Crime Solvers Central
CSC
221 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Case Description
Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Gary Robert Nuetzel, a 79-year-old man, was last seen in Costa Mesa, California on October 10, 2024. He is described as a white male, 5' 9" tall, weighing 140 pounds, with blue eyes and gray, collar-length hair. Nuetzel has an active lifestyle and is an avid and experienced hiker.

On October 28, 2024, Nuetzel's vehicle was discovered in the parking area of Chantry Flat, a popular hiking spot in the Angeles National Forest, located north of Sierra Madre. This discovery led authorities to ...Read More
Last Seen: Oct 10, 2024
Links to Additional Sources (3)
See any mistakes? Let us know!
Victim Details

Jan 24, 2026

Jan 24, 2026

Gary

Robert Nuetzel

79

79

5'9 inches

140 lbs

White

Male

Nuetzel was last seen in Costa Mesa, California on October 10, 2024. He has never been heard from again. On October 28, his car was found in the parking lot at Chantry Flat in the Angeles National Forest, just north of Sierra Madre, California. Nuetzel had an active lifestyle at the tmie of his disappearance and had hiked Chantry Flat many times before. Although he hadn't shared his hiking plans with his family or friends before he disappeared, investigators believe he disappeared while hiking. He went missing only about a week after Chantry Flat reopened to the public; it had been closed for four years due to damage caused by the Bobcat Fire, which burned over 115,000 acres in 2020. Authorities stated the area looked "quite radically different" than it had before the fire. An extensive search turned up no indication of Nuetzel's whereabouts. His case remains unsolved.

Oct 10, 2024

Costa Mesa

California

Costa Mesa

7

Costa Mesa Police Departmen

714-754-5373

01/25/2026