WY WY - David Vernon Lovely, 19, Fort Bridger, 5 Aug 1985

[poncholefty]

Little late herr, but it was Evanston, WY, not IL. I'm from Wyoming - easy mistake.

 

[PeterAnthony9254]

The biker is key. However, there are so many people who passed through that area that it's hard to single the individual out. Perhaps, a trucker or a random person was responsible for the disappearance. The rural and desolate towns are laden with people up to no good. We don't know if the biker seen by the campers was involved. David's bike could have been left there days before the biker came out of that draw.

 

[snowleopard]

Bump, thirty-two years ago last Saturday....

 

[kevmob77]

The more I think about this case, and from what his sister said, I think David decided to take a rest in the woods. Driving plenty of times from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale, that's happened to me before. A copper will pull up on you, wake you up, so he may have thought, screw that. What gives a bit more credence to this is that the keys were left in the ignition in a very desolate area, meaning he planned on coming back. This is what makes me think he either fell, or came to harm by wild animals. He planned on coming back. I would be very interested in writing a book about David's life, his disappearance, and how your family dealt with this.

 

[kevmob77]

A regular thief would have left the bike for all to see, so they would take it. Put it on them, and the prints on them, so to speak. This is a key detail.His motorcycle was found in the boonies, not necessarily a great way to cover up a crime.

 

[meyers07]

The road where his yamaha bike was found is desert, desolate and I'm honestly surprised anyone was camping out there. It's unbearably hot this time of year, our high elevation makes this worse. This is also what is called a 'haul road' where semi trucks haul to and from the natural gas wells in the area. My husband has worked in this field and in SW Wyoming for the past 8 years. We've lived in Rock Springs for the past five years. There was another unsolved homicide, there are suspects in this case, from 2006. A snowboarder passing through town was murdered in a drug craze, for his money and dumped at Boars tusk. There is a huge heroin/meth epidemic here, and a lack of mental health care. This is a toxic combination. There was alot of police corruption Herr in the 70's and 80's and we are still a biker hub. Everybody knows everybody that runs in the same crowd. I have not walked the area on Baxter road, just driven past many times on my way to the airport. I will be taking my hubby and our pack of dogs hiking through here to get a better idea of the terrain. I will post photos when we go, it's far too hot right now, the area is on the edge of the Red Desert, an almost lifeless region. Barren.

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bumping

 

[LadyBadWolf]

David was featured on this week's episode of The Vanished.

EPISODE 211: David Lovely — The Vanished Podcast

 

[toneboat]

just got turned on to this case after listening to The Vanished podcast episode 211. my condolences go out to the family, and i do hope that they will someday find closure.

a previous poster mentioned the possibility that he was led out to the S. Baxter Rd location where the bike was found. i agree and think this is the most likely scenario with highway robbery being the motive of a potentially young, naive David who may have appeared to be an easy mark.

the family mentioned that david also called his cousin at one point, possibly stating that he was going to a bar or somewhere for a beer. this seems like a crucial detail. if this phone call and conversation can be verified, then it would stand to reason that the biker who fixed david’s yamaha may have duped him. the biker may have led david to follow him down that remote road under the pretense of waiting for his family at a nearby tavern. even if david didn’t drink, he may feel tempted or coerced by such an offer, especially if the biker warmed up to him and seemed friendly after fixing Davids bike. david could have been willing to dismiss any initial hesitance or fear once the biker got him to let down his guard.

if the assailant in such a situation did attack david on that remote road, it would stand to reason that the body was left somewhere nearby. would love to find out if the biker who repaired david’s yamaha had a turquoise and chrome harley consistent with the one reported by the campers. seems unlikely that the biker/assailant would have camped out there for 4-5 days before riding off, but perhaps he returned to the scene of the crime that day to ensure the body was well hidden or pilfer through david’s belongings in the yamahas saddlebags.

and as the relative on the podcast mentioned, it would also be helpful to learn if the campers/witnesses found his belongings on the ground like that or if they were the ones who sifted through them.

 

[Rastus]

Bits and thoughts.

