Colin Gillis Missing Person Case

Mar 27, 2012

Oct 27, 2022

Colin

Gillis

32

18

72 inches

170 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the quiet Adirondack town of Tupper Lake, New York, the night of March 10, 2012, began as a celebration for 18-year-old Colin Gillis. A freshman at SUNY Brockport studying pre-medicine, Colin was home for spring break and eager to reconnect with high school friends. After spending the day and having dinner with his family, he headed out to a party on Paskugameh Road. Reports indicate that at some point during the gathering, an altercation took place, and Colin left the party alone and on foot after his friends had departed. The last confirmed sighting of Colin was in the early morning hours of March 11, 2012, at approximately 1:45 a.m. A passing motorist saw him walking along State Route 3, near the boundary of Franklin and St. Lawrence counties, heading in the direction of Piercefield. He was wearing a white and black striped American Eagle shirt, blue jeans, and distinctive red Nike Air high-top sneakers. He may have been carrying an orange L.L. Bean backpack that held a reversible red and black coat. When Colin failed to return home, his concerned family reported him missing by that evening. This sparked an immediate and extensive search effort involving the New York State Police, Tupper Lake Police, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and hundreds of volunteers. The search of the snowy, vast terrain yielded few clues; some of his personal items, including his driver's license, were discovered on the roadside near where he was last seen. However, there was no sign of Colin himself, nor his bright orange backpack or the coat it contained. As days turned into years, the investigation continued, with detectives following up on leads and re-examining the case. In November 2020, a significant development occurred when state police received a tip that led them to excavate a property in the town of Edwards, about fifty to sixty miles from Tupper Lake, but authorities have not announced any findings from that search. Over a decade has passed since Colin Gillis vanished, and his case remains an open and active investigation. His disappearance left his family, friends, and community with an agonizing void and a multitude of unanswered questions. Theories and rumors have circulated throughout the years, with many locals suspecting foul play was involved, but a lack of evidence has prevented any definitive conclusions. The official narrative is one of a young man who left a party and was last seen walking along a dark, rural highway before disappearing without a trace. Despite the passage of time, the hope for answers endures, and a $25,000 reward remains for information that could finally resolve the case and bring peace to his loved ones. As of today, Colin is still classified as an endangered missing person, his fate on that cold March night still a deeply painful mystery.

Mar 11, 2012

Tupper Lake

New York

Franklin County

12986

11578

New York State Police - RayBrook

Ray Brook

New York

Essex County

12977

1097 State Route 86, PO Box 100, New York

5188972000

State

Law Enforcement

4486934

2012-03-12

New York State Police - RayBrook

Blond/Strawberry

Blue

Blue

No

09/14/2026