Missing
John Eric Lake
Lake, approximately 1967; Age when reported missing: 73 (approximately 2003)
Date and time person was reported missing : 12/10/1967
Missing location (approx) :
Manhattan, New York
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 02/18/1930 (91)
Age at the time of disappearance: 37 years old
Height / Weight : 6'0, 180 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Possibly a navy blue blazer with striped lining.
Medical conditions : Lake may have been depressed at the time of his disappearance. He was reportedly intoxicated when he was last seen.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Black hair, brown eyes. Lake has a small scar on his chin. At the time of his December 1967 disappearance, he wore black-framed eyeglasses.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Lake was last seen late in the evening in Midtown in the New York City borough of Manhattan on December 10, 1967. He had dinner and several drinks with a female acquaintance that day, then they took a cab at her apartment on east 54th Street afterwards.
Lake wanted to come up to her apartment, but she refused to let him because she to work the next day. She suggested he take the waiting cab to his studio apartment in Greenwich VillAge at the time of disappearance: , but Lake said he would take a subway instead. He was last seen walking to the subway station. Lake has never been heard from again. He was not reported missing until four days had passed.
At the time of his disappearance, Lake was employed as the sports editor for Newsweek. Many of his coworkers believed he left of his own accord. Lake was reportedly dissatisfied with his job, had problems with drinking, and was struggling financially due to a divorce settlement. He had separated from his wife, with whom he had two children.
His coworkers believe he was depressed at the time of his disappearance but not suicidal. His disappearance was investigated by the Pinkerton Detective Age at the time of disappearance: ncy in addition to the New York City Police Department.
Lake graduated from Syracuse University; he belonged to Phi Beta Kappa, an honors society, there. He enjoys smoking cigars and he is very interested in literature, theater, folk and country music, and sports. Lake was unimpressed with material wealth in 1967; if he is alive today he may be living a simple lifestyle.
He was declared legally dead seven years after his disappearance, but his case remains unsolved. His son continues to search for him.
Other information and links : ncy
New York Police Department
646-610-5000
September 2021 updates and sources
The Doe Network
New York Police Department
New York Missing Persons
The New York Times
John Lake Website
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
