CA CA - Donald "JC" Cavanaugh, 63, Ukiah, March 2005

Donald Cavanaugh And David Neily Two Missing Men and one link.


Donald Cavanaugh left, and David Neily right


James "Jimmy" DeNoyer

The families of Donald "JC" Cavanaugh and David Neily have forged an unlikely bond since their loved ones vanished nearly a decade ago.

Similarities between the two cases are undeniable, and the men's families believe the solution to one case could help unravel the other mystery.

Neily was last seen on April 14, 2006 on a property at the end of Howard Creek Road in Westport, CA. According to his family, he was there to pick up a truck. Neighbors told family members that they heard gunshot fire at about 2-3 a.m. that morning. His dog, was found at this location. His two vehicles, a 1967 Ford Mustang and a 1977 Ford Thunderbird, were found in July 2006 on the property of James "Jimmy" DeNoyer, and newspapers found inside were dated April 17, 2006. Neily's glasses and wallet were in one of the cars, but there was no sign of Neily.

No sign of Neily has ever been made since and no arrests have been made in the causing the disappearance of David Neily.

Donald James Cavanaugh

Cavanaugh owned a horse ranch in Elgin, Illinois. He got into financial trouble and his health detriorated. When he was unable to keep up with his ranch in 2004, his nephew, James "Jimmy" DeNoyer, suggested they go into the horse ranching business in Westport, California. DeNoyer had a twenty-acre plot there which he used to grow marijuana. The two men struck a deal, and DeNoyer, along with David Neily's son, Ryan, drove to Illinois to pick up his uncle and more than a dozen horses his uncle had hand-selected for their new joint venture.

Cavanaugh and DeNoyer fought with each other, however, and Cavanaugh was unimpressed with his nephew's ranch setup. The horses were being badly treated and many of them died, and Cavanaugh wanted out of the business, but DeNoyer insisted they keep trying and bought more horses. When relations broke down, Cavanaugh was taken to the San Francisco Airport by DeNoyer, allegedly at gunpoint. Cavanaugh did not have any money, so he went to stay with a friend in Laytonville, Calif. He remained there for a few weeks until a friend took him to a shelter in nearby Ukiah. While at the shelter, Cavanaugh said he was going to go back to DeNoyer's to pick up his belongings. March 2005 is the last time anyone saw or heard from him.

DeNoyer is considered a person of interest in both Neily and Cavanaugh's disappearances, but he hasn't been charged in either case. Foul play is suspected.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/donald-cavanaugh-david-neily-missing_n_4319266.html
http://theava.com/archives/83

Charley Project - http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/...gh_donald.html

NamUs - https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/5537

This looks like one of those extremely frustrating cases where it seems obvious who is responsible, and yet the authorities obviously don't believe they have enough to prove it. Hopefully, this guy has blabbed to one or more people, and they will come forward.

Missing in America: Donald Cavanaugh & David Neily

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/miss...-america-donald-cavanaugh-david-neily-n132501

still missing. Read more at: http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/missing-america-unsolved-n472406

DOB: 26 July 1941
Aliases: J.C., Jim, Donnald
White male, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes.
Last seen in Ukiah CA area at 12:48 PM on 1 March 2005.

At the time he disappeared, J.C.Cavanaugh was recuperating from quadruple bypass heart surgery, and was still disabled. James Denoyer held full control of Cavanaugh's money while they were at the Westport ranch. After being evicted penniless from the ranch, Cavanaugh told other clients at Plowshares that he wanted to retrieve his three dogs from Denoyer's ranch.

When Mendocino County Animal Control raided the Denoyer ranch and removed the herd of neglected quarter horses in December 2005, Cavanaugh's three dogs were found there in good health.

Information concerning this active case may be called in to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Tipline at 707-234-2100. Their Investigative Services Bureau may be emailed at barneys@co.mendocino.ca.us.The Sheriff's Office can also be reached at 951 Low Gap Road, Ukiah,CA 95482.

