In the quiet town of South Hadley, Massachusetts, the community was shaken by the disappearance of a local man in the cold of winter. On January 13, 2026, 63-year-old Donald F. Plasse was last seen in a series of events that would spark a months-long search effort. An hour before he vanished, Mr. Plasse was captured on a bank's surveillance camera, providing a final image of him wearing red or brown pants, a grey sweater, and a tan jacket.
It is believed he was wearing these same clothes when, at approximately 3:15 p.m. that afternoon, he reportedly entered the frigid waters of the Connecticut River from the Mueller Bridge on Route 202. The Massachusetts State Police, working with the Northwestern District Attorney's Office, promptly launched an investigation into his disappearance.
The search for Donald Plasse was met with immediate and significant challenges. The harsh January weather had left the Connecticut River covered in a thick layer of ice, severely hampering the recovery attempts by rescue teams. Despite multiple efforts in the days that followed his disappearance, crews were unable to locate him. The search continued as conditions permitted, but the initial, intensive phase of the operation concluded without success, leaving his family and the community in a painful state of uncertainty.
Months later, the search came to a sad conclusion. On May 9, 2026, a person aboard a vessel in the Connecticut River near the Chester-Lyme Ferry reported seeing a body in the water. Authorities, including the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation Police and the Connecticut State Police, responded to the scene. The body, which appeared to have been in the water for a considerable amount of time, was recovered. On May 18, 2026, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner officially confirmed the remains were those of Donald Plasse. The case that began on a cold winter day reached its heartbreaking end, as official reports confirmed Mr. Plasse was deceased. The investigation saw a multi-agency response to a disappearance under perilous conditions, which ultimately transitioned into a recovery effort that brought a tragic resolution to the search for the missing 63-year-old man.Last Seen: Jan 13, 2026
