Overview

Last seen: April 1, 1998 — officially listed by Wisconsin authorities as Superior, Wisconsin; some secondary sources list Minong, Wisconsin.

Main circumstances: Rader was 48 and was last seen by his brother and attorney. Authorities reported that he was possibly suicidal and had previously left a note for family. He may have been carrying a backpack and knife and possibly a 9mm pistol with two magazines. His whereabouts after that encounter remain unknown, and no homicide has been officially established in the sources reviewed.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Leonard Lawrence Rader Jr. Missing Person Case: Wisconsin Man Missing Since 1998

Leonard Lawrence Rader Jr., a 48-year-old Vietnam veteran, disappeared in northern Wisconsin on April 1, 1998. More than 28 years later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and his case continues to appear in the Wisconsin Department of Justice missing-person database.

Official Wisconsin records list Rader as missing from Superior, Wisconsin, in Douglas County. Other case sources, including The Charley Project, identify Minong, Wisconsin, as the location from which he disappeared. What is consistent across the principal sources is the date: April 1, 1998, and the report that Rader was last seen by his brother and attorney.

The Disappearance of Leonard Lawrence Rader Jr.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults, Rader was last seen by his attorney and brother on April 1, 1998. He subsequently disappeared and has not been located. The state’s current listing identifies Superior as both his missing-from location and last known location.

The Charley Project gives Minong as his missing-from location and likewise reports that his attorney and brother were the last people known to have seen him. This location discrepancy has persisted among publicly available case sources and should be kept in mind when reviewing older articles, databases, and discussions about his disappearance.

Circumstances Before Rader Disappeared

Authorities had reason to be concerned for Rader’s safety. Wisconsin’s official missing-person information states that he was possibly suicidal and had previously left a note for members of his family. The Charley Project similarly reports that he had left a suicide note before disappearing.

Some secondary case sources have connected his condition at the time with possible mental-health difficulties following his military service in Vietnam. What happened after Rader was last seen, however, remains unknown. Publicly available official information does not establish that he died by suicide, became the victim of a crime, or voluntarily disappeared.

What Leonard Rader Looked Like in 1998

Rader was 48 years old when he disappeared. Wisconsin’s missing-person poster describes him as a white male approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 180 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. The Charley Project gives his height as approximately 6 feet 1 to 6 feet 2 inches and describes his hair as sandy brown.

Rader had several potentially important identifying characteristics. Wisconsin authorities report burns from hot tar involving his right arm, face and both thighs, along with military-related gunshot wounds involving his right thigh and left knee near the thigh and a scar on his left arm. Additional case information reports previous fractures of his nose and right collarbone.

The Charley Project reports that Rader may have had a beard and could have been wearing prescription glasses or sunglasses. His pants size was reportedly 34×32, his shirt size large, and his shoe size approximately men’s 10 or 11.

Items Rader May Have Had With Him

According to The Charley Project, Rader may have been carrying a backpack and knife when he disappeared. He also may have possessed a 9mm pistol with two magazines. These details could be significant when comparing his case with unidentified-person investigations, although a resemblance between possessions or physical characteristics alone does not establish an identification.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

As of September 2026, Leonard Rader remains listed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults. The state’s database currently gives an age of 76 and continues to direct anyone with information to the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office.

A more recent development in the case’s public documentation occurred in 2024. The Doe Network’s published update archive shows that Leonard Lawrence Rader Jr. was added to its missing-person database on August 1, 2024, under Doe Network case number 6268DMWI.

There has also been online discussion concerning unidentified remains found in Wisconsin. In 2024 and 2025, contributors to the Solve the Case forum discussed whether Rader could resemble an unidentified man whose remains were found near Harshaw, Wisconsin. Commenters pointed to similarities involving height, belongings and reported injuries. This is public speculation rather than an announced law-enforcement identification or confirmed investigative development. No reliable public source located for this article establishes that the Harshaw unidentified person is Leonard Rader or that authorities have formally linked the cases.

No publicly released official update located in the current search announces that Rader has been found, identifies human remains as his, establishes a homicide, or provides a definitive explanation for his disappearance. His Wisconsin DOJ record remains active.

Why Leonard Rader’s Case Remains Important

Rader’s disappearance has endured for decades with relatively little publicly released information. The physical scars associated with his military service and other injuries provide unusually specific identifying characteristics that could potentially assist investigators examining unidentified remains.

His case is recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as NamUs MP29255. Wisconsin authorities continue to request information from anyone who may know what happened to him.

Anyone with information should contact the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office or the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults. Even information that seemed insignificant at the time of Rader’s disappearance could potentially provide investigators with additional context.