Buzz
Located in the southeastern part of California, Joshua Tree National Park is known for its rugged charm and fascinating history. From its dramatic beginnings tied to mining to the haunting era of Charles Manson and the iconic stories surrounding Gram Parsons, the park’s past weaves a complex narrative of allure and peril.
The park’s legacy is also marked by eerie tales of those who disappeared within its boundaries, some whose fates remain a mystery. This article explores ten gripping stories of individuals who vanished without a trace in Joshua Tree National Park.
10. Robert Dykins Cook
On October 31, 1986, 41-year-old Robert Dykins Cook from San Diego was reported missing by his family. Park rangers were alerted on November 8, and a search operation led to the discovery of his body on November 12, south of Sullivan Road and west of Adobe Road, by a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s helicopter team. Other items believed to belong to Cook were located in the Morongo Basin area.
His death, ruled as a suicide caused by gunshot wounds, remains a point of intrigue. Cook, a nuclear physicist and the director of safety and security at the Naval Ocean Systems Center (now the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific), held a high-level security clearance at the time of his disappearance. The center, located in San Diego, is a key facility for the Navy’s technological advancements. Authorities, upon finding Cook’s body, concluded there was no indication of foul play.
9. Michael John O’Conner
Michael John O’Conner, a 46-year-old executive at Chrysler Corporation, was reported missing in Joshua Tree National Park on April 30, 2013, by his wife. After obtaining an entry pass to the park around noon that day from the Cottonwood Springs Visitor Center, his whereabouts became unknown.
Strangely, O’Conner’s vehicle was found on May 2, 2013, at a trailhead in the area. He had been registered at the Erawan Gardens Hotel in Indian Wells for a seminar and dinner hosted by Chrysler Corp. However, after he didn’t return home on May 1, 2013, his wife became concerned and reached out to law enforcement.
Search operations were launched with the assistance of various teams, including the California Rescue Dog Association with scent dogs, a California Highway Patrol helicopter, Riverside County Mountain Rescue Unit, and the Joshua Tree Search and Rescue Team. Despite these efforts, it took several days to locate him.
On May 5, 2013, Joshua Tree National Park rangers discovered Michael John O’Conner’s body, which was determined to have been caused by heart failure brought on by extreme weather conditions. Following an autopsy, the Riverside County Coroner reported that O’Conner’s death was due to an irregular heartbeat caused by an enlarged heart. It’s believed he collapsed while hiking in the Cottonwood area.
8. Joseph DiMento
Joseph DiMento, a retired IBM repairman in his 60s and an immigrant from Thailand, left his home in Seal Beach, California, on June 18, 1998, after an argument with his wife. Taking only his driver’s license and $200, he embarked on a journey that would remain shrouded in mystery. His wife, Uraiwan DiMento, grew alarmed when she found his wallet, containing his credit and ATM cards, abandoned in the bushes in front of their house, leading her to contact the authorities. Detective Darrell Hardin, who was assigned to the case, initially speculated that Joseph may have decided to start a new life under a different identity.
In 1999, with Joseph still missing, his wife offered a $100,000 reward for any information that could lead to his whereabouts. She described their marriage as one characterized by stubbornness and long silences following arguments. The dispute that preceded his disappearance involved Joseph’s desire to take a final hike to a riverbed after a camping trip in Joshua Tree National Park, despite the sweltering 100-degree heat—a plan his wife had strongly opposed.
On October 28, 2002, a group of Boy Scouts practicing land navigation came across human remains in Joshua Tree National Park. The discovery puzzled park rangers, as there was no evidence that DiMento had taken the family vehicle, nor was there any abandoned vehicle found within the park. Later, dental records confirmed that the remains were those of DiMento.
Uraiwan DiMento later became the primary suspect in the death of her husband. Her attorneys advised her against speaking to the media about the case. However, a search of California's inmate records suggests that she was not convicted of these charges.
7. Eric Sears
Seventeen-year-old Eric Sears was last seen by his hiking companion, who reported him missing in July 2004 at the Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park, located roughly one mile (1.6 kilometers) southwest of Twentynine Palms.
Initially, around 100 members of the National Park Service rescue team, along with volunteers, conducted an exhaustive search for Sears. They used foot patrols, horses, four-wheel-drive vehicles, and helicopters. While some of Sears’s tracks were found and his scent was picked up by bloodhounds at different locations, the park’s rugged terrain, filled with boulders and rocky formations, made the search efforts challenging. Riverside County Sheriff’s homicide detectives eventually joined the investigation, turning the search into a criminal inquiry.
Following interviews with over 30 witnesses, law enforcement obtained a warrant to search the home of Sears’s hiking companion, Ben Fogelstrom. On July 23, 2004, a search party discovered Sears’s decomposed body approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the Jumbo Rocks campsite he had shared with Fogelstrom.
In October 2004, law enforcement published an autopsy report that provided details on the circumstances surrounding Sears’s death. Due to the state of the remains, the exact cause of death could not be determined. However, the report indicated the presence of two chemicals, atropine and scopolamine, which are toxins typically found in jimson weed, in Eric’s brain tissue, confirming prior suspicions.
6. June Cox and Lucy Trichine
In May 1995, the disappearance of two women from Yucca Valley, 66-year-old June Cox and 73-year-old Lucy Trichine, raised alarms when they didn’t return home from their morning walk. Their vehicle was found several miles inside the main entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, sparking immediate search efforts.
