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Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP19048) and 8 other sources
In the winter of 2012, a promising young student from Rutgers University named Eric H. Yoon seemingly vanished without a trace. The 20-year-old was last seen in Englewood, New Jersey, on December 14, 2012. In the initial stages of the investigation, it was reported that he appeared to have voluntarily left the area after the conclusion of the fall semester. Authorities did not suspect foul play in his disappearance. This belief was echoed in a statement by Englewood's Deputy Chief of Police, who mentioned that Eric 'wants to be missing' and had chosen not to return home. This assertion, however, did little to quell the concerns of those who knew him, as no one had reportedly seen or heard from him since his disappearance. His case, while technically considered ongoing, saw a halt in active searching by law enforcement based on this premise.

Eric was a sophomore at the New Brunswick Campus of Rutgers University at the time he went missing. Friends and fellow students became increasingly concerned when he could not be reached. It was noted that he had deactivated his Facebook account just before his final exams and had not reactivated it. The last known digital footprint he left was a login to the gaming platform Steam on December 18, 2012, four days after his last physical sighting. Described as an Asian male with brown hair and brown eyes, his height was estimated to be between 5'5' and 5'9', and his weight between 150 and 190 pounds. He occasionally wore glasses and had a small scar on his forehead and a larger one on his right upper elbow. When he was last seen, he was believed to be wearing a black Seiko watch.

The official narrative from law enforcement suggested that Eric Yoon's disappearance was a voluntary act. Despite this, his case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as MP19048. The circumstances surrounding his decision to leave remain a mystery to the public. For his family and friends, the lack of definitive answers has created a painful and prolonged period of uncertainty. The case remains a poignant example of the ambiguous and often heart-wrenching nature of missing persons investigations where the line between a voluntary departure and a person in distress is unclear. Although years have passed, the official record still lists him as missing, a silent testament to a life interrupted and a family left waiting.

Last Seen: Dec 14, 2012

Possible Unidentified Matches (2)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

77%Possible
John Doe — Staten Island, New York - unidentified case UP81219
John Doe — Staten Island, New York
UP81219 • Found Jun 10, 2021
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 25–35 vs 20 when missing
Location 96%24 mi away
TimingFound 8 years after last seen
Height 100%5'10" vs 5'5"–5'9"
Weight 99%132 lb vs 150–190 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
75%Possible
John Doe — New York - unidentified case UP16119
John Doe — New York
UP16119 • Found Sep 24, 2016
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 60%Est. 18–100 vs 20 when missing
Race 100%Asian
Location 100%7 mi away
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'5"–5'9"

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.