Paul Eugene Housel

• Missing Since 07/24/1988
• Missing From Portland, Oregon
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Age 75 years old
• Height and Weight 5'5, 140 - 150 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A red checked shirt, blue slacks and sneakers.
• Medical Conditions Housel suffers from asthma and Alzheimer's Disease. Because of his condition, he becomes easily confused and agitated, has difficulty speaking and cannot take care of himself without assistance.
• Distinguishing Characteristics White male. Gray hair, blue eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Housel was last seen outside his apartment in the Raleigh Hills area of Portland, Oregon on July 24, 1988. His wife was at the upstairs window and saw him walking down the street away from home. She asked the rest of the family to go look for him, and they did, but they were unable to find him.

At the time of his disappearance, he was carrying his wallet with identification, about $20 in cash and no credit cards. A tracker dog traced Housel's scent to a Tri-Met bus stop, but his wife does not believe he got on a bus. She stated that because of his condition, he would not have known where to wait for the bus or how to pay for the bus fare. He would also have been unable to make a phone call.

Housel had developed the first symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease five or six years before his disappearance, and had wandered away from home three times before. Each time he was missing for about eighteen hours before being found safe. After his July 1988, disappearance, he was never seen again.

According to Housel's wife, he was frustrated by his condition and felt isolated by his inability to communicate. His wife said she thought he might have left because he felt he was a burden on her and their family. His case remains unsolved.