Missing Person Photos

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 unknown. 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 to 5 percent 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. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images 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.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos

David Michael Bacon
missing 2023 updates

Bacon, date, approximate 1969; Nelson Costello in 2009
Date Missing 04/10/1969
Missing From
Watervliet, New York
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 07/28/1946 (76)
Age 22 years old
Height and Weight 5'8, 145 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A black ski jacket, a black checkered shirt and green slacks.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Light brown hair, brown eyes. Bacon has tattoos of a heart, flowers, an arrow and the name "Mary" on his upper left arm, tattoos of a scroll and his nickname "Dave" on his upper right arm, and a tattoo of a cross on his left forearm.
Details of Disappearance Bacon was last seen leaving for his night shift job at Behr-Manning factory (now known as Norton Co.) in Watervliet, New York at approximately 11:30 p.m. on April 10, 1969. He was supposed to pick up his brother along the way. He never picked up his brother, never arrived at work and has never been heard from again.
Bacon's car was found abandoned on Oil Mill Hill, not far from the Waterford Bridge. His lunch was in the backseat and his paycheck was in the front. Authorities at the time assumed he'd left of his own accord, but as time passed and no one heard from him, they began to suspect foul play. It's unclear what, if any, investigation was done at the time, as Bacon's file has been purged from the state police archives.
In January 2009, Nelson E. Costello was arrested and charged with murder and two counts of witness tampering in Bacon's . Costello was Bacon's age and worked as a constable in Waterford, New York in 1969. He carried a gun as part of his job.
Costello later moved to Prescott, Arizona. A photograph of him is posted with this summary. In October 2008, when he realized the police were investigating him for Bacon's possible homicide, Costello allegedly contacted a witness twice and tried to stop the person from giving information to investigators.
Authorities believe Costello killed Bacon in a rivalry over a woman whom Bacon was engaged to. They theorized Bacon was shot to death at Alcathy's Marina on Flight Lock Road in Waterford. They don't believe Costello was on duty at the time of the murder. He allegedly had an accomplice who helped him dispose of Bacon's body, but the accomplice cannot be charged because the statute of limitations has run out.
In October 2009, on the eve of his trial, Costello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. He confessed that in his guise as a constable, he pulled Bacon over while Bacon was on his way home from work. Costello told him the captain needed to speak with him. He drove Bacon to an area near a public boat launch and shot him three times in the chest, killing him.
Costello stated he put Bacon's body in the trunk of his car, drove it to Bedford County, Virginia, and buried it along the James River. It may have been washed out to sea in a hurricane that struck the area in 1985 and flooded the river. In January 2010, Costello was sentenced to five to seventeen years in prison. He apologized for his actions at the sentencing.
Bacon lived in the 300 block of Hillcrest Street in North Troy, New York in 1969; the area is now part of Schaghticoke, New York. He dropped out of Lansingburgh High School and joined the Navy. He served in Vietnam and was a member of the Navy Reserves at the time of his disappearance.
Bacon has few family members left; he had no children, and his siblings and parents are all deceased. His brother-in-law is still alive and stated he had been a father figure for Bacon prior to his disappearance. Foul play is suspected in his due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
New York State Police
518-783-3210
518-583-7000
Other
The Albany Times-Union
The Schnectady Daily Gazette
Capital News 9
The Troy Record
The Saratogian
CBS 6 Albany
WNYT 13
Unsolved in the News
NamUs