I'm a motorcyclist myself and have stealth camped a few times on long trips. Pull off the highway by a mile or two somewhere off the road where you won't be seen easily, lay out a blanket or bag and catch some sleep.

So I could see him doing this in middle baxter rd, it's the right location for it, off but close to the highway. Thing is, if he did this cause he missed the van then he would have called in to say where he was etc but he never called again after Ft Bridger. Even if he was going to get forty winks he would have called first to say I can't find them I'm going to get some sleep and will call back. Makes be think the event of his disappearance happened that afternoon/evening. The podcast also said David said on the phone he was scared of the biker initially but he was a fine dude after all.

The bike was ridden back to california afterwards, so the fuel matches what was left after Ft.Bridger fuel stop and was in working order there after.

Also a motorcyclist stopping or coming over to help another motorcyclist is normal. I've been stopped by the road a number of times just having a drink and bikes have slowed down going past giving me the thumbs up to make sure all was ok. I'm guessing David's bike was just running lean or he had the choke out or something simple.

Another thing, riding a bike day after day is physical. It's not like a car where you can put together 600 mile days if you need to, your *advertiser censored* gets hammered, your arms and wrists tire. I can see him needing to just drop and rode off the highway to lie down and rest.

I've love to spend a week walking the area where his bike was found, body cam on, reviewing the video at night, I think he's not far away and has just been missed. Apparently the search for him lasted 2 hours only.

 

[RCozad]

I live in Rock Springs, Wyoming and am interested in doing some follow up on this case within the next couple months.
If there are any family members still following this thread, please get ahold of me... I have a few questions. Yesterday, I was out at the location where his bike was found. I would like to know more about his personality, state of mind, and physical capabilities.
I have read through this series of comments and posts. It seems that there have been a lot of assumptions made based on very little information. I will attempt to post a photo of what the area, where the bike was found, looks like nearly 34 years later.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I rarely listen to podcasts, but happened to hear David’s today. Incredibly puzzling and I feel badly for his family having gone so long without answers. Hopefully there will be renewed interest in the case that will change that for them.

After listening to the podcast, I’m not sure what my opinion is as to what may have happened. I’m on the fence between foul play and a tragic accident. I agree with most everyone here in they David is probably not far from where his bike was found.

I don’t feel like robbery or financial gain was motive. Exactly how the bike and David’s belongings were found strikes me as odd. On one hand it hints towards David leaving it in that order, but on the other hand it seems possible that someone “staged” it to appear less suspicious.

If I were camping and found something similar (with no one around to explain its existence), I must say I’d be at least tempted to look for some type of identifying information. I wonder if the campers spent any amount of time looking around for someone who might be injured nearby.

Another thing thing that caught my attention that might have a logical explanation; David’s sister said that his drivers license came (to his California residence I’m assuming) in the mail a few weeks after they last saw him. His wallet was found in his backpack which was found with the motorcycle, so who sent his drivers license? I know that’s it’s probably always been that if you find a random DL, drop it in any mailbox and it will be returned to its owner, or at least the attempt to return it will be made.

It sounds like the original investigators were reasonably open with the family and returned David’s personal belongings directly to them. The motorcycle itself, for example. So I wonder why his DL would be any different. Or was it not found with his possessions at all and someone else found it and put it in the mail? I don’t know why they immediately caught my attention and I’m very curious about that.

I will definitely be following this case and keep David in my thoughts now after hearing about his disappearance. He’s got to be somewhere.

 

[MadMcGoo]

• NamUs MP81
• The Doe Network 1325DMWY
• The Charley Project
• True Crime Diva

David Vernon Lovely

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: August 5, 1985
Location Last Seen: Fort Bridger, Sweetwater County, Wyoming
Date of Birth: August 29, 1965
Age: 19 years old
Race/Sex: White/Male
Height: 6'4" (76 inches)
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair Color: Sandy blond/light brown
Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Marks/Features: He has a light complexion. Large surgical scars across abdominal area below rib cage from kidney surgery.

Clothing: White pullover sweatshirt, brown cotton pants (or Levi’s blue jeans), athletic shoes, Army fatigue jacket, and red nylon jacket.

