Need Advice...Lost a friend

[Kansas Ed]

Fellas,
I'm looking for ideas, and I know that a lot of you have those..LOL.

Story: Years ago when in Freedom Wy, I had a good friend...a little strange and different...who was a bachelor and is roughly the same age as I (47). He came originally from MI and migrated to WY and worked for FA like I did. When we moved to KS, we kept in touch and he called regularly about twice a year. He also kept in touch with a couple of others there. He ended up selling his place in WY and followed his dream...gold prospecting in the southwest. Bought a camper trailer, new Pickup, and last I heard from him he was somewhere in the Superstitions prospecting. That was two years ago. I started getting worried about a year ago when his cell was disconnected, and I hadn't heard from him. I contacted the others who regularly heard from him (by regularly I mean every 6 months or so). Tonight I called his father in MI who he had a limited relationship with, to see if he had heard from him. The father has also not heard from him in 2 years either...and actually went to AZ looking for him this summer. He had contacted and interviewed all the local and state authorities trying to come up with any info without a trace. This guy has dropped off of the face of the earth.

This friend while very honest, is nontrusting of the gov., and isn't the type to leave tracks or info because of it...but his friends including myself are getting mightily worried. Two years without contact is extremely unusual. 6 months OK...but 2 years??? We all last heard from him 2 years ago. His dad is sick over this and desperately trying to find anything out...but LE isn't much help he says. This guys AZ license expired (not cancelled..expired)...and we don't know the VIN of his truck to see if it's changed hands.

He became transient by choice and "career" if you will. We're trying to just find out if he's OK...which seems pretty unlikely at this point....

Anyone have any ideas on how to verify if he's even alive? His dad says that his SSN hasn't shown up on the death index, but that only means that someone hasn't reported him dead. AZ state LE has no records of him past the expired license. I hope he found the Lost Dutchman and is living a wild life in the Caymanns somewhere...but (and as his father alluded to)..i think it's more likely that his bones are bleaching in the AZ mtns. and his truck and trailer are in Mexico. It would be nice if his father could have some resolution.

Any ideas how I could help find him?

Ed

[Stan in SC]

Grasping at straws...try Googling his name.

Stan in SC

[Kansas Ed]

Grasping at straws...try Googling his name.

Stan in SC

Tried, but he's never owned a computer...

Ed

[vancelw]

Grasping at straws...try Googling his name.

Stan in SC

Tried, but he's never owned a computer...

Ed

he wouldn't have to even know what a computer is to show up on a google search. You might find criminal records, real estate, genealogy, - any number of possibilities.

[mouthpiece]

"It would be nice if his father could have some resolution."

Why are his dad's wishes more important than your buddy's desire for privacy? Sounds like they had a defective father/son relaltionship anyway. Sounds too, like you're justifying your own busybody interests.

Respect your friend's wishes & MYOB

[adirondakjack]

I am of two minds. First as a parent of a kid who DID drop off the face of the earth for a year and change once, I know that trail of tears. Luckily my kid resurfaced.

Second, as a lover of liberty, I might be really POed if I was quietly living somewhere, making a living laboring for cash, not WANTING my past to come to visit, and it did.

If you and dad really do care, take out an ad in a couple of papers in that area, let it run several times, different days of the week (some people only read the paper now and again) asking if anyone has any info to contact you. If somebody says "Yep, I know a guy looks a lot like him, living out of his camper and coming to town once in a blue moon", say thanks, and leave it at that.

Bottom line, IF he's out there, he knows how to find YOU.

[MajorCordite]

A lot of people choose to live like this. Sometimes this black sheep syndrome is driven by mental illness or even alcoholism. Your friend might be living at the YMCA or be living at a homeless shelter. I previously worked with transients and I knew a lot of homeless people. You would be surprised to know of these people's past. A lot are veterans and can't cope with their experiences. One man's medals are another man's nightmares. If you do find your friend be prepared for what might happen. If he is living it was "his" choice to drop out. He might be angry for being discovered or even act like he doesn't care about you or his family. I have seen this before. It is a very sad and painful situation. Don't become to obsessed with this. God bless...

[FWiedner]

A lot of people choose to live like this. Sometimes this black sheep syndrome is driven by mental illness or even alcoholism. Your friend might be living at the YMCA or be living at a homeless shelter. I previously worked with transients and I knew a lot of homeless people. You would be surprised to know of these people's past. A lot are veterans and can't cope with their experiences. One man's medals are another man's nightmares. If you do find your friend be prepared for what might happen. If he is living it was "his" choice to drop out. He might be angry for being discovered or even act like he doesn't care about you or his family. I have seen this before. It is a very sad and painful situation. Don't become to obsessed with this. God bless...

