Rachel Swaby worked extensively with Evan Ratliff, and his sources, as he prepared his September feature story. Here are her thoughts on his disappearing act.
Wired: Tell me how Wired fact checking works:
RS: We take a story that’s being edited and we have to make sure that every word is true, So we re-interview all the sources, track down all the statistics, and end up looking at all the same documents that the author does.
W: What was the most interesting part of checking this story?
RS:: Interviewing the private investigators. They had some amazing tricks that they use to track down people. They used some of them on me.
W: Like what?
RS:: I was directed to a website and I was told what kind of computer and web browser I was using, as well as the city where I was using them. They asked my name and age and a few other little details. Then they told me they would be able to get my social security number.
W: And what did they tell you about hunting people more generally
RS:: The main lesson was that people’s individual quirks get them in trouble: like if someone really likes a certain food or has something that they can’t live without. If you like this special imported hot sauce that you need to eat, then they’ll get you. That’s where Evan’s wheat intolerance will help the hunters.
It’s also going to be hard to find him because he’s on the move. Often it is getting settled that gets you in trouble. Or other little things: like using your old personal details in your new identity. Sometimes people get caught because they spell their new name slightly differently from their old name. Or they make a new social security number that is just the old one with some numbers flipped. But Evan knows that.
W: What did you learn about Evan when checking this story?
RS:: I know that he was getting more and more nervous as the disappearing date came up. He was really nervous about the private investigators he talked to tracking him down. I know that right after talking to one of the investigators, he was notified that someone had gotten hold of his electric bill.
W: Is he a meticulous person?
RS:: Yes. He is on top of all the details in the story. And he had been writing the story since earlier this year, and probably all of that time he has been thinking of keeping himself hidden.
W: How much do you think he has planned out of his month on the run?
RS:: I think he has a serious plan. He was so freaked out about having the private investigators follow him. And he knew it would be hard to travel since he can’t stay with friends or family.
W: From following the hunt, have you seen any mistakes he has made?
RS:: I don’t know. I would be surprised if he used his ATM card in Santa Monica. I’m a little suspicious. I would think he would stay more hidden than that.
W: If you were a hunter what would you do?
RS:: I would call around to the places I think he would visit. I love that people are putting up wanted posters. The more people who know about this, the more likely he is to be found.
W: Do you think he’s east coast or west coast
RS:: From following the hunt, it looks like it’s west.
W: But isn’t that an illusion he’s created?
RS:: It can’t all be illusion. But I’m sure some of it is misdirection.
W; What are the best sources you read on how to disappear?
RS:: I got great information talking to the private investigators. And Matt Shepard’s interview was the most interesting because he talks about all the preparations he did: how, for example, he dropped his phone at a gas station, knowing someone else would pick it up and maybe mislead the police. There were also some spectacular failures in other cases that Evan learned from.
