Account
Jan 24, 2026
Jan 24, 2026
Todd
Eugene Collett
3
3
3'0 - 3'3 inches
30 lbs
White
Male
Todd was last seen playing near his home in the San Marcos subdivision of Goleta, California, on January 23, 1964. He was accompanied by his twin brother and a friend about the same age. There was a shopping center under construction at the time, and the boys were not allowed to enter the construction site, but Todd did anyway. His friend followed him, but Todd's twin brother stayed behind. Twenty minutes later, Todd's friend's mother picked up her son and asked him where Todd was. The boy said something about a fire and a bulldozer. Demolition fires were burning at the construction site. They burned for four hours before they were extinguished. Authorities searched the ashes for signs of Todd, and also the septic system, but turned up no evidence. Tracker dogs indicated he may have traveled near the railroad tracks and over the turnpike overpass. Neighbors reported seeing a strange man in the area around the time of Todd's disappearance. He had fair skin, a black beard and green eyes, and wore a navy blue blazer with an insignia reading "New Zealand." He spoke good, accented English. The man was asking directions to new houses in the area; the neighborhood was full of newly constructed homes. He so unnerved one woman he approached that she made her children go indoors. This man has never been identified and it is unknown whether he had anything to do with Todd's disappearance. Todd is one of five children. His mother died of cancer in May 2003. The child's case remains unsolved. Foul play is suspected.
Jan 23, 1964
Goleta
California
Goleta
9
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Departmen
805-685-4100
01/24/2026
