Alan Douglas Visher Missing Since 1962 From a Hike in California's Kings Canyon National Park

Missing Person: Alan Douglas Visher

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased):

Alan Douglas Visher was last seen at approximately 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 18th, 1962, at Dog Creek in Tehipite Valley, Kings Canyon National Park, California, after hiking with a Sierra Club group. He was part of a group of 50 hikers and was noticed missing at 7:00 PM when the group reached Simpson Meadow.

Anyone researching this case should note that his name was spelled "Allen" in a lot of newspaper journalism from the time of his disappearance. You need to research both Alan and Allen for keyword entry.

Last contact: Wednesday, July 18th, 1962, approximately 2:00 PM
Last location: Kings Canyon, California - Dog Creek, Tehipite Valley (area is described as east of Fresno in newspaper article, 18 miles north of Cedar Grove)

July 20, 1962. The Berkeley Gazette.

Age when Alan Douglas Visher disappeared: 12
DOB: Between July 19th, 1949, and July 18th, 1950
Sex: Male
Height in inches: 48–58
Weight in pounds (lbs): 75–100
BMI: 18.3–28.8 - Healthy to overweight based on the data that NamUs gives but the range is huge. In his pictures, he looks lean. Furthermore, hiking is a physical activity and I think that suggests reasonable fitness.
Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Hair color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Features: No Information Entered
Link to Government Source: NamUs MP148200 (right-click to open)

Clothing Worn When Last Seen

Item	Description	Details	Source
Wide-brim straw hat	Straw hat	Wide-brimmed	NamUs
Shirt	Brownish shirt	No further details	NamUs
Jeans	Blue jeans	No further details	NamUs
Boots	Redwing boots	No further details	NamUs
Backpack	Backpack with sweater and food	No further details	Oakland Tribune, July 23, 1962

Unraveling the Mystery: Key Insights and Updates

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: August 21st, 2025

Alan Douglas Visher, a 12-year-old Caucasian male who vanished on Wednesday, July 18th, 1962, in Kings Canyon National Park, California, was last seen at approximately 2:00 PM that day. He was hiking with a Sierra Club group of 50 people near Dog Creek in Tehipite Valley. A part of a large group that included siblings and his mother, members of the hiking group noticed Alan missing by 7:00 PM when the group reached Simpson Meadow. 

He was last seen wearing a wide-brim straw hat, a brownish shirt, blue jeans, and Redwing boots. He was also carrying a backpack with a sweater and food. Despite a multi-agency search, no trace of Alan was found in the immediate aftermath of his disappearance. Nor has any trace of him turned up in the six decades since his disappearance.

The journalism from 1962 indicates that there was a large search for this missing youth. Rangers, helicopters, mountain climbers, and bloodhounds all assisted in search.

He went missing at an elevation of 6000 feet, meaning his chances of surviving just one night would be complicated. The hiking trip he was on was described as a 10-day trip, meaning the group would have the means to cope with night-time temperatures but Alan did not have much himself when he went missing. The youth had a sweater in his backpack but little more that would offer warmth with temperatures likely to dip to the 30s or 40s in that area (0C-10C) during the night. There was still a search going on as of July 22nd, 1962, but the journalism is pessimistic about his chances of being alive.

July 22nd, 1962. The Press Democrat.

Comparisons: Trenny Gibson and Others

In terms of similar cases, Alan Visher's disappearance reminded me the most of the disappearance of Trenny Gibson. She was a part of a large group hike when she went missing, just as Alan was.

I looked at numerous missing person cases a few years back where hiking was central to the person's disappearance. One of risk factors, of course, is a dangerous trail. Hiking alone is another significant factor and this can include hiking with a group  when the person separates from the group for a short time.

I thought that this must have happened with Alan Visher but scenarios are speculative. Reasons why someone might separate from a group during a hike has to do with pacing and the differences in hiking speed naturally creating separation between group members. Another reason might simply be someone going off trail for a short time to use the washroom.

But the mystery with Alan was that he was not found despite a huge search. That will bring in questions of abduction. This is a connection to the Trenny Gibson case, because abduction has been considered in conjunction with her disappearance despite the difficulties involved with abducting from a large group of hikers. It would be one on-the-spot abductor who is in the middle of a natural area and targets an isolated youth at the perfect time, seemingly with people all over the place.

There were rivers in the area and creeks. People who are known to have entered rivers before disappearing have remained lost for ages. I did wonder if that's what happened to Alan somehow. With little water, he would be dependent on waterflow to stay hydrated once lost and that creates the chance that he was swept away, which could explain why the large search failed.

I also think that missing hikers, who are facing hypothermia at night, put themselves in hiding spots inadvertently. Their main concern during the night would only be trying to stay warm -- not putting themselves in an obvious place to be found. I raised this point with the disappearance of Paula Jean Welden, a long-missing hiker in Vermont.

Furthermore, I watched a survival video years ago, the name of which now escapes me. But it recommended burying yourself in dirt to fight hypothermia during the night, if lost in the woods or a natural area. You can see how such an action could help prolong your struggle against the environment but it could also hide you from the people who are looking for you. If you succumbed to hypothermia after seeking an enclosed area or after burying yourself in foliage, then you would effectively have hidden yourself from your rescuers.

I think this missing person is only found through luck at this point. His Redwing boots are the item most likely to stand the test of time, in my opinion. But anyone finding them might not recognize the relevance unfortunately.

