ID ID - Michael Edling Flaherty, 18, Cascade, 25 Aug 1980

[TheArtfulDetective]

Michael Edling Flaherty



Case Classification: Missing
Missing Since: August 25,1980
Location Last Seen: Cascade, Valley County, Idaho

Description:

• Date of Birth: circa 1962
• Age: 18 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5' 10" (70 inches)
• Weight: 160 lbs
• Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry
• Eye Color: Blue
• Nickname/Alias: Unknown
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
• Clothing & Personal Items: Red hoodie and blue jeans. Size 10 tennis shoes. 30-30 rifle.
• Identifiers: Unknown
• Other: Speaks, writes, and reads Russian as well as English.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Flaherty was last seen in Cascade, Idaho on August 25, 1980. He has never been heard from again. He had a 30-30 rifle with him at the time. Few details are available regarding his disappearance and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators:

• Valley County Sheriff's Office: (208) 382-5160
  Reference Case#: 01198000947

NamUs Case Number: MP68940
NCIC Case Number: N/A

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Missing Persons

 

[MadMcGoo]

This ad ran a few times in California papers. His birthday is December 3, 1961, born in Santa Clara County, CA.

5 Dec 1984, 24 - The San Francisco Examiner at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

3 Dec 1985, 52 - The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

 

[Pennysmom1]

Other: Speaks, writes, and reads Russian as well as English.

I find this really unusual. I wouldn't think there are many young people who were fluent in Russian

 

[LucyOso]

I find this really unusual. I wouldn't think there are many young people who were fluent in Russian

It is possible Dad was stationed worked overseas or Mom/Dad was Russian. Strange case, no pictures, I haven't seen it before.

 

[Ciriii57]

Since the birthday messages were placed in California newspapers does that mean the family thought he'd gone to CA?
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe there is a sizeable and well established Russian community in CA?
Did they think he'd returned to his birth place? Did he grow up there?

 

[Pennysmom1]

Idaho Cold Cases

On September 1 of 1980, 19-year old Michael Edling Flaherty was last seen by his mother Ann when he said goodnight to her in Cascade, Idaho. Cascade is a very small town, south of McCall and north of...

www.facebook.com

<<On September 1 of 1980, 19-year old Michael Edling Flaherty was last seen by his mother Ann when he said goodnight to her in Cascade, Idaho. Cascade is a very small town, south of McCall and north of Boise in Valley County, Idaho.

Michael's parents were divorced, his father Darwin lived in California but was in the process of moving to Idaho when his son disappeared.>>

<<According to an article, townspeople spent a month crawling under houses, through culverts, and down wells within a 20-mile radius of Cascade, but no one found a clue.

Michael was an honor student at Cascade High School and student body president for two years before his disappearance. He'd received a military appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but decided instead to accept a ROTC scholarship to MIT in Boston. Obviously, Michael was very smart, but he wasn't a brainy recluse. He was described as popular and well-liked.

In Michael's senior year, he fell into a severe depression that culminated with two suicide attempts in the winter of 1980. He was taking anti-depressants. Michael often took off into the back country by himself, and his father at one time said it was possible he went off to a cave and took his life.>>