NY NY - Samuel Todd, 24, New York City, 1 January 1984

gaia227

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This case is interesting especially when you consider that in the following years several men vanish on New Years Eve in NYC.

Sam (24) was a Yale Divinity Student who was in New York City with his brother Adam staying with friends who had a loft in Chinatown. They were looking forward to ringing in 1984 especially since they were big fans of Orwell's 1984. They ended up having an impromptu party at the loft they were staying at. Around 3am Sam said he felt intoxicated and dizzy so his brother suggested they step out for fresh air. Sam decided once outside he wanted to go for a jog presumably to try to shake of the dizziness. He was an avid runner so this would not be uncommon for him. Adam watched his brother job towards Houston street and then went back to the party but quickly became concerned about Sam and went back out to look for him. Sam had gone out with no coat or any of his belongings. Before long a big group of party-goers were walking the streets of Chinatown and SoHo looking for him. It took 3 days before the police and the press began to take it seriously. No sign of Sam was every seen again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/nyregion/new-york-observed-without-a-trace.html?pagewanted=all


http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/todd_samuel.html

http://footprintsattheriversedge.blogspot.com/2009/09/010184-samuel-todd-24-new-york-city-ny.html

What makes this more interesting is the fact that Sam is not the only man in NYC to disappear from New Yrs eve parties. Is it possible these cases are connected?
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/todd_samuel.html

9 Years Later Vernon Jones (23)vanished on New Yrs Eve 1993 from a party. He had been at a party in the East Village at a friends house. He left in the early hours to head home and he has never been seen or heard from since.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/j/jones_vernon.html

http://www.managementresourcesny.com/vernon-kent-jones.htm

http://footprintsattheriversedge.blogspot.com/2009/10/010193-vernon-cameron-kent-jones-23-new.html

5 years later on New Years Eve Larry Andrews (22) was in Times Square celebrating the new year. He and some friends went to a party and then boarded the train for Times Sq at 10:30. They went to a couple bars there and he was last seen outside of Houlihan's bar. They watched the ball drop and when his sister turned around he was gone. Allegedly he was seen in a bar in Grand Central Station by fellow residents of Brewster, NY. They stopped and chatted briefly. The last sighting of him was around 2:00am when other residents of Brewster, NY saw Larry running from the Grand Central Terminal. He was only wearing a t-shirt. His turtleneck and jacket were gone. He was also wearing a Yankee's ball cap which his friends said he was not wearing earlier in the evening. 44 days later Larry's body was found floating in the East River. larry was familar with the city and he and his friends had gone into the city on New Yrs Eve for several years.

http://footprintsattheriversedge.blogspot.com/2008/05/010198-larry-andrews-22new-york-ny.html

I also noticed that Ronald Pinder went missing on 01/01/93. He does not fit the profile but I thought I would post it anyone
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pinder_ronald.html
 
Whining? Are you whining? There's no whining in Websleuthing!!!

I've been trying to figure out if the NYPD website has a missing persons list, but I certainly can't find it. Most wanted, yes, but not missing.... It would be interesting to see if there have been any others reported in the intervening years. Then again, if someone decided to target a random street person, who would know?
If one were to want to disappear, NYC around New Year's Eve would be the time to do it. It just doesnt seem in character for the people listed. The NYPD must be swamped for the few days before and after New Year's, so the amount of attention paid to these cases right away has to be questioned.

I did notice, while perusing The Doe Network, that there were other disappearances in New York on New Years Day of various years (1974 in Newburgh, for example, which is about 75 miles from the city but a straight shot up the NY Thruway).
 
NY State Missing - this site is not real well maintained either as I am sure there are way, way more missing people in NY than this:
http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/wanted_and_missing/missing/


I tried finding a list of unsolved deaths or homicides too considering that Larry's body was found but I don't think they even post a list. It seems to me like the NYPD does not want to public to know just how many open cases they have regarding the murdered and missing. It is reported that there are over 9000 unsolved homicides in the city. I did find a few interesting links which have nothing to do with this case at all

Especially this one - the city's top 10 unsolved homicides (according to the Daily News):

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2001/05/06/2001-05-06_the_city_s_top_10_unsolved_c.html

This is an interesting site too:
http://www.therestlesssleep.com/
 
Stacy Horn, who runs the TheRestlessSleep website, is a member here (though not active recently to my knowledge). She posted quite frequently in the Missing in WV forum some time back.
 
