Missing
Joel Matthew Thompson
Thompson, approximately 1999
Date and time person was reported missing : 08/31/1999
Missing location (approx) :
St. Louis, Missouri
Missing classification : Lost/Injured Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 06/28/1969 (52)
Age at the time of disappearance: 29 years old
Height / Weight : 5'7 - 5'10, 170 - 180 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Size 32-34 jeans and brown hiking boots. Carrying a large backpack meant to carry up to fifty pounds, a disposable lighter, a pocket knife, a thin wallet and a disposable camera.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Thompson has a brown beard and mustache, and body hair on his chest, arms and legs. He is balding.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Thompson called his father on August 31, 1999 and said he was visiting friends in St. Louis, Missouri and buying hiking supplies in preparation for a planned trip on the Pacific Crest Trail, which extends from Mexico to Washington State. He was going to start his trip in the Portland, Oregon area and hike down through California.
Thompson said his father shouldn't expect to hear from him again for a couple of months. He has never been heard from again. After several months went by without contact, his father made inquiries. Searches turned up no sign of Thompson, and his father reported him missing.
There's been no indication of his whereabouts since 1999 and his case remains unsolved. New York and Oregon police are investigating.
Other information and links : ncy
Suffolk County, New York Police Department
631-852-6194
Hood River County, Oregon Sheriff's Department
503-386-2098
September 2021 updates and sources
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Amy and Tim
Colorado Bureau of Investigation
October 12, 2004. December 23, 2018; Description, clothing, jewerly and more : added.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
