Left: Brian circa, 1975
Right: Age Progressed to age 60
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 12, 1975
Missing From: Salem, Multnomah County, Oregon
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: March 15, 1958
Age: 16 years old
Height and Weight: 5’6″ and 140 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Brown hair, Brown eyes, Brian has a burn scar on his left arm from an accident with an iron he had when he was a baby, his hair was light in color at the time and his nickname is “Joe”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A light blue shirt with the phrase “Hilton” imprinted on the pocket, a pair of blue jeans, and brown hiking boots
NCMEC Number: 866734
Details of Disappearance
Brian was last seen in Salem, Oregon on January 12th 1975. He attended a party located on southeast State Street near 25th and was accompanied by his sister and two friends. At some point during the party, his sister and one of their friends left the party for a little while. They said they last saw Brian listening to music with a friend called David at the time. They returned to the location of the party at some point after 2:00 am.
They noticed that David was no longer in the house and when they asked Brian about where he was, he said David had taken some LSD and was having a bad trip and left the house as a result. They urged Brian to go after him and so he did. Brian followed David out of the house and proceeded to get inside of David’s vehicle. His car was described as a turquoise colored 1962 Volkswagen Bug with a black left front fender and the Oregon license plate # 7P3626. Brian was never seen or heard from again.
Police arrested David at 5:00 am after he broke into a car dealership and stole a car. He was caught speeding with it down State Street. He was still under the influence of the LSD at the time and said he thought he was in hell. He said he had no knowledge of Brian’s whereabouts and the vehicle he was last seen in has never been found.
Investigators were also to respond to his case and initially presumed him to be a runaway. His family is adamant that he would not leave on his own accord. He was known to call his mother every time he felt he was going to be late. It’s possible that he met with foul play or that he and the vehicle plunged into the Detroit Lake. No evidence has been found in his case.
At the time of his disappearance, Brian was described as a well behaved and reliable teenager. He was known to experiment with drugs at the time but he always kept in touch with his family. His disappearance remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Portland Police Department 503-823-0400
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children