CA CA - Michael Negrete, 18, Los Angeles, 10 Dec 1999

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mistagee said:
No one speaks bout the possibility of drug or alcohol use. Is that possible? Perhaps a drunken disappearance and falling in an unsafe area, and then a cover up by the University?
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It's possible, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence to support it. One thing that was suspicious was they mentioned him drinking "margaritas." I like a good margarita, but 1) college students don't go out of their way to make mixed drinks, and 2) guys at that age are immature...they wouldn't drink those. I know that because I am always teased for liking mixed drinks ;).

His dormmates would have said something if there had been drug use or heavy alcohol use, I'd certainly hope. Everyone knows college students drink, and some use drugs, and when a student is missing, nobody is going to hide something that trivial I'd hope.

I've changed my opinion over the past several months after seeing pictures of the dorm (under heavy construction in 1999) at the library. I think this might have been a Wade Steffey type case. This is what I think may have happened:

1) Mike leaves the dorm for some reason. He wasn't expecting to be gone long and didn't take anything with him.
2) He realizes he forgot his key.
3) He goes somewhere he shouldn't have been to try to gain access to the building, hopping a fence etc.
4) He is fatally injured.
5) Either the construction crew had no idea a body was there and they buried him inadvertently, they covered it up, or the University covered it up.
6) Botched investigation didn't consider, or want to consider, this possibility. Huge liability.

<modsnip>

I hope I am wrong, but I also hope there isn't a creep still on the loose.
 
Does anyone know what Micheal's major at UCLA was? I found a guy with the same name, who looks very similar to him, but it states that he went to MIT. I do not want to put the link up for this guy yet, but the resemblance is freaky.
 
Julessleuther said:
Does anyone know what Micheal's major at UCLA was? I found a guy with the same name, who looks very similar to him, but it states that he went to MIT. I do not want to put the link up for this guy yet, but the resemblance is freaky.
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Pretty sure undeclared as he was a Freshman. If he had a major, it would have been Music I'm sure.
 
A couple of strange things.

First, there was a comment in Mike's Facebook group that freaked me out as I mentioned earlier. It said "Well, what can I say? We both have the same name. And I know he is somewhere out there. I'm sure. :)" The fellow's name was Mike Negrete, little resemblance, but the fellow has a very hairy face. This guy seems to be in a Spanish speaking country.

Interestingly, since posting that comment, that fellow changed his last name on Facebook...

There are some other comments that seem different compared to other missing persons pages such as Maura Murray's etc.

"See you soon, Mike."

"Come home Mike...we all miss you"

"i never forgot about mike... i hope everything is cool with him."

"... so truly upsetting that there is still no word on his whereabouts. We miss you"

"...I like to think he has amnesia and is hustling cards in Vegas."

All of these posts seem to suggest that people think he left voluntarily (I don't believe so). To me, the optimism seems to stretch farther than "keeping hope." Anyone seen this before?

​
 
I don't think Mike was up to anything criminal or even in a chimney, but this is more or less the kind of thing that happened to him, I think. It's the only scenario that makes sense, for someone leaving with no shoes, no keys, no wallet at 4 am after playing video games with a buddy all night.
--
The remains of Joseph Schexnider, missing for 27 years, were finally discovered lodged in a brick chimney at the Abbeville National Bank in Louisiana.

The bones were found in May when the bank was renovating the second floor, which had long been used for storage, to make more office space.

The identity of the body was confirmed this week through DNA.

"This was absolutely the first chimney recovery we had ever had," said Mary Manhein, head of FACES, the lab at Louisiana State University that identified Schexnider's bones.

There weren't any dental records available so the lab relied on DNA evidence after police obtained a reference sample from Schexnider's family, who live in the area.

"I would submit he died within a few days maximum of when he went into that chimney," said Manhein.

But as to how he died, or why he was in the chimney to begin with, Manhein says, "Nobody will ever know."

Police discovered a pair of gloves among the remains, but can only speculate as to the significance.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/skeleton-found-chimney-27-years-man-disappeared/story?id=14169501
 
It sounds like he climbed to the roof, dropped into the chimney and got struck in the flue. Maybe he intended to commit a robbery. He left without shoes and no coat, maybe thinking it would be easier to get down the chimney. He was due in court the next day for possession of a stolen vehicle and maybe he needed money.

It is so sad for his family. At least now they can bury their son and not keep wondering if he is alive or not.

