Philip Taylor Kramer
Philip Taylor Kramer | |
---|---|
Born | Youngstown, Ohio | July 12, 1952
Instrument(s) | Bass |
Disappeared | c. February 12, 1995 (aged 42) Los Angeles County/Ventura County, California |
Status | Found |
Cause of death | Probable suicide [1] |
Philip Taylor Kramer (July 12, 1952 – c. February 12, 1995) was an American bass guitar player for the rock group Iron Butterfly and associated groups between 1974 and 1980. He later became a computer engineering executive and inventor. He disappeared in February 1995 and was found dead in May 1999.
Early life and music career
Philip Taylor Kramer was born in 1952 in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1974, he joined Iron Butterfly as its bass player, playing on two of the group's albums, Scorching Beauty and Sun and Steel, both released in 1975.[2] After the breakup of Iron Butterfly, Kramer continued to play with founding member Ron Bushy in the groups Magic and Gold between 1977 and 1980.
Engineering career
Kramer later obtained a degree in aerospace engineering. He worked on the
Kramer, the son of a professor of
Death and investigation
On February 12, 1995, Kramer drove to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up a business associate and the associate's wife. The business associate had been a principal investor in Total Multimedia and also a principal instigator of its bankruptcy reorganization. On his way to the airport, Kramer telephoned his wife to advise that plans had changed, and that the business associate and his wife should go directly from the airport to a hotel, where Kramer and his wife would meet them later. Kramer nonetheless appears to have spent forty-five minutes at the airport, for unexplained reasons.[4]
During his travel to and from the airport, Kramer made a flurry of cell phone calls, including calls to his wife, Ron Bushy and finally to the police. In the latter call, Kramer said, "I'm going to kill myself. And I want everyone to know O. J. Simpson is innocent. They did it." Prior to his disappearance, Kramer was hired to analyze the authenticity of a video tape that the FBI and the DEA had on the O.J. Simpson murder trial.[4][6] The office of James Traficant investigated Phil's case, and twice asked the FBI to look into it. The FBI did not believe there was enough reason to launch a separate criminal investigation of its own, although it assisted the Ventura County sheriff's office.[7][8]
Kramer was never heard from again. His disappearance led to a massive search, many news reports, and talk show segments including an episode of
Discovery
On May 29, 1999, Kramer's Ford Aerostar minivan and skeletal remains were found[12] by photographers looking for old car wrecks to shoot at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California.[6] However, his father never believed he killed himself and is quoted as saying "Taylor had told me a long time before there were people bothering him. They wanted what he was doing and some of them threatened him. He once told me that if I ever say I'm gonna kill myself, don't you believe it one bit. I'll be needing help" [2]
See also
- List of solved missing person cases
References
- ^ ""THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF IRON BUTTERFLY BASSIST PHILIP TAYLOR KRAMER"". February 12, 2015.
...his death was ultimately ruled a "probable suicide" by authorities
- ^ Ultimate Classic Rock, February 12, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ Reed, Mack, "Missing: Philip (Taylor) Kramer", Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1995.
- ^ a b c d Reed, Leonard Missing: Philip (Taylor) Kramer. Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1995. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ a b Leiby, Richard ""Far out Taylor Kramer, rock musician, rocket scientist, entrepreneur, has vanished into thin air."". Archived from the original on August 7, 2004. Retrieved August 26, 2013., Washington Post, October 6, 1996; also archived Archived June 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e Uncredited (October 1999). "The Vanishing". Maxim. Archived from the original on February 4, 2002. Retrieved March 10, 2018; also archived
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: External link in
(help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)|postscript=
- ^ Reed, Mack, "Missing Man’s Family Keeps Up Search Despite 2-Year Mystery", Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1997.
- ^ Lei, Richard, "Far Out", Washington Post, October 6, 1996.-45d6d2d03f3d/
- Skeptic (U.S. magazine), 1996.
- ^ 1997-03-06 - Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell - Deadly Pathogens and Solar Rays - Ed Dames
- ^ LINK
- ^ Rosen, Craig (June 1, 1999). "Iron Butterfly Fans Come To Terms With Apparent Discovery Of Missing Rocker's Remains". Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2013.