MI MI - Robert Dale, 33, Sault Ste Marie, 18 May 1996

[alb1on]

Recently heard about this RD case from 1996. Very puzzling case - as are all MP cases where no trace of the person has ever been found and there's no evidence than anything other than a disappearance occurred, etc.

My first thought is this: By all accounts, RD was intoxicated when he vanished - so, he may have just wandered off from the bar/party where he was last seen - and someone ended up accidentally drowning in one of the many bodies of water that were in that area. Since this happened late at night & given his inebriated state, I find this explanation plausible - maybe. As to why he has never been located - it's possible the body got swept away & or sunk to the bottom of the body of water, etc. - and was never located because of this.

This seems the most likely explanation given the area, etc.

Side-note: In looking up this case, it's not surprising that RD is sometimes confused with the late Bob Dole, who ran for president in the same year RD went missing (1996).

I would agree this was the obvious explanation if it was not for the reports in the Sault News from 2017 where the family were quoted;

“The biggest thing I want to say this year is some people have come forward and given the police new information,” said Scott Dale, who has spearheaded the family’s search for answers over the last two decades. “We believe them to be really good leads.”

Scott admitted the newly received information wasn’t exactly good news.

“We’re not looking for a missing man anymore,” he said. “We realize it is a homicide — we are looking for Bob’s body.”

 

[Just Kat Talking]

Bob Dale has been missing for 20 years now. His family continues searching for answers.

NamUs

Doe Network

Find Bob Dale Facebook Page

Charley Project

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: May 18, 1996 from Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: November 3, 1962
Age: 33 years old
Height and Weight: 5'7, 170 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Black hair, brown eyes. Dale's nickname is Bob. He has dimples and a mustache.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A bright yellow polo shirt, black dress pants or black jeans, and deck shoes, possibly with lug soles.

Details of Disappearance
Dale was last seen in Saulte Sainte Marie, Michigan between 11:30 p.m. and midnight on May 18, 1996. He attended a social gathering with friends at the Downtowner, a local bar, the evening of his disappearance. He got into an argument with his wife and afterwards left the establishment, supposedly to wait in the car. He was last seen walking westward down a paved road, Moloney's Alley. He has never been heard from again. Dale's wife stated the argument they had was a normal disagreement and not serious.

Dale was employed as a carpenter at Chi-Chuk Construction at the time of his disappearance, and has three sons. He is described as a dedicated family man who would not have abandoned his relatives. He was reported missing at 4:44 a.m. on May 20. Dale had little money and no credit cards with him at the time he went missing, and there is no evidence that he attempted to hitchhike or take a taxicab out of the area. Authorities do not believe he left of his own accord, and his family suspects foul play was involved in his disappearance. His case remains unsolved.


1996 disappearance of Bob Dale remains a mystery





Questions remain in 1996 disappearance of Bob Dale - May 2011

I live in Sault Ste Marie & I know Bob's wife very well. Ive spent a couple years now studying this case, and I would really love to interview some of the family members on Bob's side. I feel as if they will not want to speak with me though, strictly because I do personally know Bob's wife. However, I'd like them to know that I can be objective and non biased in this situation... I would simply follow where the evidence takes me. I did put in a FOIA request which was granted, I will be sending the check in on Monday, then I will just have to wait for the Sherrif Office to gather the documents & copy them for me.
I'd absolutely love to bring this case alive again. Bring it back into the forefront of peoples minds. I want to track down as many of the people who were around Bob on that night as I can to see what they may remember.
The thing about these old cold cases though, is that memories fade, people die, people move away, and the more years that tack onto that just makes it even more difficult.

 

[Just Kat Talking]

I agree with you

Only two issues with that is 1- law enforcement, auxiliary police, & a ton of volunteers scoured Ashmun Bay, the Locks, & the St. Mary's River that morning & nothing was found. They even had K9's searching with them.
2- (less important and could be incorrect based on reporting) The eye witness who told law enforcement that they saw Bob walking in the alley behind the bar, ended up later retracting that statement. So, who knows...
I'm hoping that the FOIA request that I receive will answer at least a few of the questions we all have.

 

[Nina Michigan]

I spoke with Bob's wife and sister in law a couple of years ago.

this is a complicated case.

 

[Sillybilly]

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