Donald Lake was 31 and living with his mother in San Francisco when he left on a road trip with his older brother Leonard in December 1982 and was never seen again. Family described Donald as kind and gentle but said his relationship with Leonard was strained; Leonard reportedly called him a leech in conversations with his ex-wife. Their mother reported Donald missing after he failed to return.

Leonard Lake reappeared alone on January 1, 1983, renting a room in Golden Gate Park. Authorities suspect Leonard murdered Donald, though Donald’s body was never recovered. Donald’s disappearance is considered the first in a series of crimes linked to Leonard Lake and Charles Ng; those later crimes involved abduction, torture, and murder and came to light in 1985 when Leonard was arrested and subsequently died by ingesting cyanide. Charles Ng was later convicted and sentenced to death for his role. Despite the lack of physical evidence, investigators strongly believe Donald was one of their victims.

If anyone knew Donald, his movements in December 1982, or has information about that road trip with Leonard, please share what is known.