Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP3893) and 1 other source
Stuart Garbowitz, 26 years old at the time, disappeared on March 25, 1982, while skiing in the Truckee, California area. Garbowitz and his companion, Robert Novick, skied out of bounds and became lost. Tragically, while Novick’s body was later found, Garbowitz was never located. Despite searches, no trace of him has surfaced since that day.

Garbowitz, a Caucasian male, stood 5'5" tall and weighed about 140 pounds, with brown hair. His case remains unresolved, and authorities continue to seek any information that might help explain his disappearance. It is believed that the challenging conditions in the mountainous terrain played a role in the tragedy. However, his body has never been recovered, and the case remains open in hopes of new information coming to light.

If you have any information about his case, you're encouraged to contact law enforcement agencies.

Last Seen: Mar 25, 1982

Links to Additional Sources (1)

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Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

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.

79%Possible
John Doe — Sacramento, California
UP2398 • Found Aug 11, 1986
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Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 18–30 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 72%114 mi away, same state
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 84%5'7" vs 5'5"
Weight 100%149 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Calexico, California
UP15316 • Found Jun 10, 1996
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 20–30 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 75%Same state
TimingFound 14 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'5"
Weight 91%160 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Sun Valley, Nevada
UP7516 • Found Jul 30, 1989
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 30–35 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%6 mi away
TimingFound 7 years after last seen
Height 68%5'8" vs 5'5"
77%Possible
John Doe — Sacramento, California
UP2393 • Found Aug 20, 1988
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 20–30 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 72%114 mi away, same state
TimingFound 6 years after last seen
Height 84%5'3" vs 5'5"
Weight 100%127 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Reno, Nevada - unidentified case UP2100
John Doe — Reno, Nevada
UP2100 • Found Jul 11, 1987
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Sex ✓Male
Age 68%Est. 35–45 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%4 mi away
TimingFound 5 years after last seen
Height 68%5'8" vs 5'5"
Weight 74%172 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Floriston, California
UP7426 • Found Jan 6, 1984
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 25–45 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 98%17 mi away, same state
TimingFound 21 months after last seen
Height 75%5'6"–6'2" vs 5'5"
76%Possible
John Doe — Sacramento, California
UP12982 • Found Dec 4, 1986
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 18–30 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 72%114 mi away, same state
TimingFound 5 years after last seen
Height 68%5'8" vs 5'5"
Weight 86%164 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
John Doe — San Francisco, California
UP11460 • Found Jun 15, 1985
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 25–50 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 57%188 mi away, same state
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'5"
Weight 100%130 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
75%Possible
John Doe — Reno, Nevada - unidentified case UP56999
John Doe — Reno, Nevada
UP56999 • Found Apr 6, 2019
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 58–72 vs 26 when missing
Location 100%2 mi away
TimingFound 37 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'5"
Weight 100%150 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 70%Gray vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
75%Possible
John Doe — Reno, Nevada - unidentified case UP17321
John Doe — Reno, Nevada
UP17321 • Found Nov 20, 2017
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 60 vs 26 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%4 mi away
TimingFound 36 years after last seen
Height 68%5'8" vs 5'5"
Weight 100%148 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 70%Gray vs Brown
Eyes 0%Blue vs Brown

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.