John Michael Baham Jr

Background

John Michael “Mike” Baham Jr. was born January 24, 1969, to John Michael Baham Sr. and Peggy Durant Baham in Oakdale, Louisiana. He had a younger brother, Tommy, and sister, Ashley.

Mike graduated from Oakdale High School in 1987. At the time of his disappearance, he was working in Texas and had returned home to Oakdale to spend the Christmas holidays with his family.

His mother later described him as someone who enjoyed his work and traveling and was careful about saving his money.

Case Summary

John Michael “Mike” Baham Jr. returned to Oakdale from a job in Texas on Sunday, December 23, 1990, to spend Christmas with his family. That evening, the 21-year-old rode around Oakdale with friends and had been drinking. He later met briefly with his younger brother, Tommy, at the Bayou Store.

After leaving the store, Mike was supposed to drive a short distance to an Oakdale car wash to meet a friend. When Mike did not arrive, the friend went to another nearby car wash, believing they may have misunderstood where they were supposed to meet. Mike never appeared at either location.

A witness later reported seeing Mike’s truck parked beneath the Calcasieu River bridge on Louisiana Highway 10 west of Oakdale at approximately 7:45 p.m. The truck’s lights were on and then abruptly went out. Mike’s family and investigators later believed whatever happened to him occurred between approximately 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. that night.

On Monday, December 24, Mike’s Ford pickup was found beneath the bridge. The keys were still in the ignition and the driver’s door was open. Reports also stated that the truck was out of gas with the ignition still turned on; by the time it was found, the battery was dead. Mike’s coat and firearm remained inside.

Historical weather data show that the temperature was approximately 25°F by 9:00 p.m. on December 23 and continued to fall. Mike’s mother later pointed to the fact that he had left his coat behind during the freezing weather as one reason she did not believe he had simply walked away.

Mike’s family initially believed he had left with friends. His father brought the truck home, expecting Mike to return for it. The family became increasingly concerned when Mike failed to return home or attend their Christmas gathering.

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 25, Mike was reported missing. An extensive search followed in and around the Calcasieu River. Citizens and law enforcement searched the area, divers searched the river, horseback riders covered surrounding areas, and airplanes and helicopters were used from the air. No trace of Mike was found.

There were other indications that Mike had not planned to disappear. He had recently cashed his work check and was believed to have approximately $1,500 with him. He also had nearly $4,000 in his savings account, and no activity was reported on the account after he disappeared.

Foul play was suspected early in the investigation. The Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office continued pursuing leads with assistance from Louisiana State Police and the FBI, including checking reports of unidentified bodies found in other jurisdictions.

On January 17, 1991, Allen Crime Stoppers was offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to Mike’s whereabouts. By May 22, 1992, the reward had grown to $25,000, funded largely through contributions from the Oakdale community and Mike’s former employer.

Investigators continued questioning people who may have had information about the disappearance. On September 30, 1993, the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office reported that several suspects had been questioned and given polygraph examinations. According to the Sheriff’s Office, all of those tested passed, and none provided information that established Mike had been murdered or revealed where his remains might be located. Searches of the river and surrounding area had also failed to produce evidence explaining what happened to him.

In 1994, Mike’s family placed a cross near the location where his truck had been found. The word “missing” was placed on the cross in the hope that someone with information would eventually come forward.

The investigation changed course in July 1998 when authorities received new information implicating former Oakdale resident Paul Anthony Kilgore. Kilgore had been questioned shortly after Mike disappeared. According to Mike’s mother, her husband encountered Kilgore and another man sleeping in a vehicle beneath the Calcasieu River bridge the day after Mike disappeared. Kilgore was questioned at the time but denied knowing anything about Mike’s disappearance.

On July 7, 1998, Kilgore was arrested in Michigan and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery in connection with Mike’s case. He was returned to Louisiana on July 15.

The arrest was based largely on information provided by Winn Parish inmate Joshua Sittingdown, an Oakdale native who claimed he had witnessed Mike’s killing when he was 13 years old. Sittingdown was taken to the Oakdale area and led investigators to the Dead Man’s Lake area near the Allen-Rapides Parish line, where he claimed Mike’s body had been taken.

Investigators from Allen and Rapides parishes searched the heavily wooded area with assistance from search dogs and a forensic team. A pair of boots, along with other items investigators believed could be connected to Mike, were recovered and submitted for examination. Mike’s parents were shown a photograph of the boots and believed they resembled a pair their son had owned, although they did not personally examine the boots because they were being analyzed at a crime laboratory. No remains were found.

Investigators believed Mike may have been killed beneath the Calcasieu River bridge and his body moved to an isolated area northwest of Oakdale near the Rapides Parish line. His family believed he may have become involved in a fight with several people who killed him and then concealed his body. Neither theory has been publicly established as fact.

An Allen Parish grand jury considered the case on Thursday, July 30, 1998, and returned a no true bill, finding there was not enough evidence to indict Kilgore. He was released.

Allen Parish Sheriff Hal Turner publicly stood behind his investigators and expressed disappointment with the grand jury’s decision. Turner said the investigation was not complete when the case was presented and believed it had been taken before the grand jury too quickly. He said the Sheriff’s Office would continue following leads and that charges against Kilgore or another person could be revisited if additional evidence developed.

Mike has never been found.