Arkadiy Tashman Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2010

Jan 22, 2021

Arkadiy

Tashman

38

17

72 inches

74 inches

170 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the early morning hours of January 26, 2005, a 17-year-old male named Arkadiy Tashman, also known as Ark, left a friend's house on Staten Island, New York, and was never seen again. He was a junior at Port Richmond High School and split his time living between his parents' home in the Mariners Harbor neighborhood and his adult sister's home in Bensonhurst. That night, he departed his friend's residence at approximately 2:45 a.m. for the walk home, but he never arrived. His cell phone was later found at his own residence. Arkadiy was an avid skateboarder, and it was thought he might have frequented popular skateboarding spots in Brooklyn or Manhattan. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as being between 6'0" and 6'2" tall, weighing 170-180 pounds, with blond or brown hair and blue or gray eyes. He was last seen wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, black sneakers, and a green baseball cap. He also had a small hoop earring in his right ear. The morning after he was last seen, Arkadiy's parents discovered a note he had left in his bedroom. The message read, "Sorry about this. No wake, no funeral.". His family immediately contacted the police, but a formal search was not initiated for several days. Friends and family were shocked by his disappearance and the note, stating they had not seen any prior indications that he was considering self-harm. However, it was reported that he had recently broken up with his girlfriend and was very upset about it; she later mentioned that he had considered suicide in the past. Despite the note, his loved ones do not believe he would have taken his own life, describing his disappearance as completely out of character. His family, who had emigrated from Russia in 1996, described him as a great person with a wonderful sense of humor. The investigation into Arkadiy's disappearance has been fraught with challenges and heartbreak for his family. They actively searched for him, posting flyers and contacting various news outlets to spread awareness. The family's pain was compounded by cruel prank calls and a distressing experience with a private investigator. Over the years, law enforcement has continued to seek information, and in 2025, the NYPD released an age-progressed image of what Arkadiy might look like in his late 30s in the hopes of generating new leads. The case remains unsolved, with some agencies classifying him as an endangered runaway due to the note and his apparent depression at the time he went missing. The lack of any trace of him since that January night has left his family with a painful wound that has not healed with time. His case serves as a somber reminder of the many individuals who vanish without a trace, leaving their loved ones in a state of perpetual uncertainty and grief.

Jan 25, 2005

Staten Island

New York

Richmond County

3541

New York City Police Department - Missing Persons Squad

New York

New York

New York County

10039

Michael McDonough

Detective

2770 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New York

2126947781

Local

Law Enforcement

KNMP0456

New York City Police Department - Missing Persons Squad

Brown

Blue

Blue

08/31/2026