Grok's depiction of Redwing boots from the era and place.

Missing Trail Hikers -- Recognizing the Patterns

Author: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: April 7th, 2021

Introduction to Missing Trail Hikers

I have been looking at both NamUs and Canada's Missing databases for missing people for the last couple of weeks. In particular, I have been interested in missing person cases where a hiking trail is central to the disappearance. The tag I've associated with all blog posts at this site that have to do a trail and/or a missing hiker is "trail hiking series." You can find this hashtag at the end of this blog post. By clicking on it, you will bring up all the related articles.

When I first thought of the "trail hiking series," admittedly, I wanted to look at about 40 cases that involved trails and/or hiking. However, I have fallen short of that for the time being. Nonetheless, even in a small sample space of cases, I've been able to recognize a couple of distinct patterns with missing people whose case files are associated with nature trails and/or hiking. Please, have a look at the two patterns below that emerged as I studied several cases.

Lost Hikers: Recognizing the Patterns

Pattern #1: An unfit, unequipped, and solo hiker uses a dangerous trail. He or she is not heard from again but his or her vehicle is found at the trailhead or parking lot for the park or trail network.

I selected six cases where Pattern #1, as described above, fits quite well. However, missing person cases aren't made with a cookie cutter: there are deviations. The six bullet points below restate Pattern #1 and provide an area where I will discuss what I mean by each point. The cases that basically fit the pattern then follow.

(1) The missing person was not fit for the hike. 

• Unfit for a hike could describe someone who was obese, however, it could also mean someone who was injured, had a medical ailment, or needed medication.
• In the six cases I looked at, I recall individuals that were either obese by BMI, walked with a limp, had a heart condition, required medication for seizures, or were well out of their primes.
• Only two of the six missing persons that I looked at, David Barclay Miller and Paula Jean Welden, were seemingly fit individuals in the primes of their lives.
• But even in their cases, a question could be posed if their fitness levels were equal to the trail ahead: Miller, in particular, may have had to burden himself with a very heavy load of water.

(2) The missing person went on a dangerous trail or one that is considered difficult.

• In assessing the danger level of a trail, I relied on AllTrails.com. I also looked at videos of the trails taken by YouTube publishers. 
• What I found was that people who went missing on trails often used dangerous trails. 
• This might seem straightforward forward, but the point is still worth making: though hardly foolproof, it suggests that something accidental happened to them instead of something illegal.
• That's especially likely given the poor physical condition many of them were in.
• I recall one case where an individual hiked in an area that other hikers had deemed unsafe and avoided. I recall a trail that was exceptionally lengthy in one case.
• Also, I recall a multi-day trail through desert conditions. In another instance, I recall a missing person using a trail known for encroaching on steep edges that were often intersected with small waterfalls directly falling on the trail.

(3) This missing person hiked alone, even if he or she was seen by others or informed people of his or her plans. 

• The six cases I include all featured solo hikers. They may have been seen by other hikers or park staff, but none hiked in tandem or in groups.

(4) The missing person failed to supply himself or herself properly. 

• Not bringing water or food or adequate clothing is a significant reoccurrence in the missing person cases. All kinds of ailments can affect someone who doesn't have proper clothing for a hike. Not having enough water can lead to dizziness, confusion, and dehydration. It can also lead to reliance on water sources along the trail, which might cause fevers.

(5) The missing person's abandoned vehicle was found at the trailhead or the parking lot for the trail network.

• This was a significant reoccurrence in the selected missing persons cases involving hiking trails, however, it wasn't 100% pervasive. Paula Jean Welden's case didn't mention a car and that is significant. She was a hitchhiker and, of course, a disappearance due to that risky activity could be what caused her disappearance instead of a hiking-trail mishap.

(6) My opinion: the totality of the circumstances suggests a non-clandestine disappearance (ie. it seems more likely that a hiking accident happened than something criminal in nature). 

• Did the person disappear on purpose, by accident, or due to the criminal actions of someone else? That's always a question in a missing person case.
• However, when I read most of the cases, I did think that the people that disappeared were likely accident victims or victims of the elements as opposed to victims of criminals.
• Paula Jean Welden is a tough case in this regard: she was last seen on a hiking trail, but she had hitchhiked to the trail. There is a question if she tried to hitchhike home or if she got lost in the forest. She was, in fact, lost even before arriving at her chosen trailhead and it was nearly dusk.

Of course, some of the points above could appear and, I'm sure, have appeared as topics in safe-hiking guides. Concerning the first point, you should select a trail that's appropriate for your health and fitness. You should definitely hike in twos or at least use trails that are popular and unrisky if you are alone. You should also bring a lot of water for the trail and some high-calorie food, not to mention a change of clothes or something you can add on as a layer if you end up cold. 

The cases I looked at in developing the six points are as follows. For further details on any case, please follow the link.

Joseph Lee Wood Jr. -- Missing Since July 1999 From Washington

• A man with a heart condition went hiking at high altitude without food or water or adequate clothing. Hikers that saw him last said they turned around due to dangerous conditions, but Joseph seemed to trudge on into those dangerous conditions. His vehicle was found near the trailhead.

Jessie Hoover -- Missing Since May 1983 in Maine

• A middle-aged woman who needed daily medication targeted a multi-day hike without any kind of preparations.

