Donald “Donnie” Messier was 34 years old when he was last seen in Waitsfield, Vermont, in the early morning hours of October 15, 2006. Public missing-person listings describe him as a White male with brown or hazel eyes, dark brown hair, and a mustache and goatee at the time he disappeared. He was reportedly wearing blue jeans and a black-and-blue plaid button-up shirt, possibly with a hat. NamUs lists his case as MP6977 and states that his date of last contact was October 15, 2006, in Waitsfield.
Messier had attended a party in Waitsfield and was last seen leaving in his red 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Public summaries report that he did not return home, did not appear for work at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters the following Monday, and did not contact relatives or friends afterward. His family reported him missing on October 18, 2006. The absence of contact was especially alarming to those close to him, because it was described as out of character for him to vanish without warning.
At the time he disappeared, Messier’s truck became one of the most important pieces of the case. It was described as a red 1997 Ford F-150 with Vermont license plate BGG890, dual exhaust, a moon visor, a black tonneau cover, and NASCAR numbers displayed in the rear window. For years, neither Messier nor the truck was found, despite searches and public appeals. Investigators monitored financial and phone activity, but public reports say there was no activity on his bank accounts, credit cards, or cell phone after his disappearance.
Nearly sixteen years later, in October 2022, a major development occurred when Messier’s truck was found submerged in the Winooski River in Duxbury, Vermont. Vermont State Police later confirmed that the recovered vehicle belonged to Messier. The recovery involved state police divers and search personnel, and public reporting stated that personal effects were found in the vehicle, but no obvious human remains were discovered at that point. The discovery brought renewed attention to the case, but it did not provide a complete answer about what happened to Messier.
Public reports have noted that Messier’s family had concerns about his emotional state at the time, including that he had been depressed and possibly suicidal. That information is significant to the investigation, but it does not lessen the need for careful answers, because the recovery of the truck without obvious remains left central questions unresolved. As of the available public information, Donald Messier remains listed in public missing-person records, and his case continues to represent a painful absence for the people who knew and loved him.
Last Seen: Oct 15, 2006
