Found Deceased CA - David Neily, 69, Westport, 14 April 2006

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

NamUs - https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/1597

Donald Cavanaugh: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5537/0/

Missing in America: Donald Cavanaugh & David Neily

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

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Case # 06-1611
Date of birth: 29 November 1936
White male, gray hair but balding, green eyes.
He is variously described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and 150 pounds, or 5 feet 3 inches tall and 140 pounds. His growth was stunted by a heart murmur, so his legs are disproportionate to his torso. Apparently, he has two lower teeth missing; actually, four are gone. He has three distinctive scars. One scar makes a C shape beginning under his left armpit and extending to just under his left breast. Another 6 inch long scar transects his navel. The third scar is just above his right hip, and is 3 inches long and ¼ inch thick.

He habitually dressed poorly, in jeans, t-shirt, and sandals; sometimes he was mistaken for a homeless person.

His two vehicles, found at James Denoyer's Westport ranch, were a white 1967 Mustang, tag USH 255 (expired in 2000), and a 1977 Thunderbird, tag 2NON363 and VIN7G87H173539.

Source:
National Missing Person Directory. http://www.missingin.org/reg1166/david_virgil_neily.htm

David Neily's son, Ryan Neily, gives an inside view of the situation at James Denoyer's ranch. Ryan claims that he used to feed the 40 horses on the ranch, but he quit the job. The horses then were neglected, apparently because Denoyer and his help did not feed nor care for the horses. This eventually resulted in a convoluted and unsuccessful prosecution of Denoyer for animal cruelty when Denoyer blamed his employees for failing to feed and care for the herd of quarter horses. Humane Society officials and animal rescue volunteers seized the neglected horses in December 2005, although the case would not finally go to trial until 2008.

It was during this time span that David Neily disappeared. He had apparently replaced Denoyer's uncle, J. C.Cavanaugh, who disappeared from the ranch in May 2005.

As late as 2012, Ryan claims he has never been interviewed for the animal cruelty case; he was not called as a witness. He contends that if he had been interviewed and testified in the animal cruelty case, his father would still be alive today because Denoyer would have been convicted and jailed.

Sources:
Ft Bragg Advocate-News, 5 December2013, http://www.advocate-news.com/article/ZZ/20140206/NEWS/140208977

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

Youtube video on David Neily,
[video=youtube;XV4XB9QDOm0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV4XB9QDOm0[/video]

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

Last contact with David is listed as being on 1 March 2006, in Albion CA, according to CA DOJ: http://dojapp.doj.ca.gov/missing/detail.asp?FCN=3310614400272

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 there is a separate thread for James Louis Denoyer, POI:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...y-POI-in-two-disappearances&highlight=Denoyer

There are some hypothetical murder scenarios posted over there.

David Neily disappeared in Mendocino County, Calif., on April 14, 2006. Additional information can be found at this link: www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/donald-cavanaugh-david-neily-missing_n_4319266.html Neily was 69 years old when he was last seen. He was 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, and had gray hair, green eyes and a white beard. He suffered from stunted growth due to a heart murmur, and as a result his legs were not proportional to his body.



https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...eshow=true#gallery/559e0f6ce4b0967291557f1d/2

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 Neely, 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.

Please correct:
View attachment 39143
Donald Cavanaugh left, and David Neily right

David is on the left, Donald on the right.

Link’s don’t lead to articles.

Could be you have a computer or internet access problem. I clicked links in half a dozen posts above, and they all worked--including three copies of the same map.

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