Now don't make me break out my whiny voice here!

3 men all vanish on New Yrs Eve in the same city under very similar circumstances = INTERESTING!!

Couple more links about Sam I found:

http://www.yale.edu/divinity/convocation/2005/samtodd.htm

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/03/20/1997-03-20_living_the_nightmare__their_.html

i have not done a lot of research into any of these cases, but i am not so sure they are connected -- there are a LOT of people in nyc at any given time, but on new years eve things can get pretty crazy. from what i've read, it sounds like sam may have met with some of the riff raff that was in town for the celebration.

it is very sad, as he seemed like a bright young man who had a lot to offer.

wish there was more info on ronald pinder, it is mind-boggling the number of missing people out there with next to no information about them!
 
Stacy Horn, who runs the TheRestlessSleep website, is a member here (though not active recently to my knowledge). She posted quite frequently in the Missing in WV forum some time back.


I thought her name seemed familar and I was wondering if she posted here. It seems like I saw her posting around here recently.
 
Greetings to the WCSC Community,

First time poster and happy to be a part of this service. I am interested in the case of Sam Todd, who disappeared from a New York City New Years Eve Party on the morning of January 1st, 1984 and has never been seen since.

From what I remember, Sam had been attending several New Years Eve parties that night with his brother. Leaving his jacket at the party and his identification, Sam went for a walk estimated sometime between 2-3:30 am that night and never returned. His brother saw him leave the party, turn a corner, and than went back inside. When Sam did not come back about 10 minutes later, they formed a search group that lasted for several days, looking everywhere but to no avail.

Is it true that there were two witnesses who claimed to have seen Sam a few days later? One was that he was washing cars and the other was that he was seen in a soup kitchen.

Most of the speculation seems to be that because Sam was intoxicated that night that he may have been hit on the head from a mugging or other related injury and because of this could be suffering from amnesia.

I saw Sam's case on an episode of "America Undercover" on HBO in August of 1985 and was wondering about any updates in his case.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Regards,

Satch
 
Great article on Sam's disapperence from May, 1985

""The Man with a Thousand Faces"
New York City Police

Yale Divinity student Sam Todd left a party in the early morning of New Year's Day, 1984 ---and has never been seen or heard from since. Perhaps, suggests the author, who here offers fresh insights into the case, Sam had some very good reasons for disappearing.

Connecticut Magazine
May, 1985"

Complete article here: (long)

http://yaledisappearance.blogspot.com/

Satch
 
Hi everyone---just to throw a wrinkle in---By a total stroke of luck I was at the library yesterday and chanced on a book called "The Weeping Buddha" by Heather Dunne Macadam. Her intro author's note reads "I was twenty-three the night Sam Todd disappeared from our New Year's Eve party in Chinatown...Sam Todd left me on the dance floor to get a breath of fresh air and never returned. Ever." The book was published in 2002.
Total coincidence that led me here. Hopefully Sam or someone who knows of him will come forward.
FWIW----there is something about NY Eve and NYC when they collide---I understand. Someone could completely disappear into the crowds.
 
Couple of more articles


https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/2srfg8/what_happened_to_samuel_todd/
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/nyregion/new-york-observed-without-a-trace.html
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/samuel-arthur-todd/


Circumstances: Sam disappeared on New Years Eve after stepping out of a New Year's party for some fresh air. He was last seen walking near Mulberry and Houston Streets in Manhattan, NY. Sam left his wallet and jacket at the party. He had no cash and no identification on him.

First Name: Samuel Arthur
Middle Name: Arthur
Last Name: Todd
Details
Age When Last Known Alive: 24
Race: White
Ethnicity: Other
Sex: Male
Height: 70.0 to
Weight: 130.0 to
Location
City: New York
State: New York
County: New York
Appearance
Hair: Brown
Head Hair: light brown
Eye: Blue
Scars And Marks: Sam has two small scars on his cheek near his left eye
Clothing and Accessories
Clothing: Sam was last seen wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with a circular emblem of Ecolint Geneve stitched across the front and blue jeans
Footwear: Sam was last seen wearing blue running shoes
Eyewear: Sam was last seen wearing dark-framed eyeglasses
ttp://www.missingin.org/reg2980/samuel_arthur_todd.htm
 
what are the chances he ran away to florida and had a sex change? and was that Doe that was found in florida.. height seems the same and implants were probably done in nyc. it did mention somewhere he was Dancing with a girl and left her..it was the 1980s there was no such thing as people transitioning like how it is now. Just a thought I had because of the photos that I was looking at of him.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2752umfl.html2752UMFL_LARGE[1].jpg
 