Circumstances of Disappearance
David Vernon Lovely, known as Dave, was last seen in the vicinity of County Road 201 in Fort Bridger.

The story of Lovely's disappearance is baffling. Although the last time his family heard from him was August 5, 1985, the case didn't come to the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office until nine days later when some campers found his abandoned burgundy 1978 Yamaha motorcycle near Baxter Road.

Lovely had become separated from his family during a cross-country move. According to police reports, Lovely's mother was driving a large U-Haul truck and he was was driving the motorcycle. They stopped every 30 miles to check on David. When they got to Evanston, Lovely's mother and sister wanted to stop but he wanted to keep going. He left the two, telling them he would wait for them at a rest stop further east. They never saw him again.

The last time he was heard from was when he called his aunt. He told her he had had trouble with his motorcycle and pushed it into the Bingo Truck Stop in Fort Bridger. A "rough looking" man on a motorcycle worked on the bike and "fixed it better than it was," Lovely told his aunt. He also told her he was afraid of the man who fixed the motorcycle.

The family and authorities rode to the area where the motorcycle was found with ATVs and searched all around. The keys were left in the bike and it had a half tank of gas. It was in running condition. However, no sign of Lovely was ever found.

Dentals: Not available
Fingerprints: Not available
DNA: Available

13 Unidentified Person Exclusions
UP1216 08/08/1987 Pinellas FL
UP6018 08/15/1988 Ulster NY
UP2306 07/22/1989 Pinellas FL
UP6513 01/01/1990 Brunswick VA
UP6530 05/18/1990 Chesterfield VA
UP6548 10/31/1990 Amelia VA
UP6304 08/01/1993 Clarke VA
UP6149 01/22/1996 Halifax VA
UP6637 10/07/2006 Fairfax VA
UP6278 07/05/2007 Botetourt VA
UP6639 07/28/2007 Fairfax VA
UP14518 04/03/2010 Shenandoah VA
UP14360 08/14/2015 Bland VA

 

[chaddylex]

I listed to the podcast last week. I feel bad for David's family. It sounds like he met with foul play. I hope one day his family gets closure.

 

[MerBear]

I grew up in Ft. Bridger. This case is very interesting to me, I think I’m going to cover this case in my podcast. I’d love more information about all this because it kind of seems like there’s a lot of misinformation out about it all

 

[MerBear]

I grew up in Ft. Bridger. This case is very interesting to me, I think I’m going to cover this case in my podcast. I’d love more information about all this because it kind of seems like there’s a lot of misinformation out about it all

Ok, so I'm starting to dig into this case. There are several things that are problematic to me.

So the truck stop David stopped at is now called TA. It's literally in the middle of the desert with only sagebrush for miles. It's about 25 miles east of Evanston and about 5ish? miles from the first Bridger Valley (Fort Bridger, Lyman, and Mountain View) exit. It's the one of two truck stop on the side of I-80 between Evanston and the Green River/Rock Springs area. There's a lot of truckers that go through there every day, as well as a lot of Flaming Gorge traffic in the summer. So if he stopped at that truck stop when his bike was acting up, there could have been any number of people there that he talked to. I do wonder where he called his aunt from. Was it this truck stop?

He then was able to ride his newly fixed (sorta) bike for over an hour, if he in fact was the one that brought it to Baxter Rd. Or, did he get ambushed somewhere after where he called his aunt from and whoever hurt him just put his bike there?

I'm kind of leaning towards the first options because there is sooooooo much open, empty desert in this area. Like, it's perfect territory for someone to bury a body and have it never be found because it's just hundreds of miles of dirt and sage brush. So if someone hurt him, why would they leave his bike in a fairly easy-to-find spot? Unless the person wasn't from around there and didn't think that was an easy spot...But then again, since he didn't know the area himself, why would he pull off on that specific county road? Either way, I think he met someone along the way that meant him harm.

