A Doyle man, missing for more than two decades, was reunited with family this week thanks to a chance sighting in a USA Today newspaper photo and some tenacious detective work by a Lassen County Sheriff’s Deputy.
On November 22nd, according to details provided by LCSO Operations Division Commander Captain Mike Carney, the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a woman who said that she had some information on a previously reported missing person.
“The woman informed Sheriff’s Deputy Derek Kennemore, that she had been sent an article from USA Today that had a picture of a man that she believed to be her missing brother,” Carney said.
“The woman explained that her brother was reported missing in 1999 from Doyle, Ca. The man had not been heard from since. The USA Today article was printed in April 2024 and was requesting assistance in identifying the man, who had been admitted to a hospital in the Los Angeles, area.”
Deputy Kennemore contacted the hospital and was told that the man had been transferred to another hospital in the Los Angeles area in July of this year.
“The man was non-verbal and had never been identified. Deputy Kennemore contacted the second hospital who confirmed that they had a non-verbal, unidentified man in their care that matched the description of the missing person.”
Kennemore then contacted the Los Angeles Police Department, Missing Persons Unit, and was put in contact with a Detective who responded to the hospital and fingerprinted the man. The Detective was able to positively identify the man as the one reported missing in 1999 from Doyle.
“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 family will be reunited soon.”
Names in this case have been withheld for family privacy.
Captain Carney and the LCSO commended Deputy Kennemore on his tenacity with this case.
“We would also like to thank the Los Angles Police Department for their assistance in identifying the missing man and closing out this 25 year old case.”
