James Dale Yarbrough, who went by Dale, was 30 when he disappeared from his parents’ 200-acre farm near Palmyra, Missouri, on the morning of September 15, 1999. He was seen inside the house that morning wearing a yellow Congo t-shirt, blue jeans and hiking boots and briefly spoke with his mother. By noon the family realized he was gone and his wallet, keys and all vehicles remained at the property.

The initial investigation drew criticism. A new Marion County sheriff took office in January 2000 and a renewed inquiry followed reports of sightings in Missouri, Texas and Tennessee that proved not to be credible. A large search of the family’s rugged property, including woods near the Fabius River that Dale frequented, was not carried out until June 2002 and turned up no leads. Investigators considered accidental injury on the farm and questioned a local man later convicted of child molestation, Jim Gibson, but found no evidence linking him to Dale’s disappearance. Dale’s bank account and Social Security number have not been used since he vanished.

If anyone has information about Dale’s movements in September 1999 or remembers seeing him around Palmyra, please come forward.