…my big curiosity is why.
From 538 Significant Digits:
35 years
In 1983, a U.S. Air Force captain with top secret security clearance disappeared. Some thought he’d been abducted and others that he’d defected to the Soviets. He became the subject of conspiracy theories, including one involving the Challenger space shuttle disaster. Last week, the Air Force found him, living in California under the name Barry O’Beirne. He was arrested on charges of desertion. [The Washington Post]