On June 24, 2006, 47-year-old Gilbert Mark Gilman drove his silver Ford Thunderbird convertible to the Staircase Ranger Station in Olympic National Park and was last seen there. He was dressed for a casual outing in a bright green and blue Hawaiian-style floral shirt, khaki shorts, and flip-flops, carrying only a camera and no backpack or hiking gear. Park ranger Sanny Lustig briefly spoke with him and became the last known person to see Gilman.

When Gilman failed to meet a coworker the following day, he was reported missing. A few days later his Thunderbird was found parked at the ranger station, triggering a ten-day search that included 62 ground searchers, tracking dogs, a helicopter, and a plane with heat-seeking capability. The terrain searched included steep, rocky hills, dense forest, and the North Fork Skokomish River, but no trace of Gilman or his belongings was found.

Various theories have circulated, including possible links to his work as deputy director of the Washington State Pension Fund and his past military intelligence experience, and an early-suspected connection to Israel Keyes that the FBI called highly unlikely. With no concrete clues, his disappearance remains unsolved. If anyone was in the Staircase area on June 24, 2006 or has information about Gilman’s movements that day, please share what is known.