Missing
Douglas James Pearse
Pearse, approximately 2005
Date and time person was reported missing : 04/21/2005
Missing location (approx) :
Modesto, California
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 03/16/1919 (102)
Age at the time of disappearance: 86 years old
Height / Weight : 5'10, 160 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Possibly a white cowboy hat.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Gray hair, gray eyes. Pearse's nicknames are Doug and Grandpa Doug.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Pearse was last seen in Modesto, California on April 21, 2005. He was scheduled to volunteer at Woodland Elementary School and Mariposa Middle School the following day, but never arrived at either place. He has never been heard from again.
A few days after Pearse's disappearance, his 1990s model Ford Ranger pickup truck was found stuck in mud and burned on Chowchilla Mountain Road above Ponderosa Basin near Summit Camp in Mariposa County, California. There was no sign of him at the scene.
Authorities stated it appeared the vehicle had caught fire accidentally, and they theorized that Pearse became lost when he tried to walk out of the mountains after abandoning his car. There is no evidence to support any theory, however, and no possibilities are being ruled out.
Pearse, a retired nuclear and chemical engineer, is described as a dedicated school volunteer who was popular with the students and often worked a 50- to 60-hour weekly schedule. He was in good health at the time of his disappearance and wasn't exhibiting symptoms of confusion or memory loss. His case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Mariposa County Sheriff's Department
209-966-3615
September 2021 updates and sources
The Modesto Bee
My Mother Lode
The Fresno Bee
October 12, 2004. September 21, 2015; name corrected, DOB : added, Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: updated.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
