Samuel Bryan Dennis

Dennis, circa 2000

  • Missing Since 10/07/2000
  • Missing From Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 07/26/1971 (52)
  • Age 29 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'9 - 5'11, 150 - 160 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A long-sleeved, dark-colored shirt, jeans and Nike sneakers.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Dennis has a bald spot on the top of his head. He may have a mustache, beard or goatee. He has a scar on his right knee and the following tattoos: a heart with the name "Wendy" on his right shoulder, a Tasmanian devil on his left shoulder and a snake on one of his forearms. Dennis's nickname is Sam. Some agencies may spell his middle name "Brian."

Details of Disappearance

Dennis was last seen at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Broadway Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana on October 7, 2000. He was shopping near Typhoid Larry's Burger Dairy at the time. He was riding a red Moped with a torn seat.

Dennis has never been heard from again. He resided with roommates in the 1100 block of Swinney Avenue in 2000, but he was visiting friends when he went missing.

The last time Dennis saw his mother was in September, the month before he vanished. He went to visit her at her home in Monroeville, Indiana. During the visit he told her he smoked marijuana and said, "When I go home, they're going to kill me." He didn't say who he was referring to or why they would want to kill him. His mother didn't take his statement seriously, but she did invite him to move back in with her.

Dennis was in a reformatory school in his teens and has a minor criminal record as an adult for offenses including public intoxication and driving on a suspended license, but nothing in his life suggests he would have wanted to disappear. He was close to his mother and they spoke on the telephone on the day he went missing.

Family members said that it is uncharacteristic of Dennis to disappear; he has left town before, but never for this long. He never cashed his last paycheck from his employer.

In 2009, a man incarcerated for murder in Indiana wrote a letter confessing to Dennis's murder. He stated he killed Dennis in retaliation after Dennis molested his three-year-old son. He led authorities to the spot where he said he buried Dennis, but they didn't find anything buried there. Authorities haven't said whether they believe the man's statement, but he hasn't faced any charges in the case.

Dennis's disappearance remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.

Investigating Agency

  • Fort Wayne Police Department 219-427-1202

Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 15, 2010; details of disappearance updated.