WI WI - Donald John Young, 23, Lone Rock, 11 July 1979

[ChatteringBirds]

NamUs Case Created December 10, 2025.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

Missing Person / NamUs #MP153229
Donald John Young
Male, White / Caucasian
Date of Last Contact: July 11, 1979
Missing From: Lone Rock, Wisconsin
Missing Age: 23 Years
Current Age: 70 Years
Height: 6' 0" - 6' 1" (72 - 73 Inches)
Weight: 190 lbs
Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry
Head Hair Description: Curly
Eye Color: Hazel
Eye Description: Wears Glasses

Distinctive Physical Features:
Scar/mark: May have scar on face where he was struck with a rock while cutting hay and on his hand from when he fell on a pitchfork which pierced his hand.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Donald Young was last seen in July of 1979. A family member stated Donald may have traveled to California, although that was never substantiated.

 

[Keiri]

taken from NamUs

 

[AirForceVet24]

I do got some added information about this case.


According to townnews.com "Donald J. Young, 23-years-old, has been missing since July 17, 1979. Donald had supposedly left for California, but no one had heard anything from him or seen him. Sauk County Sheriff’s Department deputies investigating the complaint were unable to locate Donald or determine what had happened to him. Donald’s wallet, clothes and vehicle were still at the farm where his bother and he resided on Strang Hollow Road, north of County Highway B, in the Township of Bear Creek, in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Donald Young was a male, white, 6’1” tall, 210 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Young wore glasses. "

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.tow...-11e0-a440-001cc4c002e0/4e33849d844c3.pdf.pdf

I did a quick google maps search of the area and while we do not know the exact house number, we can at least get a grasp of the landscape which shows a ton of foliage/ forestry area. I am wondering how he even would have went to California in the first place if he did not take his vehicle with him.

 

[Keiri]

I do got some added information about this case.


According to townnews.com "Donald J. Young, 23-years-old, has been missing since July 17, 1979. Donald had supposedly left for California, but no one had heard anything from him or seen him. Sauk County Sheriff’s Department deputies investigating the complaint were unable to locate Donald or determine what had happened to him. Donald’s wallet, clothes and vehicle were still at the farm where his bother and he resided on Strang Hollow Road, north of County Highway B, in the Township of Bear Creek, in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Donald Young was a male, white, 6’1” tall, 210 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Young wore glasses. "

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.tow...-11e0-a440-001cc4c002e0/4e33849d844c3.pdf.pdf

I did a quick google maps search of the area and while we do not know the exact house number, we can at least get a grasp of the landscape which shows a ton of foliage/ forestry area. I am wondering how he even would have went to California in the first place if he did not take his vehicle with him.

During that time period it was not uncommon for people to hitchhike because it wasn’t seen as dangerous as people later learned.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I agree, @AirForceVet24.
Even if he got into a vehicle with someone else, wouldn't he at least grab his wallet? Throw some clothes in a bag?
Usually when important things are left, it's not a voluntary disappearance of an adult of sound mind, IMO.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

During that time period it was not uncommon for people to hitchhike because it wasn’t seen as dangerous as people later learned.

This is also true but why, if he had a vehicle.

If he lived with his brother, I wonder what exactly he last said to him. Surely there are more details -- who, why, how he was supposedly leaving, why he left everything behind when he went, etc.

I wonder what his relatives thought happened to him and whether his brother is still alive and inquired with LE regarding his disappearance, leading to his entry in NamUs?

 

[HopeRains]

Excerpts below from larger article. Given such, it would seem most likely that the brother was involved in the disappearance of Donald.

Baraboo News Republic, Thu, Aug 23, 1979 ·Page 1​

 

[AirForceVet24]

Solid researching sleuthers!

Theirs a reason why I love coming here! The article posted by @HopeRains tells us that this is likely a murder case. Sadly, authorities do not have a body nor probably much evidence to go after him. I did look further into Edwin through ancestorial records, however, I am not seeing anything on him at all. Conversely I am not seeing anything for Donald either. Future considerations for this thread would be to try to find those records if possible.


Looking closely at the map of the area, I think I have pinpointed where the farm was, it looks to be at the very north part od the road as I do see an abandoned farm. Since the area if forestry/ foliage, I honestly wonder if he Donald maybe still on the property or close to it.

 

[Keiri]

I’d like to point out that another young man, Robert Christian, age 18, went missing from Sauk county in September 1979, about two months later.

 

[AirForceVet24]

I’d like to point out that another young man, Robert Christian, age 18, went missing from Sauk county in September 1979, about two months later.

