Cory Dale Moore -- Missing Person Found, A Case Study

Author: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: February 21st, 2021

The case of Cory Dale Moore, someone who went missing in September 2020 and was found deceased in February 2021, is a case that people who look at missing person cases should be interested in. It's a case where an individual went missing, there were reports of heavy searching, and yet the discovery of his remains was more due to a chance event than formal searching. This was the case even though Moore was found just one-half mile from his last-known location.

Cory Dale Moore went missing on September 3rd, 2020. The odd detail that was included in his case was that he seemed to have left without wearing any shoes. I wondered if he had a second pair as there was a question as to how far he could have gone without his footwear. As reported by Yahoo! News, his wallet and cell phone were missing and he didn't have a car (author: Andrea Cavallier).

According to Yahoo: "The Lee County Sheriff’s Office launched a search in the surrounding area with crews, cadaver dogs and drones. But there was no trace of Cory."

However, Cory was found on February 12th, 2021, about five months after the disappearance. That he was found just one-half mile away from his last-known location is important to note. 

Often, when I read missing person forums, participants think that because the police searched with cadaver dogs, drones, and lots of manpower and failed to find a missing person, the target of the search must have gone far away from where he was last seen. However, this is definitely not the case.

Cory was found by individuals that were on a real-estate scouting trip. They were thinking of purchasing a piece of land, they were inspecting it, and they discovered Cory. How he got to where he was found isn't known at the time of writing (February 2021).

But what Websleuths and amateurs should take away is the fact that one-half mile can make for a challenging search area when you don't know which direction someone went in. The area of a circle that has a radius of 0.5 miles is 0.79 square miles. If you are dealing with a heavily forested area, then the search is all the more difficult.

However, 0.79 miles squared still isn't a huge area to cover. Next time you read a missing person report that says the police looked extensively near where the person went missing, don't take that to mean that the person didn't end up staying in the vicinity of where he was last seen. It's a mistake to think that just because there are reports of police scouring an area with drones, cadaver dogs, and crews that the area was covered for every square inch. 

I think there are loads of cases that are currently baffling to searchers where the individual is very close to where they were last seen. In Cory's case, he was found after five months. However, if not for the chance discovery, animal activity or vegetation could have hidden his body for who knows how long. In other cases, that may have happened.

Read more: Paula Jean Welden, Emma Fillipoff

Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips -- Missing Since February 1988

Missing Person: Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips
Last-contact date: February 12th, 1988
Area last seen: San Diego, California

Link to government source: NamUs #MP6525

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 12 years old

Birthdate: December 22nd, 1975 (according to an Ancestry page I found)
Hair details: blonde/strawberry
Eye details: brown

Height/weight: 5-foot-7 and 110 pounds
Details as per NamUs: "Shaliegh was last seen on February 12, 1988. She may be in the El Cajon, California area."

Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips has not been seen or heard from since the 12th of February in 1988 when she was 12. When Shaliegh disappeared, she was of the San Diego area in southern California.

What stands out with this case, is the fact that Shaliegh had feet that were of different sizes. It was reported in NamUs that she had to purchase differently-sized shoes for each of her feet. That might be a clue if you come across that abnormality with a Jane Doe.

Also, at the time of her disappearance, she was thought to be wearing a pink sweater and Levis-brand jeans. These clothing items may be associated with a matching Jane Doe. 

NamUs associated this missing person with the El Cajon area of California. That is about 15 miles to the east of San Diego in a slightly northern direction.

Ronald Orton Desmeules -- Missing from Squamish Since September 1995

 

Missing person: Ronald Orton Desmeules

Last-contact date: September 14th, 1995 (Thursday)
Disappeared from: Squamish, British Columbia

Link to Government Source: Canada's Missing 2008015399

Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 33 years old

Birthdate: August 20th, 1962
Hair: Short, brown
Eye color: Blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'6" and 161 pounds
Clothing: Pink muscle shirt, brown moccasins, denim blue jeans

Scars: Right wrist and right foot

Description from Canada's Missing: "Ronald Desmeules was living in Red Lake, Ontario. While working through some personal issues, Mr. Desmeules traveled to Squamish, British Columbia in September of 1995. On September 14, 1995, while staying with family, he left their residence, and has not been seen or heard from since."

Commentary: The case of Ronald Orton Desmeules isn't one that I was able to find a lot of information on in the time that I had allotted for it. However, the description from Canada's Missing claims that his individual had some "personal issues" at the time of his disappearance. That might lead some to speculate that he may have committed suicide. Whether the scar on his right wrist is from a previous attempt or originated in a different way is a matter that could be looked at. Even if he was a danger to himself at the time of his disappearance, there's still the question of where he went.

One thing that could be thought about with this case is the clothing that Ronald was last seen in. What could it mean when someone goes out in public dressed in a pink muscle shirt, moccasins, and blue jeans and then never gets seen again? The footwear is certainly not someone heading out to the rugged trails that you find around Squamish. It would suggest only a short walk and that calls further into question how exactly he went missing. One question to look at would be his access to a vehicle.

In my opinion, the clothing, especially the moccasins, suggests someone that left the place where he was staying in an impulsive way. It reminds me of missing teenagers that were last seen after arguments with their parents. Under these conditions, teenagers often leave with whatever indoor footwear they had on at the time or whatever was easiest to put on quickly.

This is a case that may require a family member to open up about details before Websleuths or amateur investigators can research more. I found no Internet-based news articles or newspaper articles. 

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: 

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL