Richard Roy Yerex

Yerex, circa 1987

  • Missing Since 05/27/1987
  • Missing From Palm Beach County, Florida
  • Classification Lost/Injured Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 10/19/1930 (93)
  • Age 56 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'10, 170 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A white short-sleeved shirt, gray pants, black shoes and a watch.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Cessna 402 plane
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, blue eyes. Yerex wears eyeglasses for reading.

Details of Disappearance

Yerex was last seen in Palm Beach County, Florida on May 27, 1987. He had retired from his job as a captain in the Ford Motor Company's air fleet and was living in North Palm Beach, Florida and flying commuter planes to and from the Bahamas with the Aero Coach company.

He flew a nine-passenger Cessna 402 out of Palm Beach International Airport at 8:05 a.m. the day of his disappearance. He planned to pick up tourists at Marsh Harbor on Abaco Island, then make the fifty-minute return flight.

Yerex's last transmission said he was near a weather balloon over Grand Bahama Island. He was supposed to arrive at Marsh Harbor at 8:50 a.m., but never did. The Coast Guard began searching for him twenty-five minutes later. An extensive search of the ocean turned up no sign of him or the plane, however.

Authorities noted there were no rafts or life preservers aboard the Cessna and the plane could sink and disappear completely. It's propeller-driven and has the tail number N2652B.

Yerex is a very experienced and capable pilot who had been flying for 35 years by 1987. He has eight children. His disappearance remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office 561-688-3000

Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated March 31, 2018; middle name added.