Joseph Gerald Riley was 29 when he disappeared from Barstow, California, on May 1, 1995. He was last seen in a Wal‑Mart parking lot with Mark Wayne Adamson; the two men reportedly got into a maroon sedan intending to buy a vehicle. Adamson was said to be carrying a large amount of cash that day. Neither man has been seen or heard from since.

Investigators linking the case to a drug deal involving ephedrine say Riley and Adamson may have been robbed and killed during the transaction, and authorities suspect their remains could be buried in the Mojave Desert. Multiple suspects were charged in connection with the killings in 2012, and there have been later legal developments, but Riley’s body has never been found and the disappearances remain unresolved.

Anyone who knew Joseph’s movements on or around May 1, 1995, or who has information about the maroon sedan or the possible burial locations in the Mojave Desert is asked to contact local law enforcement.