WA WA - Richard Lawrence, 63, Tacoma, 28 Feb 1986

[Gardener1850]

Case File 4369DMWA

Richard Emanuel Lawrence
Missing since February 28, 1986 from Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington
Classification: Endangered Missing

---

Vital Statistics

• 
  [*]Date Of Birth: July 12, 1922
  [*]Age at Time of Disappearance: 63 years old
  [*]Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'0"; 125 lbs.
  [*]Distinguishing Characteristics: Black male. Black hair; brown eyes. Black rim glasses, with prescription lens in the right lens. The left lens was plain glass.
  [*]Clothing: Black fur type knee length coat, Black Russian style hat, white shirt with tie. Black dress shoes size, 5.
  [*]Medical: He had suffered a heart attack a year before, and wore a pacemaker. He had experienced memory lapses just before his disappearance. He was depressed about his physical condition.
• DNA: Available

---

Circumstances of Disappearance
On the last day of February 1986, the Reverend Richard Lawrence of Portland, who was in Tacoma with his wife for a religious conference, left his motel room to put gasoline in his car. The Lawrences were in Tacoma for a three-day meeting of the Pacific Northwest District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. Lawrence was a district elder of the church.
He became lost while driving in Portland two weeks before the Tacoma trip and again in Tacoma the day before he vanished, according to family and police reports.
His vehicle was located on a logging road in the town of Vader, Lewis County, WA on April 28, 1986, 80 miles south of Tacoma.
It is believed that Lawrence was headed home to Portland, Oregon when he left Tacoma. His vehicle was out of gas when it was located. Lewis County sheriff's deputies found a page from The Oregonian dated the day he left Tacoma near the car. In his handwriting, a note on the newspaper read: ``Will pick up car tonight or tomorrow.''
A search of the area where the vehicle was located produced no clues as to the whereabouts of Richard Lawrence. After the car was found, authorities checked the area and found two residents who had seen a man fitting his general description on the logging road the day after Lawrence left Tacoma. In both cases, the man did not indicate that he needed any help.

Following a hearing, a Multnomah County Circuit Judge declared Richard Lawrence dead as of July 24, 1987.

---

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tacoma Police Department
253-591-5993
Agency Case Number: 86-197 0451
Source Information:
Namus
Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) - October 22, 1987

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4369dmwa.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8789/

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Richard - it's now been over 35 years.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Richard is still missing

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

Richard Emanuel Lawrence – The Charley Project

• 
  

Lawrence, circa 1986

• Missing Since 02/28/1986
• Missing From Tacoma, Washington
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race Black
• Date of Birth 07/12/1922 (103)
• Age 63 years old
• Height and Weight 5'0, 125 pounds
• 
  
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A black knee-length fur coat, a white shirt, a tie, a black Russian-type hat and size 5 dress shoes.
• 
  
• Medical Conditions Lawrence suffered from a heart attack a year before his disappearance and he wore a pacemaker as a result. He had also experienced several bouts of memory loss. He was depressed over the state of his health and may have been suicidal.
• 
  
• Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Lawrence wears black-rimmed eyeglasses. The right lens is a prescription lens, and the left is plain glass.

Details of Disappearance​

Lawrence was last seen in Tacoma, Washington on February 28, 1986. He and his wife left their home in Portland, Oregon to attend a three-day meeting of the Pacific Northwest District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. He and his wife checked into the Apple Inn.

Lawrence may have been confused at the time. At 5:00 p.m. on the second day of the conference, he left the hotel to get gas for his car and never returned.

Two months later, on April 28, his truck was found abandoned and out of gas on a logging road in Vader, Washington, eighty miles south of Tacoma. Inside was a February 28 copy of the Oregonian newspaper, and a note reading, "Will pick up car tonight or tomorrow."

There was no sign of Lawrence at the scene and an extensive search turned up no indication of his whereabouts, although two witnesses reported seeing a man matching his description on the logging road on February 28. The man didn't indicate he was in need of assistance.

Authorities believe Lawrence may have been trying to get home to Portland and possibly became lost. He had gotten lost driving around Tacoma the day before he vanished, and had gotten lost in his hometown of Portland two weeks prior to that.

His wife theorized he picked up a ride from a passing motorist in Vader and was taken out of the area, but a private detective hired by the family believes Lawrence died somewhere within five miles of where he left his car. He was declared legally dead in 1987. His case remains unsolved.