David Michael Loew
Missing since December 10, 1984 from Griffiss AFB, Rome, New York
Classification: Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: July 19, 1962
Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'8"; 138 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown, curly hair; blue eyes.
Blood Type: O negative
SSN: 208-48-0794
Dentals: Air Force Dental Record Available.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Sergeant David Michael Loew, US Air Force, age 22, reported for work at Hangar 100, 49th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Griffiss Air Force Base, Rome, NY early in the morning of 10 December 1984. He left his place of duty to go to the Base Hospital for a scheduled medical appointment. He failed to show for the appointment, and did not return to his Squadron spaces.
On 18 December 1984, his car was found abandoned near Interstate Highway I-95 near Halifax, North Carolina. It had sustained some damage, but was still drivable. Tags and base stickers had been removed.
On 9 January 1985, after he had been absent without authority (AWOL) for 30 consecutive days, Sergeant Loew was declared a deserter by the Air Force. He has not been seen or heard from since 8:45 AM, 10 December 1984.
Background Information
David Michael Loew was a Sergeant (E-4) in the US Air Force, stationed with the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), based at Griffiss Air Force Base (AFB), Rome, New York in 1984. David was by all accounts a hard working, reliable airman and recently promoted sergeant. His Squadron First Sergeant characterized him as a wonderful person who was always on time.
Born on 19 July 1962 in Fayetteville, NC, David moved with his family at age 18 months to California. He visited Colorado with family as a boy, and later lived in Pittsburg, PA, where he attended high school. David's interests included traveling, camping and fishing. He had a large comic book collection and he loved music.
David had graduated from High School in June of 1980, and the following month, upon turning 18, he enlisted in the Air Force. An exceptional student, by January 1981, David had been promoted to Airman (E-2) and selected as Student of the Month at the Technical Training Center of Lowry AFB. Shortly after graduation from that school, and following a brief leave home, he was transferred to London, England to serve his first assignment. While stationed in England, he was promoted to Airman First Class (E-3), was selected by his command as Airman of the Year, and was promoted to Sergeant (E-4).
David enjoyed his career in the Air Force. While in London, he became engaged to a girl named Maggie, and purchased a car on time payments. At times, he wrote or called home to his parents in Oregon for money to cover those payments.
July 1984 was a pivotal month. David had broken up with Maggie, and was transferred to his new assignment at Griffiss AFB, in Rome, New York. That month, David re-enlisted for another four year hitch, for which he received a re-enlistment bonus. David soon met, dated, and began living with Sue, a single mother of two young children. He bought a used 1980 Plymouth Horizon station wagon and a Radio Shack Computer, and took out bank loans on both.
In the summer of 1984, David and Sue traveled in the Plymouth on a short trips into Canada, visiting Kingston, Thousand Islands, and Toronto.
By September, David was having financial troubles. A number of checks were returned for non-sufficient funds. He missed some loan payments. In early December, according to Sue, David lost a $500 bet on a Dallas Cowboys football game, and was upset about it.
On Sunday, 9 December 1984, David and Sue went Christmas shopping and David bought Christmas presents for Sue and her children. Upon returning home, the Christmas presents were brought into their apartment, but the baby stroller and/or buggy remained in the back of the car, along with a large box of Pampers. Sue inadvertantly left her purse in the car, as well.
The next morning, Monday, 10 December 1984, David got up, dressed in his Air Force class A uniform, and left in his Plymouth for work at Hangar 100. According to Sue, he took with him a sweater which she had knitted for him, a pair of jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. Sue stated that this was not unusual, as David often changed into civilian clothing at the squadron before he returned from work.
David reported to his immediate Squadron supervisor, and at aproximately 8:45 AM, he was excused from duty to go to a medical appointment at the Base Hospital. According to official Air Force documentation, this was the last reported sighting of Sergeant David Loew. It was determined that he never reported to his medical appointment, and that he did not return to his immediate supervisor at Squadron 49, Hangar 100 that day or the next.
