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Oblivion: The Mystery of West Point Cadet Richard Cox
On Staturday, January 14, 1950, at 6:18 p.m., Richard Cox left his room at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point gto go to dinner with an unidentified visitor. He never returned. Despite a massive manhunt and several plausible theories, Cox was never found. In 1957, he was declared legally dead, and the files were closed. Then, in 1985, Marshall Jacobs, a retired teacher, decided to pursue the case as a research project. Through the Freedom of Information Act, he obtained voluminous once-secret files from the Army and FBI. Jacobs plunged into a labyrinthine search--and what began as a hobby became an obsession. After more than seven years, Jacobs found the one witness who helped him bring the case to a close. This is his story.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 22, 2010
The mystery of Richard Cox, a West Point cadet who vanished without a trace from the Academy in 1950, has always been a favorite. I couldn't resist this one with its puported solution--especially for $1 at the thrift store.
This one is instructive for all armchair crime revisionists to read, although somewhat painfull for the more casual in that Maihafer prsents endless red herrings, dead ends, and false sitings which prove a point that the world is filled with mistaken, misguided and malicious would-be witness providing false and misleading evidence.
Although I'm not ready to swallow it whole, the solution is in accordance with some of the evidence and gives Cox a decent motive. The theory is that Cox was bisexual, and thus becoming increasinly alientated from his mother, his fiancee, and the Point. Along comes his sergeant from Germany offering to escape from his problems into a exciting career in the then nascent CIA and before you can say poof!.... I am especially leery about the CIA source spinning tales about Cox's subsequent noble, patriotic, and top secret career, it plays a little too well to the prejudices of all parties concerned.
Or maybe an old Army buddy offed him and had the good sense to dispose of the body well outside the area around the Academy that was searched so throughly.
This one is instructive for all armchair crime revisionists to read, although somewhat painfull for the more casual in that Maihafer prsents endless red herrings, dead ends, and false sitings which prove a point that the world is filled with mistaken, misguided and malicious would-be witness providing false and misleading evidence.
Although I'm not ready to swallow it whole, the solution is in accordance with some of the evidence and gives Cox a decent motive. The theory is that Cox was bisexual, and thus becoming increasinly alientated from his mother, his fiancee, and the Point. Along comes his sergeant from Germany offering to escape from his problems into a exciting career in the then nascent CIA and before you can say poof!.... I am especially leery about the CIA source spinning tales about Cox's subsequent noble, patriotic, and top secret career, it plays a little too well to the prejudices of all parties concerned.
Or maybe an old Army buddy offed him and had the good sense to dispose of the body well outside the area around the Academy that was searched so throughly.
March 13, 2009
This was the best book I read in 2008. I had been interested in the story of the only West Point cadet to disappear from the Academy. This book was highly researched and even developed a theory of what happened to the cadet. Oblivion takes the reader into the 1950's. I believe it would make a great movie.
June 11, 2010
An interesting find, this. The story was pointed out to me by a friend with a penchant for random surfing and it sparked my interest. I looked into it a little more and found this book which I promptly bought. I believe it’s out of print, but I picked up a copy for pennies.
Richard Cox is the only West Point Cadet ever to have disappeared without trace for for many years the American police, the Criminal Investigation Department and the FBI were involved in trying to track him down. It brings to mind just how easy it might have been (or might still be) to disappear in a country as large as the States.
But – did he disappear or was he murdered? The theories are thick and fast and the amount of threads that lead away from Cox’s last sighting are legion. The trail leads to New York gay bars, Washington spy masters, German secret missions and even behind the Iron Curtain.
There were a few questions I would have asked, however – why on Earth did West Point allow people on site that they didn’t know? Why didn’t this mysterious visitor give his full name and why didn’t anyone ask it? Why wasn’t a certain woman’s second marriage investigated? I suppose it was all a more innocent age – I bet that West Point is a little more rigorous in their security now.
The book was, for me, a real page turner – I had an idea from the reviews on Amazon that many people were not convinced or impressed by the Marshall’s conclusions – but that’s the great thing about conspiracy theories one can form one’s own and you are unlikely to be proven wrong.
I would like to think that – in these days of computers, networks, DNA testing and the like, that someone will – once again – pick up the enormous body of research compiled by Marshall since 1985 and seek out a more definitive answer, and proof that Marshall’s conclusion was the true one. Because I’d like to be sure what happened to Cox – it’s impossible not to want to know for sure by the end of the book.
Despite the labyrinthine tangle of facts, Maihafer catalogues the case well without too much irrelevancies and it kept me absorbed right until the very end. If you are a fan of cold cases, conspiracy theories and other subjects of that ilk – then you’ll probably enjoy this.
Richard Cox is the only West Point Cadet ever to have disappeared without trace for for many years the American police, the Criminal Investigation Department and the FBI were involved in trying to track him down. It brings to mind just how easy it might have been (or might still be) to disappear in a country as large as the States.
