Diavola
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I was made aware of this case from a comment on a Reddit post on an unrelated case. Juha is not on NamUs, DoeNetwork or Charley Project.
From Lake Elsinore Valley Sun-Tribune (18 June 1986):
Name: Juha Uronen
DOB: 16 Oct 1963 (17)
Date Missing: 9 Dec 1980
Race: White (Finnish national)
Sex: Male
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Light brown
Height: 6'
Article with a better picture I can't grab from New York Times (6 Jan 1981):
DISAPPEARANCE OF A FINNISH STUDENT LEAVES FRIENDS IN SCARSDALE BAFFLED
It has been almost a month now since Juha Uronen, an exchange student from Finland who was spending his senior year at Scarsdale High School, left the home of his host family on what seemed to be a typical school morning.
But the 17-year-old Mr. Uronen, the only child of the Secretary General of the Finnish Agriculture Department, has not been seen since by his hosts, the Mitchell Sackson family, nor by school officials, the police or the A.F.S. International/Intercultural Programs, formerly known as the American Field Service, which arranged his stay here.
''It was just like every day,'' said Marian Sackson, his host mother. ''I fixed his lunch and said goodbye. He smiled like he always does.''
But Mr. Uronen did not attend school that day. Instead, he went to a Scarsdale bank and withdrew $70. Mrs. Sackson said he tried to withdraw additional funds but could not because two A.F.S. checks had not cleared. Detective Mary Kelly of the Missing Persons Squad in New York City said he had been carrying about $180 altogether, including a $100 Christmas gift from his mother. Wallet Found in Manhattan
He returned to the house at 2 P.M., showered and told Mrs. Sackson's mother-in-law that he would return at 6 P.M. He never did. On Dec. 12, three days later, Mr. Uronen's wallet was found in New York City between Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the East River at 61st Street. It contained items of identification, but no money.
The police and A.F.S. officials say they have no way of knowing what happened to Mr. Uronen - whether he simply ran away or has come to harm. But Sunny Taylor, an A.F.S. volunteer in Westchester, said she thought it unlikely that he would run away and leave behind his passport, glasses, address book and all his clothes. 'No Sure Lead'
The student's father, Reino Uronen, spent a long weekend in New York trying to aid in the search, before returning to Finland last night.
''I have discussed the situation with many persons in A.F.S. and in our own consulate,'' he said, ''but we have no sure lead.'' Mr. Uronen said that his son's last letter home, received Dec. 11, spoke of school activities and of plans to spend Christmas in Florida with the Sacksons.
''He was not unhappy,'' Mr. Uronen said. ''There were no difficulties.'' Left Housekeys on Dresser
Paul Kelleher, the school principal, said that Mr. Uronen's grades were ''in the B range,'' and that his teachers and his guidance counselor ''felt no indication of any problems.''
Though the Sacksons said they could think of no reason why Mr. Uronen would have wanted to run away, Mrs. Sackson did say he had left his housekeys on his dresser as if to say, ''I'm not coming back.''
But she added: ''The way we feel is that if he had planned this, it would have been very easy for him to put clothing and a toothbrush in his school bag and I would never have known the difference.''
''He was very fastidious about his appearance, very careful about personal hygiene,'' she said, ''and he didn't take anything with him.''
_____
Second article in New York Times (5 April 1981):
FOLLOW-UP ON THE NEWS; MISSING STUDENT
All seemed normal last Dec. 9 when Juha Uronen, a 17-year-old exchange student from Finland, left the home of his host family in Scarsdale, N.Y., ostensibly headed for high school.
''It was just like every day,'' said Marian Sackson, his host mother.
''I fixed his lunch and said goodbye. He smiled like he always does.''
But Mr. Uronen, the only child of the Secretary General of the Finnish Agriculture Department, didn't go to school. He went to a bank and withdrew $70, all the bank would let him have because two checks had not cleared. He returned to the Sackson house, then left again, saying he would be back. He never returned. Three days later his wallet, with identification but no money, was found in Manhattan.
He is still missing. Sgt. Richard Freda, supervisor of detectives for the Scarsdale police, believes he is alive, though the Sacksons have doubted that he ran away.
Last Feb. 22 the youth's bankbook, showing a balance of $101.66, turned up. It had been dropped into a Manhattan mailbox, says A.F.S. International-Intercultural Programs, the agency that arranged his stay in this country.
There have been no clues since then.
_____
Mentioned in Detroit Free Press (27 March 1983)
Article in The Journal News from White Plains (30 Oct 2002), I can't grab the article but it confirms he was still missing in 2002.
