David Barclay Miller -- Missing in Arizona Since 1998

Paraphrased details from government source**: 

David was last seen leaving for a two-and-a-half-day hiking trip in Sedona, Arizona on May 19th, 1998. David was an experienced hiker employed by the Sedona Forest Service. David's vehicle was found abandoned at the Vultee Arch Trail in Sedona, AZ. Mr. Miller was an experienced hiker and was a seasonal employee with the United States Forestry Service.

Missing Person: David Barclay Miller
Last-contact date: May 19th, 1998 (Tuesday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Sedona, Arizona
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 22 years old
Birthdate: July 6th, 1975
Hair: Sandy
Eyes: Blue and may be wearing glasses or contact lenses
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5'11" to 6'1" and 160 to 170 pounds
BMI*: David Barclay Miller was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: David Barclay Miller did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles.

David Barclay Miller, a missing person, was last heard from on Tuesday May 19th, 1998 when he was 22 years old. The last people to see him before he went on a two-day hike were his co-workers on May 19th, 1998 at the Beaver Creek Ranger Station. He left a note indicating what his plans were but a search started when he did not report to work as expected on Friday May 22nd, 1998. This individual has now been missing for about 23 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

There was significant newspaper coverage with this missing person. His truck was found at the Vultee Arch Trail in the Sedona area. In coverage I read, there was a concern that he would not have enough drinking water in a part of the USA that is very dry and hot.

25 May 1998, Mon Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) Newspapers.com

The Vultee Arch Trail is only a 5.8-km "heavily trafficked" trail according to AllTrails.com. However, it is connected to a broader network of trails and backcountry. The missing person may not have perished near the specific trail that his profile is associated with.

What is puzzling with this case is that I did not find any indication that his campsite was located. He was on a multi-day trip and would surely have needed supplies and, I assume, a tent. 

If his campsite was packed as he traveled on foot then he should be a pretty big target to find in an arid part of the USA where the forests are not as thick as many other parts of the country. If he was unpacked and set up for camp when he suffered a mishap, I would think that someone would have found his campground after all this time. 

I do find the concern over his lack of water to be a little difficult to accept. Surely, this is a hot place in the USA. In fact, I looked up the temperatures for the Sedona area on May 20th, 1998 and found a high of 83F (about 28C). But overall, the way I feel about this case is that something sudden and unexpected happened to him. Conversely, running out of a water, when you start with a lot of it, is something that someone would see coming: you could turn back when you realize you didn't bring enough. 

This trail is also very popular. I wondered how it could be that someone didn't help him as he would have foreseen any water shortage approaching.

20 May 1998, Wed Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) Newspapers.com

When he disappeared, he was thought to have a t-shirt, shorts and black hiking boots, and a forest-green Gregory backpack. Those details can be cross-referenced against John Does. It would help to know what supplies he was carrying as well. Furthermore, what was found in his vehicle might be interesting. 

The following Youtube video shows what the region was like in 2009. As you can see, there are a lot of smooth edges where someone that's feeling adventurous might fall.

Popular Tag: "Car Found Person Missing" is a popular tag for this site. It describes a missing person who either owned or was using a vehicle at the time of his/her disappearance. The vehicle is found but the person is not. Click the hashtag at the bottom of this blog post to see just how many times this pattern is present in missing person cases.

 

Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

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*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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