Sandy Todd Canipe vanished from Shelby, North Carolina, on the evening of January 16, 2016. He was 48 when last seen near his home on Dyer Drive at about 5:30 p.m. Described as Caucasian and American Indian/Alaska Native, Sandy was about 5 feet 9 inches and 125 pounds, with brown hair, green eyes and a dog-bite scar on the left side of his face. He may have been wearing a brown Carhartt-style jacket, faded dark paint-stained jeans and brown boots, though accounts of his last clothing differ.

A large search followed: volunteers plus more than 50 law enforcement and emergency personnel scoured roughly a 7-mile radius using K-9 teams and drones. The search lasted about a week and was called off on January 21, 2016, with no sign of him. It was reported he had no medical conditions that would explain disorientation and that leaving without warning was out of character. In 2024 Sandy was declared legally dead, but his remains have not been found and the investigation remains open with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.

If anyone in Shelby or the surrounding area remembers seeing Sandy that evening or has information about his disappearance, contact the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.