Police: Missing California Man to Be Reunited with Sister After 25 Years

A California man who went missing 25 years ago has been found alive and is set to be reunited with his sister after she positively identified him after seeing his photo in the media.

The man, whose name has not been released, disappeared from the northern rural town of Doyle in 1999, never to be heard from again until he was found on April 15 in South Los Angeles and taken to a hospital, the Daily Mail reported.

Due to his non-verbal state, he was unable to identify himself to doctors while they treated him. So, officials put out a press release that was picked up by USA Today, describing him as a white male in his mid-60s, standing at 6’1″ and weighing just 125 pounds. 

The article included a picture of the man, which miraculously was seen by his long-lost sister months later. 

The sister, whose name has also not been published, called the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office on November 22 to report that she believed the man to be her missing brother from nearly three decades ago:

After Deputy Sheriff Derek Kennemore contacted two Los Angeles hospitals — the man had been transferred from the original facility — and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), police were able to identify him via fingerprints.

“Deputy Kennemore recontacted the woman and informed her that, with the assistance of LAPD, we were able to positively identify the man as her brother,” the sheriff’s office said. “The family will be reunited soon. Names in this case have been withheld for family privacy.” 

The sister “was super excited” to receive that call, Lassen County Capt. Mike Carney told ABC News on Tuesday. “She was very appreciative that we took the time just to follow up on it. She was over the moon and anxious to call other family members to let them know.”

“It’s gonna make their Thanksgiving that much better,” he said, adding that the case is a “perfect example” of why police should not give up on missing persons cases.

The sheriff’s office also indicated that it appeared the man left Doyle voluntarily, but it is unclear what happened to him in the last 25 years.