WI WI - Michael Dennis Small, 27, Milwaukee - MP29102 - 28 July 1980

[JSolt1210]

Case Information

Demographics
Missing Age: 27 Years
Current Age: 66 Years
First Name: Michael
Middle Name: Dennis
Last Name: Small


Sex: Male
Height: 5' 11" (71 Inches)
Weight: 135 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact: July 28, 1980
NamUs Case Created: June 15, 2015

Last Known Location Map
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
County: Milwaukee County

Circumstances of Disappearance: Michael stated he was going to New York to live.

Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Left Eye Color: Brown
Right Eye Color: Brown
Eye Description: deep set eyes

Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered

Clothing and Accessories
Clothing: plaid short sleeve shirt, blue jeans
Eyewear: Black plastic glasses
Footwear: white tennis shoes

Additional Case Info

Transportation
bus or hitchhiking

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Michael Dennis Small – The Charley Project
________________________________

Little else appears to be available in his case. I've added him after seeing Michael suggested as 745UMWI and 798UMON, but being unable to find a thread specifically for him.

 

[Keiri]

Anyone able to find anything about him? I’m hitting a complete nothingness on newspaper sites

 

[Pennysmom1]

Michael Dennis Small​

Updated: Jan 9, 2022

Michael Dennis Small hasn't been seen or heard from since July 28, 1980.

Michael was 27 years old when he when he left his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stating that he was heading to New York to live. Michael intended to hitchhike, or to take a bus. He has not been heard from since.

Michael is 5'11" and is 135 pounds. He has brown hair, and brown eyes. He has deep-set eyes and wears black plastic framed glasses. He was last seen wearing a plaid short –sleeved shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

Michael would be 66 years old today. Despite limited information on this case, and how long Michael has been missing, law enforcement is still trying to find the answers of what happened to Michael.

Michael Dennis Small

Michael Dennis Small hasn't been seen or heard from since July 28, 1980. Michael was 27 years old when he when he left his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stating that he was heading to New York to live. Michael intended to hitchhike, or to take a bus. He has not been heard from since. Michael is...

www.wimissing.org

 

[HopeRains]

That's at least 5 states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana/Michigan, Ohio, PA, New York). Totally dependent on how he travelled and how far he got.

July 29, 1980 was a Tuesday.

 

[Peekaboo Cockatiel]

That's at least 5 states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana/Michigan, Ohio, PA, New York). Totally dependent on how he travelled and how far he got.

July 29, 1980 was a Tuesday.

Does anyone know why he was going to New York and why he was going to potentially hitchhike instead of taking the bus? Did he have an address he was going to? I would love to see more details on this case. So many questions.

 

[JSolt1210]

That's at least 5 states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana/Michigan, Ohio, PA, New York). Totally dependent on how he travelled and how far he got.

July 29, 1980 was a Tuesday.

Yeah apparently it's about a 15-hour drive!

I guess it's doable by bus (rest stops, changing drivers, etc.). But by hitchhiking it seems riskier, and not just because of the obvious. I mean, what if one driver can only take you so far? Now you're in the middle of nowhere, and it's not like you can just walk the rest of the way. What if you can't immediately hitch another ride afterwards? Even now with modern technology, it would be a pain to plan for that. Can't imagine what that would've been like in 1980.

Also, it seems weird to move on a random Tuesday. However, it was the end of the month, so maybe the lease on his apartment was up? But then again, if he was planning to relocate, did he really leave with all his belongings? Is it realistic to expect hitchhikers to pick you up with an entire move? Did he just pack light or not have much?

The more I think about it, the stranger this story sounds.

 

[HopeRains]

Also, it seems weird to move on a random Tuesday

The other thing with these dates - sometimes the missing date is the date reported, not the actual last seen date. It's hard to know - often people are last seen on a Friday but not reported (or report not taken) until the Monday. The info being confirmed is always helpful and with his case not much at all is offered.

 

[Keiri]

Looking for help determining his parents names and date of birth beyond the year. Hard to search in such a common name.

 

[Keiri]

Exclusions are VA and The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) (Hagerstown MD)
Still looking for help with his parents name, dob

 

[Keiri]

I have contacted the case owner and asked for dob/parent info if available.

 

[Keiri]

Added to DN https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=6542dmwi
Case owner does not have this information about DOB or parent info, so I'm going to hit up the archives soon.

 

[Keiri]

This information here about chapel hill is new! https://www.missingpersons.doj.wi.gov/sites/default/files/missing-posters/Michael Small poster_0.pdf

 

[Teamir]

This information here about chapel hill is new! https://www.missingpersons.doj.wi.gov/sites/default/files/missing-posters/Michael Small poster_0.pdf

Hmmm, Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania. That’s helpful a bit!

 

[Teamir]

Anyone able to find anything about him? I’m hitting a complete nothingness on newspaper sites

I did a general search by name and it popped up a photo next to his that looks similar. Would it be that easy? That Michael Small is an architect in New York for airport lounge design consulting. Brown eyes - deep set eyes - brown hair - similar facial features?

 

[Keiri]

Oh no, that man is WAAAY too young looking. Michael would be 70. But I like how you think

 

[Teamir]

I found him in the 1969 yearbook photos for Pius XI High School in Milwaukee. If that helps anyone?

 

[Teamir]

I found him in the 1969 yearbook photos for Pius XI High School in Milwaukee. If that helps anyone?

I actually found him in multiple Pius yearbooks, always listed “M Small”. Photos both with and without glasses.

 

[Quoththeraven]

This information here about chapel hill is new! https://www.missingpersons.doj.wi.gov/sites/default/files/missing-posters/Michael Small poster_0.pdf

Chapel Hill is a neighborhood in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. I wonder how it was determined he was last seen in the Chapel Hill neighborhood. I'm betting he was in contact with someone back home, letting them know where he was.

Since he left Milwaukee on July 28, 1980, then the Chapel Hill sighting was more than likely August 23, 1980 which is the date on the poster? I think the actual missing date should reflect that. It would be a straight shot east on highway 81/78 to New York. The counties that those highways run through would be a good place to check for unidentified persons found in those counties since 1980.

 

[Keiri]

After receiving the file, I can clear this up. He was not in chapel hill, never was - the family or the police got it wrong. It’s incorrect. He was in camp hill, I was able to determine by the hospital where he was staying.

 

[Keiri]

He left july 28. On August 1, his mom received a call from Holy Spirit hospital in camp hill (written as chapel hill, but later corrected as “either camp hill or chapel hill” but that hospital is in camp hill, pa.) I don’t know why the timing is so close. SHe was informed he left the hospital but did not say where he was going.

The 8/23 date is when his mom reported him missing to the police. Since there was a gap of time I wouldn’t be surprised if the second date was wrong, but his birthday was also July 28 so I assume they remembered him leaving on his birthday pretty well.

I can’t link to msm as none of this is in the news, but I have the police file.