Carol Marlene Ferguson -- Missing From Washington Since 2017

• An 83-year-old woman who may have had dementia went on a difficult trail. Her truck was found near the trailhead.

David Barclay Miller -- Missing in Arizona Since 1998

• A young man went on a multi-day hike in the desert. There was a question as to whether he had enough water. His vehicle was found.

Wayne Falconer Wikel -- Missing Since 1992 From Oregon

• A man approaching his middle-aged years had a limp from a leg injury. He went on a very difficult and dangerous trail that was nearly 30 miles in length. His vehicle was found at the trailhead.

Paula Jean Welden -- Missing Since 1945 From New Hampshire

• She hitchhiked to a trail and arrived just before dusk one evening in December without provisions or warming clothing. 

Pattern #2: A duo or larger group takes to the hiking trails. A woman within the duo or group decides to rest instead of partake in the entire hike. While she rests, others in her duo or larger group complete the hike. When they return to collect the resting woman, she is not there. Furthermore, she's never seen again and it's unclear if something clandestine is involved or if she fell victim to a hiking mishap.

This pattern can be summarized with the following points:

(1) The missing person is a woman. 

• In five of the six cases that I looked at that resembled this pattern, the missing person was a woman.

(2) The missing person is originally part of a duo or larger group that's on a hiking excursion.

• This was present in all cases. Usually, the missing person started out on a hike with a group. But in one case, the missing person started out on a camping excursion.

(3) The missing person voluntarily separates from the group.

• This happened in each case. The reasons for the separations vary, but the missing person stopping to take a rest is common. In another case, the missing person voluntarily went on a separate hike than the group from the origin point. In another case, the missing person had a different walking speed than the group, and that created drifting. In another case, a little boy ran ahead of the group perhaps in youthful excitement.

(4) The missing person is not seen again.

• In only one of the six cases was a trace of the missing person found. In another case, some reported hearing the missing person scream in the night of the forest, but this was not firmly established.

(5) The investigation includes some suspicion of others in the area.

• Abduction is pretty clear in two cases. In another case, it seems that something forceful happened to the missing person. In the three other cases, it could be a hiking mishap, but there are questions surrounding other people on the trail, whether they are members of the missing person's group or not.

As is the case with the first pattern, missing person cases aren't made with cookie cutters. However, the following cases are closely related to the five points above.

A Pattern of Lost Hikers: Many Similar Cases

Olga Mauger -- Missing Since 1934 in Wyoming

The cases of Olga Mauer, Michelle Vanek, and Celeste Hensley Greub are very similar cases. Starting with Mauer, she was in the backcountry with her new husband. They were not hiking enthusiasts but were using hiking trails to scout for wild game. The husband and Olga went out into the mountains and she tired and rested while he hiked to a mountain peak. When the husband returned, Olga was gone and was never seen again although someone in the search party reported hearing her night-time calls for help. The husband came under suspicion in the aftermath but was not charged.

Michelle Vanek -- Missing Since 2005 From Colorado

Michelle Vanek went hiking with a male friend (non-romantic). She stopped to rest while he continued to advance to a summit. When he returned to find her, she was missing and has not been seen again. In this case, there was not much suspicion directed toward the friend. However, this case did mention a transient-type of character that was in the backcountry at the time.

Celeste Hensley Greub -- Missing Since 1976 From Wyoming

Celeste Hensley Greub went hiking in Wyoming with two female friends. The two friends decided to climb a nearby mountain peak while Greub rested alone. When the two friends returned to collect Greub, she was gone and has not been seen since. This case did not involve much discussion of suspicion, however, there was an indication that she was in a troubled marriage and may have been despondent.

Rosemary Theresa Kunst -- Missing in California Since 2000

Rosemary Theresa Kunst went on a camping trip with a large group. Most of the members of this group departed out on a hike, while Theresa stayed at the camp. However, she decided to embark on a short hike from the camp. When the hikers in the large group returned to camp, they did not know where Rosemary was. Eventually, a search ensued and only a tuft of her hair was found entangled in the wild-brush.

This case is a little different from the five summary points. Rosemary didn't separate from the hikers that she was on a hike with. Rather, she went on a different hike than what her fellow-campers went on. Furthermore, there was a trace of her as the hair that was found was tested to be hers. The circumstances seemed suspicious to me because I think the hair being yanked from her head, even by wild-brush, suggests that something forceful was happening to her.

Trenny Gibson - Missing Since 1976 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Trenny Gibson went on a school field trip with her classmates to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trip involved taking an out-and-back trail. During this trip, she became isolated on the trail from her classmates. I got the impression this had to do with her having a different walking speed over a long trail. Sometime during this isolated time, Trenny disappeared and has not been seen again. This is a case that has involved plenty of suspicion against a classmate, suspicion that I've felt was not warranted. Bloodhounds that tracked Trenny's movements lead to a roadside disappearance off of the trail. One prevailing guess is that she was abducted by a stranger, possibly at knifepoint or gunpoint.

Thomas Eldon Bowman -- Missing in California Since 1957 

Thomas Eldon Bowman is the only male in this list. A young minor, he was hiking on a family outing and became separated from the group when he ran ahead to the parking lot toward the end of the outing. He has not been seen since. He was thought to have been a kidnapping victim as opposed to the victim of a hiking-trail accident.

