OH OH - Donald Wayne Sharp, 18, Shawnee State Park, 1 Feb 1976

[MadMcGoo]

• NamUs MP61209
• The Charley Project

DONALD WAYNE SHARP

Donald circa 1975 (3 months prior to disappearance), young Donald

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Last Contact: February 1, 1976
Missing From: West Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, USA
Date of Birth: June 1957
Age: 18 years old
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Sex: Male
Height: 5’6 - 5’10” (66 - 70 inches)
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair Color: Sandy brown
Eye Color: Blue
Medical Conditions: Donald has a history of depression.
Clothing & Personal Items: A book bag, a few days worth of clothing, a violin, writing paper, and writing utensils.


Details of Disappearance

Donald was dropped off at the Shawnee State Park in West Portsmouth, Ohio on February 1, 1976. He was going to be camping alone in the park and only took with him a book bag containing enough clothes to last him a few days, his violin, writing papers, and writing utensils. An unspecified amount of time later, his brothers returned to the park to pick him up but he was gone. Park Rangers were notified and a missing person report was filed, but Donald has not been seen or heard from since. He was living in Newport, Kentucky at the time of his disappearance and reportedly had a history of depression.

Investigating Agencies
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Jennifer Lester, Criminal Intelligence Analyst: (740) 845-2000
Allen Neal, NamUs Regional Program Specialist: (682) 347-8829

0 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[Owutatangledweb]

NV - NV - Wellington, WhtMale 574UMNV, 35-50, Off of Sand Canyon Road, Mar'92 - #2

Just something to think about. They don't say they found his things in the park. May have taken off.

 

[JSolt1210]

• NamUs MP61209
• The Charley Project

DONALD WAYNE SHARP
View attachment 240643 View attachment 240644
Donald circa 1975 (3 months prior to disappearance), young Donald

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Last Contact: February 1, 1976
Missing From: West Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, USA
Date of Birth: June 1957
Age: 18 years old
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Sex: Male
Height: 5’6 - 5’10” (66 - 70 inches)
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair Color: Sandy brown
Eye Color: Blue
Medical Conditions: Donald has a history of depression.
Clothing & Personal Items: A book bag, a few days worth of clothing, a violin, writing paper, and writing utensils.


Details of Disappearance

Donald was dropped off at the Shawnee State Park in West Portsmouth, Ohio on February 1, 1976. He was going to be camping alone in the park and only took with him a book bag containing enough clothes to last him a few days, his violin, writing papers, and writing utensils. An unspecified amount of time later, his brothers returned to the park to pick him up but he was gone. Park Rangers were notified and a missing person report was filed, but Donald has not been seen or heard from since. He was living in Newport, Kentucky at the time of his disappearance and reportedly had a history of depression.

Investigating Agencies
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Jennifer Lester, Criminal Intelligence Analyst: (740) 845-2000
Allen Neal, NamUs Regional Program Specialist: (682) 347-8829

0 Unidentified Person Exclusions

I have to say I'm suspicious of this story as it stands.

Who actually dropped him off? As quoted above, the story suggests it was his brothers because they "returned" to the park to pick him up. But that has since been updated on both the Charley Project and Namus to say "When his brothers came to pick him up." Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but the updated details make it possible that "he was dropped off" by one party, and then "his brothers came to pick him up."

Also, I realize winter camping is a thing, but something about him doing it in February, alone—at age 18, no less!—just doesn't sit well with me. The weather that day for the local tri-state area was 32°–42° F (0°–6° C). I remember I attended Georgia Tech homecoming once, being outside in 50° F (10° C) weather from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and by the end of it, I was shivering and my extremities were numb, even though I had bundled up. Did he have experience building a campfire? He would've needed that if he wanted to write and play the violin. I doubt it's easy to do those with thick gloves on.

And finally, it's reported that he suffered from depression—not just that he'd get down every now and then, but that he had a "history" of it. That sounds more serious. And yet his family let him go off alone. I realize he was legally an adult, but with all of this put together, it doesn't seem like a good idea.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I have to say I'm suspicious of this story as it stands.

Who actually dropped him off? As quoted above, the story suggests it was his brothers because they "returned" to the park to pick him up. But that has since been updated on both the Charley Project and Namus to say "When his brothers came to pick him up." Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but the updated details make it possible that "he was dropped off" by one party, and then "his brothers came to pick him up."

