In the early morning hours of June 20, 2003, a 23-year-old man from New York named Andrew Robert Bliss was seen for the last time. He was on Federal Forest Road 162, a remote road running through the dense Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest near Draper, Wisconsin. A witness driving to work around 8:00 a.m. noticed Andrew's silver 2001 Chevrolet Impala parked on the side of the road and saw a person believed to be Andrew walking or hiking nearby. When the same witness returned from work later that afternoon, around 5:00 p.m., the car was still there, prompting a call to law enforcement. Responding deputies found the vehicle abandoned in a puzzling state: it was out of gas, the keys were in the ignition, and the doors were left open.
It was soon discovered that a missing person report had been filed for Andrew in his home state of New York. Reports indicated he had recently quit his job and was depressed following a recent breakup. The discovery of his vehicle launched an extensive search of the vast and rugged wilderness. Numerous agencies, including the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office, multiple search and rescue teams with K-9 units, and the Civil Air Patrol, scoured the area on the ground and from the air. Despite these exhaustive efforts, no trace of Andrew was ever found. At the time of his disappearance, Andrew was described as being 6'3" and 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He had a pierced left ear and wore glasses with dark-colored wire frames.
For over two decades, the disappearance of Andrew Bliss has remained an unsolved case, leaving his family and investigators with unanswered questions. The circumstances surrounding his last known moments are shrouded in mystery. His car, left in such an unusual manner in a remote forest area far from his New York home, offers no clear explanation for what happened. Law enforcement has periodically renewed calls for public assistance, particularly asking hunters and others familiar with the remote area to report anything unusual they might find, such as clothing or bone fragments. The case remains an open investigation, a poignant story of a young man who vanished, leaving behind only a car out of gas and a profound and lasting sense of uncertainty for those who knew him.
Last Seen: Jun 20, 2003
