Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Peter McColl missing person case profile photo

Peter McColl Missing Person Case

Last seen in Berkeley, California on Aug 28, 1995

Victim Details

Apr 14, 2009

Sep 25, 2023

Peter

McColl

47

16

72 inches

160 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

Aug 28, 1995

Berkeley

California

Alameda County

25689

Berkeley Police Department

Berkeley

California

Alameda County

94704

Kyle White

Homicide Detective

2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, California

5109815900

Local

Law Enforcement

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/DepartmentHome.aspx?id=10182

95-48368

Berkeley Police Department

7959

Brown

Blue

Blue

No

Oct 14, 2026


Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP1870) and 10 other sources
Peter John McColl, a 16-year-old from Berkeley, California, was last seen on August 28, 1995. He left his family home near The Alameda around 11:00 a.m., telling his brother he was heading to Cody’s Bookstore on Telegraph Avenue. McColl was an honors student, set to begin his junior year at Berkeley High School just a week later. He had no history of unusual behavior and seemed content with his life at the time of his disappearance.

Peter was last seen wearing black jeans, a light gray "Berkeley Crew" t-shirt, a gray sweatshirt, and Dr. Marten boots. He also had heavy eyebrows, dark brown curly hair that he sometimes wore in a ponytail, and blue eyes. He suffered from severe nearsightedness (20/400 vision) and needed contact lenses or glasses, although he was not carrying his eyeglasses with him when he disappeared. His wallet was found, but the identification cards were missing, and he left $100 in cash behind at home.

A bus driver reported seeing Peter and another boy, who appeared to be around 16-18 years old with blond hair and an accent, asking for directions to Montclair on the day of Peter’s disappearance, though this sighting was never confirmed. Another unconfirmed sighting came from a cab driver who claimed to have driven a young man matching Peter’s description to the airport with a girl shortly after Peter vanished.

There are suspicions that Peter may have traveled to other states such as Oregon, Florida, Louisiana, or Washington. His family remains active in searching for him, and his case continues to be classified as endangered and unsolved.
Last Seen: Aug 28, 1995

Links to Additional Sources (10)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Peter John McColl | State of California - Department of Justice
  • 1175DMCA - Peter John McColl - Doe Network
  • Fifteen years later, Berkeley's Peter McColl remains missing
  • Peter John McColl - The Charley Project
  • Peter John McColl - The Polly Klaas Foundation
  • Family still looking for Berkeley teen missing 15 years - Berkeleyside
  • Peter McColl | International Missing Persons Wiki - Fandom
  • McColl, Peter 1995 - Porchlight International for the Missing ...
  • 15 years ago today my friend Peter McColl disappeared. He ... - Reddit
  • Peter John McColl - Unsolved Disappearance - Missing Leads

    • Possible Unidentified Matches (5)

    Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

    81%Moderate
    John Doe — Sausalito, California
    UP7082 • Found Aug 21, 2007
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 25–35 vs 16 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 100%12 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 12 years after last seen
    Height 84%5'10" vs 6'0"
    Weight 100%160 lb vs 160 lb
    Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
    Eyes 30%Hazel vs Blue
    80%Moderate
    John Doe — Brisbane, California - unidentified case UP12987
    John Doe — Brisbane, California
    UP12987 • Found Sep 17, 2014
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 20–35 vs 16 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 99%14 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 19 years after last seen
    Height 100%6'0" vs 6'0"
    Weight 100%175 lb vs 160 lb
    79%Possible
    John Doe — Sausalito, California - unidentified case UP7083
    John Doe — Sausalito, California
    UP7083 • Found Dec 12, 2006
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 17–25 vs 16 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 100%12 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 11 years after last seen
    Height 52%5'8" vs 6'0"
    Weight 100%170 lb vs 160 lb
    Hair 60%Black vs Brown
    Eyes 100%Blue vs Blue
    78%Possible
    John Doe — Napa, California
    UP69733 • Found Dec 14, 2007
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 28–42 vs 16 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 95%29 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 12 years after last seen
    Height 100%6'0"–6'3" vs 6'0"
    77%Possible
    John Doe — California - unidentified case UP17689
    John Doe — California
    UP17689 • Found May 10, 1998
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 85%Est. 20–30 vs 16 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 95%30 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 3 years after last seen
    Height 68%5'9" vs 6'0"
    Weight 100%170 lb vs 160 lb
    Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
    Eyes 0%Brown vs Blue

    These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

    Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.

    Latest News

    View All

    Forum Posts (2)

    I recently came across the case of Peter John McColl and was struck by the reported sighting of him... ...Read More
    09/09/2024
    I came across Peter John McColl's case while going through past unsolved disappearances, and... ...Read More
    03/21/2024

    Other Missing Cases from Berkeley, California

    Rodney Texera missing person case in Berkeley, California

    Rodney Texera

    Missing: Dec 1, 2005
    Rodney Texera, aged 40, was last seen on December 1, 2005, in Berkeley, California. Texera, who was ...Read More
    Jitsuro Hiramoto missing person case in Berkeley, California

    Jitsuro Hiramoto

    Missing: Jan 3, 1984
    Jitsuro D. Hiramoto, a 17-year-old male, was last seen on January 3, 1984, in Berkeley, California. ...Read More
    William Wells missing person case in Berkeley, California

    William Wells

    Missing: Oct 8, 1990
    William Webster Wells, a 29-year-old man, went missing on October 8, 1990, in Berkeley, California. ...Read More
    Joseph Walter missing person case in Berkeley, California

    Joseph Walter

    Missing: May 1, 2017
    Joseph Walter, a 54-year-old man, was last seen on May 1, 2017, in Berkeley, California. On that ...Read More
    Sergei Turin missing person case in Berkeley, California

    Sergei Turin

    Missing: Dec 26, 2012
    Sergei Turin, a 31-year-old man, was last seen on December 26, 2012, in Berkeley, California. ...Read More
    Peter Shaw missing person case in Berkeley, California

    Peter Shaw

    Missing: Oct 4, 1973
    Peter Michael Shaw, a 21-year-old junior at the University of California, Berkeley, went missing on ...Read More