Vanishing Act: A Crashed Airliner, Faked Death, and Backroom Abortions

Over a span of 39 years, 23 aliases, 28 arrests in 20 cities, and nearly a dozen imprisonments, Robert Spears had lived a con artists' life of unparalleled adventure and intrigue. This is his story.

Shortly before Thanksgiving Day in 1959, a plane exploded in mid-air, killing all 42 passengers and crew and leaving scattered debris and bodies across the otherwise tranquil Gulf waters. Listed on the manifest was Dr. Robert Spears—once the highly regarded president of the Texas Naturopathic Association. Father of two small children with a lovely, society-minded wife and an elegant home in an exclusive neighborhood, it was a monumental tragedy for them as it was for all the souls lost that day.

Less than two months later, Robert Spears miraculously “rose from the dead” in Phoenix where he was promptly arrested. Headlining newspapers nationwide—“Man Downs Airliner to Fake Death”—Spears was discovered to have cleverly switched identities, persuaded his friend, Al Taylor, to fly with his plane ticket, asked him to carry “a package” on board, and drove away in his buddy’s car with his wallet and driver’s license.

As the FBI began to investigate, they uncovered a stunning, mind-bending tale of murder, abortion rings, and false identities—more than 25 aliases for Spears alone—as well as insurance scams and investment fraud that stretched over decades.

But that was far from the end of the story.

Methodically and carefully researched for years and meticulously sourced by a research sociologist and author, Vanishing Act is one of the great true crime stories of our time and a compelling read that is paced like a page-turning, mystery novel. Until now, the complete and shocking story has never been told.