Richard Kalani Vierra -- Missing in Hawaii Since 2014

Paraphrased details from government source**: 

Richard went hiking alone on Saturday, July 5th, 2014 at approximately 6:30am at the Kamaileuna Ridge Trail near his home. He called his mother at 11:30 am to say he was coming down. He has not been seen or heard from since.

From his Facebook profile.

Missing Person: Richard Kalani Vierra
Last-contact date: July 5th, 2014 at about 11:28am
The area where the MP was last seen: Waianae, Hawaii at Kaimaile Mountain trail near Maiu'u Entrance
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 15 years old
Birthdate: Richard Kalani Vierra was born between July 6th, 1998, and July 5th, 1999 based on his reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5'5" and 120 pounds
BMI*: Richard Kalani Vierra was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Richard Kalani Vierra did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles.

Richard Kalani Vierra was last heard from on July 5th, 2014 when he was 15 years of age. I am sure I found his inactive Facebook account where there are a lot of pictures of him. In my opinion, the NamUs photo isn't a good one. He looked like a very athletic teenager that was successful for his age group in martial arts. This individual has now been missing for about 7 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

What stands out with this case is the phone call that the mother made to her son. He apparently hiked to a mountain summit and phoned to say he was on his way back home. This was the last contact from the missing minor. When she called him again at 12:15pm then the call went to voicemail.

It's possible, even probable, that he suffered a hiking accident in the 47 minutes between the two calls. If he did, then his location at the time of the first phone call and his hiking speed create the search area. This was not an easy or safe hike according to my research.

I saw a video that filmed a missing person poster of him. It said he was hiking the Kaimaile Mountain trail and may have used Maiu'u Road Entrance. I think this would be referring to the Kamaileunu Ridge Hike and that his entry point to the trail would have been at the following Google Map coordinates: 21.46178191468302, -158.1992668024058.

The trail is rated as difficult at AllTrails.com. One reviewer at the site had this to say:

We found that it went way off to the left, but got very dangerous being over the edge of a cliff without places to hold on. We decided it wasn't worth it and turned back. The way back was difficult finding proper foot placement and not slipping on the steep, sandy sections. It took us about 3 hours and 15 minutes to get up to 1000 feet and back. Definitely a fun challenge, not sure if we'd do it again. -- Taylor Key, writing in September 2020

Furthermore, this trail has made the news before because of hikers falling. The following newspaper article references the trail, a near-fatal accident that occurred on it in 2003, and crumbling rock as a hazard.

The man that fell had his fall broken by trees and so he was able to guide search-and-rescue to his whereabouts with his cellular phone. The impression I got in reading the article below is that the man might have been difficult to find without him being able to provide verbal guidance by cellular. It would be interesting if this dangerous area was the same area that Richard was in when he went missing. 

Minimally, I think the case in the article below should be a case study for trying to find Richard as it may highlight a particularly dangerous spot where someone who falls may end up concealed. This case may call for a double skill-set of an expert hiker that's familiar with the trail who also is skilled at operating drones with cameras.

07 Jan 2003, Tue The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

Richard Kalani Vierra may have had the following articles when he disappeared: blue backpack, blue shirt, shorts, and shoes. These items can be used to try and match a missing person to a John Doe. You can follow the tweets from the author of this blog. Follow Shane Lambert at Twitter. 

Author: Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*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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Jessie Hoover -- Missing Since May 1983 in Maine

Paraphrased details from government source**:  

Jesse Hoover was last seen on May 20, 1983 at the Baxter State Park Headquarters. Hoover traveled to Maine from Texas to hike the Appalachian Trail. She had no special equipment or knowledge to aid her while hiking. Jesse was reported missing on July 11, 1983 by her sister.

Photo credit: Picture taken from Maine State Police website. Cropped and enhanced by RSS Flanagan on 11/21/2011.

Missing Person: Jessie Hoover

Last-contact date: May 20th, 1983
The area where the MP was last seen: Millinocket, Maine
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 53 years old
Birthdate: June 13th, 1929
Hair: Gray or partially gray
Eyes: Blue
Scar: None listed
Height/weight: 5'8" and 240 to 250 pounds
BMI*: This individual was obese by BMI standards at the time of her disappearance.
Tattoos: Jessie Hoover did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Jessie Hoover was last heard from on May 20th, 1983 when she was 53 years of age. What stands out with this case to me is that she was going on a hiking trip that she was nowhere near prepared for. This individual has now been missing for about 38 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

Apparently, she was planning to hike the Appalachian Trail with what could only be considered a haphazard plan. AllTrails.com describes this trail as extending from Maine to Georgia at a distance of 3,207 kilometers. This is a hike that would require planning, both in regard to what you bring with you and in regard to developing the fitness to carry what you need.

According to some sources, Jessie had a terrible plan for her hiking trip. For instance, CharleyProject stated this: "Hoover was going to climb Mount Katahdin on May 20, but park rangers refused to permit it because they felt she was unprepared. She was last seen at the trailhead of the 100-Mile Wilderness, the most remote stretch of the Appalachian Trail." The same source describes a woman who barely had any food with her. Meanwhile, the source below depicts a hiking plan in the same region by a different group of people. It shows what kind of planning in required for this trip, one that was once a 'rights of passage' journey for some Boy Scout youths.

22 Jun 1972, Thu The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Newspapers.com

In addition to poor planning, there's also the question of Jessie's health. A newspaper source that will find below listed her as epileptic.