David's disappearance was handled as a routine case of Unauthorized Absence, beginning with his failure to show for work on Tuesday morning, 11 December. At some point, Military Security Police Investigations at Griffiss AFB, Rome, NY began an investigation.
On 18 December 1984, David's car was discovered in Halifax, North Carolina. It had some damage, but was drivable. Items reportedly found in the car consisted of snow boot(s), Pampers, and a baby stroller. The license plates and military base stickers had been removed, and there was damage to the dashboard. No blood was found in the car, nor was Sue's purse or its contents found. The car's radio had been removed and stolen. The grill and front bumper were damaged or missing, and there were scratches down both sides of the car. Reports vary somewhat, but the car was traced through either the engine serial number or the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
According to the Deputy Sheriff who first located and investigated the abandoned car, latent finger prints were taken from the car. Unfortunately, the Air Force did not have a set of David's fingerprints on file to compare them to.
On 20 December 1984, David's family in Oregon was notified by telephone for the first time of his disappearance. The investigator who called asked if David was with them, or if they had heard from him. He mentioned during that phone conversation that David's car had been located in North Carolina. This phone call set in motion a decades long search by the family to learn the truth about David's disappearance. Much of what is known about the case comes from the family's efforts, notes and inquiries rather than from Air Force files.
David's family received only two very short letters from Squadron 49 regarding his disappearance. The first, dated 20 December 1984, was from David's Commanding Officer, informing them that David had been absent without authority (AWOL) since 10 December 1984. The letter went on to explain that his continued absence could "lead to trial by Court martial, loss of pay, allowances, and government insurance, reduction in grade, a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge and confinement at hard labor."
The second letter, dated 3 January 1985 was from the Squadron First Sergeant. Although also short, it was more personal and friendly. Some details were included, such as the time that David left for a medical appointment, the fact that an investigation had begun, that the car had been located, and it also included some names and phone numbers. It expressed the hope that David would be found soon.
David's sister and mother kept a detailed log record of all phone conversations regarding David' s disappearance. The Air Force was reluctant to give them much information and refused to make copies of any pages from his service record. Information was sketchy and contradictory.
A phone conversation with the Squadron Commanding Officer indicated that David had "stolen" Sue's purse. But another phone conversation with Sue indicated that she had simply left it in the car. The letter from the Squadron First Sergeant stated that "A search of David's room in the squadron dormitory did not reveal anything of consequence." Yet the commanding officer in a phone conversation stated that some books on money making and How to Change Your Identity had been found in the room.
David's mother and sister traveled from Oregon to Rome, New York in 1986 to collect David's personal effects and to attempt to learn more about his disappearance. They visited the Squadron and were given a box of personal items which had been removed from David's dormatory room locker. The box, which had been sealed and in storage, had been opened, and its contents pilfered. It contained some civilian clothing and some uniform parts, but not enough to make up a complete wardrobe or either. All personal papers and books taken from the room were retained in the possession of the Commanding Officer, and were not given or even shown to the family.
Sue was located, living at a different Rome, NY address with another couple. She gave David's mother a handful of cancelled checks, a check register and one golf shoe, stating, "That's all there is." All but three checks were accounted for, and most were for small amounts at various stores, restaurants, etc. The largest one was a check made out for $265 to a named individual, but for no stated reason. That person was not known by anyone questioned, and he could not be located.
The family has two official letters from the Air Force Personnel Office which were sent them in reply to inquires made by family members in 1987. The letters simply confirmed that David was still listed as a deserter (since 9 January 1985), and that they had no further information on him.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) did not investigate deserters at the time of his alleged desertion. It is only more recently, that they have begun to look into cases of desertion. The primary focus is on "fugitive deserters", those persons wanted for committing a crime, other than the desertion. All deserters are entered into NCIC 30 days after they go AWOL. Many remain at large, never having had anyone looking for them. At any given time, the Air Force has about 150 deserters on the books. Of those, OSI publishes a "10 most wanted" list of known fugitives wanted for capital crimes like murder, drug running, and rape. Aproximately another 17 are members who went AWOL while facing court martial charges of a lesser severity. The rest, were all others, including David's case.
