NY NY - David Michael Loew, 22, USAF Sergeant, Rome, 10 Dec 1984

[Richard]

Bumping this unsolved missing case up...

 

[Richard]

David Michael Loew is a U.S. Air Force Airman who went missing on December 10, 1984 when he left his place of work at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York for a medical appointment and never returned from his appointment.

David Michael Loew was 22 years old on the date he went missing in December, 1984.

David Loew is described as a white male standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing approximately 157 pounds. David Loew has brown hair and black eyes.

If you have any information about the whereabouts of David Michael Loew, contact John Fine with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at 571-305-8620. (NamUs MP # 38022)

See photo of David Loew at link below.

Read more: David Michael Loew

 

[Trackergd]

I was fingerprinted when I entered the service in 1973. It was done at the selective service center where all branches of service were processed prior to being sworn in, and EVERYONE was fingerprinted. Other than dog tags, it was the only way to identify service members and check for criminal backgrounds, fake names, etc.

Sorry Richard, but I'm 98% sure someone is feeding you a line of BS for reasons yet unknown. I double checked again with my Air Force contacts and got the same response. Graves registry uses the fingerprints along with other details when processing remains from KIA's and veteran benefits for interment at death. My big question is why the AF is bold face telling you a lie.

Edited to add: I just checked with other prior service members here at work in all branches and they were all fingerprinted and most of them were from the early 80's onward.

 

[Trackergd]

Looking at Google Maps, there are a ton of routs David or the operator of his car could have used to get to MD. I wonder if he was dating anyone on or near the base at the time and stopped over for a quick visit going to or from the appointment and caught them with someone else and things went south. Had seen that quite a few times with friends during my time at various bases. Most military bases also had their surrounding communities of people of all walks who sponged off the troops including young "ladies" who would lead guys on while draining their wallets and then move on to the next "mark".

 

[Trackergd]

Was the medical appointment on or off base? I would find it curious if it were off base as the medical care for the soldier is free and provided at clinics on base. Is it possible it was for a pregnant girl, paternity test or a girl playing pregnant luring him into a trap? Some of the scams that play out around military bases are pretty horrific and make you wonder about the human race and it's ability to scam/harm others for money.

 

[Trackergd]

Following the appointment angle, the 1980's is when the aids crisis hit. Wonder if he went off base for a blood test, got bad news and went AWOL figuring better to be missing than to have his family suffer the stigma or the suspicion he might be gay. Hookers were (and still are) rampant carriers of aids and came into the surrounding towns by the busload on paydays. You just don't go off base and pay for a medical appointment when you can get any test or checkup for free on base.

 

[Trackergd]

Did anyone check with sue to see if the Oscar Doe sweater is the one she made David?

"According to Sue, he took with him a sweater which she had knitted for him, a pair of jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. Sue stated that this was not unusual, as David often changed into civilian clothing at the squadron before he returned from work."

 

[Richard]

There are certainly a lot of questionable parts to this whole story, and bits of information that do not sound right.

To answer a few of your questions, as best I can...

David's medical appointment was at the base hospital/infirmary. They reported to his command that he had missed it. No civilian hospital would have done that, as it would have violated their HIPA regulations. He was being treated with antibiotics for an unspecified infection.

As to fingerprinting: military procedures have varied and changed over the years. Back during the Vietnam era, only persons entering as an officer or officer candidate OR someone enlisting for a specific position requiring a security clearance were fingerprinted upon initial service entry.

If an enlisted person, already serving, was to be considered for a position requiring a security clearance and background check, THEN he was fingerprinted. It is likely that fingerprinting, when deemed necessary for all service members, was introduced gradually with some entrants being fingerprinted at Armed Forces Entrance and Examining Stations (AFEES) and not at others until the program was fully in place.

An example of the above, I recall an admin proceeding that I attended 1n 1982 where an enlisted person who had been through all training arrived at an aviation squadron and was to be assigned to a job which required a security clearance. Fingerprinting was done AT THAT TIME - and as part of a background check, those fingerprints were forwarded to the FBI. Results showed that this person had previously been a member of another branch of the service, and had been discharged. None of that prior service information had been disclosed by the person on the most recent enlistment documents, and it was cause for charges of "Fraudulent Enlistment".

This was all because the service member was NOT fingerprinted upon initial enlistment in 1981 - about the same time that David Loew entered the Air Force.

While fingerprints may at times have been used to identify military casualties, it was more often dental charts which provided the definitive proof of identification in the 1980's. This, of course, was before the relatively recent advances in DNA technology and identification procedures. Unfortunately, David's most recent Air Force dental charts were lost at some point and were not available for comparison with potential UID's. I believe that his family has submitted DNA samples to the Air Force in hope of eventual identification.

I can't speak to various speculative scenarios which may have caused David to go missing. But I can state that parts of the stories related by the Squadron first sergeant, and by David's girlfriend, Sue are somewhat contradictory.

Unfortunately, Griffiss AFB of Rome, NY is no longer in existence, and all files on this case are in possession of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. David is considered a deserter, and is carried on the roles as such.