Additionally, her NamUs profile said she was 53 years old, up to 250 pounds, and just 5'8". When you plug those demographics into Body Mass Index calculators you get someone who is obese. At the age of 53, this wasn't an individual who had any hope of walking or hiking the Appalachian Trail or the 100-mile Wilderness trail.

In fact, I think a 250-pound 53-year old would have plenty of trouble with just a 10-mile trail. The plan, according to CharleyProject, was "to wire home for money and pick up her prescriptions as she passed through towns on the way." 

That plan sounds so fanciful that if all of it is taken at face value, then Jessie Hoover clearly wasn't in a strong place mentally from the start of her trip. This might have been suicide by hiking trail (ie. suicide by exposure).

This is a case, in my opinion, where Websleuths should be looking for a Jane Doe that didn't get too far up the 100-mile Wilderness trail. Jessie Hoover may have had the following articles when she disappeared: blue knapsack, blue jeans, blue shirt, and blue windbreaker. These items affiliated with a Jane Doe in that area should be compared to Jessie Hoover's case details.

In the sources I consulted, I found some inconsistencies with her middle name. CharleyProject listed it as Albertine but one newspaper source gave her the middle initial of "O." Some sources say she was 53 when she disappeared, others say 54. That may be due to the fact that her birthdate was close to the time she disappeared.

27 Jun 2009, Sat The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Newspapers.com

Thank you for reading. If have any information about this case, consider contacting the authorities.

Author: Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

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

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*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: Non-opinionated information at this site generally comes from government sources or police reports. Other sources may be used.

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Rosemary Theresa Kunst -- Missing in California Since 2000

Paraphrased details from government source**: 

Rosemary Kunst was last seen August 18th, 2000 near Spirit Lake's Marble Mountain Wilderness Area, Klamath National Forest in California. Kunst, an avid hiker, had gone off on a hike by herself carrying only a journal, a sandwich, and a bag of trail mix. It is believed that Kunst may have gotten lost or injured in the heavy-forest terrain. A tuft of her hair was found during a search, but no other clues were ever found. This hair was found caught in some heavy brush south of Spirit Lake.

Missing Person: Rosemary Theresa Kunst
Last-contact date: August 18th, 2000
The area where the MP was last seen: Siskiyou, California at the south end of Spirit Lake walking toward a ridge
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 70 years old
Birthdate: November 1st, 1929
Hair: Gray, partly gray, graying
Eyes: Hazel
Scar: Surgical scars
Height/weight: 5'3" and 122 pounds
BMI*: Rosemary Theresa Kunst was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Rosemary Theresa Kunst did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Rosemary Kunst: Commentary on Her Missing Person Case

Rosemary Theresa Kunst, a missing person, was last heard from on August 18th, 2000 when she was 70 years old. This individual has now been missing for about 21 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

What stands out with this case is that a tuft of the missing person's hair was discovered in the search for her. In my mind, there was a question as to whether this hair was definitely Kunst's, however, I was satisfied after reading that it was forensically identified by comparing the sample to her known hair in a brush.

22 Aug 2000, Tue The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com

I tried to think about what it meant for a missing person to disappear on a hike and only a tuft of her hair to be found during the search. To me, there is something to think about when it comes to the height off of the ground of where the hair was found. If it was found in brush close to the ground, then this might suggest that she was being dragged. If it's found at about shoulder-level then it could just be a standard tangling that could happen to anyone.

However, for the hair to come loose is interesting, I think, because I see most people as untangling their hair from brush by breaking the twigs as opposed to the more painful option of having their hair torn out. I do think the tuft of hair being removed from her scalp suggests that something forceful happened to this missing person during her hike in August 2000.

This missing person was associated with a lot of clothing articles and/or possessions. Note the following with this case: she had a journal, a sandwich, a bag of trail mix, a blue fleece shirt, a blue baseball cap, and hiking boots. The food could have been an attractant for a wild animal. However, the scenario of an animal attack is mitigated in my mind by the fact that no blood was found anywhere after a large search that lasted a week and none of the articles she was in possession of were found. Animals aren't tidy with their attacks: if a mountain lion, wolves, or a bear attacked Rosemary Kunst then I think the search would likely have produced one of her items or a portion of one.

That does call into question the possibility of foul play. Of course, that can't be eliminated until she is found but the likelihood of a human disappearing Kunst is mitigated by the remote location. Then again, that remoteness could create opportunity for anyone that was out there.

Lastly, I don't think Rosemary Kunst went into the forest to commit self-harm. Those that knew her seemed confident that she wasn't despondent. While secret depression can never really be eliminated, Rosemary reportedly did invite a youth at her camp along for the hike. That youth declined the invitation. If Rosemary was going to harm herself then I don't think she extends any invitation at all because she couldn't count on the decline.

This truly is puzzling case except that the tuft of hair coming out of her head suggests something forceful in nature occurred. My guess is that she was attacked by a man or animal, hidden (animals might hide a corpse), and her remains are in the region still despite the search.

Please share this article to social media using hashtags that are related to where the missing person went missing from, which is Siskiyou, California.

