In the winter of 1981, a sense of unease settled over the small town of Cedaredge, Colorado, with the inexplicable disappearance of 17-year-old Roger John Ellison. On the morning of February 10th, the day began like any other for the high school senior. He shared breakfast with his mother, commenting on the snowy forecast as a good sign for an upcoming ski race he was eager to compete in that weekend.
He then gathered his orange or yellow backpack, took three dollars for lunch, and boarded the school bus for the six-mile journey to Cedaredge High School. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a friend who shared a locker with him saw Roger place his books inside, a routine act that would become the last confirmed sighting of the teenager. Roger Ellison never attended any of his classes that day and seemingly vanished without a trace.
The hours turned into a night of anxious waiting for Roger's parents, Ernest and Evelyn Ellison. Their concern grew when their dependable son, a straight-A student with no history of running away, did not return home. He had a bright future ahead; he had already been accepted to Western State College in Gunnison and had even selected his dorm room. Left behind were all of his personal belongings, including his car, motorcycle, skis, and the money in his bank account, suggesting he had no plans to leave. His family acknowledged that he had seemed preoccupied in the month leading up to his disappearance, but they never believed he would have left on his own. The initial response from law enforcement was frustrating for the family, who were reportedly told they had to wait before an official search could commence. As the days turned into weeks, the family's hope began to wane, replaced by a dreadful feeling that something terrible had happened. Foul play was suspected by authorities, who came to believe that Roger was likely killed by someone he knew shortly after he went missing.
Over the many years that have passed, the investigation into Roger's disappearance has been marked by frustrating leads and lingering suspicion. A person of interest was identified as one of Roger's teachers and the wrestling coach, John Pash. Shortly after Roger vanished, Pash visited the Ellison home and suggested to Roger's mother that her son had serious personal problems and was suicidal, a claim his family and friends found difficult to believe. It was known that Roger frequently visited Pash's home, which was located next to the high school, to turn in his homework assignments. Years later, in 1994, a tip from a former classmate led investigators to search Pash's former property. Although ground-penetrating radar detected some anomalies under the concrete garage floor, a decision was made not to excavate. Another chilling development came in 1998, when a man on his deathbed claimed he and a friend had been poaching deer in a wooded area near Cedaredge in the spring of 1981. He told investigators they saw a young man matching Roger's description being held at gunpoint with his hands bound, and that they heard two gunshots minutes later. Despite these and other sporadic tips, the case has grown cold. Roger's parents have since passed away without ever knowing what happened to their son, leaving a legacy of unanswered questions and a community still haunted by the story of the promising young man who disappeared from his high school one snowy morning.Last Seen: Feb 10, 1981
