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

Robert James Wykel
missing 2023 updates

Wykel, date, approximate 1996
Date Missing 02/21/1996
Missing From
King County, Washington
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 05/18/1930 (92)
Age 65 years old
Height and Weight 5'11, 205 - 225 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A white gold custom-designed ring with a 1.25 carat diamond on his left hand, and other jewelry. The diamond ring has several chips and abrasions.
Associated Vehicle(s) 1989 Mercedes-Benz
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond/brown hair, brown eyes. Wykel has a mustache and a receding hairline. His nickname is Bob.
Details of Disappearance Wykel was last seen in King County, Washington on February 21, 1996. He had left home to buy a 1961 Ford Thunderbird, but never arrived. He was a retired sheet-metal worker and supplemented his income by buying classic cars, restoring them and reselling them for profit.
Wykel often carried large sums of cash on his person, as he prefered to use cash in his business dealings. He probably had such a sum of money on him when he vanished, as much as $5,000, since he was going to purchase a car. He usually traveled via public transportation to inspect and purchase vehicles.
Wykel's 1989 Mercedes-Benz convertible coupe was discovered abandoned at a Park-N-Ride in Burien, Washington on March 11, 1996, and was towed. His wallet was inside and did not contain any cash. There was no sign of him at the scene.
A friend reported Wykel as a missing person to authorities two days later on March 13, 1996, because he was concerned about the car being towed. It is uncharacteristic of Wykel to leave his vehicle in a parking lot for weeks at a time, and he usually left it in the care of his friend when he went on extended trips.
He has never been heard from again. When investigators checked his home, they found his luggage and clothing there, and food rotting in the kitchen.
In February 2009, police arrested Myron C. Wynn, also known as Myron Holdredge, and charged him with first-degree murder in Wykel's . Wynn was an acquaintance of Wykel and was the last person known to have seen him; it was he who told Wykel about the Ford Thunderbird that was for sale, and the two men went to look at the car together. He moved to Texas after Wykel's disappearance and was apprehended there.
In 1996 following Wykel's disappearance, Wynn gave a large diamond to his girlfriend. He said he'd found it in the parking lot where Wykel's car was later recovered. In 1999, three years after Wykel vanished, police seized the stone from a relative of Wynn's. They believe it came from the ring Wykel wore on the day of his disappearance. The relative said she'd bought it from Wynn after he moved to Texas.
Authorities believe Wynn lured Wykel to a secluded location, robbed and murdered him. Wynn's defense attorney argued that the diamond they found wasn't Wykel's and Wykel left of his own accord, possibly traveling to Argentina; he had been planning a trip to that country before he disappeared.
The jury deliberated for three days, but they were unable to reach a verdict and the judge declared a mistrial in December 2010. Wynn was convicted at a second trial in April 2011. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison.
Wykel is described as a friendly, generous person who did not hesitate to strike up conversations with strangers. His family stated he looked and acted younger than his age in 1996 and would have fought back if he was attacked or robbed. He lived in Alaska and Illinois prior to moving to Washington several years prior to his disappearance.
Foul play is suspected in Wykel's due to the circumstances involved. His loved ones stated he enjoyed fishing, hunting and traveling in 1996.
Investigating Agency
King County Sheriff's Office
206-296-7530
Other
King County Sheriff's Office
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The News Tribune
KIRO TV
Washington State Missing Persons Information
The Seattle Times