Jonathan M. Schaff

Schaff, circa 2014; Tattoo on Schaff's hand; "SCHAFF" tattoo on Schaff's back

  • Missing Since 01/18/2014
  • Missing From Granville, New York
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 01/22/1991 (33)
  • Age 23 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'0, 170 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A gray or light blue hooded sweatshirt, a dark brown or black Carhartt jacket, dark blue jeans and brown work boots.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Schaff wears eyeglasses, but they were broken at the time of his disappearance. His nickname is Jon. Schaff has four tattoos: an eagle on his right calf or on his chest, a spiderweb between the fingers of his left hand, a Grim Reaper on the left side of his ribcage, and his last name "SCHAFF" in stylized lettering on his back. Photos of some of his tattoos are posted with this case summary.

Details of Disappearance

Schaff was last seen near the New York/Vermont state border after he got into a fight at the Riverside Pub on west Main Street in Granville, New York at approximately 5:00 a.m. on January 18, 2014. He sustained scalp lacerations during the fight, and his glasses were broken.

Two people offered Schaff a ride and they were going to their car when Schaff walked ahead of them and vanished. He has never been heard from again and an extensive search of the area turned up no sign of him. His cellular phone was found a few days later in the cab of a tractor-trailer parked at Loomis Trucking on Route 149 in Pawlet, Vermont, next to the Mettawee River. The lot is near where Schaff was last seen.

If Schaff was outdoors in the cold weather without shelter, he would not have survived long. Police believed he had fallen in the river and searched it several times up until November 2015. The river was unusually low over the summer months that year. Nothing was ever found, however. The patron he fought with on the night of his disappearance has been investigated and has not been named as a suspect.

It's uncharacteristic of Schaff to leave without warning. He lived in Fair Haven, Vermont at the time of his disappearance, just across the state line from Granville. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Granville Police Department 518-642-1414
  • Vermont State Police 802-773-9101

Updated 5 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 22, 2020; picture added, distinguishing characteristics and details of disappearance updated.