Missing
Tom Ray Starkel
Starkel, approximately 1979
Date and time person was reported missing : 12/05/1979
Missing location (approx) :
Palmdale, California
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 07/15/1960 (61)
Age at the time of disappearance: 19 years old
Height / Weight : 5'6, 150 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A tan sweater, brown corduroy pants, a gold watch, and sneakers (possibly size 7 1/2).
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Blond hair, green eyes.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Starkel was last seen leaving his girlfriend's home in Palmdale, California at approximately 10:00 p.m. on December 5, 1979. Authorities believe he did arrive at his own apartment afterwards, but he has never been heard from again.
The police were notified of his disappearance three days after he was last seen, but it was another three days before they went to his apartment to investigate. In the meantime, Starkel's mother had cleaned the apartment and erased any evidence that might have been there.
Starkel was driving a dark green Pontiac Firebird with blue-colored Nevada license plates at the time of his disappearance. His vehicle was recovered two weeks later, when it was pulled over driving into California from Nevada.
Craig Moore was driving the vehicle; there was no sign of Starkel. Starkel's jacket was in the trunk of the car and the car's pink slip had been signed over from Starkel to Moore. A handgun was also found under the driver's seat; it had been fired recently.
Moore was arrested and held for two weeks and told several different stories. He was eventually released for lack of evidence connecting him to Starkel's disappearance, but he remains the prime suspect.
Starkel graduated from Palmdale High School, and he attended the First Assembly of God Church, where his grandfather was a pastor. His case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
562-465-7816
September 2021 updates and sources
California Attorney General's Office
The Doe Network
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Missing in California
MySpace pageheader for Tom Starkel
Facebook pageheader for Tom Starkel
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
