OK OK - Kenneth Dietrich, 29, Yukon, 11 Jul 1981

[Coffee56]

Demographics
Missing Age29 Years
Current Age68 Years
First NameKenneth
Middle NameLawrence
Last NameDietrich
Nickname/Alias--

SexMale
Height5' 11" - 6' 0" (71 - 72 Inches)
Weight250 - 275 lbs
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian

Circumstances
Date of Last ContactJuly 11, 1981
NamUs Case CreatedSeptember 9, 2014
Last Known Location Map
LocationYukon, Oklahoma
CountyCanadian County

Circumstances of DisappearanceLast seen at home. Told his family that he was going to meet friends at the Lamp Lighter club (OKC/Bethany) to go on a float trip. Had a small suitcase with jeans, swimtrunks and Pepsi towel. Never seen again.
Circumstance Notes
Det Thompson (original detective)

Physical Description
Hair ColorBlond/Strawberry
Head Hair Descriptionwavy, chin-length
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Descriptionmustache - long and down the side of his mouth "Fu Man Chu" style
Left Eye ColorBlue
Right Eye ColorBlue
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Scar/mark
under left nostril 5" vertical scar on abdomen (military records)

Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing
Jeans Shirt - multicolored stripe

Footwear
Roper-style boots (rounded and steel toe)

Additional Case Info

Transportation
--

Style--
Color--
State--
License Plate--
Expiration Year--
Comments1978 brown/black Ford LTD Brougam II 2-door CX-490 OK'82 Found in the Will Rogers Airport Parking Lot. Found several years after Mr Dietrich went missing.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[YaYa_521]

Here is a lengthy, quite detailed article about Kenneth's disappearance. It seems there's suspicion about a particular relative who claims he went to Mexico. This leaves some uncertainty regarding whether he left voluntarily or met with foul play specifically by this person or someone she knew or at the bar he frequented which is rumored to have served a pretty rough crowd. It's a very interesting closed case. Apparently the original cases files were lost in a flood. Although I wonder if OK City has the files? Former Chief Mc Daniel says the case was investigated there. What a mess!

Where is Kenny Dietrich? - Yukon Progress

Snipped

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich vanished from the Lamp Lighter Club in Oklahoma City on July 11, 1981. The 30-year-old husband and father of three left his home in Yukon for the bar where he told his family he would meet co-workers from the Western Electric telephone company to take a river float trip that weekend. Dietrich did not come home from the trip nor do family members know if he actually made the trip with his colleagues. His vehicle and personal belongings were found several years later at the Will Rogers Airport.

Part of the mystery revolves around the location of the vehicle from the time he left for the bar and when it finally appeared at the airport.

His actions and disappearance before and after the float trip remain a mystery.

Snip

Retired Assistant Chief of Police and former Yukon detective James McDaniel remembers the case from his time on the force.

“If I recall correctly, Oklahoma City (police) took over that investigation because of everything that led to their jurisdiction,” McDaniel said.

Snip

“They (medical examiner) sent forensic pathologists out and wanted to get DNA from me. Both his parents and siblings are dead. Then they ME (medical examiner) said they couldn’t run it because Yukon Police Department had no record of him being a missing person,” Sneddon said. “They had a flood in the basement, is what we were told, and all the files got ruined.”

Yukon Police Chief John Corn said the basement of the old police station flooded at least twice from 1996 to 2008.
#

 

[YaYa_521]

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich

Thank you for your service, Kenneth!

 

[YaYa_521]

I found this which has interesting comments.
Oklahoma Cold Cases

Eta - Also, I found what I belive is his mother's obituary. I think this relative may be listed as deceased.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich – The Charley Project

Details of Disappearance

Dietrich was last seen at his home in Yukon, Oklahoma on July 11, 1981. He packed a small suitcase with jeans, swim trunks and a Pepsi towel and told his family he was going to meet some coworkers at the Lamp Lighter Club (now called Margarita Island) on northwest 10th Street in Oklahoma City so they could go on a river float trip. He never returned and it's unclear whether he actually met up with his friends. He has never been heard from again.

Several years after Dietrich's disappearance, his brown/black two-door 1978 Ford LTD Brougham II with the Oklahoma license plate number CX-490 was found in the parking lot of the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Inside was Dietrich's wallet, identification, camping gear, wedding ring, the pinkie ring he wore, and banking information.

