Steven Lance Brown, 41, vanished from the ferry Tacoma on the night of February 18, 1998, during the vessel’s run from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. He was a deckhand for the Washington State Ferries and was reportedly asked to go to the second mate’s office a few minutes into the trip. He was last seen walking up a flight of stairs aboard the ferry and never seen again.

Passengers reported hearing cries for help shortly after departure, and one passenger said they saw a small light in the water about 25 feet from the ferry, though no splash was heard and no one was seen in the water. The captain turned the ferry around and another ferry joined a search, but nothing was found. Ferry officials noted the ship’s four-foot railings and said an accidental fall would be nearly impossible from the 460-foot vessel.

Brown’s past includes a 1986 investigation in Bellevue into an alleged murder-for-hire plot that did not result in charges, and two prior theft convictions in King County; investigators have not publicly tied those matters to his disappearance. His family rejected the idea of suicide, saying he had plans including a business trip to San Francisco for a new coffee and tea marketing venture. Does anyone have information about Brown’s last shift on the Tacoma or recall seeing anything on that crossing?