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

Case Description

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Summary based on 4 sources
William Emil Schmitt, a 38-year-old man, was last seen in Tuolumne County, California on May 5, 1995, and has not been heard from since. On the morning of May 4, 1995, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Schmitt left his home in Sonora to go fishing at New Melones Lake. He was expected to return home around 1:30 p.m. that day but never did.

Later that afternoon, at about 4:00 p.m., Schmitt's boat was discovered empty and still running under the Parrott's Ferry bridge on the lake. At the time of his disappearance, Schmitt was described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing at 5'10" and weighing 195 pounds.

He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, a green t-shirt, blue jeans, tan leather western-style boots, and a brown baseball cap. The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office is the investigating agency in his case. Few other details are available in connection with his disappearance.

Last Seen: May 5, 1995

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 — Winterhaven, California
UP15315 • Found Jul 14, 1996
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–45 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 75%Same state
TimingFound 14 months after last seen
Weight 100%180 lb vs 195 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.