Justin Keith Burgwinkel was a 21-year-old U.S. Army Private who vanished after leaving his girlfriend’s apartment in Santa Clara, California, on June 12, 1993. He was stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey and later transferred to Fort Lewis in Washington; records show he was declared AWOL shortly before he disappeared. In the months leading up to his disappearance he reportedly acted secretive, made unexplained trips to Monterey, became protective of a briefcase, and once told his girlfriend, Iolanda Antunes, to watch the film White Sands, saying it would explain things.

Three months after he was last seen, Burgwinkel’s car was found abandoned in a beachfront motel parking lot in Monterey with his wallet, credit cards, military ID, and dog tags inside; the handguns he had purchased and a large amount of ammunition were not in the vehicle. Antunes recalled a cryptic phone message — The mission’s off — that provoked an angry reaction from him. The Army denied involvement in any secret operations. The case remains unsolved.

Are there readers who knew Justin, his routines, or who remember seeing his car in Monterey that summer?