Gregory John Carter was 32 when he was last seen in the final week of May 1984 in Leadville, Colorado. He had recently been laid off, stood 6 feet tall, weighed about 180 pounds, had shoulder-length brown hair and hazel eyes, and may have had a mustache or full beard; his smile revealed noticeably visible gums. His family in Nebraska had not heard from him since 1978.

On July 16, 1984, Carter’s vehicle was found abandoned near the Buffalo Meadows Trailhead in Chaffee County. Investigators concluded the vehicle had likely been parked there since May. Although Carter enjoyed camping, most of his camping gear remained at his Leadville home, a detail that suggested the trip to the trailhead might not have been a planned outing or that plans were abruptly interrupted. The trailhead scene produced no immediate clues.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office investigated but the case remains unsolved and is treated as a cold case. Few leads have emerged and the family’s long lack of contact delayed anyone realizing he was missing until the vehicle was discovered.

Did anyone in the Leadville or Buffalo Meadows area remember seeing Gregory or his van in late spring 1984?