On a summer day in July of 1988, 75-year-old Paul Eugene Housel was seen for the last time. From an upstairs window of their apartment in the Raleigh Hills area of Portland, Oregon, his wife watched him walk down the street, away from their home. This sighting on July 24, 1988, would be the last confirmed time anyone saw the elderly man, who was living with the challenging realities of Alzheimer's disease.
For five or six years prior to his disappearance, Paul had been showing symptoms of the disease, a condition that could cause him to become easily confused and agitated. He also struggled with asthma. At the time he went missing, he was described as a white male, standing 5'5' tall and weighing between 140 and 150 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a lavender or red checked shirt, navy pants or blue slacks, and sneakers.
Concerned, Paul's wife asked other family members to go and find him, but their search of the immediate area was unsuccessful. This was not the first time Paul had wandered away from home; on three previous occasions, he had been found safe after about eighteen hours. This time, however, would be different. A tracking dog was brought in to aid in the search and followed Paul's scent to a nearby Tri-Met bus stop. Despite this, his wife expressed doubt that he would have boarded a bus, explaining that his condition would have made it difficult for him to understand where to wait or how to pay the fare. He was carrying his wallet, which contained his identification and about $20 in cash, but no credit cards. His cognitive state would have also made it impossible for him to use a telephone to call for help.
The days turned into weeks, and then years, with no sign of Paul Housel. His wife shared that he had become frustrated and isolated by his inability to communicate due to the progression of his Alzheimer's. She believed it was possible he left because he felt he was becoming a burden to his family. The Washington County Sheriff's Office has kept his case open, but no leads have emerged to explain his sudden and complete disappearance. The official investigation remains unsolved, leaving his family without answers. The overview of the case is a heart-wrenching story of a vulnerable elderly man who seemingly vanished, a narrative all too common for those suffering from debilitating conditions like Alzheimer's, leaving a void of uncertainty for those who loved him.Last Seen: Jul 24, 1988
