Clayton Randolph Quayle

Quayle, circa 1978

  • Missing Since 06/06/1978
  • Missing From Bozeman, Montana
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 08/23/1953 (71)
  • Age 24 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'10, 155 pounds
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Brown 1976 Volkswagen (accounted for)
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Quayle had collar-length hair and a beard at the time of his disappearance. His nickname is Clay and he may use the last name MacPhail.

Details of Disappearance

Quayle was last seen in Bozeman, Montana on June 6, 1978. He has never been heard from again. Because he enjoyed traveling, sometimes without telling his loved ones in advance, he wasn't reported missing until September 8.

In October, rock climber found his brown 1976 Volkswagen parked on an old ranch road on the edge of a ravine in the Revenue Flats area, about five and a half miles southwest of Norris, Montana. Authorities believe the car had been there deliberately and that it had been there for a long time; local ranchers reported having seen it as early as July.

There car's doors were locked, the hand brake was on and there were no fresh tire tracks nearby. There were dark stains on the car's upholstery, which police initially thought were blood, but laboratory analysis showed they were in fact berry juice. There were also fast food wrappers inside the car, but no camping equipment or anything of value. The keys to the car were in a crevice about fifteen feet away.

There has been no indication of Quayle's whereabouts since his car was discovered. He was declared legally dead in 1989 and his mother was named the conservator of his estate, which included $30,000 in a trust account. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Bozeman Police Department 406-582-2000

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 21, 2021; casefile added.