Apr 15, 2020
Jan 10, 2024
Moses
Maxie
84
34
64 inches
125 lbs
American Indian / Alaska Native
Male
In the vast and often unforgiving landscape of Alaska, the story of Moses Maxie's disappearance is one that has lingered for decades, a quiet but persistent echo of a life interrupted. On September 8, 1975, a day that began like any other in the remote town of Bethel, 34-year-old Moses Maxie, an American Indian/Alaska Native male, vanished. He was a man in the prime of his life, and his sudden absence left a void in the community that has yet to be filled. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance are intertwined with that of another man, Alfred Olick, with whom he was last seen. The two men were reportedly together at a local establishment known as the Wild Goose in Bethel before they both disappeared, leaving behind more questions than answers. The only tangible clue left behind was Maxie's boat, found adrift in the upper mouth of the Straight Slough, a silent testament to a journey that ended abruptly and without explanation. The discovery of the empty, drifting boat only deepened the mystery of what happened to Moses Maxie and Alfred Olick. In a place like Bethel, where the rhythms of life are often dictated by the natural world and the waterways are vital arteries of transportation and sustenance, an abandoned boat is an ominous sign. It speaks to an unexpected event, a sudden turn of fate that left no witnesses to tell the tale. The Bethel Police Department, along with the Alaska State Troopers, were tasked with unraveling the perplexing case, but the trail quickly grew cold. The vastness of the Alaskan wilderness, with its rugged terrain and unpredictable weather, can easily swallow any trace of a person, making search and rescue efforts exceedingly difficult. Over the years, the case of Moses Maxie has become one of Bethel's enduring unsolved mysteries, a poignant reminder of the fragility of life in the face of the unknown. The passage of time has not erased the memory of Moses Maxie from the hearts of those who knew him, nor has it diminished the hope, however faint, that answers may one day be found. His case is a somber thread in the larger tapestry of missing persons in Alaska, a state with a disproportionately high number of such cases. The lack of resolution in his disappearance has left his family and community in a prolonged state of uncertainty, a painful limbo between hope and grief. The overview of the case remains stark in its simplicity: two men last seen together, a boat found empty, and a silence that has stretched over decades. The story of Moses Maxie is a powerful and compassionate reminder of the human element behind every cold case file, a life that mattered and a disappearance that continues to resonate through the years in the small community of Bethel.
Sep 08, 1975
Bethel
Alaska
Bethel Census Area
No
80512
Bethel Police Department
Bethel
Alaska
Bethel Census Area
99559
157 Salmonberry Street, Alaska
9075433781
Local
Law Enforcement
75-1561
1975-09-08
Bethel Police Department
Black
Brown
Brown
No
07/25/2026
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