Jefferson Brian Arms

Arms, circa 1992

  • Missing Since 09/18/1992
  • Missing From Plattsburgh, New York
  • Classification Lost/Injured Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 05/07/1970 (53)
  • Age 22 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'10, 165 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A life jacket and possibly green shorts and a red flannel shirt.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Light brown hair, blue eyes. Arms wears wire-framed eyeglasses and a temporary retainer in his lower teeth. He has a scar on his knuckle and a chicken pox scar near his eye. His nickname is Jeff.

Details of Disappearance

Arms was seen at approximately 8:00 p.m. on September 18, 1992, in his 16-foot Sunfish sailboat on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, New York. He and two male friends sailed approximately one mile east of Schuyler Island and into an open area of the lake. The boat hit rough water and flipped over twice, knocking Arms and his companions into the lake.

Arms and his friends were wearing life jackets and decided to swim to Schuyler Island. His two friends went ahead and saw Arms swimming behind them most of the way, but they reached the island and Arms did not. His life jacket and the sailboat were later found by the Coast Guard, but Arms himself has never been heard from again.

Arms is from Westminster, Vermont and was visiting the Plattsburgh area at the time of his disappearance. He is presumed to have drowned, but remains classified as a missing person.

Investigating Agency

  • New York State Police 518-563-3761

Source Information

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 2, 2006; casefile added.