Gary James Shanley

Shanley, circa 2006

  • Missing Since 11/23/2006
  • Missing From East St. Louis, Illinois
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 06/21/1979 (44)
  • Age 27 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'8, 175 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description Possibly a t-shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers and a flannel jacket.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Older model maroon Sonoma pickup truck (accounted for)
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Black hair, hazel eyes. Shanley wore a reddish-black goatee at the time of his November 2006 disappearance. His right ear is pierced and his left ear is double-pierced. He has a scar on his left thumb. Shanley has the following tattoos: the letters "GFID" above a red heart pierced by a knife, the name "Zander" and the date "07/04/03" on his chest, a skull with blue flames on his right leg, a very detailed knife extending from the crease of his right elbow down to his wrist, and a Chinese good luck symbol in black ink on his right bicep.

Details of Disappearance

Shanley was last seen at approximately 1:30 a.m. on November 23, 2006 at the Double Deuce bar in the vicinity of Falling Springs and Mildred Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois. He has never been heard from again.

After his disappearance, his jeans were found on the floor of the apartment he had just moved into, with the belt still in the loops. Shanley's money, cellular phone and identification card were on a table and his older model maroon Sonoma pickup truck was in the parking lot, but his wallet and keys were missing. His loved ones stated it appeared as if he had stopped by his apartment to change clothes, then left it shortly afterwards.

At the time of his disappearance, Shanley had no credit cards and only a couple of dollars in his bank account. He made his living doing odd jobs. He had a job scheduled for November 26 that would have earned him $200, but he never showed up for work. He had a regular routine he stuck to, and rarely traveled anywhere.

He also missed his family's Thanksgiving celebration on November 25, and a custody hearing scheduled for December 4. His mother stated it was extremely uncharacteristic of Shanley to miss the hearing. His case remains unsolved. Cahokia, Illinois police are investigating.

Investigating Agency

  • Cahokia Police Department 618-337-9505

Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 1, 2013; details of disappearance updated.