Pretty much describes my brother. Isolated himself years ago. I wanted to respect his life choice and had no interest in getting together or having a long sentimental conversation.

He's not a hermit, and about 5 years ago I sniffed out his whereabouts and contact info for the sole reason of telling him that our Dad was in poor health.

He was po'd that I'd found him and didn't give a whit about the rest.

I've got nothing against the guy, but I haven't contacted him again.

[Bogie35]

First of all, sorry for your loss. If law enforcement doesn't have any leads, then he's probably missing on purpose. Hopefully he's living it up in Costa Rica. I pray for the best for you and your friend.

Bogie

[Sixgun]

Yep, I agree with the boys here as I sometimes feel that way myself. Everyone has a limit on what they can deal with in todays stressful society. I know I sometimes get disgusted with other people's expectations of "me". You know, "Come on Jack, I need this 'n that" or "what time can you have that done by?". I routinely disconnect my phone lines.

In all honesty, my wife, kids, 2 good friends, and you guys keep me "social" or I would most likely join your bud in the mountains.

Your bud has a low stress limit on society and he's chillin' out. If he is is "bleachin" in the hills, it was most likely his choice ------------------Sixgun

[Hobie]

I am of two minds. First as a parent of a kid who DID drop off the face of the earth for a year and change once, I know that trail of tears. Luckily my kid resurfaced.

Second, as a lover of liberty, I might be really POed if I was quietly living somewhere, making a living laboring for cash, not WANTING my past to come to visit, and it did.

If you and dad really do care, take out an ad in a couple of papers in that area, let it run several times, different days of the week (some people only read the paper now and again) asking if anyone has any info to contact you. If somebody says "Yep, I know a guy looks a lot like him, living out of his camper and coming to town once in a blue moon", say thanks, and leave it at that.

Bottom line, IF he's out there, he knows how to find YOU.

I'm moved to support this as the first and best course of action. I would also contact law enforcement agencies in the area he was last known to be in to see if anyone of that description was arrested for anything. He might have been processed under a different identity (for any number of reasons) and/or his rig found abandoned (for any number of reasons).

My own son doesn't contact us but about once every year and a half on average but we know through other sources that he's alive and well. Lets face it, there's one in every family and we can well understand that the father wants to find the one lost child...

Now, if it were me that was trying to get away from everyone, I'd expect that somebody would be trying to find me and I'd do all sorts of things to avoid being found. I'd change my name, appearance, AND I'd blend in (there's not really any place to go where there are no people) by being as ordinary and common as possible.

[williamranks]

His father could try the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office as a starting point.
They can find out if he changed registration, got a ticket or was contacted in any way by police.
Forest service and game department can tell him if they ever made contact.
This state is bigger than all of New England and only about 20% of it is privately owned. The rest is federal land, state land and reservations.
There are plenty of places to prospect besides the Superstitions. He could be living in the mountains in the summer and the desert in the winter.
Out here it's easy to not be found unless you want to be.

[Blaine]

A lot of people choose to live like this. Sometimes this black sheep syndrome is driven by mental illness or even alcoholism. Your friend might be living at the YMCA or be living at a homeless shelter. I previously worked with transients and I knew a lot of homeless people. You would be surprised to know of these people's past. A lot are veterans and can't cope with their experiences. One man's medals are another man's nightmares. If you do find your friend be prepared for what might happen. If he is living it was "his" choice to drop out. He might be angry for being discovered or even act like he doesn't care about you or his family. I have seen this before. It is a very sad and painful situation. Don't become to obsessed with this. God bless...

Pretty much describes my brother. Isolated himself years ago. I wanted to respect his life choice and had no interest in getting together or having a long sentimental conversation.

He's not a hermit, and about 5 years ago I sniffed out his whereabouts and contact info for the sole reason of telling him that our Dad was in poor health.

He was po'd that I'd found him and didn't give a whit about the rest.

I've got nothing against the guy, but I haven't contacted him again.

Chit, man....I'm sorry...

Personally, I'd go looking. Lots of people get depressed and talk themselves out of being in contact. You don't know if they are serious unless you find out first hand. Go for it. Heck, try FaceBook...ya never know...in this day and age, even hermits go online for company.

[Old No7]

While I understand all the comments about "leave him be", I can also well understand the father's angst and worry...

If he was found to be OK and said "Just leave me alone...", then you should all honor that -- but at least you'd know, as would the guy's father.

