Donald Lee Izzett Jr., a 19-year-old student from Maryland, was last seen in July 1995 in San Francisco, California, following a cross-country trip that began after he completed his freshman year at Frostburg State University. The last communication his family had with him was a distressing phone call he made to his mother on May 14, 1995, from Santa Monica, California. During the call, a crying Izzett expressed his desire to return home and asked for money to be wired to him.
The conversation ended abruptly, giving his mother the impression that he did not want to be overheard. He was never heard from by his family again.
After leaving college in May 1995, Izzett led a transient lifestyle, traveling through Maryland, California, Florida, and Mississippi. He was reportedly in the company of a friend named Shane Guenther, with whom he was alleged to have a tumultuous and abusive relationship. Friends reported that the two had ongoing problems, and at one point, Izzett had traveled from Florida to Canada with another friend to get away from Guenther, only to reunite with him later. The last known contact from Izzett was a communication a friend received from him in San Francisco in July 1995, where he was reportedly living with an elderly man. His mother officially reported him missing to Maryland authorities that same month.
Foul play is strongly suspected in Izzett's disappearance. A former college roommate, Kyle Barnes, came forward to authorities with a grim account, stating that Guenther had shot Izzett three times and subsequently burned his body on a property in McComb, Mississippi. Barnes claimed to have seen Izzett's body in the trunk of a car, which led police to a burn pile on the property. Despite multiple archaeological digs on the Mississippi property in the 1990s and again in 2016, 2017, and 2018, it wasn't until 2019 that investigators discovered what appeared to be human-like remains. However, positive identification of these remains has not been confirmed.
While no criminal charges have been filed in connection with Donald Izzett Jr.'s disappearance, his estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Shane Guenther. The lawsuit alleged that Izzett died following a fight with Guenther. The case was settled out of court in April 2020, with the terms of the settlement remaining undisclosed. Izzett's mother has been a vocal critic of the police investigation, citing a slow response to tips and leads. His case remains active and unsolved, with no activity on his Social Security number or bank accounts since his disappearance.Last Seen: Jul 1, 1995
