Gordon James Mertz, a 44-year-old Fisheries Scientist, was last confirmed at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on East White Hills Road in St. John’s on the late afternoon of Friday, September 5, 1997. Office records show he logged off shortly after 5:15 p.m. and left the building. He was described as 6 feet 0 inches, about 200 pounds, with short brown hair, brown eyes and a mustache. The last confirmed clothing description was a white windbreaker and green work pants.

When he failed to report for work on Monday, September 8 a co-worker reported him missing. An immediate search of the area around the DFO building, including rugged terrain and coastline, turned up nothing. There were two unconfirmed sightings: one on Saturday, September 6 near his workplace with different clothing and a small yellow grocery bag, and another in the Boulevard area on Sunday, September 7 around 5:15 p.m. wearing a red baseball cap and a green waist-length windbreaker. Neither sighting was verified and the trail went cold.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary classifies the file as a historical missing person investigation and continues to seek information. If anyone remembers seeing Gordon in early September 1997 or has any detail from that time, please come forward.