Sources:

Charley Project:
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cavanaugh_donald.html

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office website: http://www.mendocinosheriff.com/missing/

Fort Bragg Advocate-News, 6 February2014:
http://www.advocate-news.com/article/ZZ/20140206/NEWS/140208977

Link to animal cruelty accusations:
http://www.itsinhumane.org/data/JDenoyer.htm

Ukiah Daily Journal, 29 August 2008: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/article/ZZ/20080829/NEWS/808299641

Donald's DOB is given as 26 July 1941. He was last seen on 1 March 2005. Dental X-rays are available for him. http://dojapp.doj.ca.gov/missing/detail.asp?FCN=3310518100232

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Case # 05-2135
NCIC # M575016662
Dental records, DNA results, and fingerprints are all on file.

Now that James Denoyer has moved to Newbury Park, maybe someone local might be willing to talk about the fates of J.C. Cavanaugh and David Neily. http://www.whitepages.com.name/James-Denoyer/CA

Just noticed something interesting while re-reading the AVA clip. Three of Cavanaugh's younger relatives worked/visited the Westport ranch. I wonder what they could tell an investigator....

still missing: http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/miss...ssing-america-65-people-still-missing-n691281

Donald Cavanaugh and David Neily both had done work for the same small horse ranch in California outside Westport, a town with only 60 residents. Both men have also been missing for more than a decade and are feared dead. Donald Cavanaugh, then 63, was reported missing in May 2005, in Ukiah, California after a dispute with his nephew, James DeNoyer, who was the ranch owner. David Neily, then 69, was reported missing in Westport, California just one year later, also reportedly after a confrontation with DeNoyer. Both men's vehicles were found on James DeNoyer's ranch property. DeNoyer denies having any information or involvement in either man's disappearance and has not been named a suspect, but is considered by police to be a person of interest in both cases. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's office, the investigations are considered open and ongoing.

Just a reminder that James Louis Denoyer, POI in these disappearances, has his own thread:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...y-POI-in-two-disappearances&highlight=Denoyer

Possible homicidal scenarios are mooted there.

Donald "JC" Cavanaugh was reported missing in Mendocino County, Calif., in March 2005. Additional information can be found at this link: www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/donald-cavanaugh-david-neily-missing_n_4319266.html At the time of his disappearance, Cavanaugh was 63, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 140 pounds. He had gray hair and blue eyes.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...show=true#gallery/559e0f6ce4b0967291557f1d/36

Four years of Dateline’s Missing in America: 90 still missing

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/mis...ne-s-missing-america-90-still-missing-n826516

Donald Cavanaugh and David Neily both had done work for the same small horse ranch in California outside Westport, a town with only 60 residents. Both men have also been missing for more than a decade and are feared dead. Donald Cavanaugh, then 63, was reported missing in May 2005, in Ukiah, California after a dispute with his nephew, James DeNoyer, who was the ranch owner. David Neily, then 69, was reported missing in Westport, California just one year later, also reportedly after a confrontation with DeNoyer. Both men's vehicles were found on DeNoyer's ranch property. DeNoyer denies having any information or involvement in either man’s disappearance and has not been named a suspect, but is considered by police to be a person of interest in both cases. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the investigations are considered open and ongoing.

Five years of Dateline’s Missing in America: 109 still missing

Interesting angle about Mr. Denoyer. I searched extensively for his background and past life, and came up with basically zilch. I find it difficult to believe that he just popped up and began "disappearing" people in middle age. The lack of a public background has led me to speculate that he is/was in a witness protection program of some sort.

Ron Baumeister, who had worked on DeNoyer's ranch at the same time as Cavanaugh, is now deceased: Off the Record (July 8, 2020)
The editor seems to think Baumeister lied to investigators out of fear for his life.
As Baumeister was a bit of a tippler, he would periodically end up in our local crossbar hotel. When I noticed in the paper that he had been detained, I would email the MCSO with a reminder to question him, please. Never got any reply.

I have files on about 150 missing persons, just in the three counties of the Emerald Triangle alone.