Also, I realize winter camping is a thing, but something about him doing it in February, alone—at age 18, no less!—just doesn't sit well with me. The weather that day for the local tri-state area was 32°–42° F (0°–6° C). I remember I attended Georgia Tech homecoming once, being outside in 50° F (10° C) weather from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and by the end of it, I was shivering and my extremities were numb, even though I had bundled up. Did he have experience building a campfire? He would've needed that if he wanted to write and play the violin. I doubt it's easy to do those with thick gloves on.

And finally, it's reported that he suffered from depression—not just that he'd get down every now and then, but that he had a "history" of it. That sounds more serious. And yet his family let him go off alone. I realize he was legally an adult, but with all of this put together, it doesn't seem like a good idea.

I was thinking some of the same things. He has a niece who, as of October 2019, was actively searching for him. It was hard to decipher the various comments on those posts, but I almost got a sense that maybe she wasn’t sure of the details (for whatever reason). What stood out most to me was the fact that he took a violin but no mention of a tent or camping gear. Also no mention of how long he’d been there before the brothers showed up and he was gone. Was he to be picked up at a certain place and time? I’m going to assume he didn’t pick up a cell phone and call to say he was ready to come home.

I am in agreement, something seems amiss about the story. Thanks for always keeping me on my toes!

 

[TSL7584]

Missing 46 years

 

[OddOneOut]

• NamUs MP61209
• The Charley Project

DONALD WAYNE SHARP
View attachment 240643 View attachment 240644
Donald circa 1975 (3 months prior to disappearance), young Donald

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Last Contact: February 1, 1976
Missing From: West Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, USA
Date of Birth: June 1957
Age: 18 years old
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Sex: Male
Height: 5’6 - 5’10” (66 - 70 inches)
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair Color: Sandy brown
Eye Color: Blue
Medical Conditions: Donald has a history of depression.
Clothing & Personal Items: A book bag, a few days worth of clothing, a violin, writing paper, and writing utensils.


Details of Disappearance

Donald was dropped off at the Shawnee State Park in West Portsmouth, Ohio on February 1, 1976. He was going to be camping alone in the park and only took with him a book bag containing enough clothes to last him a few days, his violin, writing papers, and writing utensils. An unspecified amount of time later, his brothers returned to the park to pick him up but he was gone. Park Rangers were notified and a missing person report was filed, but Donald has not been seen or heard from since. He was living in Newport, Kentucky at the time of his disappearance and reportedly had a history of depression.

Investigating Agencies
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Jennifer Lester, Criminal Intelligence Analyst: (740) 845-2000
Allen Neal, NamUs Regional Program Specialist: (682) 347-8829

0 Unidentified Person Exclusions

I've lived in southwestern Ohio all my life. No way would a person be camping in February with just what it says he had. He would freeze to death in no time unless he was staying in a heated cabin. It doesn't even list a sleeping bag or blankets among what he is supposed to have had with him. That sounds more like what he might take if he planned to hitch hike.

 

[Beekarina]

Agree.

I was really into hiking and camping for awhile when younger--including winter camping--and this doesn't make sense at all.

There are currently 3 cottages listed for Shawnee in PA, but no idea what was available all those years ago. Would think there would have been some basic records of a stay if he had reserved a site or especially a shelter?

SHAWNEE STATE PARK, PA

Shawnee State Park is 3,983 acres of Pennsylvania's scenic Ridge and Valley Province. Ten miles west of the historic town of Bedford along US 30, Shawnee has modern recreational facilities that blend into the natural environment.

pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com

Edited to add the Ohio Shawnee State Park. I want to include both since this is so unclear to me. Also has cabins now, but again, who knows what was there when he disappeared? Shawnee State Park

 

[OddOneOut]

I was thinking some of the same things. He has a niece who, as of October 2019, was actively searching for him. It was hard to decipher the various comments on those posts, but I almost got a sense that maybe she wasn’t sure of the details (for whatever reason). What stood out most to me was the fact that he took a violin but no mention of a tent or camping gear. Also no mention of how long he’d been there before the brothers showed up and he was gone. Was he to be picked up at a certain place and time? I’m going to assume he didn’t pick up a cell phone and call to say he was ready to come home.

I am in agreement, something seems amiss about the story. Thanks for always keeping me on my toes!

No cell phones in 1976. I have to question whether he even went to the park?