DENVER — When people vanish without a trace, friends and family are left with unanswered questions that often haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Each year, nearly a million people in the United States are reported missing. But most of the cases get resolved quickly when missing loved ones return home or are safely located.
However, that’s not been the case for three Colorado residents: Adam Gilbertson, Kimberlee Graves and James Mitchell.
With very few clues to go on, the three separate missing person cases from December of 2017 appear to have stumped Colorado authorities.
No new information surrounding the investigations has been released since they disappeared.
Their families are desperate for answers and holding onto hope that one day their loved ones will return home.
Here are their stories:
Elderly man disappears after crashing truck into rail car
James Mitchell, 87, vanished after crashing his truck into a railcar in Golden in the early morning hours on Dec. 14, 2017.
Blood was found inside the cab of the abandoned pickup truck after railroad workers came upon the crash scene, but Mitchell was nowhere to be found.
The retired Postal worker had been in Arvada with friends the previous evening. It’s unclear why he was in Golden.
Police said he may be suffering from dementia and crashed his truck sometime during the night.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Golden Police Department at 303-384-8045.
No trace of missing Minnesota man who disappeared after night out in Denver
Adam Gilbertson, a Minnesota native living in Denver, disappeared without a trace early Dec. 16, 2017.
He was last seen at 12:53 a.m. on surveillance footage leaving Syntax Physic Opera Bar on South Broadway, about a quarter-mile from his apartment.
Earlier in the evening, he was seen on video alone at Charlie's Nightclub on East Colfax Avenue around 11:30 p.m.
According to the timestamp on the surveillance video from Charlie's, Gilbertson got into a Lyft about eight minutes later.
His family told Denver7 they spoke with the Lyft driver, who told them that Gilbertson said he "had a bad night, and had been harassed at the bar."
The driver told Gilbertson’s family he took Adam to his car, which was parked in a Ballpark neighborhood lot. His car was found at his home, but he was nowhere to be found.
If you have information, contact Denver Police at (720) 913-2000, and tell them you're calling about case number 17-837-972. A new tip-line has also been set up by the family.
Fort Collins woman missing; home ransacked, car left abandoned in parking garage
Kimberlee Graves, 41, disappeared under suspicious circumstances. She was last seen at her Fort Collins home the night of Dec. 4, 2017.
Police went to her home four days later, but nobody answered the door, and her car was gone. Friends later reported to police that her home had been ransacked.
Her car was eventually found abandoned in a parking garage.
Anyone with information about Ms. Graves’ whereabouts should contact Fort Collins Police at 970-416-2825 or tipsline@fcgov.com.
