Richard Rick Atwood was 25 when he disappeared from the White Cloud area of Michigan. He was last seen on August 10, 1983; when his girlfriend returned to the trailer they shared she found him and his fishing gear gone. His family reported him missing on August 23 after searches turned up nothing.

Two months later his brown 1975 Pontiac Trans Am was found at a service station in Grand Rapids, about fifty miles from White Cloud. Investigators reported blood and human tissue in the car that were later linked to Richard, and part of a broken shovel was recovered from the vehicle, a detail that suggested foul play. The initial investigation produced few other leads and the case went cold.

No body has been recovered and the family has continued to seek answers.