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Mark Mestas Missing Person Case

Last seen in Thoreau, New Mexico on Jan 1, 2001

Victim Details

Jun 2, 2016

Jan 12, 2024

Mark

Mestas

65

40

65 inches

68 inches

175 lbs

180 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

Jan 1, 2001

Thoreau

New Mexico

McKinley County

87323

Unknown

18407

McKinley County Sheriff's Office

Gallup

New Mexico

McKinley County

87301

Anthony Ashley

Investigator

300 B West Nizhoni Boulevard, New Mexico

5058631410

County

Law Enforcement

https://www.co.mckinley.nm.us/165/Sheriffs-Office

13-5581

Mar 19, 2013

McKinley County Sheriff's Office

Black

Brown

Brown

Oct 4, 2026


Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP33933) and 4 other sources
Mark Anthony Mestas, a 40-year-old man from Thoreau, New Mexico, was last seen on January 1, 2001. He has not been heard from since, and few details are available regarding the circumstances of his disappearance. His case has left law enforcement and family members with little to go on, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. He is described as being between 5'5" and 5'8" tall, weighing about 175 to 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Mestas had several distinctive scars from stab wounds on his torso and forehead, and a tattoo of a teddy bear sleeping on a cloud on his lower hip.

At the time of his disappearance, there was confusion about whether he went missing in 2000 or 2001, but official reports list his disappearance as occurring in early 2001. His case remains unsolved, with limited public information or leads coming forward in the years since he vanished. Investigators continue to hope that someone may come forward with information that could shed light on what happened to him.

Mark Mestas' case is part of the larger landscape of missing persons in New Mexico, many of whom are still awaiting answers. Authorities encourage anyone with information to contact the McKinley County Sheriff's Office.
Last Seen: Jan 1, 2001

Links to Additional Sources (4)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Missing Person / NamUs
  • Clovis News Journal Newspaper Archives | Mar 11, 2005, p. 13
  • NM - Mark Anthony Mestas, 39, Thoreau, 1 Jan 2001 | Websleuths
  • Case 1 Mark A. Mestas Missing Since 2001

    • Possible Unidentified Matches (7)

    Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

    77%Possible
    John Doe — Phoenix, Arizona - unidentified case UP1971
    John Doe — Phoenix, Arizona
    UP1971 • Found Apr 7, 2001
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 30–40 vs 40
    Race 100%White
    Location 49%262 mi away
    TimingFound 3 months after last seen
    Height 100%5'8" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 100%160 lb vs 175–180 lb
    Hair 60%Brown vs Black
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
    76%Possible
    John Doe — Texas
    UP3290 • Found Sep 1, 2002
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 37–47 vs 40 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 48%274 mi away
    TimingFound 20 months after last seen
    Height 100%5'4" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 69%130 lb vs 175–180 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
    76%Possible
    John Doe — El Paso, Texas
    UP3308 • Found Mar 16, 2002
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 30–40 vs 40 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 48%271 mi away
    TimingFound 14 months after last seen
    Height 100%5'8" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 100%197 lb vs 175–180 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    76%Possible
    John Doe — Arizona - unidentified case UP1977
    John Doe — Arizona
    UP1977 • Found Nov 10, 2001
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 25–40 vs 40
    Race 100%White
    Location 47%281 mi away
    TimingFound 10 months after last seen
    Height 100%5'5" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 58%123 lb vs 175–180 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
    75%Possible
    John Doe — Kirtland, New Mexico
    UP65046 • Found Nov 23, 2019
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 38–52 vs 40 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 77%92 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 19 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'8" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 100%174 lb vs 175–180 lb
    75%Possible
    John Doe — Phoenix, Arizona - unidentified case UP819
    John Doe — Phoenix, Arizona
    UP819 • Found Aug 2, 2007
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 40 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 49%258 mi away
    TimingFound 7 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'9" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 97%155 lb vs 175–180 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
    75%Possible
    John Doe — Mesa, Arizona - unidentified case UP1970
    John Doe — Mesa, Arizona
    UP1970 • Found Jan 30, 2001
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 85%Est. 20–40 vs 40
    Race 100%White
    Location 50%246 mi away
    TimingFound 4 weeks after last seen
    Height 100%5'4" vs 5'5"–5'8"
    Weight 97%155 lb vs 175–180 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown

    These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

    Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.

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    Forum Posts (2)

    I've been researching Mark Anthony Mestas' case, and I'm curious about the contradictions in the... ...Read More
    03/31/2024
    I was going through some old newspapers and stumbled upon Mark Anthony Mestas' case again. It's... ...Read More
    02/19/2024

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