Howard Sherwin Tokarsky

• Missing Since 12/14/1984
• Missing From Los Angeles, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 06/14/1939 (86)
• Age 45 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 200 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A red sweatshirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
• Associated Vehicle(s) Red and white Ford Bronco (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics White male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Tokarsky has scars on both of his knees and on his left arm. He broke his leg in an accident in 1983 and limps as a result. He wears eyeglasses and cannot see well without them, but those were left behind.

Details of Disappearance

Tokarsky was last seen in Los Angeles, California on December 14, 1984. He was en route to go target shooting in the desert. He has never been heard from again.

That night, police found Tokarsky's red and white Ford Bronco parked behind a market on the outskirts of Mojave, California, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The vehicle was unlocked and the keys were in the ignition. It was set in four-wheel drive mode, which wasn't necessary for the terrain where the car was found, and it's uncharacteristic of Tokarsky to leave the vehicle in four-wheel drive when it wasn't needed.

Tokarsky's wallet, with his identification and credit cards but no money, was on the front seat. Many of his other belongings, including his glasses and camera, were scattered in the vehicle; it's uncharacteristic of him to leave his car in a messy condition. Authorities found one pistol inside the car, but a rifle and a second pistol Tokarsky had taken with him were missing.

No other trace was found of him in spite of an extensive search. He was under-dressed for the cold rain and snow that fell in the area in the days after his disappearance, and wouldn't have survived long without shelter.

Tokarsky is an accomplished outdoorsman and enjoyed going into the desert to shoot at targets, and to take photographs. He worked as an operations manager for the Sylmar chemical company in 1984, and left behind a wife and two young children. He's described as a "good family man" who spent a lot of time with his children and didn't drink alcohol or use drugs.

Foul play is suspected in Tokarsky's case; his family thinks he was harmed elsewhere and his car was then driven to Mojave and left where it was found. He was declared legally dead in May 1985, less than five months after his disappearance.