But – did he disappear or was he murdered? The theories are thick and fast and the amount of threads that lead away from Cox’s last sighting are legion. The trail leads to New York gay bars, Washington spy masters, German secret missions and even behind the Iron Curtain.
There were a few questions I would have asked, however – why on Earth did West Point allow people on site that they didn’t know? Why didn’t this mysterious visitor give his full name and why didn’t anyone ask it? Why wasn’t a certain woman’s second marriage investigated? I suppose it was all a more innocent age – I bet that West Point is a little more rigorous in their security now.
The book was, for me, a real page turner – I had an idea from the reviews on Amazon that many people were not convinced or impressed by the Marshall’s conclusions – but that’s the great thing about conspiracy theories one can form one’s own and you are unlikely to be proven wrong.
I would like to think that – in these days of computers, networks, DNA testing and the like, that someone will – once again – pick up the enormous body of research compiled by Marshall since 1985 and seek out a more definitive answer, and proof that Marshall’s conclusion was the true one. Because I’d like to be sure what happened to Cox – it’s impossible not to want to know for sure by the end of the book.
Despite the labyrinthine tangle of facts, Maihafer catalogues the case well without too much irrelevancies and it kept me absorbed right until the very end. If you are a fan of cold cases, conspiracy theories and other subjects of that ilk – then you’ll probably enjoy this.
June 24, 2012
Oblivion: The Mystery of West Point Cadet Richard Cox
by Harry J. Maihafer
I think this is a great read and recommend it highly. In fact I read it twice first for enjoyment than from the perspective of the investigator. The pieces of the puzzle fit.
It's got West Point and post WW 2 and Cold War intrigue. It's got many unexpected twists and turns meant to lead the reader in many directions as they led the investigators, everywhere but to the truth.
It's difficult to review a mystery without giving spoilers. In this story everything is a spoiler so very little can be said about the plot.
Congratulations to Marshall Jacobs on a great investigation and to Jacobs and Maihafer on a brilliant collaboration that is a must read. A great mystery of our time. In this case "truth is far better than fiction." Enjoy.
by Harry J. Maihafer
I think this is a great read and recommend it highly. In fact I read it twice first for enjoyment than from the perspective of the investigator. The pieces of the puzzle fit.
It's got West Point and post WW 2 and Cold War intrigue. It's got many unexpected twists and turns meant to lead the reader in many directions as they led the investigators, everywhere but to the truth.
It's difficult to review a mystery without giving spoilers. In this story everything is a spoiler so very little can be said about the plot.
Congratulations to Marshall Jacobs on a great investigation and to Jacobs and Maihafer on a brilliant collaboration that is a must read. A great mystery of our time. In this case "truth is far better than fiction." Enjoy.
December 3, 2015
You couldn't ask for a more intriguing mystery. Unfortunately the book goes into too much unnecessary detail, exhausively recounting every investigative twist and turn no matter how trivial. And the eventual conclusion the investigator comes to (which, of course, I will not reveal) seemed to me to be just throwing in the towel and calling it a solution.
June 28, 2022
I’ve noticed, in my reading of older mysteries (typically still missing people from 50+ years ago), there’s 2 main theory buckets: a) amnesia and b) the CIA.
This books falls in the CIA bucket. Not sure why the CIA would pluck a West Point sophomore out of the corps in the most mysterious and sure to draw attention way for his top secret mission/career, but what do I know about the machinations of that inscrutable organization?
See also: The disappearance of Ronald Tammen of Miami University of Ohio in 1953. Like the authors of this book, the author of the ronaldtammen dot com website has done a ton of interesting and original research, really added to the totality of knowledge about the case, only to come to the conclusion that the CIA got him.
I dunno. Maybe they did. I can’t prove otherwise, but certainly the CIA angle seems the refuge of the frustrated researcher with too many facts which still don’t lead to a cohesive answer.
This books falls in the CIA bucket. Not sure why the CIA would pluck a West Point sophomore out of the corps in the most mysterious and sure to draw attention way for his top secret mission/career, but what do I know about the machinations of that inscrutable organization?
See also: The disappearance of Ronald Tammen of Miami University of Ohio in 1953. Like the authors of this book, the author of the ronaldtammen dot com website has done a ton of interesting and original research, really added to the totality of knowledge about the case, only to come to the conclusion that the CIA got him.
I dunno. Maybe they did. I can’t prove otherwise, but certainly the CIA angle seems the refuge of the frustrated researcher with too many facts which still don’t lead to a cohesive answer.
November 22, 2022
A fascinating read about the mystery surrounding cadet Richard Colvin Cox, who disappeared off post. West Point has become a topic of great interest to me, and this is one of the highlights of Academy history. Maihafer took up the mantle of researching all the possibilities regarding what happened to him, from murder to CIA black ops.
March 3, 2023
Written in an almost encyclopedic style, this is a very intriguing and satisfying true crime mystery.
January 22, 2024
Fascinating account of a West Point cadet who went missing in 1950 and was never found. The man who did all the research thinks he has found the solution to the puzzle.
December 9, 2013
Great mystery but not sure if I believe the others ending.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews