In the early spring of 2004, Michael John Hodge was a 39-year-old man living in Cleveland, Ohio. Known to his friends and family as Mike, he worked as a landscaper and roofer. Michael was described as a white male with red hair and blue eyes, standing around 5'10' and weighing about 140 pounds. He had several distinguishing features, including four missing upper front teeth, a scar on his left wrist, and multiple tattoos.
One tattoo on the inside of his right forearm was of a skull with a long tongue, while other unspecified tattoos were on his other arms. At the time, he was living with his father on West 172nd Street. Michael had a known affinity for fishing and was also known to hop on trains.
The circumstances of Michael's disappearance began in the pre-dawn hours of March 6, 2004. He had attended a party at a house located on the same block as his father's residence. Sometime between 4:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., Michael left the gathering. He was last seen in the vicinity of the 4000 block of West 172nd Street near Puritas Avenue. When he vanished, he was wearing blue jeans or dark pants, a t-shirt, a white jacket, and white athletic shoes. Uniquely, he wore a blue canvas 'fishing' hat over a gray knit hat. He departed from the party on a blue ten-speed bicycle and has not been seen or heard from since.
In the many years that have passed, Michael's case has remained unsolved, becoming one of Cleveland's frustrating cold cases. The Cleveland Police Department is the primary investigating agency, and anyone with information is urged to contact them. Over the years, efforts to locate him have continued. The Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation has released an age-progressed image showing what Michael might look like in his 60s, hoping it might generate new leads. His family, though they have lost his mother in the intervening years, continues to search for answers and has participated in press conferences to bring renewed attention to his case. The case remains a painful mystery; a man who left a party on his bicycle in the early morning hours and disappeared without a trace, leaving his loved ones to wonder what happened on that March morning.Last Seen: Mar 6, 2004