AF OSI became involved in Sergeant David Loew's case in 1997 when a request for dental records was made for comparison to the body of an unidentified man found in Virginia. Although there were physical similarities, comparison of dental records determined positively that the body was not David's.
AF OSI investigators, in 1997, made inquires regarding David's disappearance and turned up an interesting descrepancy. The Squadron First Sergeant, who had written to the family on 20 December 1984 about David leaving for a medical appointment and not returning, told a very different story to Security Investigators. He stated that on the morning of 10 December 1984, he had personally counseled Sergeant David Loew regarding numerous bounced checks and unpaid debts. He then ordered David to go to the bank, to withdraw $600, and to return to his office so that payments could be made. David left and returned shortly afterward with $300 in cash, which he said he had gotten from an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). David explained that $300 was the maximum that could be obtained from the ATM. The First Sergeant ordered him a second time to go to the bank and to withdraw another $300 and to return to him when that was done. David went to the bank as ordered, withdrew all but $50 from his account, but did not return to the Squadron. He was not seen again.
Description of the Car
David's car was a 1980, 4 door, Plymouth Horizon station wagon, or hatch back, blue in color. VIN: ML44AAD177965. It was purchased by David on 16 July 1984 from Saxon Auto Sales in Whitesboro, NY. Milage at the time of purchase was 59,531. Purchase price was $2,468. He financed it through a loan from the Rome Savings Bank (loan account Number 400001566). By December, David had reportedly only made three payments on the car.
When the bank learned of the car's discovery in North Carolina, it immediately (on 20 December 1984) initiated re-possession actions by writing David a letter stating their intent to sell the car to the NC gas station owner who was storing the car. The gas station man had informed the bank manager that the front grill, front bumper, dashboard and radio were gone. The bank estimated blue book value to be $1900, but considering the reported damage to the vehicle, accepted a $500 offer from the NC man to buy it. This left David (or his estate) with a debt for the remaining unpaid balance of the loan.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations at: (240) 857-1027
Agency Case Number:
NCIC Number:
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Source Information:
Family of David Loew
Missing since December 10, 1984 from Griffiss AFB, Rome, New York
Classification: Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: July 19, 1962
Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'8"; 138 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown, curly hair; blue eyes.
Blood Type: O negative
SSN: 208-48-0794
Dentals: Air Force Dental Record Available.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Sergeant David Michael Loew, US Air Force, age 22, reported for work at Hangar 100, 49th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Griffiss Air Force Base, Rome, NY early in the morning of 10 December 1984. He left his place of duty to go to the Base Hospital for a scheduled medical appointment. He failed to show for the appointment, and did not return to his Squadron spaces.
On 18 December 1984, his car was found abandoned near Interstate Highway I-95 near Halifax, North Carolina. It had sustained some damage, but was still drivable. Tags and base stickers had been removed.
On 9 January 1985, after he had been absent without authority (AWOL) for 30 consecutive days, Sergeant Loew was declared a deserter by the Air Force. He has not been seen or heard from since 8:45 AM, 10 December 1984.
Background Information
David Michael Loew was a Sergeant (E-4) in the US Air Force, stationed with the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), based at Griffiss Air Force Base (AFB), Rome, New York in 1984. David was by all accounts a hard working, reliable airman and recently promoted sergeant. His Squadron First Sergeant characterized him as a wonderful person who was always on time.
Born on 19 July 1962 in Fayetteville, NC, David moved with his family at age 18 months to California. He visited Colorado with family as a boy, and later lived in Pittsburg, PA, where he attended high school. David's interests included traveling, camping and fishing. He had a large comic book collection and he loved music.
David had graduated from High School in June of 1980, and the following month, upon turning 18, he enlisted in the Air Force. An exceptional student, by January 1981, David had been promoted to Airman (E-2) and selected as Student of the Month at the Technical Training Center of Lowry AFB. Shortly after graduation from that school, and following a brief leave home, he was transferred to London, England to serve his first assignment. While stationed in England, he was promoted to Airman First Class (E-3), was selected by his command as Airman of the Year, and was promoted to Sergeant (E-4).
