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

Paul Joseph Fuchs Jr.


Fuchs, date, approximate 1976
Date Missing 12/12/1976
Missing From
Long Beach, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 03/10/1957 (65)
Age 19 years old
Height and Weight 6'3 - 6'4, 160 - 170 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description Blue jeans, light brown leather shoes with rounded toes, and lots of jewelry.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Light brown hair, blue eyes. Fuchs had a Fu Manchu style mustache at the time of his disappearance. His last name is pronounced "Fukes" and his family calls him Young Paul. He is of German and Hungarian descent.
Details of Disappearance Fuchs was last seen in Long Beach, California on December 12, 1976. He lived with his parents and three older brothers on Redondo Avenue. That evening he ate dinner ahead of the rest of his family and went out with friends, leaving behind his wallet. He was last seen at the Ripples Bar in the company of a strange man. He made no withdrawals from his bank account after his disappearance and has never been heard from again.
Fuchs is a graduate of Wilson High School. He was working odd jobs at the time of his disappearance while trying to decide his future. His family said he was close to them and always kept them informed of his whereabouts. His mother described him as a talented artist who could also cook, sew and iron.
Prior to his disappearance, Fuchs was scheduled to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of underage drinking. A warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to show up. His family went to the courthouse for the next several days in he should come there, but he never did.
Authorities believe Fuchs may have been a victim of serial killer Randy Kraft, also known as the Scorecard Killer or the Freeway Killer, who targeted young men in the Los Angeles, California area in the 1970s and early 1980s. A photo of Kraft is posted with this summary. He was a frequent patron of Ripples, and the man who was with Fuchs on the night of his disappearance resembled him.
Kraft was convicted of sixteen murders in 1989, but is suspected of as many as fifty more. He is now awaiting execution on California's death row.
Fuchs was listed as a probable Kraft victim in 1983.Jeffrey Sayre, who's been Date Missing 1979, is another presumed victim. Their bodies have never been found and no one has been charged in their disappearances, however; they remain officially unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Long Beach Police Department
562-570-8810
Other
NamUs
Reality Studio
The Crime Library
The Los Angeles Times
California Attorney General's Office

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