Richard Salman was 66 years old when he was last known to have contact on June 23, 2017, in Prospect, Maine, a small Waldo County community near the Penobscot River. Public missing-person records identify him as a White male with white hair and blue eyes, standing about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 155 pounds. His NamUs case is listed as MP38912, and the investigating agency is the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central.
The first known sign that something was wrong came that morning on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which spans the Penobscot River between Prospect and Verona Island. Reports from the time stated that a vehicle had been found parked or abandoned on the bridge during the early morning hours, with the Maine Marine Patrol contacted around 6 a.m. and searchers on the river by about 7 a.m. Another public report said the vehicle had been spotted around 3:30 a.m. and that the Marine Patrol began searching the Penobscot River later that morning.
The vehicle was later associated with Richard Salman: a silver and black 2005 Saab 92 with Maine vanity plate ZYGOTE, which public case summaries describe as accounted for. According to the case details reported in missing-person sources, the car was found on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, and the circumstances were especially troubling because the engine had been left running. A walking stick belonging to Richard was found resting on the bridge barrier, facing the water, creating a deeply concerning scene for investigators, searchers, and those who cared about him.
Publicly available case information also states that Richard may have been suicidal at the time he disappeared, and the circumstances released by authorities indicate that he had reportedly made recent suicidal statements. That detail gives the case a painful emotional weight, but it does not lessen the importance of remembering him as a person rather than only as the subject of a missing-person file. The information available online focuses mainly on the bridge, the vehicle, the walking stick, and the immediate search of the river, leaving many personal details about Richard’s life, relationships, and final hours outside the public record.
As of the available public information reviewed, Richard Salman’s case remains listed in missing-person sources rather than as a resolved case. The exact course of events after he arrived at or near the Penobscot Narrows Bridge is not publicly established in detail, and no public source reviewed here provides a confirmed recovery or a clear resolution. The available record tells a sober story: Richard Salman, a 66-year-old man from Prospect, Maine, was last known to be missing on June 23, 2017; his Saab was found on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge with circumstances suggesting urgent concern for his safety; searchers responded to the Penobscot River that morning; and the case has continued to stand as a painful reminder of a man who disappeared in a moment of apparent crisis, leaving behind unanswered questions and people who deserved closure.Last Seen: Jun 23, 2017
