In the spring of 1979, the life of the Collman family from Yorkville, Illinois, was unalterably changed. Twenty-one-year-old Mark Allen Collman, a recent high school graduate, was living in his parents' basement and working the second shift at the local Model Box factory. Because of his work schedule, it wasn't unusual for his parents to go a day without seeing him. The family's sense of normalcy was shattered on April 3, 1979, when Mark’s boss called to report that he hadn't shown up for his shift. This phone call was the first indication that something was terribly wrong. In the days that followed, there was no word from Mark, a young man described as shy and very close to his younger brothers. His family insisted he would never have voluntarily stayed out of touch for so long.
The initial investigation into Mark's disappearance yielded very little information, and the case quickly grew cold.
There are conflicting accounts regarding the exact timeline of when he was reported missing. One version states his parents were alerted by his employer's call on April 3rd, while another suggests his mother, who was out of state, called authorities after not hearing from him for two weeks. This ambiguity highlights the confusing and difficult early days of the search. Mark had left behind his paycheck and his savings, suggesting he did not plan to leave. As years turned into decades with no answers, his heartbroken parents eventually had him declared legally dead and placed a memorial stone for him at a cemetery.
The circumstances surrounding Mark's disappearance remain an unsolved mystery, with few leads for investigators to follow. Foul play is considered a possibility in his case. Over the years, his family has endured further tragedy; his younger brother, Jeffrey Collman, was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, which was tragically flown into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. This profound loss compounded the family's long-standing grief over Mark's vanishing. The case itself has received very little media attention over the more than four decades that have passed, leaving those who knew and loved Mark with a painful lack of closure. The investigation by the Yorkville Police Department remains open, a silent testament to a young man who disappeared without a trace.Last Seen: Apr 3, 1979
