Missing
John Melvin Wipert
Wipert, approximately 2009
Date and time person was reported missing : 06/01/2009
Missing location (approx) :
Northway, Alaska
Missing classification : Lost/Injured Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 05/13/1949 (72)
Age at the time of disappearance: 60 years old
Height / Weight : 5'8, 190 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Gray hair, blue eyes.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Wipert was last heard from sometime in mid-June 2009. He was working as a caretaker at the Ptarmigan Lake Lodge in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve near Northway, Alaska; his duties included protecting the property from marauding bears. He hasn't been heard from since.
The lodge is situated only a few miles from the Canadian border. Wipert had been hired by the lodge's owner, Urban Rahoi, in May. Rahoi planned to buy him a plane ticket to the lower 48 states in August.
Wippert's absence was discovered when Rahoi dropped by with groceries in the first week of July and found the property deserted. One door had been taken off its hinges and another had its hinges cut in half. The freezer was fully defrosted and there was bacon in the sink and rotting food on the counter.
Two horses stabled at the lodge, a bay gelding and a black gelding, disappeared along with Wipert. Both are branded with a star and half-circle. He left a third horse in the corral and nine more in the stables. The horse in the corral was starving and dehydrated when Rahoi found it.
Wipert left a note saying, "Gone to check out the cabin. Back tomorrow night." However, there is no cabin within a day's ride of the lodge.
It's possible that Wippert tried to travel on horseback to Beaver Creek, 35 miles to the north. He had told Rahoi he wanted to go to Canada along the White River, and Rahoi recommended the Beaver Creek route instead. He left maps of the United States and Canada spread out in the lodge, and the Beaver Creek route was marked.
Wipert is unfamiliar with the area, and he left his driver's license and clothing behind. An extensive search of the area turned up no indication of his whereabouts. Foul play is not suspected in his case, but it remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Alaska State Troopers
Tok Station
907-833-5111
Fairbanks Station
800-811-0911
September 2021 updates and sources
Alaska Department of Public Safety
The AnchorAge at the time of disappearance: Daily News
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The White Horse Star
October 12, 2004. December 31, 2009; .
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
