Account
Jan 28, 2026
Jan 28, 2026
Dwayne
Fochtman
54
54
White / Caucasian
Male
In the summer of 1986, a 15-year-old boy named Duane "Dwayne" Edward Fochtman vanished from the coastal town of Lincoln City, Oregon. On July 22, the teenager was last seen in the downtown area of the city. At the time, Dwayne was described as being 5'5" tall and weighing approximately 130 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He had a couple of notable distinguishing characteristics: a crippled finger on his right hand and a previously fractured ankle. When he disappeared, it is believed he was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and possibly a stud earring in one ear. In the moments leading up to his disappearance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet that day would be the last time he was ever seen or heard from. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into years, with no sign of Dwayne. His case was classified as an endangered missing person, and some authorities believed he may have left of his own accord, classifying him as an endangered runaway. Despite this initial belief, the complete and utter lack of communication since 1986 has been a source of deep concern for those involved in his case. The Lincoln City Police Department took charge of the investigation, but the trail grew cold with very few details available to the public regarding the specific circumstances of his disappearance. His case was entered into national databases for missing persons, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), ensuring his information remained accessible to law enforcement across the country. Over the decades, efforts to locate Dwayne Fochtman have continued. Age-progressed photos have been periodically released, offering a glimpse into what he might look like as a grown man in his 30s and 40s. His disappearance gained national attention when he was featured in the memorable music video for Soul Asylum's song "Runaway Train," which highlighted the faces of many missing children. Despite this broad exposure and the tireless work of investigators, his whereabouts remain unknown. The case of Dwayne Fochtman is a long-standing mystery, a story of a young boy who vanished from a small Oregon town, leaving behind unanswered questions and a search that has spanned generations.
Jul 22, 1986
Lincoln City
Oregon
05/12/2026
