Austin William Sparks was 15 when he disappeared from Montgomery Creek, California, on January 4, 2004. That morning he woke early with sleep disruption attributed to psychiatric medication side effects, spoke briefly with his father, then walked through snow toward the nearby Acorn Cafe. A cafe employee saw him enter twice between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m., but he vanished shortly afterward.

Footprints tracked from the house ran more than two miles to the edge of the Pitt River; investigators have said he may have fallen into the river and drowned, but extensive searches recovered no trace. Austin had severe emotional problems and had been on anti-depressants for years; the new medication was reported to make him more outgoing but also more trusting and vulnerable.

The case remains open and unsolved. If anyone saw Austin that morning or has information about his route toward the river, please share what is known with the authorities.