Philip Taylor Kramer

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Philip Taylor Kramer (July 12, 1952 - February 12, 1995) was a bass guitar player for the rock group Iron Butterfly during the 1970s. After this he obtained a night school degree in aerospace engineering, worked on the MX missile guidance system for a contractor of the US Department of Defense and later in the computer industry on fractal compression, facial recognition systems, and advanced communications. His disappearance on February 12, 1995 caused a mystery lasting four years.

[edit] Total Multimedia Inc.

In 1990 at the age of 38, Kramer co-founded Total Multimedia Inc. with Randy Jackson (brother of Michael Jackson) to develop data compression techniques for CD-ROMs.[1][2][3] The firm claims it developed the first video compression capable of producing full motion video from a single speed CD-ROM in 1992. In 1994 the company was reorganized under bankruptcy and hired new leadership. Kramer continued working there until his death.[4][5] Kramer co-developed SoftVideo based on fractal compression and he also claimed to work on a transmission project that would result in faster-than-light speed communications. The latter related to his father Ray's long-running family effort to discredit Albert Einstein's theories.[6]

[edit] Death

On February 12, 1995 he drove to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up an investor. He spent forty-five minutes at the airport but failed to meet the investor. Kramer did make a flurry of cell phone calls, including one to the police during which Kramer said, "I’m going to kill myself. And I want everyone to know O.J. Simpson is innocent. They did it."[7][8]

He was never heard from again. This led to a massive search, many news reports, and talk show segments including an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, America's Most Wanted, and Unsolved Mysteries some years later.[9] An article in Skeptic Magazine reported numerous conspiracy theories about his death.[10] In 2000, Kramer was featured on an episode of The Unexplained ("Strange Disappearances").

On May 29, 1999, Kramer's Ford Aerostar minivan and skeletal remains were found[11][12] by photographers looking for old car wrecks to shoot at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California.[13] Based on forensic evidence and Kramer's emergency call to the police his death was ruled as a probable suicide committed on the day on which he was last heard.[14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Leiby (1996)
  2. ^ Henry, Tamara (March 31,1999) USA Today Internet Promise Goes Unfullfilled
  3. ^ Maxim, "The Vanishing"
  4. ^ Maxim, "The Vanishing"
  5. ^ Total Multimedia history on corporate web site
  6. ^ Maxim, "The Vanishing"
  7. ^ Southwell and Twist (2007) p.56
  8. ^ Maxim, "The Vanishing"
  9. ^ Leiby (1996)
  10. ^ Rice, Fredric (1996) "Iron Butterfly Member Disappears After Allegedly Working on Faster-Than-Light Communication - Is He In A Godda Da Vida?"
  11. ^ Iron Butterfly Fans Come To Terms With Apparent Discovery Of Missing Rocker's Remains
  12. ^ Collected News Stories about Kramer
  13. ^ Maxim, "The Vanishing"
  14. ^ Southwell and Twist (2007) p.57