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298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP28681) and 5 other sources
In the late autumn of 2002, a profound and lasting mystery began to unfold in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with the disappearance of 38-year-old Craig Michael Ward. On November 23, he was last seen in the city, but the specific details of his last known moments remain frustratingly unclear. The day was seemingly ordinary, yet it would mark the last time anyone would report seeing or hearing from him. Ward, a man described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing between 200 and 215 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, simply vanished, leaving behind a void of information and a family without answers. The circumstances provided by authorities are sparse, stating only that he left the residence where he was living and was never heard from again.

The ensuing years have done little to illuminate the events of that November day. The investigation into Craig Ward's disappearance has remained open, yet it has been hampered by a significant lack of leads or any substantial evidence that could point to his whereabouts or what might have befallen him. His case was logged in national missing persons databases, including NamUs, under the number MP28681, a digital footprint in a case that has otherwise grown cold. The Saint Paul Police Department has maintained the case file, but without new information, the trail has remained stagnant, a silent testament to the thousands of long-term missing persons cases across the country.

Decades after he was last seen, the case of Craig Michael Ward is a quiet but persistent tragedy, a story defined more by its unanswered questions than by its known facts. The lack of detail surrounding his disappearance has left a painful ambiguity for those who knew him. Without witnesses to his departure, a stated destination, or any subsequent communication, investigators have had little to work with. The official narrative is stark: a man left his home one day and was gone. This absence of information has created a difficult and enduring mystery, leaving his loved ones in a state of perpetual uncertainty and the case an unsolved puzzle in the files of Minnesota law enforcement.

Last Seen: Nov 23, 2002

Possible Unidentified Matches (2)

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.

86%Strong
John Doe — Minneapolis, Minnesota - unidentified case UP763
John Doe — Minneapolis, Minnesota
UP763 • Found Dec 16, 2003
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%8 mi away, same state
TimingFound 13 months after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'8"
Weight 47%131 lb vs 200–215 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Blue vs Blue
79%Possible
John Doe — St Paul, Minnesota
UP148173 • Found May 23, 2025
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 28–42 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%2 mi away, same county
TimingFound 22 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'8"
Weight 76%154 lb vs 200–215 lb

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.