In the late summer of 1999, Joel Matthew Thompson, a 30-year-old man, was preparing for a significant adventure. On August 31, he telephoned his father with exciting plans. He explained that he was in St. Louis, Missouri, visiting with friends and gathering supplies for an extensive hiking trip. His goal was to traverse the Pacific Crest Trail, a renowned path stretching from Mexico to Washington State. Thompson planned to begin his journey in the Portland, Oregon, area and make his way south through California. Understanding the nature of such a trek, he informed his father that he likely wouldn't be in contact for a couple of months. This phone call would be the last time his family ever heard from him.
As the months passed without any word, concern grew into alarm. True to his word, Joel had not made contact, but the silence stretched on far longer than anticipated. His father began to make inquiries, reaching out to anyone who might have seen or heard from his son. Searches were initiated, but they yielded no clues as to Joel's whereabouts. Faced with a growing sense of dread, his father officially filed a missing persons report. At the time of his disappearance, Joel was described as a white male with brown, balding hair and blue eyes. He had a brown, trimmed mustache and beard. He was believed to be wearing size 32-34 jeans and brown hiking boots. His equipment for the long hike was extensive, including a large backpack capable of carrying 50 pounds, a disposable lighter, a pocket knife, a thin wallet, and a disposable camera.
The investigation into Joel Thompson's disappearance has spanned years and involves law enforcement agencies in multiple states, including the Denver Police Department, the Suffolk County Police Department in New York, and the Hood River County Sheriff's Department in Oregon. Despite the passage of time, there has been no indication of his whereabouts since that final phone call in 1999. His case remains an unsolved and painful mystery for his family and friends. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance are particularly perplexing; he was seemingly well-prepared for a journey he was excited to undertake, yet he vanished without a trace before it seemingly even began. The lack of any evidence, abandoned campsites, or financial activity has left investigators with few leads to follow, and the question of what happened to Joel Matthew Thompson after he spoke to his father that day remains unanswered.
Last Seen: Aug 31, 1999
