Missing
Paul Joseph Knockel
Knockel, approximately 1990; Knockel's car
Date and time person was reported missing : 11/01/1990
Missing location (approx) :
Dubuque, Iowa
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 10/26/1937 (83)
Age at the time of disappearance: 53 years old
Height / Weight : 5'10, 265 pounds
Medical conditions : Knockel is mildly mentally disabled and requires assistance with his finances and other aspects of his life.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Knockel wears metal-rimmed eyeglasses and is very dependent on them. He has surgical scars on his right leg and has previously sustained severe breaks to his lower right leg and ankle. Knockel wears a complete set of dentures.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Knockel was last seen in Dubuque, Iowa sometime in mid-November 1990; the exact date is unknown. He last had contact with his family on November 12. He was driving his maroon two-door 1981 Mercury Sable or Mercury Zephyr with the Iowa license plate number NBL923 at the time of his disappearance; a photo of it is posted with this case summary.
On November 13, his family thought they saw Knockel's car parked along Route 151, just over the Wisconsin border. Within a few hours of the sighting, the vehicle had disappeared; it has never been recovered.
Knockel didn't show up to celebrate Thanksgiving with his relatives, which is uncharacteristic of him. He has never been heard from again. His family became concerned when he didn't show up for the holiday meal and they went to his house.
His loved ones found his wallet, watch and shoes at his home in the 2100 block of Washington Street, but there was no sign of him or his car. He was reported missing on November 26 after he didn't show up for his job at the Swiss Colony mail-order gift house in Monroe, Wisconsin.
Knockel was unmarried and childless, worked menial jobs, didn't abuse drugs or alcohol and and rarely went out in 1990. His loved ones believe he was abducted and murdered, as they think he would never have left of his own accord.
Police stated Knockel wasn't involved in any high-risk activities and he didn't have any enemies at the time of his disappearance. Authorities think it's possible he went into the Mississippi River, but they're not sure whether his disappearance was accidental, a suicide or a homicide. His case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Dubuque Police Department
319-589-4410
September 2021 updates and sources
Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
The Doe Network
WHO TV 13
Iowa Cold Cases
October 12, 2004. July 1, 2015; Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: updated.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
