http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010921.html
Bettie Page completely disappeared at the peak of her popularity, recently E! did a true hollywood story on her career. I was working at Playboy’s catalog division when she tried to get in touch with some old contacts. The rep that took the call was sitting next to me and I honestly thought he was going to have a heart attack (he had several pictures of her on his desk).
A British Member of Parliament, John Stonehouse, disappeared & tried to fake his death. He was discovered living under a false identity in Australia, hauled back and imprisoned for fraud.
Lord Lucan disappeared after the death of a family servant by violence. He has never officially been seen but there are strong rumours that he went to live in South Africa.
Richey James of the Manic Street preachers disappeared. There is a throry he killed himslef but another theory that he changed identity.
Betty Page (or maybe Bettie Page - the websites I’ve checked differ on the spelling) wasn’t quite the same thing. She didn’t fake her death. She just got out of the modeling business and decided to not live a public life.
There is a big difference between disappearing and faking your own death.
But obviously the question of whether anyone has successfully faked their own death can’t be answered because if it were done successfully we wouldn’t know it. Unless the perpetrator eventually confessed on their deathbed or something.
N.™