CO CO - Jon Haynes, 18, Boulder, 24 July 1981

[Coffee56]

Although nothing matches - location, timeline, age, eyes, height, scars - pretty much everything and both appear to have DNA so should auto rule out, he reminds me of “Bobby Copeland”.

Unidentified Person Case

 

[dotr]

Jon Truscott Haynes – The Charley Project
Jon Truscott Haynes

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Haynes, circa 1981; Age-progression to age 48 (circa 2010)

• Missing Since 07/24/1981
• Missing From Boulder, Colorado
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth 12/21/1962 (56)
• Age 18 years old
• Height and Weight 5'10, 140 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue/green eyes. Haynes had minor acne at the time of his disappearance.

"Some speculate that Haynes ran afoul of a drug dealer in Boulder and was murdered as a result. Another theory is that Haynes joined a religious cult that was active in the area at the time. No evidence has been found to support any hypothesis, however.

Haynes's father petitioned to have his son declared legally dead in Contra Costa, California in June of 1982. The petition was granted in March 1983. Haynes's sister is still looking for him. His Social Security number was thought to have been used in California in the late 1990s, but this turned out to be a clerical error.

Some of Haynes's loved ones believe he staged his disappearance for unknown reasons; others say he would have never left his family and probably met with foul play. His case remains unsolved."

 

[Bit of hope]

Bumping for Jon Haynes. Why would somebody wanting to buy some pot is killed by a dealer....you don't kill your costumers....not just like that...It sound kind of weird to me. Somehow this doesn't sit right. In my eyes he looks to me "a perfect beautiful boy" victim for a predator. No offence....no victim blaming...just an observation.

 

[annpats]

He disappeared in 1981 and was driving a 1981 Subaru. I thought it was weird for a college kid to have a brand new car, but then I read his Dad was an attorney in California, so probably had money and bought him a brand new car.
I wonder if appearing wealthy and being young and new in town was a motivating factor for nefarious behaviour against him?
Was he carrying much cash for college?

The hitchhiker was arranged via an acquaintance in advance, but I'm perhaps wondering if the hitchiker mentioned his ride (quite innocently) to someone who had bad ideas...
"Yeah, I'm coming back to Boulder, this young rich dude from Cal is bringing me on his brand new car..."

Just thoughts and ideas and MOO.

 

[pol100gk]

To me, this sounds like a car accident. He went over the ledge into a ravine somewhere, probably not anywhere near where he was last seen.

 

[Odyssey]

I wonder how his dad was supposed to get the money to him, since he didn't yet have an address in Colorado.

I was thinking possibly Western Union, but I don't think that was as quick in 1981 as it is now.

The day after he requested money from his father is the day he was last heard from by phone, so am I correct in assuming he didn't have the money yet?

 

[Diavola]

Does Jon have any rule-outs?

 

[sunnynz]

Jon’s sister is interviewed on this episode of This is Actually Happening podcast. Really good in-depth insight into the case.

What if you never stopped searching? - This Is Actually Happening

 

[Bit of hope]

Jon’s sister is interviewed on this episode of This is Actually Happening podcast. Really good in-depth insight into the case.

What if you never stopped searching? - This Is Actually Happening

What a horrible heartbreaking story....one more devastated family. I feel so sorry.

 

[DD Byrd]

This interview gives an excellent POV as to what many, if not all, of victims' families go through with crazies and rumors. Especially in regards to those family members who may appear on WebSleuths and other sites and then leave. It's too much. I applaud Jon's sister for speaking out.

Hopefully, this will spur more interest in Jon. The fact that his car was full of expensive belongings and he was meeting someone, according to both the family phone call and the hitchhiker's account, leans more towards foul play than he ran off or joined a cult, esp as he was looking forward to the ski team and had a new car....which, would have been driven away from wherever his belongings were unloaded at least temporarily until a plan was hatched to sell/destroy it. The windows could have been down for myriad reasons, but I don't see whether the keys were in the car or if it was locked? If unlocked I would guess it was left in hopes of it being stolen either with the keys if available or hotwired. Do we now if the private property at the base of the trail was frequently traveled?

 

[Bit of hope]

Found this. I think it's a good write up, followed by some theories about what might have happened to Jon.

Case File of Jon Haynes

Looking at his (younger) picture it looks like he had a chipped front teeth or maybe two. Did anyone came across something about his dentals?

 

[DD Byrd]

Thanks for the this write-up Bit, always good to have additional resources.

IMO, there is no doubt Jon had a relationship with marijuana, selling or just smoking, like the other millions in that era (expontial now). A rich kid is unlikely to be a serious dealer, more likely a satellite recipient. But traveling along with a car full of 'assets,' and in the eyes of a predator who zeroed in on Jon as someone w/ potential serious cash, he's a blazing target while probably unfamiliar with being jumped. AND he's asking about housing, so he's showing he doesn't know people in the area, or the area in itself.

I'd be interested to know more info on the skull that was found near Jon's car. Totally unrelated, a potential dumping ground for many, etc.? Specific coordinates haven't been listed (possibly w/ LE reason) but would be helpful.

