John Robert Handrahan, an 81-year-old resident of San Mateo, California, was last seen at his home on Celeste Drive on December 1, 2008. He had an appointment with a contractor scheduled for the following day, December 2, which he missed. The contractor had been hired for construction work on Handrahan's house and had been paid in advance. After he failed to make his appointment, neighbors became concerned and reported him missing on December 3.
Handrahan has not been seen or heard from since. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a White male, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown and graying, balding hair. He wore eyeglasses and walked with a slight stoop.
Ten days after he was last seen, on December 11, Handrahan's tan 1989 Volkswagen van was discovered abandoned in the 200 block of 26th Street in San Francisco. The vehicle, with California license plates numbered 4NVT603, appeared to have been parked in that location for several days. In a separate location in San Francisco, Handrahan's billfold was also found. It was not unusual for Handrahan to travel to San Francisco, as he owned property in the city. Police conducted searches in the area where the van was found and distributed flyers, but these efforts did not lead to his location.
Handrahan was a landlord and was reportedly well-liked and respected by his tenants and neighbors. He had lived in the San Mateo area for over two decades and maintained regular telephone contact with his sister. He had a substantial amount of money and property and was known to have no enemies. At the time he went missing, he was mentoring a young man who also lived with him; this individual cooperated with the police investigation. While authorities have stated there is no evidence to suggest his disappearance was involuntary, they expressed concern because it was uncharacteristic of him to leave without notice. He also did not have his necessary medication with him, although he did not suffer from dementia. The case of John Robert Handrahan remains unsolved.Last Seen: Dec 1, 2008
