CA CA - Ronald Leonard Farrell, 62, Hemet, 5 Oct 1999

This man is the Charley Project featured case of the week. I couldn't find a thread for him, so I decided to start one.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/f/farrell_ronald.html



Above: Farrell, circa 1999





Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: October 5, 1999 from Hemet, California
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: May 15, 1937
Age: 62 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8, 155 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Gray hair, blue eyes. Farrell may have a moustache. He wears eyeglasses.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A long-sleeved white shirt.
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Details of Disappearance

Farrell was last seen leaving his family's residence on Alto Drive in the Valle Vista area of Hemet, California on October 5, 1999. Farrell told his wife he planned to walk to the Walgreens Pharmacy near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Lyon Avenue at approximately 9:00 a.m. to have a prescription filled. The store was several miles from Farrell's home. He has never been heard from again. An extensive search of the area produced no clues as to Farrell's whereabouts. He took daily walks around his neighborhood in 1999. Farrell and his wife planned to drive to Riverside, California later in the day. He is a retired United States Air Force veteran. Farrell's case remains unsolved.

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{LONG!}.

First post. Can't find a 'waving smiley' I'm very new to this site, but I wanted to thank jodierenee for posting the information about this case. I fully appreciate why this is the sort of case that tends to receive very little attention or discussion: there's not even the most slender of leads to go on and the missing individual, at least based the somewhat general reports, is not anyone we normally think of as belonging to an especially vulernable segment of society.

But to me among the most fascinating missing persons cases are those few, and I'd imagine it's a mere few percent (if that) that do not fall into one of the depressingly familiar variations on a handful of themes that make up the vast majority of long-term missing person reports (eg a child..., a teen-ager..., a young woman..., an adult who was suffering from or involved with...) where though the specifics are yet to be resolved, the general outline is there (often sadly so), without using too much imagination.

Then there's ones like this. Late middle-aged (but not elderly), white male, seemingly neither rich or poor (retired military), in apparently good physical shape (as he was a daily walker) tells his wife of 40 years he's going to stroll the (2-3?) miles to the drugstore to pick up a prescription (may or may not be be relevant, but for who? For what?) and vanishes. That's it. No evidence of foul play, no hint of anything in the background provided that there was someone in his life or wished him ill or that he chose to disappear (or commit suicide) or had a condition of somekind that would leave him at risk to either wandering off or falling prey to someone else.

I'm having a hard time, based on the information provided above, imagining a scenario that makes any sense. There's no narrative to construct, if you will. While not completely out the question, the spouse being in any way responsible seems unlikely. Almost anything involving a stranger seems improbable. No mention of possible enemies. And nothing to suggest that whatever happened to him happened while he was alone. Something connected to his Air Force past? (*no* UFO theories, please.)

Just doing a little research, this small city, developed former ranchland not too far from San Bernadino, does have some crime problems, but looks on the surface to be a working-class comminty with a number of retirees like Mr. Farrell. I'm at loss for ideas on how a seemingly unremarkable man living an ordinary life, one day just walks out his front door and into the wormhole.

If this post (and anyone who's still reading, thank you! ) seems too dispassionate or something, I don't mean to sound unfeeling. This is a very sad thing and I most definitely send my thoughts and prayers to those who love him and miss him.

Ronald Farrell was last week's missing person of the week at my website, the Charley Project. I pick them pretty much randomly, though I try to use neglected cases like Mr. Farrell's. (The current case, Beatrice Wells, has even less information than Ronald Farrell.)

I have only the info available in the casefile so any theory I have would be speculation. I wonder if maybe his disappearance had something to do with his age -- perhaps he had health problems, dementia, something. If he had really bad dementia it seems unlikely that his wife would have let him go off by himself, but things happen. This is just an idea, though.

EDIT: Incidentally, Ronald Farrell disappeared on my fourteenth birthday.

Bump

Next month will mark 11 years that Ronald has been missing. Come home soon.

This is my father's case. Still not a clue. Of course it didn't help the the police didn't want to believe it and would even look for him for days.

I don't believe we will ever know what happened.

Bumping, Ronald has been missing for 17 years now.

Orcatek said:

This is my father's case. Still not a clue. Of course it didn't help the the police didn't want to believe it and would even look for him for days.

I don't believe we will ever know what happened.

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I'm so sorry that you are still without answers; it's terrible that there was a delay from authorities.

Not in NamUs....and no longer in Charley Project. Was he found?

Orcatek said:

This is my father's case. Still not a clue. Of course it didn't help the the police didn't want to believe it and would even look for him for days.

I don't believe we will ever know what happened.

Click to expand...

Friend, I am very sorry for your loss, it is terrible not knowing what happened to a loved one I hope that one day you will have an answer