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Crime Solvers Central
295 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP10113) and 2 other sources
Stephen LaSpino, a 30-year-old male from Los Angeles, California, was last seen on August 4, 1988. He was on a commercial fishing trip in the Big Sur area, aboard a vessel named *The Mission Bell*. Accompanying him on the trip were his employer, Vito Russo, Russo’s 13-year-old son Jason, and a coworker named Stacy Sabal. The group departed for the fishing trip but never returned, and they were reported missing a few days later.

Extensive search efforts, including those by the United States Coast Guard, scoured the Big Sur region, but neither the boat nor its passengers were ever located. The circumstances of their disappearance remain a mystery, with no definitive evidence pointing to what might have happened. LaSpino had distinguishing features such as brown hair, blue eyes, and a scar on his upper lip. The case, which remains unsolved, is classified as a "lost/injured missing" case, and despite the passage of time, no further information has emerged to resolve the mystery surrounding the disappearance.

Last Seen: Aug 4, 1988

Links to Additional Sources (2)

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