David enjoyed his career in the Air Force. While in London, he became engaged to a girl named Maggie, and purchased a car on time payments. At times, he wrote or called home to his parents in Oregon for money to cover those payments.
July 1984 was a pivotal month. David had broken up with Maggie, and was transferred to his new assignment at Griffiss AFB, in Rome, New York. That month, David re-enlisted for another four year hitch, for which he received a re-enlistment bonus. David soon met, dated, and began living with Sue, a single mother of two young children. He bought a used 1980 Plymouth Horizon station wagon and a Radio Shack Computer, and took out bank loans on both.
In the summer of 1984, David and Sue traveled in the Plymouth on a short trips into Canada, visiting Kingston, Thousand Islands, and Toronto.
By September, David was having financial troubles. A number of checks were returned for non-sufficient funds. He missed some loan payments. In early December, according to Sue, David lost a $500 bet on a Dallas Cowboys football game, and was upset about it.
On Sunday, 9 December 1984, David and Sue went Christmas shopping and David bought Christmas presents for Sue and her children. Upon returning home, the Christmas presents were brought into their apartment, but the baby stroller and/or buggy remained in the back of the car, along with a large box of Pampers. Sue inadvertantly left her purse in the car, as well.
The next morning, Monday, 10 December 1984, David got up, dressed in his Air Force class A uniform, and left in his Plymouth for work at Hangar 100. According to Sue, he took with him a sweater which she had knitted for him, a pair of jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. Sue stated that this was not unusual, as David often changed into civilian clothing at the squadron before he returned from work.
David reported to his immediate Squadron supervisor, and at aproximately 8:45 AM, he was excused from duty to go to a medical appointment at the Base Hospital. According to official Air Force documentation, this was the last reported sighting of Sergeant David Loew. It was determined that he never reported to his medical appointment, and that he did not return to his immediate supervisor at Squadron 49, Hangar 100 that day or the next.
David's disappearance was handled as a routine case of Unauthorized Absence, beginning with his failure to show for work on Tuesday morning, 11 December. At some point, Military Security Police Investigations at Griffiss AFB, Rome, NY began an investigation.
On 18 December 1984, David's car was discovered in Halifax, North Carolina. It had some damage, but was drivable. Items reportedly found in the car consisted of snow boot(s), Pampers, and a baby stroller. The license plates and military base stickers had been removed, and there was damage to the dashboard. No blood was found in the car, nor was Sue's purse or its contents found. The car's radio had been removed and stolen. The grill and front bumper were damaged or missing, and there were scratches down both sides of the car. Reports vary somewhat, but the car was traced through either the engine serial number or the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
According to the Deputy Sheriff who first located and investigated the abandoned car, latent finger prints were taken from the car. Unfortunately, the Air Force did not have a set of David's fingerprints on file to compare them to.
On 20 December 1984, David's family in Oregon was notified by telephone for the first time of his disappearance. The investigator who called asked if David was with them, or if they had heard from him. He mentioned during that phone conversation that David's car had been located in North Carolina. This phone call set in motion a decades long search by the family to learn the truth about David's disappearance. Much of what is known about the case comes from the family's efforts, notes and inquiries rather than from Air Force files.
David's family received only two very short letters from Squadron 49 regarding his disappearance. The first, dated 20 December 1984, was from David's Commanding Officer, informing them that David had been absent without authority (AWOL) since 10 December 1984. The letter went on to explain that his continued absence could "lead to trial by Court martial, loss of pay, allowances, and government insurance, reduction in grade, a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge and confinement at hard labor."
The second letter, dated 3 January 1985 was from the Squadron First Sergeant. Although also short, it was more personal and friendly. Some details were included, such as the time that David left for a medical appointment, the fact that an investigation had begun, that the car had been located, and it also included some names and phone numbers. It expressed the hope that David would be found soon.
David's sister and mother kept a detailed log record of all phone conversations regarding David' s disappearance. The Air Force was reluctant to give them much information and refused to make copies of any pages from his service record. Information was sketchy and contradictory.