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.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*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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Wynn Lindsey -- May Be Missing on Hawaii's Puu Ohia Trail

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 3rd, 2021; updated February 23rd, 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Missing person: Wynn J K Lindsey

Last-seen date: April 1st, 2015
Last-seen location: Honolulu, Hawaii, I believe near Ernest Street and Lunalilo Street

Hikers that are planning to visit the Puu Ohia Trail could take a moment to review the case details of missing person Wynn Lindsey. This individual went missing in 2015 and his car, a 1999 Toyota Corolla, was found parked near this trail on Tantalus Drive. There's some question as to whether he entered the trail network or not.

In updating this article, I exchanged messages with the moderator of the Facebook group that profiles Wynn's disappearance. I deem such people to be knowledgeable of events, especially when they share a last name with the missing person. This individual, Maile Lindsey, offered the following pointers to add to this article:

• 3 sets of police dogs went through the area and they were not able to pick up a scent.
• Wynn had a flatscreen TV with him in the car when he left his house. Police found it placed in the front of the vehicle. Apparently, he was in the process of moving or finding a fixed address.
• The police found his car in the area when they responded to a robbery in the vicinity of where the car was parked.
• Wynn Lindsey knew sign language but was not deaf himself.

Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian with a swarthy complexion
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 44 years old

According to All Trails: "Pu'u Ohia (Mount Tantalus) is a 1.4 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round."

The trail was part of a large network of trails in the area. At 6'0" and 190 pounds, Lindsey appeared to be a fit individual, something Maile Lindsey confirmed as true. Accordingly, the search area would have to be large for this man.

If he went into the trail network with intentions of harming himself, then he would have been capable of covering a lot of ground before fatiguing. On the matter of possible suicide, Wynn Lindsey has been described as "emotionally distraught" (NamUs) at the time of his disappearance. However, in all cases like this, it's important to be open-minded to alternative scenarios.

His vehicle was a 1999 Toyota Corolla and it was found near the Puu Ohia Trail. The driver's side door was open when found. Inside the car were keys, his wallet, and his cellular.

NamUs # and Link: #MP68842

That the driver's side door was left open is interesting, I think. It may have been the "call for help" that suicidal people are often known to make in the time frame before they act. This "call for help" is any action a depressed and/or suicidal person makes that might call attention to the fact that something isn't right. Deliberately leaving a car door open as you walk away from it might fit the bill.

However, it's also interesting that the police dogs were not able to pick up his scent. It makes you wonder if his car was taken there by someone else.

Certainly, this is a confusing case as your mind goes in separate ways at separate times. What's most fair to say is that the trail network that his vehicle was found near still has to be considered ground zero, in my opinion.

Hair: black but bald on the crown

Eye color: green
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 6'0" and 190 pounds

Born: Waianae, Hawaii

High School: Waianae High School, class of 1989

Occupation: maintenance worker at Hickam

Below is news involving Lindsey just before he disappeared. It appears to be unrelated to his disappearance but contains information about him.

Wed, Mar 4, 2015 – O20 · Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) · Newspapers.com

Emma Fillipoff Missing in Canada Since 2012 -- Victoria, Vancouver Island

Author: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: December 22nd, 2020

Emma Fillipoff is a missing person, Vancouver Island's best-known case of the last decade. Perhaps the case of Michael Dunahee is a higher-profile case from the same area, however, his case is much older. Emma has been missing since as far back as November 28th, 2012, although there is a chance that she was seen a day after that.

Emma Fillipoff picture Thu, Dec 13, 2012 – 4 · Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

• Missing Person: Emma Fillipoff
• Last seen: November 28th, 2012 by police officers or the next day at 515am by another witness.
• Location: Near The Empress hotel in Victoria, BC on Nov 28, 2012 in the evening OR in the View Royal area of Victoria the next day (Craigflower Road and Admirals Road near a Petro Canada station). I do consider the latter to be a credible sighting.
• Height: 5'5"
• Weight: slim build
• Hair: long, blond/brown
• Clothing: camouflage pants, carrying an orange purse
• Age: 26 years old at the time of her disappearance

Early Journalism Coverage

The following article is the first one I found in the Victoria Colonist regarding Emma Fillipoff's disappearance. The article doesn't suggest much concern and just contains basic details. The one that follows is much longer and shows an increase in concern for the missing woman.

Emma Fillipoff Fri, Nov 30, 2012 – 4 · Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

Emma Fillipoff Thu, Dec 13, 2012 – 4 · Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

Possible sighting 

A man who only identified himself as William believes that he saw Emma Fillipoff in the early hours of November 29th, 2012. This man didn't come forward with this information until 2018, out of fear that being the last person to see Emma alive would make him a suspect in her disappearance. In truth, that is a valid concern.

According to William, Emma was distraught, she jumped out in the road as he drove, she seemed to be concerned about something that he could not see, and he dropped her off at Craigflower Road and Admirals Road near a Petro Canada station.

He claimed that, while walking, she carried her shoes in her hands. This alleged drop-off took place at 515 AM.

I do consider this sighting to be credible in the sense that I think William was being honest. His concern of being considered a suspect in her disappearance is valid. With that concern in mind, he still came forward. My opinion is that he was obeying his conscience when he did so.

Opinion and Commentary: Emma Fillipoff's Missing Person Case

Maternal Intuition as a Key Indicator

In this case, I think most avenues point to suicide. I believe it is telling that the mother sensed something in her daughter and flew out from Ottawa to Victoria on the very day that Emma went missing.

It's also telling that the mother, previously, declined to act on similar impulses. Something in her interaction with Emma triggered an urgency. I think these kinds of insights can be wrongly downplayed at times.

