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302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on 6 sources
John Howard Mackirdy, a 22-year-old man from the suburbs of Los Angeles, vanished in San Francisco on December 15, 1978, and has not been seen or heard from since. At the time of his disappearance, Mackirdy was visiting friends in the city and staying in the Castro District. The evening he went missing, he was reportedly scheduled to meet an unknown male for dinner and never returned to his friends' residence.

Mackirdy is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing at 5'6" and weighing approximately 135 pounds. A distinguishing characteristic is a scar located under his chin. When last seen, he was wearing a blue nylon jacket with a fur collar, a white t-shirt, jeans, and black boots. His dental records are on file, but no further public information about the investigation into his disappearance is available.

Originally from the Los Angeles area, Mackirdy was known to frequent the Folsom Street area in San Francisco's South of Market district, which at the time was known for its gay leather subculture. A local gay-centric newspaper, the *San Francisco Crusader*, noted his association with "the scene" on Folsom Street in a bulletin about his disappearance.

Despite the passage of time, few details have emerged in Mackirdy's case. His family, not believing he would have willingly abandoned his belongings and unopened Christmas presents, suspect he met with foul play. In his memory, they have placed a cenotaph in their family plot, marking his date of death as the year he disappeared. The San Francisco Police Department is the investigating agency for his case.

Last Seen: Dec 15, 1978

Possible Unidentified Matches (1)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

75%Possible
John Doe — Bell, California - unidentified case UP4399
John Doe — Bell, California
UP4399 • Found Sep 19, 1979
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 15–25 vs 22
Race 100%White
Location 75%Same state
TimingFound 9 months after last seen
Weight 100%129 lb vs 135 lb

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.