Herman Arbas, a quiet and hardworking dairy farmer, disappeared from his sprawling 384-acre farm in Laurens, New York, leaving behind a life he had built since the 1960s. There is considerable confusion about when he was last seen; while some records state a last contact date of March 15, 2003, other sources indicate the 63-year-old was last definitively seen on October 27, 2000, after leaving a local eye care facility. This significant discrepancy in the timeline highlights the complicated nature of his disappearance. He was not officially reported as a missing person until May of 2005, years after he was last seen, a delay that has puzzled investigators and family alike. Described as reclusive, Herman's contact with his five children was often sporadic, which may have contributed to the delay in realizing he was gone.
The circumstances leading up to Herman's disappearance were troubled.
He had divorced his wife in 1996 and was running the large dairy farm with his son, Matthew Arbas. Family members reported that in the years before he vanished, Herman had become increasingly paranoid, developing a belief that he was under surveillance by the FBI. This led his brother to speculate that he may have been suffering from a mental illness and had chosen to go into hiding. Tensions were also high between Herman and his son, Matthew. In August 2000, Matthew had initiated a lawsuit seeking co-ownership of the family farm, a move his father resisted. The day after Herman's last confirmed sighting, he had an appointment with his lawyer, which Matthew subsequently canceled.
In the years following his father's disappearance, Matthew Arbas's actions drew significant scrutiny from law enforcement. He told neighbors that his father had become a truck driver, a claim that police later determined to be false. Matthew continued to operate the farm for a time but sold the family's last herd of cattle in 2004. His legal troubles began to mount when it was discovered he had been forging his father's signature on checks, ultimately stealing around $60,000 from Herman's accounts starting in late 2000. Matthew was later convicted on multiple forgery counts and sentenced to prison. He was also convicted of a separate, violent crime in Virginia. Despite being named a person of interest in his father's disappearance, he has never been charged in connection with the case. The New York State Police have conducted multiple extensive searches of the Arbas farm, using K-9 units, divers, and helicopters, but have found no trace of Herman. The investigation into what happened to Herman Arbas remains open, a painful and unresolved mystery for his family who are left without answers.Last Seen: Mar 15, 2003