Dietrich was a father of three and worked at the Western Electric phone company at the time of his disappearance. Authorities don't believe he left of his own accord. as this is uncharacteristic of his behavior and he left his belongings behind.

The original missing persons casefile was destroyed in a flood after his disappearance, but Yukon Police Department opened a new one in 2016. Dietrich's case remains unsolved.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Kenneth - this summer marked 40 years.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich was a 29 year old father of three on July 11th, 1981, when he went missing.

He was employed at Western Electric phone company.

He left his home, in Yukon, with a small suitcase with jeans, swim trunks and a Pepsi towel. He told his family he was head to the Lamp Lighter Club (now the Margarita Island) to meet up with a co-worker, to go on a river float trip. The Lamp Lighter Club is located on Northwest 10th Street in Oklahoma City. It is unclear who the co-worker was or even if Kenneth actually met up with anyone. He was never seen or heard from again.

Kenneth’s car, a brown or black two door 1978 Ford LTD Brougham II with Oklahoma license plate CX-490, was found in the parking lot at the Roger Airport in Oklahoma City several years later. In the car they found Kenneth’s wallet, identification, camping gear, wedding ring, pinkie ring, and his bank information.

Kenneth’s original case file was lost when the basement of the old Yukon Police Department flooded. After Kenneth’s daughter attempted to give a DNA sample to the Oklahoma Medical Examiners office, they informed her they would be unable to run it because Kenneth had no missing person file. Luckily, his daughter’s mother was about to find a copy of the original report. With a phone call to the Medical Examiners office by Kenneth’s daughter, their office called the Yukon Police Department, which then opened a new case file in 2016.

The case is considered closed until any new information comes available. So, if you have any information on the disappearance of Kenneth Dietrich please contact Yukon Police Department at (405) 354-1102.

Information resource(s):

NamUs #MP26097

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich – The Charley Project

Where is Kenny Dietrich? - Yukon Progress (yukonprogressnews.com)

 

[Richard]

Missing for over 40 years...

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich is a U.S. Military Veteran who went missing after last being seen at his home in Yukon, OK on 11 July 1981.

LINK:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/320600067216089309/

 

[ChatteringBirds]

The Charley Project has his case featured on their website this week.

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich – The Charley Project

It's so strange that there wasn't confirmation from his coworkers/friends regarding whether he attended that trip. Does LE even know who they were anymore?

It's interesting that his wedding and other ring were in his vehicle. Did he remove them for safekeeping before rafting?

There are so many questions one could ask about this case. The known information just makes no sense and is really tragic for his loved-ones.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Kenneth Lawrence Dietrich (1951-1981) - Find a...

Kenny Dietrich disappeared from Yukon, Oklahoma on July 11, 1981 after planning to go on a river float trip with co-workers from the Western Electric phone company. His car was found years later at the airport with all his belongings inside. Kenny was the father of three children.

www.findagrave.com

Several years after Dietrich's disappearance, his brown/black two-door 1978 Ford LTD Brougham II with the Oklahoma license plate number CX-490 was found in the parking lot of the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Inside was Dietrich's wallet, identification, camping gear, wedding ring, the pinkie ring he wore, and banking information.

This seems really strange. Was the vehicle gone over by a forensics team? Was it parked the the whole time, or do they know approximately how long it was there?

 

[EuropeanSearcher]

UP4576Male?
Looks similar to sketch

 

[Caring1]

UP4576Male?
Looks similar to sketch

It’s definitely a possibility. Here’s the comparison and link. UID was wearing western style boots, size 12. Wonder if Kenneth wore size 12 as well. PMI would be quite off but only if he disappeared involuntarily.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[EuropeanSearcher]

Is it possible to submit him?

 

[Caring1]

Is it possible to submit him?

Contact information listed in NamUs for Unidentified.

Newton County Sheriff's Office​

Address109 Court Street P.O. Drawer 1380 Newton, Texas 75966
CountyNewton County
Main Phone(409) 379-3636
Website URLhttps://www.co.newton.tx.us/page/newton.Sheriff
Agency Case NumberA-83-447

Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse​

(800) 346-3243
Agency Case NumberU9006002


Contact information listed in NamUs for Missing Person.

Yukon Police Department​

(405) 354-1102
Agency Case Number81-1295 and 2016-20620

Jeff Avers, Detective​

Oklahoma City Police Department​

(405) 297-1129
(No case # listed)