Not to get too far off the trail here, but I have read about Robert's case several times in the past and his case is pretty odd to say the least. From what I understand is that in recent years even going back to just this past February is that law enforcement was exploring the possibility that John Wayne Gacy had something to do with Robert's disappearance. I....I dont know, in all honesty, I have not read enough into Gacy to really give a concrete answer. Looking at it from the outside looking in so to speak, I dont think Gacy was there, but we will never know.

In my personal opinion, yes its very odd to have these two missing two months apart in relatively the same area with respect to the fact that they are around the same age. I do wonder if Robert and Donald may have known each other which I think is possible, yet perhaps maybe a little unlikely.

 

[Keiri]

The Gacy stuff was absolutely ridiculous, IMHO. My friend @Quoththeraven and I went through Gacy's known movements by date and honestly, it seems next to impossible to have been him. Also remember he stuck to Chicago. I was really annoyed PO brought that serial killer type thought into it.
I calculated the distance. About an hour between where each went missing.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Not to get too far off the trail here, but I have read about Robert's case several times in the past and his case is pretty odd to say the least. From what I understand is that in recent years even going back to just this past February is that law enforcement was exploring the possibility that John Wayne Gacy had something to do with Robert's disappearance. I....I dont know, in all honesty, I have not read enough into Gacy to really give a concrete answer. Looking at it from the outside looking in so to speak, I dont think Gacy was there, but we will never know.

In my personal opinion, yes its very odd to have these two missing two months apart in relatively the same area with respect to the fact that they are around the same age. I do wonder if Robert and Donald may have known each other which I think is possible, yet perhaps maybe a little unlikely.

Robert Christian was from Madison, WI. It's possible that Christian and Young knew each other, but I doubt it. IMO, Young's brother Edward is the prime suspect in Donald Young's disappearance.

An article in the Baraboo News Republic Wed, Aug 29, 1979 Page 1, lays out the story where Edward also threatened to kill his father, Gerald Young.

Source: Newspapers.com

 

[Keiri]

I think it is less likely a connection where anyone knew each other and more to do with theft. The area’s papers were rife with articles about thefts from cars, auto shops, of cattle, and of sports equipment. (I read Them like crazy looking for Bob links). Note that the fight had was about “missing cattle.”

The parts were missing from bob’s car and the nun’s house was burgled the evening Bob went missing. If Donald’s was an intentional death, and Bob was a crime of opportunity the same night as the nun’s house burglary, I think they very well could be connected. Just a theory.

 

[Quoththeraven]

I think it is less likely a connection where anyone knew each other and more to do with theft. The area’s papers were rife with articles about thefts from cars, auto shops, of cattle, and of sports equipment. (I read Them like crazy looking for Bob links). Note that the fight had was about “missing cattle.”

The parts were missing from bob’s car and the nun’s house was burgled the evening Bob went missing. If Donald’s was an intentional death, and Bob was a crime of opportunity the same night as the nun’s house burglary, I think they very well could be connected. Just a theory.

IMO, if Edward Young had the inherent propensity for theft and murder, based on the missing cattle and his confession that he killed his brother, then it could be speculated he might have been responsible for the burglary at the nun's house and the disappearance and probable murder of Robert Christian. He didn't necessarily have to have known Robert Christian to have stripped his car and disappeared him. We just have to find a connection. Which probably won't happen unless Robert's and Donald's bodies are found. As it stands, there is no connection to the two. It would be nice to know where Donald lived on Rt 1 in relation to where Bob went missing and where Donald's brother Edward and their father Gerald lived. This theory is way less whacked than the fall guy Ed Gein Gacy theory.

 

[Keiri]

You’d think the obvious place to check would be the young farm. I wonder if they ever did bring dogs. I’d assume cadaver dogs can’t do squat now, right?

 

[AirForceVet24]

You’d think the obvious place to check would be the young farm. I wonder if they ever did bring dogs. I’d assume cadaver dogs can’t do squat now, right?

Thats where I think Donald is. At the North part of Strang Hollow Road is an abandoned farm and that is where I think there farm was and I am willing to bet that Donald is buried somewhere on the property.

 

[Keiri]

Thats where I think Donald is. At the North part of Strang Hollow Road is an abandoned farm and that is where I think there farm was and I am willing to bet that Donald is buried somewhere on the property.

And maybe others. Too bad there’s really no way to discover bodies buried this long, lidar only shows disturbances underground, but that could be nothing.

 

[AirForceVet24]

Theirs some cases from back decades ago that I think could easily solved if more people associated with the case was still alive. For instance, Edward died in 1982 and only he knows where Donald is buried at. With this one, I am willing to bet that hes on the property, but like of like what you said @Keiri its like finding a needle in a haystack really.

 

[Keiri]

Burying someone alone, and carrying a body that was close to 200 lbs, is a big job. Wonder if he had a buddy help after the fact. Past police records maybe?