Thomas Arthur Fitzgerald, 28, was last seen on September 3, 1983, during a hunting trip near Paxson in the Copper River Census Area. He had been camping with friends; when they woke the next morning he was gone and all his personal belongings and hunting gear remained at the campsite. Friends’ searches turned up nothing and the Alaska State Troopers opened the investigation under case number B8341029.

Fitzgerald is described as a 5 feet 11 inches white male, about 160 pounds, with brown hair, blue eyes and a scar on his left leg. He was last seen wearing Levi jeans, a tan chamois shirt, black leather Vibram boots and a belt with a hunting knife attached. Search and rescue teams scoured the surrounding wilderness but found no trace.

The circumstances remain unexplained: he was an experienced outdoorsman and his gear was left behind. Anyone who knew Thomas, was in the Paxson area that September, or has information about his disappearance is asked to come forward.