Steam tunnel incident
| James Dallas Egbert III | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 29, 1962 Dayton, Ohio, United States |
| Died | August 16, 1980 (aged 17) Dayton, Ohio, United States |
| Occupation | College student |
James Dallas Egbert III (October 29, 1962 – August 16, 1980) was a student at Michigan State University who disappeared from his dormitory room on August 15, 1979. The disappearance was widely reported in the press, and his participation in the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was seized upon by press and investigators alike as being potentially related to his disappearance, propelling the previously obscure game to nationwide attention.
Egbert was born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in Huber Heights, a Dayton suburb, attending Wayne High School. He was a child prodigy, and entered Michigan State University at age 16, where he majored in computer science. Personal problems cited in the reports of his suicide attempt and disappearance include depression, loneliness, parental pressure, drug addiction, and (according to statements made to Dear) difficulty in coming to terms with his homosexuality.
On August 15, 1979, after writing a suicide note, Egbert left his dormitory room at Case Hall and entered the university's steam tunnels. He consumed some methaqualone, intending to commit suicide, but the attempt proved unsuccessful. After waking up the next day, he went into hiding at a friend's house.
A police search for Egbert began. The story was followed widely in the news media after Michael Stuart, a journalist for the university's newspaper, The State News, published details. Egbert's parents hired a private investigator, William Dear, to find their son. Knowing little about fantasy role-playing games, Dear theorized that Egbert's disappearance was related to his involvement with the Dungeons & Dragons game, a possibility further promoted in subsequent news media. Students were reported to play live-action sessions of the game in the steam tunnels below the school, and it was speculated that Egbert was injured or otherwise disappeared during such a session.
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