Barefoot Behavior: A Cry for Help or an Escape?

Furthermore, Emma was seen walking barefoot in downtown Victoria and that is a clue. It may sound odd, but I do have an opinion on missing people who were seen walking barefoot close to the time of their disappearances.

Partly, it looks a little mentally distraught and this may have been a 'call for help' before suicide. In fact, her barefoot walking caused a friend to call the police. Victoria is the mildest part of Canada, but you still wouldn't walk barefoot there in late November, let alone at other times of the year.

Conversely, sometimes people who walk barefoot, I think, are doing it because they want to leave somewhere without anyone knowing that they left. Missing shoes are clues that someone has left the building.

She did seem to be concerned over being followed, as the footage of her before her disappearance suggests. Emma might have been out barefoot because she wanted someone at the homeless shelter to think she had not left the building -- and leaving her shoes behind could help with that. This would be consistent behavior by someone who thought that she was being stalked.

But thirdly, Emma was poor. If her shoes bothered her feet, then she probably couldn't afford new ones. Someone might walk barefoot if the shoes the person owned were rubbing against wounds in a painful way.

Evidence Aligning with Suicide

Getting back to the chances of suicide, it should not be ignored that the people at the shelter that she stayed at (Sandy Merriman House) thought that she was "a danger to herself" (Dec 13, 2012, article above). There's definitely an alignment between her behavior, the actions of the relative who knew her best, and the opinions of the people who saw her in the days before she disappeared. Furthermore, that she lost (or discarded) her prepaid credit card shows some indifference to her economic situation.

Paranoia and Environmental Context

That William claimed she seemed scared of something that he could not see might be regarded as consistent with her behavior as noted from previous times. The footage of her acting scared to exit buildings has been taken to mean that she was worried about someone following her. That could simply be symptomatic of being a pretty woman living in a shelter -- a place that will have a fair amount of questionable people.

I've lived on Vancouver Island for about seven years of my life and downtown Victoria hasn't always been a comfortable place. At times, it has been a very dodgy environment and I can only imagine how many times someone as attractive as Emma might have had someone creepy genuinely watching her footsteps. That could create paranoia and her strange behavior as caught by the videotape could just be an extension of her high-risk living environment.

Possible Locations and Environmental Challenges

According to William, Emma wanted to go to Colwood. I think this is the area where a credit card she owned was found.

Also, there is a ton of hiking in the greater area where she disappeared, including at Thetis Lake Regional Park. Furthermore, there are inlets from the Salish Sea. If she is found, then I suspect that it will be in one of the following areas:

• Thetis Lake Regional Park or south
• Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary or north
• To the west of the above locations but not further west than the below locations
• Mount Wells Regional Park
• Goldstream Provincial Park, near the Langford entrance
• If she entered saltwater, then finding her will be very difficult 

Hiking these areas in Victoria would be more arduous in November than in the summer. The trails would be heavily puddled. To me, that suggests if she went into the forest, then she didn't go deep. In the summer, the trails are popular. I've written about some of them in a hiking publication I have.

Dismissing Red Herrings

As for the 'fluff' around this case, I disregard two things.

As stated, I'm not taking her preoccupation with being followed to mean that she was being followed. That's a red herring, in this case, I think. But I do think she might have thought she was being followed.

 

Secondly, I disregard the man in Vancouver who ripped her poster down and claimed to be her boyfriend to be anything of substance. My main reason for that is that the event happened in 2014 and we're in 2025, at the time of updating this case. I think if Emma was, in fact, the man's boyfriend, some kind of sighting would have happened by now.

The way I see it, the police don't have a lead in this case and it's a case that has received a lot of media attention. They are just playing their hand with what they've got. 

Emma Fillipoff Wed, Dec 12, 2012 – 31 · The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) · Newspapers.comI think it could be pointed out that she has a similar appearance to both Jesokah Adkens and Carmen Robinson. These are two MPs from the same general area. I've argued elsewhere that the Adkens case and the Robinson case resemble one another. I think the Fillipoff case is different because you can just sense a suicide theme.

Maura Murray -- Newspaper Clippings from the Baffling Unsolved Missing Person's Case

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: Sunday, December 20th, 2020

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Introduction to Maura Murray's Disappearance

Maura Murray is one of this century's most famous cases of missing people. She was last known to have been in New Hampshire, where she was involved in a single-vehicle car accident.

Murray then disappeared before the police arrived to find her vehicle locked. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Case Details

Missing Person: Maura Murray
Last Seen or Contact Date: Shortly after 7pm on Monday, February 9th, 2004
Where Last Seen: In the vicinity of Route 112 in Haverhill, New Hampshire, about a mile from Swift Water Village, about five miles from Wells River, Vermont (across the Connecticut River). She was taking a sharp turn on Wild Ammonoosuc Road between Old Peters Road and Bradley Hill Road (there’s a blue ribbon tied around a tree on Google Maps).

Maura Murray Saturday, February 14th, 2004 – 18 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com

Similar Cases

The case has some similarities to unrelated cases. Many times across America, someone has been involved in a car accident only to disappear in the immediate aftermath.

In 2020, Yvette Slim went missing after an accident. In 2018, Blair Minnifield (NamUs #MP52423) got in a single-vehicle accident, went to the hospital, and then disappeared. Stephan Chan (NamUs #MP50755) disappeared the same year after a single-vehicle accident. In 2016, Brandi Shontay Brown disappeared after hospitalization from an accident.

