Frank Arthur Cerimele -- Missing Since July 1969 All Over Again

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 7th, 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Missing person: Frank Arthur Cerimele
Last-seen date: July 14th, 1969
Last-seen location: Youngstown, Ohio
Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP76180
Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 21 years old
Hair: Brown    
Eye color: Hazel
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'10" and 150 pounds

Clothing: Blue or white button-down shirt; white bermuda shorts (not really meant for swimming, go down to your knee); something called "tongs" which might be taken to mean "thongs" which are flip-flop sandals

Vehicle: 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix

Frank's disappearance has an oddity in it. According to the case details at CharleyProject, this was once a closed case. However, it was reopened after just over 50 years.

Cerimele's car was found with the following details:

• it was recovered at the International Bar at 1710 Poland Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio
• the doors were open and unlocked

A missing person with a vehicle found that is not just unsecured but with doors left open might be taken to mean that something amiss happened at his vehicle. That seems to be the point that people have tried to make with this case: "Cerimele's loved ones stated he cherished his car and wouldn't have left it overnight in an unfamiliar place" (CharleyProject).

However, I don't see that as a major clue pointing to abduction because I think that a suicidal person might be indifferent to the state of his vehicle too. Furthermore, leaving a vehicle with doors open might be a call-for-help, something that suicidal people are known to do. I've looked at another missing person's case involving a located vehicle with doors open and argued that the open doors have something to do with a suicidal state of mind. It could be an attempt to call attention to oneself.

In Cerimele's case, I think the big clue is his footwear. They are described as "tongs" at NamUs but I am thinking they meant "thongs" which is another word for flip-flops/sandals. This kind of footwear would match his other clothing articles, which appeared to be relaxed in nature. 

I don't picture someone using that kind of footwear to find a spot for suicide. If you were wearing flip-flops, you would not be planning on going too far. I think that if Cerimele was planning to commit suicide, then he would have been found near his vehicle. 

His pictures look like mugshots, especially the side view. I wonder if he's someone in the wrong crowd with maybe that playing a role in an abduction.