William Jeffers Lank, also known as Jeff, was 42 years old when he was last seen in Wilmington, Delaware, on December 13, 1992. He is listed in NamUs as missing person MP9496, with his last contact recorded in Wilmington, New Castle County. Online case summaries describe him as a White/Caucasian male, about 6 feet tall and 175 pounds, with sandy hair and hazel eyes.
The reported circumstances center on the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
According to The Charley Project and Uncovered, at about 10:44 a.m. that morning, the Delaware River and Bay Authority was notified that a person matching William’s description had jumped from the northbound bridge. When authorities responded, they found his maroon 1979 Peugeot parked on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Marine rescue personnel searched the water, but the searches did not locate William.
At the time he disappeared, William may have been carrying a large black Velcro wallet containing identification papers. He was reportedly wearing khaki pants, a red shirt, gray sweatpants underneath the khakis, a blue full-length Woolrich winter coat, work shoes or black footwear, and a gold wedding ring. These personal details matter because even small identifiers can help connect a missing person to later findings or memories from the public.
William also had several distinguishing physical characteristics. Missing-person listings note scars on his right calf, both legs, and neck from an earlier auto accident, as well as a mole on an upper arm. Other summaries state that he had suffered serious injuries in a 1989 vehicle accident, including injuries to his right leg, and that he had experienced depression afterward. These details are presented in public case summaries as part of the effort to identify him accurately and preserve the full context of his life and disappearance.
The New Castle County Police Department is identified as the investigating agency, with the case associated with NamUs number MP9496 and agency case number 32-92-119559. Public sources continue to list William’s case among missing-person records connected to Wilmington, Delaware, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge incident. His case remains a painful example of a disappearance in which authorities responded quickly and searched, yet the family was left without the certainty of recovery.Last Seen: Dec 13, 1992