Psychological Context of Car Accidents

It is interesting to think about a car accident that is followed by the driver's disappearance. We can imagine that an individual who is near a breaking point might cross that point after a car accident, especially if the accident is his/her fault.

Life can be tough and car accidents are no small deal: even if you escape injury, dealing with the bureaucratic procedures after an accident can be very annoying. It follows that someone who is already mentally unwell might see this as the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Maura Murray Monday, February 10th, 2014 – 10 · The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado) · Newspapers.com

Maura’s Background and Possible Motives

But with Maura Murray, I’ve often wondered if the car accident wasn’t so much that straw but maybe she had already decided to disappear herself. The accident might have been the result of indifference to her life or maybe even a last-ditch call for help if she was in a suicidal state.

It was her second car crash in recent days and she was thought to be “distraught” at this time of her life. Months earlier, she faced legal problems for fraudulently using a credit card.

Witness Accounts and Investigation

The individual who spoke to Murray shortly after her accident (Butch Atwood, now deceased) suggested that she may have been intoxicated. Thus, Murray might have been facing a drunk-driving charge if she stuck around the accident scene. Other witnesses said that they saw her roadside and police dogs lost her scent about 100 yards from her car.

Maura Murray Thursday, February 19th, 2004 – Page 20 · The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont) · Newspapers.com

Theories and Speculation

This is a baffling case, and, like most difficult missing person’s cases, there are a lot of ways your mind can go. The father was always adamant that she met with foul play—so adamant that it is hard to disregard his opinion.

That would make you think that an abductor arrived at the scene of the accident and picked her up as she walked away. However, that in itself would be one Johnny-on-the-spot abductor as he/she would have arrived on the scene in the minutes between the crash and the arrival of the authorities.

That Murray told lies to her school and work in the time frame before she disappeared is interesting. It suggests that her life was not in balance. That she was drinking and driving adds weight to this, in my opinion.

Of course, if she fled the scene for legal reasons and hitched a ride, then why hasn’t she been heard from since? She would not likely flee a drunk-driving charge for years as first-time offenders can expect leniency. If she voluntarily entered a passerby’s vehicle, then why didn’t this driver contact authorities later?

Possibility of an Unknown Witness

In my opinion, the best chance of finding her is simply that she did enter someone’s vehicle and that this person has never confronted the story of her disappearance and doesn’t know he or she has valuable information.

But sometimes people who have valuable information regarding a missing person are unlikely to share it—even when they realize it. For example, in the case of Emma Fillipoff, there was a man who picked her up as a hitchhiker near the time of her disappearance. When he realized that he had information on her whereabouts, he kept it to himself until several years after she disappeared.

His reasoning was that he simply did not want to be cast in a false light (i.e., someone who picked up a hitchhiker who was never seen again would be considered a suspect in the disappearance).

Final Acts of Generosity

One possibility is that Maura, planning to end her life, gave away her possessions in a final act of kindness. There are a lot of instances when someone gives away possessions late in life, knowing that they do not need them anymore.

On Monday, February 9th, 2004, Maura withdrew about $280 from her bank account, nearly all she had, and this money was not found in her car. While her money could have been in her pocket as she left, she also bought alcohol that day, some of which—possibly bottles of Baileys, Kahlúa, or vodka—was missing from her vehicle. That seemed like too much alcohol to drink without going unconscious.

She may have given these items to homeless people, reflecting a generous impulse before her disappearance. While no one reported receiving such gifts, her distraught state suggests she might have felt free to let go of what she no longer needed. Late-life generosity, which certainly is not unheard of, would explain where the missing alcohol went and it would align with a suicidal frame of mind, in my opinion.

Considering Suicide as a Possibility

Maura Murray’s case remains baffling and I gravitate toward suicide as the most likely explanation for her disappearance. It doesn’t matter to me that her father thought this unlikely, as there is often a divide between what parents notice of their children and their mental reality. That she met with foul play is the opinion of the family, even as recently as Friday, February 9th, 2024 when People.com did an update on this case (Nicole Briese).

However, I don’t feel strongly about my opinion. Suicide by facing-the-elements doesn’t sound like a great way to go. There’s no reason to believe that Murray had a gun and it was evening when she went missing in February—a cold time of year in the northern USA. Hiking through the night-time forest for a cliff to jump off doesn’t sound like a great way to go either.

Conclusion

At the end of this case, I feel like we’re left with the facts and details of her case—all of which point to nothing but difficult-to-weigh speculation. Years have passed and we’re still waiting for that moment when things finally make sense.

Maura Murray Saturday, February 14th, 2004 – 18 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com

Maura Murray Sunday, February 15th, 2004 – 29 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com

Maura Murray Tuesday, February 17th, 2004 – 19 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com

Maura Murray Tuesday, March 2nd, 2004 – 17 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com

Maura Murray Thursday, April 4th, 2019 – A9 · The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont) · Newspapers.com

Identifying Information

NamUs # and Link: #MP54
Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at Time of Disappearance: 21 years old
Hair: Light brown or brown
Eye Color: Greenish/bluish
Height and Weight at the Time of Disappearance: 5’7” and 120 pounds
Other: Dimpled cheeks
Scars: Right calf
Clothing: Possibly wearing a dark-colored coat and jeans, carrying a backpack.