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Case Description

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Ronnie Nelson, a 35-year-old man, was last seen on May 25, 2002, in Moses Lake, Washington. Ronnie was known to be in the area of the Vista Quick Stop and was reportedly riding a bicycle, which was later found abandoned behind a K-Mart store. At the time of his disappearance, he had distinctive tattoos, including one of a horse and Viking on his right arm. Despite searches and continued efforts by law enforcement, Ronnie’s whereabouts remain unknown, and his case has since gone cold.

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Last Seen: May 25, 2002

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Victim Details

Jun 23, 2014

Jan 12, 2024

Ronnie

Nelson

58

35

68 inches

175 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the spring of 2002, a sense of unease settled over the community of Moses Lake, Washington, with the disappearance of 35-year-old Ronnie Dean Nelson. He was last seen on May 25, 2002, a day that began like any other but ended with a lingering mystery. Ronnie, a man with blond or strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, and a distinctive tattoo of a horse and Viking on his right arm, was a familiar face to many in the area. On the day he vanished, he was reportedly wearing green fatigue pants, a black t-shirt, and a Levi's jacket with a bulldog on the back. His last known movements traced him to the vicinity of the Vista Quick Stop, where he was seen with his bicycle. The initial stages of the investigation brought a significant but perplexing discovery. Ronnie's bicycle was found abandoned behind the local K-Mart store in Moses Lake. This finding, while confirming his presence in the area, did little to illuminate his subsequent whereabouts. The discovery of the bicycle, an object so closely tied to his last known moments, only deepened the questions surrounding his disappearance. The Grant County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation, case number 02GS05435, but the trail grew cold, leaving family, friends, and investigators with few answers. Years have passed since Ronnie Nelson was last seen, and his case remains an open and painful chapter for those who knew him. The passage of time has not diminished the hope for answers, but it has transformed a missing person case into an enduring local mystery. The official NamUs case file, MP25072, serves as a digital placeholder for a life interrupted, a stark reminder of the human story behind the statistics. The circumstances of Ronnie's disappearance, from his last known sighting to the discovery of his abandoned bicycle, paint a fragmented picture of his final hours. The overview of the case is one of sudden and unexplained absence, leaving a void in the lives of his loved ones and a lingering question in the heart of the Moses Lake community.

May 25, 2002

Moses Lake

Washington

Grant County

No

23338

Grant County Sheriff's Office

Ephrata

Washington

Grant County

98823

Ryan Green

Detective

35 C Street Northwest, Washington

5097542011

County

Law Enforcement

02GS05435

Grant County Sheriff's Office

Blond/Strawberry

Blue

Blue

06/19/2026


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