Dr. Ann Webster Bunch delves into the enigmatic disappearance of William Morgan, a 19th-century figure whose threat to expose Masonic secrets led to his mysterious vanishing, igniting political turmoil and leaving a case that remains unresolved nearly 200 years later.

William Morgan was last seen in Batavia, New York in September 1826, down on his luck, haunting the local pubs. An illusive local citizen, he had recently threatened to publish purported Masonic secrets. He was later arrested that same month in Canandaigua for petty theft, and eventually transported and held in Fort Niagara. From there Morgan seemed to have disappeared forever. The local Freemasons were accused of his demise. State Assemblyman and newspaper editor Thurlow Weed fanned the political flames to great effect. Yet, Morgan was to return, this time in stone, atop a monument erected in Old Cemetery, Batavia, in 1883. Enigmatically, no body lies there. Thus, the case of Mr. Morgan technically remains that of a missing person almost 200 years after his disappearance. Dr. Ann Webster Bunch takes an investigative science approach to this extremely cold case to demystify and highlight ways to resolve the fate of this highly polarizing historical figure.