Atombudd
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Elvin Everett Crist
Crist was last seen in Lawrence, Kansas on December 10, 1996. He finished work at his family's landscaping business that day, and disappeared afterwards. He has never been heard from again. Weeks later, his truck was later found in a parking lot on the University of Kansas campus. A receipt inside the truck indicated Crist had gone to a J.C. Penney store and exchanged a pair of jeans.
Crist's loved ones stated he was "just a regular guy" who had no history of drug or alcohol abuse, no criminal record and no known reason to take his own life. Someone tried to cash his personal checks after his disappearance, but the checks bounced and police were unable to identify the individual who used them.
Foul play is suspected in Crist's case. His disappearance remains unsolved.
Elvin Everett Crist – The Charley Project
The Doe Network: Elvin Everett Crist - 4475DMKS
MISSING IN KANSAS: Elvin Everett Crist
Years later, families of missing wait for answers
16 years, no answers
Overbrook man Everett Crist, 91, remembers it was a Tuesday.
He and his son, Elvin E. Crist, then 40, finished work at the family landscaping business in Lawrence on Dec. 11, 1996.
“He told me he’d see me in the morning,” Everett said. “I haven’t seen him since.”
It’s been nearly 16 years since Elvin vanished. He didn’t have a criminal record, didn’t abuse drugs or alcohol, and didn’t have any reason to kill himself, said his younger brother, Arlin Crist.
“Just a regular guy,” Arlin said.
Elvin is one of 37 active missing-persons cases in Kansas, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, operated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Since Elvin’s disappearance, the family has speculated and theorized. Arlin mentions minor details in the case — much discussed since Elvin disappeared — that never led to answers about his brother.
“I never thought you could make someone vanish,” Arlin said.
A store receipt found in his truck later confirmed that after work Elvin went to a J.C. Penney and exchanged a pair of jeans.
No one has reported seeing him since. Weeks later, police discovered Elvin’s truck had been left at a parking lot at KU and eventually towed away.
When the family got the truck back, police had taken inside panels out for evidence testing, Arlin said. Both Arlin and Everett provided DNA samples.
One of the few clues in the case was some of Elvin’s personal checks, which someone tried to cash after his disappearance. The checks bounced, and investigators were unable to find the person who tried to cash them, Arlin said.
The Crist family hired Prairie Village private investigator Gretchen Gerig, who traveled as far as California checking on various leads.
Gerig said she occasionally follows up on the case, even after all these years. She cautiously mentions “persons of interest” but declined to provide more detail, fearing it could hamper the police investigation.
‘We may never know’
The disappearance of Elvin Crist remains an open case, said Lawrence Police Sgt. Trent McKinley, and he encouraged anyone with information to contact police.
“Missing-persons cases are never closed until that person is located,” McKinley said.
Gerig, the private investigator, said she still thinks “something will pop” in the case and
provide closure for the Crists.
Arlin and his family, however, are less optimistic about ever getting answers to Elvin’s disappearance.
About a decade after Elvin vanished, the family had him officially declared dead.
“You always remain hopeful something will come up. But as the years go by, it’s less likely,” Arlin said. “We may never know.”
- Missing Since 12/10/1996
- Missing From Lawrence, Kansas
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Male
- Race White
- Age 40 years old
- Height and Weight 5'10, 155 pounds
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Crist wears wire-rimmed eyeglasses. His right ear is pierced. Some agencies refer to him as Alan Crist.
Crist was last seen in Lawrence, Kansas on December 10, 1996. He finished work at his family's landscaping business that day, and disappeared afterwards. He has never been heard from again. Weeks later, his truck was later found in a parking lot on the University of Kansas campus. A receipt inside the truck indicated Crist had gone to a J.C. Penney store and exchanged a pair of jeans.
Crist's loved ones stated he was "just a regular guy" who had no history of drug or alcohol abuse, no criminal record and no known reason to take his own life. Someone tried to cash his personal checks after his disappearance, but the checks bounced and police were unable to identify the individual who used them.
Foul play is suspected in Crist's case. His disappearance remains unsolved.
Elvin Everett Crist – The Charley Project
The Doe Network: Elvin Everett Crist - 4475DMKS
MISSING IN KANSAS: Elvin Everett Crist
Years later, families of missing wait for answers
16 years, no answers
Overbrook man Everett Crist, 91, remembers it was a Tuesday.
He and his son, Elvin E. Crist, then 40, finished work at the family landscaping business in Lawrence on Dec. 11, 1996.
“He told me he’d see me in the morning,” Everett said. “I haven’t seen him since.”
It’s been nearly 16 years since Elvin vanished. He didn’t have a criminal record, didn’t abuse drugs or alcohol, and didn’t have any reason to kill himself, said his younger brother, Arlin Crist.
“Just a regular guy,” Arlin said.
Elvin is one of 37 active missing-persons cases in Kansas, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, operated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Since Elvin’s disappearance, the family has speculated and theorized. Arlin mentions minor details in the case — much discussed since Elvin disappeared — that never led to answers about his brother.
“I never thought you could make someone vanish,” Arlin said.
A store receipt found in his truck later confirmed that after work Elvin went to a J.C. Penney and exchanged a pair of jeans.
No one has reported seeing him since. Weeks later, police discovered Elvin’s truck had been left at a parking lot at KU and eventually towed away.
When the family got the truck back, police had taken inside panels out for evidence testing, Arlin said. Both Arlin and Everett provided DNA samples.
One of the few clues in the case was some of Elvin’s personal checks, which someone tried to cash after his disappearance. The checks bounced, and investigators were unable to find the person who tried to cash them, Arlin said.
The Crist family hired Prairie Village private investigator Gretchen Gerig, who traveled as far as California checking on various leads.
Gerig said she occasionally follows up on the case, even after all these years. She cautiously mentions “persons of interest” but declined to provide more detail, fearing it could hamper the police investigation.
‘We may never know’
The disappearance of Elvin Crist remains an open case, said Lawrence Police Sgt. Trent McKinley, and he encouraged anyone with information to contact police.
“Missing-persons cases are never closed until that person is located,” McKinley said.
Gerig, the private investigator, said she still thinks “something will pop” in the case and
provide closure for the Crists.
Arlin and his family, however, are less optimistic about ever getting answers to Elvin’s disappearance.
About a decade after Elvin vanished, the family had him officially declared dead.
“You always remain hopeful something will come up. But as the years go by, it’s less likely,” Arlin said. “We may never know.”