Douglas James Pearse, an 86-year-old retired nuclear and chemical engineer, was last seen in Modesto, California on April 21, 2005. Known affectionately as "Doug" or "Grandpa Doug," he was a dedicated and popular school volunteer, often working a 50 to 60-hour week. At the time of his disappearance, Mr. Pearse was in good health and was not experiencing any confusion or memory loss.
He was scheduled to volunteer at Woodland Elementary School and Mariposa Middle School the day after he went missing, but he never arrived at either location.
A few days following his disappearance, Mr. Pearse's 1990s model Ford Ranger pickup truck was discovered stuck in the mud and burned on Chowchilla Mountain Road, near Summit Camp in Mariposa County. There was no sign of Mr. Pearse at the scene. Authorities have suggested that the fire may have been accidental and theorize that he may have gotten lost while trying to walk out of the mountains after his vehicle became stuck.
Mr. Pearse is a white male with gray hair and gray eyes, standing at 5'10" and weighing 160 pounds. He may have been wearing a white cowboy hat at the time of his disappearance. An extensive search was launched for Mr. Pearse, involving approximately 60 search and rescue personnel from Mariposa, Fresno, Madera, and Yosemite National Park. Despite these efforts, which also included hundreds of volunteers, the search was suspended on April 30, 2005. Officials stated that search and rescue operations would resume if new information emerged. His case remains unsolved.Last Seen: Apr 21, 2005
