Disappearance of Jared Negrete
Jared Negrete | |
|---|---|
 The last known photo of Negrete, found on his camera shortly after his disappearance. | |
| Born | Jared Michael Negrete September 11, 1978 |
| Disappeared | July 19, 1991 (aged 12) San Bernardino County, California |
| Status | Missing for 33 years, 10 months and 8 days |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
| Parents |
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Jared Michael Negrete (born September 11, 1978)[1] is a missing person who was last seen on July 19, 1991, during a Boy Scouts camping trip at Mount San Gorgonio in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.[2] His personal effects, including a camera and food wrappers, were discovered during an extensive search of the area that lasted 16 days. The camera contained the last known photo of Negrete, showing his eyes and nose, taken after his disappearance.
Disappearance
[edit]On July 18, 1991, Negrete had gone with his five fellow Boy Scouts and a troop leader on a camping trip, which was the first trip that he would spend backpacking overnight.[3][4] The following day, on the trail towards the summit of Mount San Gorgonio, Negrete had trouble keeping up with the other scouts due to lack of experience with hiking.[4] The scout troop then decided to hike ahead of Negrete at a faster pace, leaving him behind. He then got separated from his group, and it was reported by other hikers and witnesses on the trail that he was seen taking shortcuts in the switchback sections, which led to speculations that he possibly fell down the mountainside or had taken the wrong trail and got lost. It was reported that the scout troop leader had interacted with hikers who expressed concern for Negrete. He had told them that he would check on his scout on the way back down the summit with the rest of the troop.[5]
Negrete was last seen at 6 pm by another hiker, a Santa Ana firefighter, who warned him about straying from the trail and told him to stay on marked paths.[6][7] He was last seen wearing green Boy Scout pants, with a tan-colored T-shirt (possibly a Boy Scout-style T-shirt), and with black high-top tennis shoes.[8] The scout leader conducted a search for Negrete before hiking 12 miles (19 km) in darkness to report his disappearance that night.[9][6]
Investigation and aftermath
[edit]The search for Negrete began at 7 am on July 20, 1991, with authorities using helicopters and on-foot personnel to scour the area.[6] On July 21, search personnel discovered footprints believed to match Negrete's tennis shoes, located at about the 10,000-foot level.[10][11] The location was described by searchers as "one of loose rocks, slippery slopes and, along the ravines and lower slopes, thick vegetation."[11] Tracker Francis Lorson stated: "If you stay on the trail, there's no problem, but the minute you get off, you can get swept down in a rockslide."[11]
On July 24, the firefighter who last saw Negrete on July 19 assisted searchers and led them to the location of their encounter on Vivian Creek Trail, at the 10,200-foot level.[7]
On July 27, search personnel located Negrete's disposable Kodak camera 45 feet (14 m) off Vivian Creek Trail.[12][13] The authorities developed twelve snapshots from the camera.[14] Most pictures on the filmstrip depicted the surrounding landscape, taken before his disappearance, but the last image was a close-up of Negrete's face, taken after he disappeared;[15] only his eyes and nose were visible in the photograph and it was possibly taken at night, as the camera's flash had been activated.[3][12][11] The search combed the area of the 11,500-foot Mt. San Gorgonio.[11] Also found was his backpack, as well as some beef jerky, candy wrappers and a camera, but Negrete himself could not be located.[16] Authorities stated that there was evidence Jared had the jerky with him at the time of his disappearance.[17]
On August 4, after 16 days, the search for Negrete was officially called off by authorities, and he was presumed dead with the chance of survival "almost nil".[18][19]
Negrete's family held a memorial service for him on September 7, 1991, in Hacienda Heights, attended by 500 relatives and Mormons.[20]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Good, Meaghan Elizabeth. "The Charley Project: Jared Michael Negrete". www.charleyproject.org. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
- ^ "Detail Results". dojapp.doj.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
- ^ a b Laski, Beth (August 23, 1992). "Scout's disappearance still a mystery after 13 months". Sacramento Bee. p. B11. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Ditzler, Joseph (July 27, 1991). "No word yet on missing boy's fate". Daily Press. p. A-2. Retrieved May 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newton, Edmund (1991-07-29). "Missing Scout Took Picture of Himself : Search: His camera is found. Most of the photos were landscape scenes but final shot on the roll of film was of his eyes and nose". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
- ^ a b c "Search resumes today for missing Scout". North County Times. July 21, 1991. p. A-4. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Scout lost in San Bernardino likely still alive, officials say". The Sacramento Bee. Associated Press. July 26, 1991. p. B6. Retrieved May 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jared Michael Negrete". www.nampn.org. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
- ^ Bowers, Judi (July 25, 1991). "Search continues for missing hiker". Big Bear Grizzly. pp. A3, A7. Retrieved May 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Search for missing Boy Scout still fruitless". The Desert Sun. July 23, 1991. p. A5. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Newton, Edmund (1991-07-27). "Trail Grows Faint in Search for Boy Scout : Wilderness: Efforts to find the 12-year-old will continue into next week, deputies say. Water and resources in area are considered adequate for survival". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
- ^ a b Bowers, Judi (August 1, 1991). "Locals find camera in hunt for boy". Big Bear Grizzly. pp. A-1, A-5. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Missing youth's camera, snack wrappers found". UPI. July 28, 1991. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "The Doe Network: Case File 395DMCA". www.doenetwork.org. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
- ^ Hayward, Ed (July 30, 1991). "Scout's mom joins in search". The San Bernardino Sun. p. B1. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "6 reasons to never, ever visit a national park". The New York Post.
- ^ "Missing youth's camera, snack wrappers found - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ Rogers, Bill (August 5, 1991). "Boy Scout presumed dead; massive search ends". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. A1. Retrieved May 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Zimmerman, Janet (November 10, 1991). "Detective: lost Scout kidnapped". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. B1. Retrieved May 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Memorial service held for missing Boy Scout". North County Times. Associated Press. September 9, 1991. p. A-10. Retrieved May 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
