Stanley Allen Strole was 37 years old when he was last known to have contact in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on March 15, 1979. NamUs lists him as missing from Aberdeen, in Brown County, and identifies the Aberdeen Police Department as the investigating agency for case MP23483. The available public information describes Stanley as a White male with brown hair and brown eyes, approximately 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall, and about 150 pounds. He also had a burn scar on one shoulder.
The most commonly reported account is that Stanley was last seen at the Palm Garden in Aberdeen. The Charley Project states that he left his insulin behind at home and was never heard from again, noting that few details are publicly available. His medical condition is an important part of the case: he was diabetic and insulin-dependent, which would have made his disappearance especially concerning because he apparently did not have his needed medication with him.
A later Associated Press report, citing Aberdeen Police Department documents, added more context about the circumstances before Stanley disappeared. According to that report, police paperwork indicated that Stanley had left home without his insulin after an argument involving a sister who would not buy him beer because of his diabetes. The report also said he withdrew all of his money from his bank account and went to the Palm Garden. One account relayed to police claimed he was seen there drinking beer and showing money, though a Palm Garden employee later disputed that this was what he had said.
The same AP report described another later account from Stanley’s sister, who reportedly told police in 2009 that she had been told Stanley was last seen at the Palm Garden and got into a red pickup with three other men. Public reporting does not establish that account as confirmed, and police reportedly had no new information about Stanley’s whereabouts. Over the years, authorities considered whether recovered bodies might have been Stanley, but DNA and fingerprint comparisons did not match him.
Stanley’s disappearance is a long-running case with limited publicly available details, but the known facts point to a vulnerable man who vanished suddenly and without the medication he depended on. His case has remained tied to Aberdeen for decades, and public sources continue to list the Aberdeen Police Department as the agency to contact with information. Behind the sparse records is a person whose absence left unanswered questions for those who knew him, and every verified detail still matters in preserving his story and supporting the search for answers.Last Seen: Mar 15, 1979
