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

Michael Larry Madden

Madden, date, approximate 1996
Date Missing 08/10/1996
Missing From
Sonora, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 01/22/1976 (46)
Age 20 years old
Height and Weight 6'1, 195 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A t-shirt, shorts, a San Francisco Giants or San Francisco 49ers cap, and possibly a wristwatch.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Madden has a three-inch surgical scar on the left side of his collarbone. His nickname is Mike.
Details of Disappearance Madden planned to meet friends at Sand Bar Flat near Sonora, California on August 10, 1996 for camping and fishing. He left his family's residence at approximately 5:00 a.m. on that day and left a note for his mother explaining his plans.
He brought his dog, Matilda, and his camping and fishing gear with him to the campsite. He had camped and fished at Sand Bar Flat with his father several times and was very familiar with the area. He has never been seen or heard from again. Madden's friends arrived at the designated location at Sand Bar Flat at approximately 2:00 a.m. on August 12, 1996. There was no sign of Madden or Matilda at the scene, but his gear was found near a freshly-made fire.
A man identified as Joseph Tine appeared at the location soon after Madden's friends arrived. Tine was carrying a .45 automatic pistol and asked the men who they were and if they were looking for "Mikey." Madden had never been addressed by that nickname. His friends told authorities that Tine repeatedly cocked his pistol throughout the proceeding six hours as they waited for Madden and Matilda at the campsite. Madden's friends also said that Tine appeared to be wearing Madden's boots, though this has not been confirmed.
Madden was reported missing soon after his friends failed to find him around the campsite. An extensive search produced no evidence as to his whereabouts. Matilda came back to the campsite four days later; she was dehydrated and couldn't lead searchers to Madden.
Authorities administered a polygraph test to Tine nine months following Madden's disappearance; the results of the exam are unknown. Tine has never been charged in connection with Madden's and his gun did not have any spent shells at the time Madden vanished.
There have been no arrests in this and it remains unsolved. Investigators believe that Madden met with foul play at Sand Bar Flat, possibly at the hands of an unknown serial killer or even Cary Stayner, who was convicted of murder in the Yosemite area in the late 1990s. There is no proof of anyone's involvement in Madden's .
Madden was a student at Humboldt State University at the time of his disappearance. His mother died in 2004 and his father in 2008. Madden was listed as a survivor on his mother's obituary, but his father's obituary notes his son predeceased him. His remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office
209-533-5822
Other
NamUs
Michael Madden Is Missing
The Modesto Bee

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