John David Trice, a White male aged 36 at the time, was last seen—or had his most recent known contact—on October 5, 2020, in California City, California. By the time his disappearance was formally entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System his age was updated to reflect a current age of 41.
He measured between 5 ft 8 in and 5 ft 11 in in height and was recorded to weigh approximately 165 to 175 lb. He was known by several nicknames or aliases—including “dopey,” “bubba,” and “fatboy”—though the context in which these were used is not specified in the public record.
The missing person file indicates that his vehicle’s license plate at the time—the one listed in the NamUs record—was current as of the NamUs entry; a previous plate number was also noted as 7GLT151. No additional information about the vehicle make, model, or distinguishing characteristics was available in that description.
The case was officially documented with the California City Police Department, and the case number assigned by law enforcement is CR21‑0068, with the missing person report having been filed on January 20, 2021. The NamUs case itself was created only recently, on August 15, 2025—nearly five years after his disappearance.
Some social media posts also reference his disappearance, describing him as “missing from California City, CA since late October/early November, 2020”. These statements may differ slightly on the timing but generally align with the October 5, 2020 last-contact date recorded in official sources.
Beyond these basic identifiers and timeline, little additional public information appears available. There is no published account of circumstances leading up to his disappearance—such as where he was headed, whether he was alone or with someone, or what prompted concern. There are also no public updates indicating any leads, progress, or recovery efforts.
In summary, this case involves a man in his mid-30s who disappeared from California City on October 5, 2020, with identifying details including height, weight, age, and nicknames—but with very limited context as to the circumstances. The delay in formal entry into NamUs, plus minimal publicly released details, highlights the challenges and emotional uncertainty faced by families and communities when a person’s whereabouts remain unconfirmed for so long.Last Seen: Oct 5, 2020
