to do just yet is to provide their names so that someone else with an interest in writing about the Tammen story–another blogger, author, or reporter perhaps–can simply look up a source on my website and give that person a call. Unless someone requests anonymity, these sources will be named in my book. However, on this website, here’s my rule of thumb:

• If a source has already been named publicly regarding the Tammen case, I will continue to use that person’s actual name.
• If a person has not yet been named publicly in relation to the Tammen story, that person will be referred to with a pseudonym.
• If a person who has not yet been named publicly has already passed away, that person will be referred to by his or her actual name.
• If a person is speaking in a professional capacity as a subject expert and/or a spokesperson, I will customarily name that person.

What options are available for communicating with you or other AGMIHTF followers?

As we all know, the Ronald Tammen story can generate a lot of thoughts and questions. It’s a veritable enigma wrapped in a riddle stuffed inside a pillowcase that, inexplicably, has been left off its pillow.

There are lots of ways to communicate with each other. As always, you can post comments at the bottom of a specific post, as well as through Facebook (facebook.com/agmihtf)  and Twitter (@jwwenger). You can also DM me through the above platforms or through the contact form. And you can email me at rontammenproject [at] gmail [dot] com. Oh, and if you have a potential lead, or if you’re with the FBI or CIA and wish to share a secret—perhaps even become this website’s own version of Deep Throat—I’m all ears, and your identity is safe with me.

Why would you want to spend such a big chunk of your life and savings attempting to unravel a mystery that even the FBI claims they’ve never solved? 

It takes quirkiness. It takes passion. And it doesn’t hurt to have one badass guardian angel on your side.

Thanks, everyone!