RIP Michael
 
KurtieB said:
I don't think Mike was up to anything criminal or even in a chimney, but this is more or less the kind of thing that happened to him, I think. It's the only scenario that makes sense, for someone leaving with no shoes, no keys, no wallet at 4 am after playing video games with a buddy all night.
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I agree. I can't remember if I posted this in this thread, or on another forum. Dykstra Hall was a construction zone. It is possible that he tried to get back into the building through a side door etc. and became incapacitated in the process. Students from 1999 commented that the construction area around Dykstra was very dark and unsafe at night. I believe that his body was covered during the next construction day, either accidentally, or intentionally (but that would require a major coverup by the university and construction firm).
 
I am really surprised at the lack of media exposure and details about this case...I think if instead it had been a white girl missing from her dorm at UCLA this case would already be solved.....

I wonder if the LA times or another newspaper would be willing/interested in running a story about this case again...I really think it needs a lift...it has gone incredibly cold.
 
Re: media exposure

You have to remember, this is/was a campus with about 30,000 people in a large city of millions. Crimes happened there all the time (I attended UCLA around these years) that were never given more than a few sentence blurb buried in the back of the LA Times. Since moving to a smaller city I was surprised to see that EVERY murder and mysterious disappearance gets a write up- not just a side note.

At the same time, there were other crimes going on in and around the UCLA campus. The infamous panty snatcher- a man would break into women's apartments and steal their underclothes. He got braver and actually waited in the room for them to come home...not sure if he was ever caught. There were a couple rapes/attacks in the parking structures and dark passageways between buildings. There were a couple more kids that disappeared (i believe they were found months later and they had voluntarily disappeared because of the stress). Very little press about any of these things IF AT ALL from media outside The Daily Bruin.

Anyway, the amount of stress these students go through esp. peaking right around the time of this man's disappearance should not be underestimated.

Besides the construction around his dorm, there were MANY other construction sites around campus. Construction there was neverending. I think IIRC that there was also a building by the library that was completely closed down for remodeling. So, as mentioned above, an accident is a possibility.
 
deca said:
Besides the construction around his dorm, there were MANY other construction sites around campus. Construction there was neverending. I think IIRC that there was also a building by the library that was completely closed down for remodeling. So, as mentioned above, an accident is a possibility.
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Everything was, and is still under construction. Was anything else besides DeNeve/Dykstra under construction nearby? Considering he left with only slip on shoes (whatever they are called), it seemed like he must have been heading somewhere nearby, like another dorm or somewhere else on campus.
 
UCLAEigenguy said:
Everything was, and is still under construction. Was anything else besides DeNeve/Dykstra under construction nearby? Considering he left with only slip on shoes (whatever they are called), it seemed like he must have been heading somewhere nearby, like another dorm or somewhere else on campus.
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The building directly next to the library ( it is listed as humanities in the current map but I think there is a name associated with it) was under major remodel around that time.

I also remember something about a parking structure remodel...
It is hard for me to remember exactly what buildings after all these years.
 
"2000 Gov. Gray Davis announces the creation of the California NanoSystems Institute, a partnership of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, and one of three California Institutes for Science and Innovation.
After three years of construction, UCLA Housing opens the doors to DeNeve Plaza, its newest addition to the northwest campus student housing community."
Above from http://alumni.ucla.edu/share/ucla-history/timeline.aspx


This says that DeNeve was being built from 1997-2000 so that was also under construction.

I can't find the article now, but an LA Times article from 2001 spoke about the case and they said that they searched construction sites.
 
I need to know, is there any website that the 'experts' of the case post on? Please tell me. :please: If there is, then there is a chance that he is still alive.

:please: :please:

Thank you and God Bless.
 
I'm sorry, not sure what you mean...
if you have info you should contact the authorities: ie LA sheriff dept or LAPD.
 
deca said:
"2000 Gov. Gray Davis announces the creation of the California NanoSystems Institute, a partnership of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, and one of three California Institutes for Science and Innovation.
After three years of construction, UCLA Housing opens the doors to DeNeve Plaza, its newest addition to the northwest campus student housing community."
Above from http://alumni.ucla.edu/share/ucla-history/timeline.aspx


This says that DeNeve was being built from 1997-2000 so that was also under construction.

I can't find the article now, but an LA Times article from 2001 spoke about the case and they said that they searched construction sites.
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I'd hope they used the dogs around constructions sites as well. It sounds like DeNeve was the only building on the Hill that was under construction.
 
KurtieB said:
Thanks for your previous response. You make some interesting points. Maybe he was tricked.
As far as people suggesting he left on his own: it seems to arise from the fact that there don't seem to be any other viable theories.
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The reason people believe that Michael Negrete left on his own accord was because it was apparently reported that he was captured walking out the dorm alone at 4:30 AM by front desk cameras. This was accompanied by witnesses that reported a young man with his description being seen leaving the dorm rooms alone at approximately the same time. He did not appear to be distressed when this happened.

