Amadeo Vigil was 24 and a college student when he vanished on July 11, 1980. He left his family home on Astron Drive in Colorado Springs that afternoon intending to hitchhike more than 130 miles to Fort Garland to visit a friend. He was last seen about 4:00 p.m. at the Interstate 25 and Highway 50 intersection near the Bijou Street exit; a driver later reported giving him a ride to that area.

At the time Amadeo disappeared he was described as 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 130 pounds, with brown wavy hair and brown or green eyes. He wore an off-white shirt, Levi’s jeans and maroon sneakers with gold stripes, and carried a green backpack with a leather bottom and a rust-colored nylon wallet. He also had a silver-colored medallion with a face and an African trade bead on a leather thong. He left behind items he usually kept with him, including his watch, and had not taken extra money or clothes, which alarmed his family.

A deejay on KRCC’s Spanish Hour and active in MEChA, Amadeo was one year from graduating and planned to pursue a master’s degree. His family organized wide search efforts and maintained contact tracing efforts at the last-seen intersection. Despite decades of searching, no trace of him or his belongings has surfaced and the investigation remains active. If anyone knew Amadeo, drove that stretch on July 11, 1980, or has information that could help, please come forward.