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Case Description
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On August 9, 1986, 26-year-old Brian Eric Carlstrom disappeared from Helendale, California, initiating a mystery that has spanned decades. A resident of Colton, California, Carlstrom was staying with a friend in the Silver Lakes area of Helendale at the time of his disappearance. On the morning of his last confirmed sighting, he departed from his friend's home with the stated intention of driving to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Carlstrom was a notable individual due to significant burn scars cove ...Read More
Last Seen: Aug 09, 1986
Links to Additional Sources (7)
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Victim Details

Jan 24, 2026

Jan 24, 2026

Brian

Eric Carlstrom

26

26

6'0 inches

190 lbs

White

Male

Carlstrom was in Helendale, California on August 9, 1986. He resided in Colton, California, but at the time of his disappearance he was staying with a friend at Silver Lakes near Helendale. He left his friend's home en route for Las Vegas, Nevada on the morning of August 9. There was a possible sighting of him at the Saddle West Casino in Pahrump that evening. He has never been heard from again. On September 14, more than a month after his disappearance, Carlstrom's maroon and White 1978 Ford F-150 pickup truck was found abandoned in a remote desert area twenty miles north of Pahrump. A photo of the vehicle is posted with this case summary. It appeared as if it had been at the location only a short time and several of Carlstrom's personal items were undisturbed inside it. There was no sign of him at the scene. Carlstrom was a principal in a multimillion-dollar personal injury lawsuit with a major corporation at the time of his disappearance. His case remains unsolved.

Aug 09, 1986

Helendale

California

Helendale

9

California Department of Justice

01/24/2026