So if you really do want to find him, I think he left us a clue...

"...last I heard from him he was somewhere in the Superstitions prospecting. That was two years ago. I started getting worried about a year ago when his cell was disconnected, and I hadn't heard from him. "

Based on that info, I'd check around with all the gold buyers in that area, and maybe they'd know something about him.

Could be that he ran into a "gold digger" of the worst kind -- whether a beautiful young female or a grizzled old male; either type could have robbed him and scr*wed him over good... Hope not...

Old No7

[adirondakjack]

Or, like literally thousands of single men, he could be living in a small, privately owned motel or campground "off the books" working off his rent doing maintenance or running the office when the owner is away from the place, and getting a few bucks for groceries, simply living a quiet life as "john Smith" and not botherin' a soul.

[Hobie]

I feel I've got to reiterate that anyone who might want to be left alone has got to realize that it is more than likely that somebody out there cares enough about them to try to find them. Of all the people in this world, I would most expect that parents would want that contact and I think it is entirely reasonable. It is NOT as if Barack Hussein Obama wants to tell him what to do.

[Kansas Ed]

While I appreciate all of the insights, I think some of you may be missing the point. He was a transient due to the nature of his dream...he was not an antisocial hermit. He valued his few friends highly, and was religious about contacting us every few months, and we were religious about contacting him. His relationship with his father was distant, without animosity. What I am trying to say, is that it's not in his profile to cut off communication with everyone all at once...furthermore ALL of us (and that totals about 6 or 8 people) quit hearing from him at exactly the same time. He didn't pick and choose and slowly dwindle his contacts. THAT is what has us worried. When we talked on the phone it would sometimes be a 2 or 3 hour phone call of laughs, catching up etc. He always had a standing invitation at my home to live in our guest room for an undetermined amount of time if he ever wanted to come to Wichita looking for good paying aviation work, which I likely could have procured for him, and he knew that. The picture you folks paint isn't what we would expect from him. I would expect him to make himself less traceable due to government mistrust...I wouldn't expect him to quit communicating with his friends.

I was in hopes that you folks would give some advice on how to trace his movements that weren't commonly thought of. He wasn't computer literate and never had a computer in his life. The normal modes of search haven't worked thus far...what I was in hopes of, were some abnormal modes of search that we may not have thought of. His dad tried the Sheriffs dept, State Police, traced his movements from what he knew, but nothing has surfaced. He had no police record, not even a speeding ticket. I do appreciate the suggestion of Gold Brokers in the area...that is one route I know wasn't tried.

I once had a similar situation with an elderly gentleman who was alone in life and a veteran. We lost contact and he had often moved in a similar fashion. Worried that he was getting on in years and may be needing help, I mounted a two week search of phone calls and internet scouring of records....I finally found him with Alzheimer's and Dementia locked up in a VA hospital in CO. I did what I could till his death, of trying to make his life a little better. I don't want something similar to happen in this case, and be too late to help.

Ed

[Mich Hunter]

This friend while very honest, is nontrusting of the gov.,

There is many of us like that from Michigan. Kansas Ed. I am sending you a PM.

[Alan Wood]

While I appreciate all of the insights, I think some of you may be missing the point. He was a transient due to the nature of his dream...he was not an antisocial hermit. He valued his few friends highly, and was religious about contacting us every few months, and we were religious about contacting him. His relationship with his father was distant, without animosity. I was in hopes that you folks would give some advice on how to trace his movements that weren't commonly thought of. He wasn't computer literate and never had a computer in his life.
Ed

I have been hesitant to mention this but with what you just said I think that I should bring it up .

At his age gold prospecting in the back country may have caused a heart attack outside of cell phone coverage. I suggest that you try to find out who his cell phone provider was and see if they will tell you why the number was disconected. If he requested it might still be alive if non payment who knows. On the other hand charging the cell phone while boondocking it long term could have been enough of an issue...

Alan Wood

[DixieBoy]

Kansas Ed - It sounds like you truly care about your old friend and are trying to do right by him, or at least his Dad, which is nothing to apologize for.

I think that investigating gold buyers in the general area is a decent idea, but if you come up empty, then you have to make a decision.

A truly good PI might be able to find your friend. That's not cheap if you contract with professionals. If you are lucky enough to find your friend, and he tells you to get lost, at least you'll know that he's alive, and you'll also know that you tried to do right by his Dad as well.