To me, this is the piece of information is what makes the case strange. I wonder why would a young man leave his dorm room without his keys or wallet. He was also not dressed appropriately for a December morning wearing his slippers, shorts, and a short-sleeved shirt.

The only thing I can think of is that he may have left to smoke a cigarette, but I don't think it was reported that he was a smoker. Someone mentioned he may have wanted to buy something from a vending machine, but he would probably take his wallet if this were true. He could have left the dorm to visit another friend, but I would think that an online conversation or call record would have been found to contact a friend he was going to visit. The last is possibly the best possibility and it is possible he encountered someone on his way out.

I still think about Michael's case. RIP Michael Negrete.
 
Rose_Red said:
To me, this is the piece of information is what makes the case strange. I wonder why would a young man leave his dorm room without his keys or wallet. He was also not dressed appropriately for a December morning wearing his slippers, shorts, and a short-sleeved shirt.

The only thing I can think of is that he may have left to smoke a cigarette, but I don't think it was reported that he was a smoker. Someone mentioned he may have wanted to buy something from a vending machine, but he would probably take his wallet if this were true. He could have left the dorm to visit another friend, but I would think that an online conversation or call record would have been found to contact a friend he was going to visit. The last is possibly the best possibility and it is possible he encountered someone on his way out.

I still think about Michael's case. RIP Michael Negrete.
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AFAIK, there were no vending machines outside of Dykstra Hall in 1999, they would have been inside as with most other residence halls at UCLA. The area was under construction at the time so I am not entirely sure where the exit was. In 2002, the Dykstra Hall entrance was rerouted directly to the lobby of DeNeve Plaza which does have vending machines outside of Dykstra proper. IF Dykstra Hall did empty into DeNeve in 1999 (it is questionable), then it would make perfect sense to be dressed the way he was since it was entirely indoors, but before construction began, the entrance/exit for Dykstra was outside I believe.

His attire, to me, is consistent with not expecting to be gone long and an impulsive decision (something routine, like a cigarette, vending machine, or visit with a friend nearby). My theory is that he left his keys by accident, tried to get in some other way, and something happened resulting in his death.

The key is his computer communication. I feel that part of the investigation was botched. I strongly believe that is where the solution to this case is. Either he met someone, or had some type of accident. There is no way this is random, and it is unlikely he left on his own accord.
 
Could the weird scent trail have been caused by someone dragging a body? On another board, I heard that it was kind of zig-zagging, and way off of the sidewalk. Maybe someone was carrying or dragging him and was trying to stay in dark areas where they wouldn't be seen.

I just don't know what to think...this is so bizarre. I find it highly unlikely that he was abducted at random from a college dorm. Even though their security measures are usually a joke (they're supposed to check ID's, but a lot of them don't), I still can't imagine someone thinking that would be a great place to abduct a random stranger at 4:30 in the morning. There are a lot of better places which offer much less risk of being caught.

To me, the key is the shoes. Can anyone confirm for sure if he was wearing shoes or not? And if he was, were they flip-flops or were they house shoes/slippers? Also, how cold is it in early December in LA? I can't imagine it gets that cold (but I'm from the Midwest, so my idea of cold is probably different).
 
88keys said:
Could the weird scent trail have been caused by someone dragging a body? On another board, I heard that it was kind of zig-zagging, and way off of the sidewalk. Maybe someone was carrying or dragging him and was trying to stay in dark areas where they wouldn't be seen.
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I think it is possible, but not probable. The distance from the dorm and where dog scent ended was nearly a mile, about a 16 minute walking distance (according to Google Maps). That is pretty far to drag a body down in a public arena that has a high population, why not just leave the body and run? I think they should have used cadaver dogs as well as dogs to follow his scent. They may have, but I don't know the details on that.


To me, the key is the shoes. Can anyone confirm for sure if he was wearing shoes or not? And if he was, were they flip-flops or were they house shoes/slippers? Also, how cold is it in early December in LA? I can't imagine it gets that cold (but I'm from the Midwest, so my idea of cold is probably different).
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His only pair of shoes were left in his dorm. It is speculated that he was wearing some type of slippers (or a type of shoe one would wear indoors). On December 10th, 1999, the closest available weather station to Los Angeles, CA (LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN USC CAMP, CA), reported the following conditions:
High Temp: 63F
Low Temp: 46F
Average Temp: 54.5F
Dewpoint: 39.3F
Wind Speed: 2.7 Knots

You may not think this is cold, but this is about as cold as it gets in Southern California (I believe Michael Negrete was from San Diego).

Why do you think this is key? By the way, I believe witnesses said somebody matching his description walked out through the front door alone around 4:30AM. Also, I've read other people mention reports about the front desk camera capturing him on video leaving the dorm by himself around 4:30AM, but I have not seen the news reports myself.
 
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