 

[Bit of hope]

I still wonder what he was doing in Nederland or near Nederland. Obviously he was placed there because he made (the last) phone call to a friend being there. Is it possible he was checking out a skiing slope?

 

[DD Byrd]

The car was found in Nederland, so anyone (I'm guessing not Jon) could have taken, then left it, at the reported site found.

My thoughts on the car windows are that manual windows ('81) mean either a passenger rolled it down, or that it was hot enough for the driver to want a cross draft. Regardless, would Jon be likely to leave windows down on his new car (dust, bugs, etc)? Or was he there when the car was abandoned and didn't have a say?

Jon was likely headed straight to the campus to 'check it out'... right? Most teens wouldn't stop just short and then go to the campus the next day, regardless of whether options were dorm life or off-campus. And Nederland (w/o an exact addy of where the car was found) doesn't seem exactly en route.

I think he got to the campus area, saw what he thought was a legit ad for housing, followed it, and was killed simply for his belongings. Probably hard to follow if this was a newspaper, and next to nil if just a post up on a board.

Either way, his father should've felt no guilt. So easier said than done. RIP

 

[Bit of hope]

I still wonder what he was doing in Nederland or near Nederland. Obviously he was placed there because he made (the last) phone call to a friend being there. Is it possible he was checking out a skiing slope?

Should have backed this up with content from a file 362DMCO- Jon Truscott Haynes

Jon spent his first night at the KOA Kampground in Boulder. There are a lot of campgrounds under KOA name, couldn't find this specific one. What would be the logic one considering his route?

The next day, Jon called his father asking for money until the dorms opened. His father told him to open a PO box so that he could send him money; Jon said he would call him the next day. The phone call to his father was placed at a 7-11 convenience store in the vicinity of 28th St. and Baseline in Boulder, CO. Baseline in Boulder is not very far from the Campus, actually the Williams Village Campus is on the Baseline road. so like you said DD he first headed there, most likely to search for housing.



The last phone call he made was to a friend on July 24th from a pay phone in Nederland, in the mountains west of Boulder. So not only his car was near Nederland, but also himself. That made me wonder what he was doing there.

 

[DD Byrd]

Agreed, I wonder what was he doing at THAT payphone with so many closer to campus. What the friend recalls is crucial, if that 7/24 call is legit. Maybe Jon's sister will weigh in.

If he was with the car in Nederland, there may have been a passenger based on both windows being down, but not necessarily if he reached across and rolled the passenger side down. What it DOES

Meanwhile, was KOA something Jon was familiar with and not a concern to his family (considering it was 1981)?

* He must've told his father (true or not) that he had enough cash for immediate use and could await a PO Box; but even then, are we talking cash? His father could have sent it Western Union, etc.
* Was there any logged visit from Jon to the campus; was he required to check in for enrollement, set up a debit account at the food court/ bookstore, etc?
Did he EVER set foot on campus?

 

[theshadow45]

Jon has been missing for 41 years today.

 

[Caring1]

Blonde, 5’10” male found December 1981 in CA. Age estimated at 15-25.

PMI 1981 (No photo or recon that I can find)

Could have been dumped rather than a fall.

Circumstances of RecoveryFound over cliff. apparently fell from cliff while hiking above the Switzer Camp area of the Angeles National Forest.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[Bit of hope]

Blonde, 5’10” male found December 1981 in CA. Age estimated at 15-25.

PMI 1981 (No photo or recon that I can find)

Could have been dumped rather than a fall.

Circumstances of RecoveryFound over cliff. apparently fell from cliff while hiking above the Switzer Camp area of the Angeles National Forest.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Good question. How do they know this was a fall while hiking? No clothing/accessories mentioned in the file that could lead to that conclusion. Besides that I don't think this UID is Jon, because of the distance between Nederland, CO (last call) and the Angeles National forest (approx. 15 hours) or the circumstances around the story.

 

[dotr]

Very lengthy but it looks like some good steps are being taken to help.

https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022A/bills/2022a_sr002_eng.pdf

SENATE RESOLUTION 22-002 101 CONCERNING A RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING MISSING PERSONS 102 DAY 2022. 1 WHEREAS, Too many families grieve, hope, and continue to 2 search for missing family members; and 3 WHEREAS, The awareness, support, and efforts of citizens, 4 media, and law enforcement related to the search for missing persons 5 must continue; and 6 WHEREAS, The public plays a critical role in the success of the 7 AMBER and other alert programs; they become the eyes and ears of law 8 enforcement and can be on the lookout for missing persons;
and 9 WHEREAS, The common misconception that a person must be 10 absent for at least twenty-four hours before being legally classified as 11 missing is dangerous; when there is evidence of violence or of an unusual 12 absence, it is critical that an investigation begin promptly;
and 13 WHEREAS, New advances in technology must be utilized and 14 made available to locate the missing ''
...........

''28 (5) That we hereby designate February 4 of each year as Missing 29 Persons Day and support the goals and ideals of the day; and 30 (6) That we acknowledge the names, and the families, of the 31 Coloradans who are currently missing:''

''31 Marie Hauptman, Evan Hawley, Robert Hayes, Jon Truscott Haynes,''