Suppose YOU were your friend. If your friend found trouble, or it found him, you'd be happy to know that someone cared enough to find out what the heck happened to you. Again, if you do find him and he's staying "lost" on a prolonged basis, then you did your best. Good luck with this. - DixieBoy

[Malamute]

The cell phone may be the best trail to follow. It may take a police investigation, or perhaps the father could get the info, (the father may be able to get a power of attorney if he's missing?) but there will be a record of all his calls, and generally, what towers the calls were routed through. Looking at a map of those two things could give important clues. If there was a flurry of odd calls before the phone was shut off, it may mean that someone else got the phone. How is another question, and may be a legitimate one for law enforcement. Who an odd flurry of calls was placed to would be another legitimate avenue of investigation. In the end, it may be the only one that could tell what happened to him, tho it wouldnt be easy to get somone to say exacty how they got the phone, but even a phony story could give enough clues to be useful. If all his last calls were in his original area, he's likely there still, in whatever condition, and would give a general idea of where to look for a start. Notices tacked up at trailheads and campgrounds may be useful if you dead end otherwise. If they were to distant places, or made on the move, that's another good clue. Who doesnt make some calls to somewhere when they are about to travel, or make a few calls along the way or to check for a garage etc? If his phone was taken in somewhere and the number changed, there may be some record of that. He probably had an address of some sort to get the billing for his cell. That could be a useful direction, tho it may take official interest to get any info from the post office. You could send a letter to his address if you find it out and see what happens. It may have been an aquaintence he used the address of. Better yet.

Local LEO or Forest Service people may have had some contact with him and remember him. Contact doesnt mean a citation or unfriendly event, they may have seen or met and visited with him at sometime(s). Getting LEO to cross reference his name with vehicle registrations should give a VIN that could be checked for current status. Vehicles don't disapear for the most part. Any info about the vehicle around the time of his stopping contact or after that would likely be useful. The camper trailer is another thing with a number thats trackable. You may be able to get VIN info from whoever he bought them from, if you know where that was, in general or specifically. I'd try to get pics of the camper and truck from the sellers if posible, or an exact model and description and get a pic online to show or send around to Forest service and LEO types in his old area in Az.

Just few thoughts.

[J Miller]

Ed,

I've sat here and read this thread two or three times.
I lived in AZ for nearly 40 years and I can tell you the Superstitions are a very rugged and remote area. It is also a wilderness area. Meaning that you are not going to drive in. You have to hike in or ride in on horseback.

From everything you've said on this thread, your friend is a missing person. His lack of communication is totally out of character.

Call his father, have him get photos, ID, birth certificate, what ever he can find and contact the Missing Persons Dept of the Maricopa County Sheriff Dept and the Pinal Cty Sheriff Dept and declare him a missing person. This will get him into the system and if any other LEO has seen him for any reason, this may jog their memories.

The truck and camp trailer would have had to be parked somewhere near the Superstitions, most likely in the Apache Junction or Florence Junction area. If you're friend left them for any length of time they would have been towed. There would be records of this as well.

Car insurance companies have the VIN #'s of every vehicle they insure so if you have the make, model, and year as well as his name you might be or a LE agency might be able to track it that way.

But don't wait, have him declared a missing person, there's enough grounds to do that.

Good luck, I hope you find your friend.

Joe

[RIHMFIRE]

I really cant add to this....the guys gave you some really good advice....
if he did get lucky....at 1375 an ounce....he might be having a great life!

One of our own has disappeared...Duff-L-Bagg....Larry Dunn
He spent a lot of time on the road as a truckdriver...traveling
all over the country.....he used to call me everytime he ran across
a heard of elk, mulies, whitetails or pronghorn on the side of the interstates
just to tease the heck out of me....
He had a week or so off and came home..
We were eating lunch after a nice day at the range....
said he was going to Arkansas and I never heard from him again...
I guess its been over a year or so....
I hope hes doing okay.....

so I know how you feel....
ya just cant stop wondering what happened....
Hopefully he found a nice blond with big.........
and is having one heck of a time!

[Kansas Ed]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. My hands are tied with many of the really good ones, as I don't have the "rights" to that information not being next of kin....but you can bet I will give all of them to his father and see if he or we can't get something stirred loose. I'm like most of you...If he wants to be left alone, I will respect that and not contact him again, but like I said...it wasn't in his character to do so.

Thanks again. And I'm sorry to hear of so many who have gone through the same things in their lives. Like most of you, I value my close friends and try to do what's in their best interests...the problem with this is...I don't have a clue which choice to make here (search or ignore)...and can only go off of my gut instincts. I hope all of you who are searching can find resolution with your similar issues.

Ed