Account
Mar 27, 2023
Jan 18, 2024
Steven
Reed
49
24
69 inches
145 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
In the early summer of 1999, a 24-year-old medical student named Steven Douglas Reed traveled from his home in Madison Heights, Michigan, to Oregon for a vacation. The second-year student at Wayne State University had recently completed his exams and embarked on the trip to unwind and explore potential job opportunities. On June 23, 1999, Steven was last seen in the small community of Zigzag, nestled in the Mt. Hood National Forest. He had purchased a parking permit at the Zig Zag Ranger Station for trailhead access within the forest. After this transaction, Steven, a man described as highly intelligent, seemingly vanished. Two days after he was last seen, his rented maroon Chevrolet Cavalier was discovered legally parked at the Salmon Butte Trailhead. Inside the vehicle, authorities found trail guides for the Salmon Butte and Ramona Falls trails. The discovery of his car triggered an extensive five-day search coordinated by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Despite the efforts of nearly 100 searchers, which included a helicopter and K9 units combing the rugged terrain of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, not a single trace of Steven was found. The search was hampered by the fact that it began ten days after he likely entered the wilderness, and heavy rains had fallen in the interim. Steven was not considered an experienced hiker, and he also had hypoglycemia, a condition that could cause disorientation if he did not eat regularly. The complete absence of clues has left Steven Reed's case open and shrouded in mystery. Authorities have stated that in hundreds of searches conducted over the years, it is exceedingly rare to find absolutely no evidence of a missing person. While the prevailing theory held by law enforcement is that Steven became lost and succumbed to the elements in the vast wilderness, some who knew him have suggested the possibility that he may have chosen to disappear and start a new life. They point to his sometimes solitary nature and feelings of unhappiness and stress regarding his medical residency prospects. However, without any evidence to support this, it remains pure speculation. The search for Steven Reed was one of the largest in the area's history, yet the dense and treacherous landscape of the Mt. Hood National Forest has kept its secrets, leaving his family and friends without answers for over two decades.
Jun 23, 1999
Zig Zag
Oregon
Clackamas County
No
124142
Clackamas County Sheriff's Office
Oregon City
Oregon
Clackamas County
97045
2223 Kaen Road, Oregon
5037855000
County
Law Enforcement
99-26540
1999-07-03
Clackamas County Sheriff's Office
na
Brown
Brown
Brown
No
05/25/2026