From Lake Elsinore Valley Sun-Tribune (18 June 1986):
Name: Juha Uronen
DOB: 16 Oct 1963 (17)
Date Missing: 9 Dec 1980
Race: White (Finnish national)
Sex: Male
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Light brown
Height: 6'
Article with a better picture I can't grab from New York Times (6 Jan 1981):
DISAPPEARANCE OF A FINNISH STUDENT LEAVES FRIENDS IN SCARSDALE BAFFLED
It has been almost a month now since Juha Uronen, an exchange student from Finland who was spending his senior year at Scarsdale High School, left the home of his host family on what seemed to be a typical school morning.
But the 17-year-old Mr. Uronen, the only child of the Secretary General of the Finnish Agriculture Department, has not been seen since by his hosts, the Mitchell Sackson family, nor by school officials, the police or the A.F.S. International/Intercultural Programs, formerly known as the American Field Service, which arranged his stay here.
''It was just like every day,'' said Marian Sackson, his host mother. ''I fixed his lunch and said goodbye. He smiled like he always does.''
But Mr. Uronen did not attend school that day. Instead, he went to a Scarsdale bank and withdrew $70. Mrs. Sackson said he tried to withdraw additional funds but could not because two A.F.S. checks had not cleared. Detective Mary Kelly of the Missing Persons Squad in New York City said he had been carrying about $180 altogether, including a $100 Christmas gift from his mother. Wallet Found in Manhattan
He returned to the house at 2 P.M., showered and told Mrs. Sackson's mother-in-law that he would return at 6 P.M. He never did. On Dec. 12, three days later, Mr. Uronen's wallet was found in New York City between Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the East River at 61st Street. It contained items of identification, but no money.
The police and A.F.S. officials say they have no way of knowing what happened to Mr. Uronen - whether he simply ran away or has come to harm. But Sunny Taylor, an A.F.S. volunteer in Westchester, said she thought it unlikely that he would run away and leave behind his passport, glasses, address book and all his clothes. 'No Sure Lead'
The student's father, Reino Uronen, spent a long weekend in New York trying to aid in the search, before returning to Finland last night.
''I have discussed the situation with many persons in A.F.S. and in our own consulate,'' he said, ''but we have no sure lead.'' Mr. Uronen said that his son's last letter home, received Dec. 11, spoke of school activities and of plans to spend Christmas in Florida with the Sacksons.
''He was not unhappy,'' Mr. Uronen said. ''There were no difficulties.'' Left Housekeys on Dresser
Paul Kelleher, the school principal, said that Mr. Uronen's grades were ''in the B range,'' and that his teachers and his guidance counselor ''felt no indication of any problems.''
Though the Sacksons said they could think of no reason why Mr. Uronen would have wanted to run away, Mrs. Sackson did say he had left his housekeys on his dresser as if to say, ''I'm not coming back.''
But she added: ''The way we feel is that if he had planned this, it would have been very easy for him to put clothing and a toothbrush in his school bag and I would never have known the difference.''
''He was very fastidious about his appearance, very careful about personal hygiene,'' she said, ''and he didn't take anything with him.''
_____
Second article in New York Times (5 April 1981):
FOLLOW-UP ON THE NEWS; MISSING STUDENT
All seemed normal last Dec. 9 when Juha Uronen, a 17-year-old exchange student from Finland, left the home of his host family in Scarsdale, N.Y., ostensibly headed for high school.
''It was just like every day,'' said Marian Sackson, his host mother.
''I fixed his lunch and said goodbye. He smiled like he always does.''
But Mr. Uronen, the only child of the Secretary General of the Finnish Agriculture Department, didn't go to school. He went to a bank and withdrew $70, all the bank would let him have because two checks had not cleared. He returned to the Sackson house, then left again, saying he would be back. He never returned. Three days later his wallet, with identification but no money, was found in Manhattan.
He is still missing. Sgt. Richard Freda, supervisor of detectives for the Scarsdale police, believes he is alive, though the Sacksons have doubted that he ran away.
Last Feb. 22 the youth's bankbook, showing a balance of $101.66, turned up. It had been dropped into a Manhattan mailbox, says A.F.S. International-Intercultural Programs, the agency that arranged his stay in this country.
There have been no clues since then.
_____
Mentioned in Detroit Free Press (27 March 1983)
Article in The Journal News from White Plains (30 Oct 2002), I can't grab the article but it confirms he was still missing in 2002.