A phone conversation with the Squadron Commanding Officer indicated that David had "stolen" Sue's purse. But another phone conversation with Sue indicated that she had simply left it in the car. The letter from the Squadron First Sergeant stated that "A search of David's room in the squadron dormitory did not reveal anything of consequence." Yet the commanding officer in a phone conversation stated that some books on money making and How to Change Your Identity had been found in the room.
David's mother and sister traveled from Oregon to Rome, New York in 1986 to collect David's personal effects and to attempt to learn more about his disappearance. They visited the Squadron and were given a box of personal items which had been removed from David's dormatory room locker. The box, which had been sealed and in storage, had been opened, and its contents pilfered. It contained some civilian clothing and some uniform parts, but not enough to make up a complete wardrobe or either. All personal papers and books taken from the room were retained in the possession of the Commanding Officer, and were not given or even shown to the family.
Sue was located, living at a different Rome, NY address with another couple. She gave David's mother a handful of cancelled checks, a check register and one golf shoe, stating, "That's all there is." All but three checks were accounted for, and most were for small amounts at various stores, restaurants, etc. The largest one was a check made out for $265 to a named individual, but for no stated reason. That person was not known by anyone questioned, and he could not be located.
The family has two official letters from the Air Force Personnel Office which were sent them in reply to inquires made by family members in 1987. The letters simply confirmed that David was still listed as a deserter (since 9 January 1985), and that they had no further information on him.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) did not investigate deserters at the time of his alleged desertion. It is only more recently, that they have begun to look into cases of desertion. The primary focus is on "fugitive deserters", those persons wanted for committing a crime, other than the desertion. All deserters are entered into NCIC 30 days after they go AWOL. Many remain at large, never having had anyone looking for them. At any given time, the Air Force has about 150 deserters on the books. Of those, OSI publishes a "10 most wanted" list of known fugitives wanted for capital crimes like murder, drug running, and rape. Aproximately another 17 are members who went AWOL while facing court martial charges of a lesser severity. The rest, were all others, including David's case.
AF OSI became involved in Sergeant David Loew's case in 1997 when a request for dental records was made for comparison to the body of an unidentified man found in Virginia. Although there were physical similarities, comparison of dental records determined positively that the body was not David's.
AF OSI investigators, in 1997, made inquires regarding David's disappearance and turned up an interesting descrepancy. The Squadron First Sergeant, who had written to the family on 20 December 1984 about David leaving for a medical appointment and not returning, told a very different story to Security Investigators. He stated that on the morning of 10 December 1984, he had personally counseled Sergeant David Loew regarding numerous bounced checks and unpaid debts. He then ordered David to go to the bank, to withdraw $600, and to return to his office so that payments could be made. David left and returned shortly afterward with $300 in cash, which he said he had gotten from an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). David explained that $300 was the maximum that could be obtained from the ATM. The First Sergeant ordered him a second time to go to the bank and to withdraw another $300 and to return to him when that was done. David went to the bank as ordered, withdrew all but $50 from his account, but did not return to the Squadron. He was not seen again.
Description of the Car
David's car was a 1980, 4 door, Plymouth Horizon station wagon, or hatch back, blue in color. VIN: ML44AAD177965. It was purchased by David on 16 July 1984 from Saxon Auto Sales in Whitesboro, NY. Milage at the time of purchase was 59,531. Purchase price was $2,468. He financed it through a loan from the Rome Savings Bank (loan account Number 400001566). By December, David had reportedly only made three payments on the car.
When the bank learned of the car's discovery in North Carolina, it immediately (on 20 December 1984) initiated re-possession actions by writing David a letter stating their intent to sell the car to the NC gas station owner who was storing the car. The gas station man had informed the bank manager that the front grill, front bumper, dashboard and radio were gone. The bank estimated blue book value to be $1900, but considering the reported damage to the vehicle, accepted a $500 offer from the NC man to buy it. This left David (or his estate) with a debt for the remaining unpaid balance of the loan.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations at: (240) 857-1027
Agency Case Number:
NCIC Number:
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Source Information:
Family of David Loew