A California man who vanished mysteriously in 1999 has been found alive more than two decades later, thanks to the efforts of his sister and a chance discovery in a news article.
The man, who disappeared from Doyle, California, 25 years ago, was identified as a patient in a Los Angeles hospital located over 500 miles away.
The Lassen County Sheriff’s Department shared the story in a Facebook press release on Monday, November 25.
A woman, who believed the unidentified patient might be her long-lost brother, contacted the authorities after spotting his photo in an USA Today article. The article, published in April 2024, featured the hospital’s appeal for help in identifying a man who had been found in South Los Angeles and remained nameless.
According to the sheriff’s office, the woman explained that her brother had been reported missing in 1999 and had not been heard from since. Hoping against all odds, she provided details about her brother’s appearance and circumstances to Deputy Derek Kennemore, who took on the case.
Kennemore began by reaching out to St. Francis Medical Center, where the unidentified man had been treated earlier. He learned that the patient, who was non-verbal, had been transferred to another local hospital in July. Authorities at the second hospital confirmed that a man matching the missing person’s description was still under their care.
To confirm the man’s identity, Kennemore contacted the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit. A detective from the unit took fingerprints of the patient, which positively matched the records of the missing individual. The deputy promptly informed the woman of the miraculous discovery, confirming that the patient was indeed her brother.
“She was super excited to hear the news,” said Capt. Mike Carney of the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department in an interview with ABC News. “She was incredibly appreciative that we took the time to follow up on the lead. You could hear the joy in her voice—she was over the moon and couldn’t wait to call other family members to share the news.”
Carney added that the reunion, set to take place shortly, was particularly poignant given the timing. “It’s going to make their Thanksgiving that much better,” he said. “This story is a perfect example of why families should never lose hope in missing person cases.”
To protect their privacy, the identities of the man and his sister have not been disclosed.
