On the morning of September 15, 2012, 76-year-old Cecil Socrates Mann left his home on Harper Hill Road Southeast in Port Orchard, Washington, with the intention of going fishing, a simple plan for the day from which he would never return. A relatively new resident to the area, having moved from Oregon only ten months prior, Cecil was not intimately familiar with his new surroundings. He was last seen at his residence around 10:00 a.m.
Later that day, at approximately 1:00 p.m., a gas station clerk in South Kitsap reported seeing Cecil, noting that he appeared to be confused. This interaction would be one of the last known sightings of him. At the time of his disappearance, he was recovering from prostate cancer. Cecil was wearing a tan or green windbreaker jacket, blue jeans, gray sneakers, and a watch. He also wore metal-framed bifocal eyeglasses.
The initial hope of a simple fishing trip gone awry began to fade as the days passed. On September 17, two days after he was last seen, Cecil attempted to call his daughter. However, due to poor reception, the call was unintelligible. Cell phone records indicated the call originated from the Jefferson County area. After this attempted contact, his phone was turned off. The same day as the attempted call, his blue 2007 Ford Focus was discovered abandoned. The vehicle was found on a rugged 4x4 mountain road leading to the Tunnel Creek Trail, approximately ten miles southwest of Quilcene in Jefferson County, an area his family said he had never been to before. Strangely, there were no fishing areas near where the car was located.
The discovery of Cecil's car prompted a ground search and rescue effort coordinated by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from Kitsap County sheriff's detectives. Inside the vehicle, investigators found his fishing gear. The undercarriage of the car had sustained significant damage, likely from the rough terrain of the mountain road. Despite the search efforts, no trace of Cecil was found. His family stated that he was not suicidal and did not suffer from any mental conditions that would cause him to wander off. The perplexing circumstances of his disappearance, including his unfamiliarity with the area, the confusing last known sighting, the obscure location of his vehicle far from any fishing spots, and the failed phone call, have left his loved ones and investigators with many unanswered questions. The case remains an active and unsolved missing person investigation.Last Seen: Sep 15, 2012
