Ethan Hester was 18 years old when he was last known to be in the Norwich and New London, Connecticut area on December 22, 2021. Public case information lists him as a White / Caucasian male with black hair and brown eyes, approximately 6 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 4 inches tall, and about 165 to 170 pounds. He was connected to Norwich, in New London County, and the Norwich Police Department is listed as the investigating agency for the case.
That day, Ethan had gone to work at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. According to the publicly reported case circumstances, he was fired from his job that day and left the area by taking a Southeast Area Transit District bus. His route carried him into New London, where the known trail became much narrower. Authorities later said he was last seen at the New London Union Station Terminal after getting off the SEAT bus just after 4 p.m.; he then went toward or into the Amtrak station before disappearing from sight.
The details released about Ethan’s clothing and belongings give the case a painful specificity. Public reports said he was last seen wearing dark clothing, including black pants, black shoes, a black puffer jacket, a black face mask, and black headphones, and that he was carrying an orange backpack. NamUs-linked case data also notes that he wore glasses and was last seen carrying a gray and high-visibility reflective orange backpack. Those small details matter because they are the kind of ordinary, recognizable items that someone might remember seeing at a bus terminal, train station, street corner, shelter, store, or public space in the New London area.
Investigators and public notices have also indicated that Ethan may go by Ethan Adam Hester or Ava. The case information describes him as someone known to frequent the New London area, and the report states that after he got off the bus in New London, there were no other known confirmed locations. His disappearance was reported to the Norwich Police Department, whose listed case number is 21-49709-OF, and the agency report date in the public case data is December 24, 2021.
As the search continued, police appealed publicly for help and reported that leads had been exhausted, leaving Ethan’s last known movements centered around the trip from Mohegan Sun to New London Union Station. NamUs remains a national clearinghouse used by law enforcement, families, medical examiners, coroners, and investigators for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases, and Ethan’s case is listed there as Missing Person / NamUs #MP92087. The overview of the case is that Ethan Hester, an 18-year-old from Norwich, left Mohegan Sun after losing his job, traveled by SEAT bus to New London, got off near Union Station just after 4 p.m. on December 22, 2021, and was not confirmed seen again after entering or moving toward the Amtrak station, leaving his loved ones and investigators with a narrow final timeline and an enduring need for answers.Last Seen: Dec 22, 2021