 

[Trackergd]

"He was being treated with antibiotics for an unspecified infection."

Hmmm.... I know what that usually means...

 

[apearn]

Bump

 

[Trackergd]

Case seems to be very cold

 

[Richard]

Missing for 37 years...
[URL='https://i1.wp.com/www.missingveterans.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/David_Michael_Loew_03.png?fit=568%2C659'][URL='https://i0.wp.com/www.missingveterans.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/David_Michael_Loew_01.png?fit=372%2C441'][/URL][/URL]

David Michael Loew is a U.S. Air Force Airman who went missing on December 10, 1984 when he left his place of work at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York for a medical appointment and never returned from his appointment. David Michael Loew is 22 years old as of the date he went missing in December, 1984. David Loew is described as a white male standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing approximately 157 pounds. David Loew has brown hair and black eyes. If you have any information about the whereabouts of David Michael Loew, contact John Fine with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at 571-305-8620. (NamUs MP # 38022)

LINK:
David Michael Loew

 

[Richard]

David Michael Loew, Sergeant, USAF, age 22
Missing since 10 December 1984 from Griffiss AFB, Rome, New York

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: July 19, 1962
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'8"; 138 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown, curly hair; blue eyes.
Blood Type: O negative
SSN: 208-48-0794
Clothing: Last seen wearing his Class A Air Force Uniform, but he may have changed into clothing which he took into work: A hand knitted sweater, a pair of jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes.
Vehicle: A 1980, 4 door, Plymouth Horizon station wagon, or hatch back, blue in color. VIN: ML44AAD177965. The Plymouth was found, abandoned on 18 December 1984, in Halifax, North Carolina. It had some damage, but was drivable. The license plates and military base stickers had been removed, and there was damage to the dashboard. No blood was found in the car. The car's radio had been removed and stolen. The grill and front bumper were damaged or missing, and there were scratches down both sides of the car.

 

[Laughing]

@Richard , @CyresAres1 , please take a look at this guy:


IN - IN - Paul Raymond Harrod, adult, may have been using false identity, Hamilton County, 27 Nov 1992

Detectives: Sheridan man missing since 1992 could be using false identity

Authorities want help solving odd cold case over Hamilton County man reported missing in 1993 | Fox 59

Claims to have served in the Air Force....

images from linked articles

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[StarrChance]

David Loew is reported to 5’8 and the detective in the Paul Raymond Harrod said he was approximately 5’5.

Does David Loew have any handwriting that could be compared to Paul Harrod?

 

[Richard]

While just about any scenario might be considered possible, the most likely one might be that David met with foul play. His assuming a different identity might have been possible, but his sudden departure without much preparation, funds, or supplies - and the quick dumping of his car would certainly make matters difficult.

 

[Laughing]

While just about any scenario might be considered possible, the most likely one might be that David met with foul play. His assuming a different identity might have been possible, but his sudden departure without much preparation, funds, or supplies - and the quick dumping of his car would certainly make matters difficult.

@Richard , did you read about not-Paul Raymond Harris?

Agree with foul play or even self-harm, but isn't it reported that Loew left behind a book on How To Disappear?

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Richard]

@Richard , did you read about not-Paul Raymond Harris?
Agree with foul play or even self-harm, but isn't it reported that Loew left behind a book on How To Disappear?
jmho ymmv lrr

I did read the thread on "Harris". It is an interesting case, involving someone who apparently/allegedly stole the identity of a young boy who had died, to create a new/false identity of his own.

I don't think that Harris was previously David Loew, but it is possible that David may have done or considered doing something similar.

There are many open and unanswered questions about David's case. What would have motivated him to run away, or what would have motivated someone to kill him?

Yes, it was reported in a phone call from the Squadron First Sergeant to the family that such a book on "how to change your identity" was found among David's possessions at the squadron dormitory, but no proof that David himself put it there, or that he had even seen it. When the family traveled to New York to retrieve David's possessions, the sealed box which had contained his things had been broken into and items pilfered. They did not see the alleged book on identity changing, and were told that all of David's books and papers were being kept by the Commanding Officer due to the ongoing investigation into his disappearance.

The girlfriend "Sue" had only turned over to the family some cancelled checks, a check register, and a single golf shoe, stating that this was all there was at her place.

It would seem that if David DID possess such a book, that he would have taken it with him if his intent was to "disappear" and assume a new identity.

It is perhaps a stronger possibility that someone who had done David harm might have planted the book as a false clue to investigators to get them to believe that David had left on his own initiative.

 

[Laughing]

And we have another candidate for David Loew today!!!

MO - MO - Jay Holsinger, 47, Imperial, 14 May 2021 *suspicious*

 

[rob525]

Just a quick thought. I wonder if the last bit of money that David was trying to keep in his account ( may have been a savings account) was money that he was intending to use to pay off a gambling debt. Possibly he found himself in a no win situation and taking off with what money he had left seemed the best option?