Daniel Joseph Hilkey, known as Joe, was 38 when he was last seen at his home on Holcomb Springs Road in Gold Hill, Oregon, on January 22, 1985. He was 5 feet 8 inches, about 155 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, and worked in ranching and construction. He kept a large sum of cash at his residence.

At the time he disappeared Daniel was under IRS investigation. In September 1985 a grand jury indicted him on five counts of income tax evasion for allegedly under-reporting income over four years. Investigators found documents suggesting he might have been preparing a new identity, which fed a theory that he chose to vanish to avoid prosecution. However, authorities expressed stronger suspicion that foul play was involved, given the money at his home and the isolated location.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office lists him as an endangered missing person and the case remains unsolved. Does anyone who knew Daniel or lived in Gold Hill in 1985 have information that could help clarify what happened?