Then, since his bike was found on Baxter Rd. near the Rock Springs airport, this means that this case is now in two counties of Wyoming. TA (or Bingo Truck Stop as it was then) is in Uinta County and Rock Springs is in Sweetwater. I can see how it would be difficult to get the LE of two counties working together since the Uinta County is so small, they hardly ever deal with cases like this. It's a lot of traffic violations, domestic disturbances, and water right disputes. Combine that with the fact that this is the 80s and communication is slightly more limited than it is now, I can definitely see how a lot of things probably got overlooked. Now, I'm not disparaging the law enforcement from Uinta County. I know a lot of really awesome officers from the sheriff's department there. But I just don't think they were equipped to deal with something like this.

Anyway, this case is probably going to keep me up at night and I'm for sure going to discuss it on my podcast. If any of David's family sees this and would like to tell me about him and his personality, I'd really love to make sure the details of his life and story beyond his disappearance are mentioned. A person should be remembered by their life, not by their disappearance <3

 

[chaddylex]

Ok, so I'm starting to dig into this case. There are several things that are problematic to me.

So the truck stop David stopped at is now called TA. It's literally in the middle of the desert with only sagebrush for miles. It's about 25 miles east of Evanston and about 5ish? miles from the first Bridger Valley (Fort Bridger, Lyman, and Mountain View) exit. It's the one of two truck stop on the side of I-80 between Evanston and the Green River/Rock Springs area. There's a lot of truckers that go through there every day, as well as a lot of Flaming Gorge traffic in the summer. So if he stopped at that truck stop when his bike was acting up, there could have been any number of people there that he talked to. I do wonder where he called his aunt from. Was it this truck stop?

He then was able to ride his newly fixed (sorta) bike for over an hour, if he in fact was the one that brought it to Baxter Rd. Or, did he get ambushed somewhere after where he called his aunt from and whoever hurt him just put his bike there?

I'm kind of leaning towards the first options because there is sooooooo much open, empty desert in this area. Like, it's perfect territory for someone to bury a body and have it never be found because it's just hundreds of miles of dirt and sage brush. So if someone hurt him, why would they leave his bike in a fairly easy-to-find spot? Unless the person wasn't from around there and didn't think that was an easy spot...But then again, since he didn't know the area himself, why would he pull off on that specific county road? Either way, I think he met someone along the way that meant him harm.

Then, since his bike was found on Baxter Rd. near the Rock Springs airport, this means that this case is now in two counties of Wyoming. TA (or Bingo Truck Stop as it was then) is in Uinta County and Rock Springs is in Sweetwater. I can see how it would be difficult to get the LE of two counties working together since the Uinta County is so small, they hardly ever deal with cases like this. It's a lot of traffic violations, domestic disturbances, and water right disputes. Combine that with the fact that this is the 80s and communication is slightly more limited than it is now, I can definitely see how a lot of things probably got overlooked. Now, I'm not disparaging the law enforcement from Uinta County. I know a lot of really awesome officers from the sheriff's department there. But I just don't think they were equipped to deal with something like this.

Anyway, this case is probably going to keep me up at night and I'm for sure going to discuss it on my podcast. If any of David's family sees this and would like to tell me about him and his personality, I'd really love to make sure the details of his life and story beyond his disappearance are mentioned. A person should be remembered by their life, not by their disappearance <3

What is the name of your Podcast so I can make sure I listen! It would be great to hear from someone from that area!

 

[MerBear]

Hey, do you mind if I use your photos on my podcast? I'll make sure to credit you in my sources.

 

[MerBear]

I live in Rock Springs, Wyoming and am interested in doing some follow up on this case within the next couple months.
If there are any family members still following this thread, please get ahold of me... I have a few questions. Yesterday, I was out at the location where his bike was found. I would like to know more about his personality, state of mind, and physical capabilities.
I have read through this series of comments and posts. It seems that there have been a lot of assumptions made based on very little information. I will attempt to post a photo of what the area, where the bike was found, looks like nearly 34 years later.

Can I use your pictures in my podcast? I will credit you!

(sorry I posted this twice haha)

 

[Pipsissiway_Potts]

bumping for David. His family last heard from him 35 years ago today, August 5th, 1985.