A search and rescue team, complete with a canine unit, was dispatched to find Cox and Trichine. Cox’s husband reported them missing, noting that the women usually went for a walk at around 7:30 a.m. and would return by 9 a.m.
One intriguing aspect of the case was Trichine’s past connection to a notorious incident in 1962 involving threatening letters allegedly written by Dr. Carl Coppolino. These letters were meant to force her departure from Riverview Hospital in Red Bank, New Jersey, where both women had worked. Coppolino, who had served 12 years in prison for murder and was paroled in 1967, was believed to be alive at the time of the women’s disappearance.
5. William Michael Ewasko
In June 2010, 65-year-old William Michael Ewasko disappeared while hiking in Joshua Tree National Park, prompting a large-scale search operation involving nearly 100 people. His girlfriend reported him missing after he failed to check in following his solo hiking trip the day before.
Ewasko’s rented 2007 Chrysler Sebring was found on Keys View Road inside the park. Despite a thorough 11-day search, he could not be located. Initially, teams concentrated their efforts around the Hayfield Lake area, but after the discovery of his vehicle, the search shifted to the Quail Mountain area.
In 2022, hikers exploring Joshua Tree National Park found Ewasko’s remains near the Panorama and Burro trails, not far from the park entrance. His wallet, containing his name, was also discovered nearby. One of the most perplexing aspects of Ewasko’s case is the discrepancy between the area where he was believed to have been hiking and where his remains were found, about a mile from the main road and in a different part of the park.
4. Nola Pauline Taylor
On September 8, 2014, Nola Pauline Taylor left the Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree, heading for her quilting class at the Yucca Valley Community Center. However, she never made it to her destination. Worried about her disappearance, Taylor’s son reported her missing, prompting a search by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Four days later, on September 12, authorities discovered Taylor’s vehicle, which had become disabled while attempting a turn on a private road within Joshua Tree National Park. Law enforcement quickly launched a search operation, deploying patrol officers, aircraft, bloodhounds, and search and rescue teams.
Sadly, Taylor’s remains were found on Sunday, September 21, 2014, in the desert, about half a mile south of where Desert Quail Drive intersects with Baseline Road. Following an investigation, authorities concluded that Taylor had likely passed away after attempting to find help when her vehicle became stranded.
3. Trammell Evans
Trammell Evans, a 25-year-old enthusiastic hiker, was last seen embarking on a solo hike in Joshua Tree National Park’s Black Rock Canyon Campground area on April 30, 2023. When he failed to reach his planned destination, concerns were raised, and a search began on May 5, 2023.
On January 25, 2024, skeletal remains were found by Joshua Tree Park staff in the vicinity. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Bureau were called to investigate. On February 7, 2024, park researchers came across an abandoned backpack off a trail in the Black Rock area. These remains were later identified as Trammell’s, though the cause of his death was not determined at that time.
Interestingly, after Trammell’s disappearance, his family initially thought he had moved away. However, a private investigator hired by the family reported sightings of Trammell in Slab City near the Salton Sea and Wonder Valley. Eventually, it was revealed that Trammell had died from complications related to alcohol withdrawal.
2. Marty Kenney
The disappearance of 43-year-old Marty Kenney in Joshua Tree National Park on February 26, 2019, alarmed both his friends and authorities. Kenney was last heard from on that date, and his whereabouts remained unknown until March 1, 2019, when friends found his vehicle in the Pine City backcountry board parking lot and notified park rangers on February 28, 2019.
A search of Kenney’s campsite led to the discovery of personal belongings, raising further concern. Tragically, the following day, Kenney’s body was discovered in the Pine City area of Joshua Tree Park. Despite thorough investigations, including searches and interviews, many details about Kenney’s disappearance, including the cause of his death, remain unclear.
1. Henry Strange
The shocking death of 54-year-old Henry Strange in 2018 rocked Joshua Tree National Park. His remains were found on June 2, 2018, leading to an in-depth investigation initially carried out by Joshua Tree Park rangers and later continued by Riverside County homicide detectives. Ultimately, the case was transferred to the Murrieta Police Department for further handling.
After Strange’s body was discovered, two individuals were arrested in connection with the murder. However, they were later released as authorities reviewed the case further.
Curtis Lee Krueger, a lieutenant with Combat Logistics Battalion 7 in Twentynine Palms, California, was charged with Strange’s murder. Despite his notable career in the Marine Corps, Krueger pleaded not guilty to the charges. Authorities focused on him after Strange’s body was found in a shallow grave within the park.
Court records revealed disturbing details about Strange’s death. He had sustained multiple skull fractures, and the coroner ruled the cause of death as homicidal violence. Evidence pointed to Krueger and his girlfriend, Ashlie Stapp, as being involved in the murder.
Stange, a divorced father of two, was in a relationship with Stapp at the time of his death. Phone records revealed Krueger and Stapp’s movements on the day of the murder, which included a visit to Stange’s Murrieta residence. Authorities believe Stange was killed in his garage and later buried in Joshua Tree National Park. A wiretap warrant uncovered conversations between Krueger and Stapp discussing the murder, which ultimately led to their arrests on August 29, 2018.