Samuel Arthur Todd – The Charley Project
Samuel Arthur Todd
  • samuel_arthur_todd_1.jpg
  • samuel_arthur_todd_2.jpg
  • samuel_arthur_todd_3.jpg
  • samuel_arthur_todd_4.jpg
''Todd, circa 1984
  • Missing Since 01/01/1984
  • Missing From Manhattan, New York
  • Age 24 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'11, 135 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A dark blue sweatshirt with circular emblem that had "ECOLINT GENEVE" imprinted on the front, blue jeans, blue sneakers and a plastic Timex watch.
  • Medical Conditions Todd may be suffering from amnesia.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Light brown hair, blue eyes. Todd wears eyeglasses with dark frames. He has a slim build. Todd's nickname is Sam. He has two small scars on his left cheek near his eye.''
''Todd attended an international school in Geneva, Switzerland and is a 1981 graduate of Vassar College, where he ran cross-country. He was a clergy student at Yale Divinity School at the time of his disappearance, and had passed the first round of qualifying exams for Presbyterian ordination.''

''Todd was interested in jazz music and in peace and justice issues in 1984, and he volunteered for several charities. He was born in New York City and lived all over the United States and in several foreign countries during his life.

In spite of Todd's difficulties, his family stated he was happy at the time of his disappearance, and they don't believe he would have ever left on his own.''
 
By Kenneth A. Briggs Jan. 5, 1984 rbbm,
A DIVINITY STUDENT VANISHES IN CITY - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
'' 24-year-old Yale Divinity School student has been missing since early New Year's Day, when he reportedly took a break from a party in lower Manhattan to get some fresh air.

The student, Samuel Todd, was born in New York and was described by his father, the Rev. George Todd, as ''urban wise.'' He was last seen by his younger brother, Adam, jogging along Mulberry Street toward Houston Street shortly after 1:30 A.M. He had been in New York during the holiday recess from Yale Divinity School in New Haven, where he is a resident student known for his activity on behalf of the hungry and oppressed.''

''The deputy police commissioner in charge of public affairs, Alice T. McGillion, said Mr. Todd was not believed to have been carrying identification papers at the time. Detective Thomas Moscardini, who is investigating the case, said, though, that he may have taken his checkbook with him. '' An avid runner, he has kept in good condition by jogging regularly. His parents, who now live in Chicago where Mr. Todd is a foundation executive, said he was a highly responsible person. ''He had never had arrests or serious mishaps,'' his father said.''

''The most complete account of Mr. Todd's disappearance was provided by his brother, Adam, who was with him at the time. It occurred after an evening of revelry and drinking during which, Adam Todd said, his brother be- came intoxicated and complained that his head was spinning.''

''According to the younger brother, the pair had accompanied six of Mr. Todd's friends from Vassar College, from which Mr. Todd had graduated in 1981, on a spree that began with dinner in Chinatown. It continued at a party on Canal Street and, after the arrival of the New Year, moved to another gathering at a second-story loft at 271 Mulberry Street, where more drinking was said to have taken place. Left Party With Brother
Adam Todd said his brother disappeared shortly after he noted that his brother had looked unstable. Adam said he had suggested that Samuel get some fresh air, and the two went together down a flight of stairs to the street. According to Adam Todd's account, Samuel Todd refused his brother's offer to go farther with him and began jogging the half-block to Houston Street. ''He gave me a funny look as if to say he was O.K. and didn't need to be taken care of,'' Adam Todd said. ''Then he started jogging slowly. He was making a strong effort to get back in shape.''

Adam Todd said he went back to the party but became alarmed a few minutes later when his brother failed to return. A search of the neighborhood, which was described as bustling with late-night celebrators, proved futile. When Samuel Todd was still missing a day later, the police were called in.''
.
''He is very able intellectually and is very concerned for peace issues and urban poverty,'' Dean Forsberg said. ''He is a quiet, gentle, solid presence.''
 
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