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Case Description
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Last Seen: Jan 19, 1989
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Victim Details

Jan 26, 2026

Jan 26, 2026

Arnold

Joseph Epel Jr.

25

25

5'10 inches

165 lbs

White

Male

Epel was last seen in the 7400 block of southwest 39th Street in Miami, Florida on or about January 19, 1989. (The date may be off by one or two days.) He disappeared after leaving a note for his family indicating he planned to take his own life, and instructing them on what to do with his belongings and property. He has never been heard from again. He may have been carrying a gun and a Sony Walkman at the time of his disappearance. After Epel's disappearance, his blue 1987 Acura Integra with the Florida license plate number 698KCT was found abandoned on Okeechobee Road (U.S. 27) in Glades County, Florida, just south of the Highlands County line. Few details are available in his case.

Jan 19, 1989

Miami

Florida

Miami-Dade Police Departmen

305-715-3300

White male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Epel has mild curvature of the spine, similar to scoliosis. He had his hair in a crew cut at the time of his disap