Oxford News

HAMILTON — On a cold April night in 1953, Ronald Tammen Jr. walked away from his dorm room in Fisher Hall at Miami University in Oxford and was never heard from again. But some skeletal remains found in Georgia may put the mystery to rest.

Sgt. Melina Smith of Butler County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday that the department, in conjunction with the Oxford Police Department and the Walker County Georgia Sheriff's Office, is trying to determine if some remains found in that area of northeast Georgia are Ronald Tammen's.

Oxford police also confirmed they had received a call about the remains and the long-missing student. No further details were available Wednesday about the case or the investigation.

Tammen, a 19-year-old sophomore at the time of his disappearance, was last seen studying in his room in Fisher Hall. His disappearance on April 19, 1953, has perplexed investigators for decades.

Tammen's roommate returned to the dorm about 9 a.m. and found Tammen's radio playing and his psychology book open on his desk in Room 225, but Tammen wasn't there, according to reports at the time.

Also left behind were his watch, wallet, keys and a coat. His 1939 Chevrolet was in its usual parking place. Later, it was learned that $200 remained in his bank account.

Tammen, who stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds, was last seen about 8:30 p.m..

He was a graduate of Maple Heights High School in suburban Cleveland, a varsity wrestler, a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and played bass in a local dance band.

Theories over the years have ranged from amnesia and foul play to the possibility that Tammen, who was enrolled in the U.S. Navy ROTC program, ran away to avoid the draft.

There were no signs of a struggle in his room, and kidnapping was dismissed because there was no ransom note or demands for money.

Days after the disappearance television stations in the area aired his photo and appealed for help.

A woman in Seven Mile responded, reporting a polite young man had knocked on her door about midnight that Sunday. He wasn't wearing a coat or hat on such a cold night, the woman said. She told investigators she directed him to Hamilton after he asked for directions to a bus stop, according to JournalNews reports.

Despite investigations, including by the FBI, there were never any confirmed sightings of Tammen. Fisher Hall, built in 1856, was abandoned in 1969 and demolished after efforts to preserve it failed in 1978.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.