Keith William Tindale

Tindale, circa 1983

  • Missing Since 06/01/1983
  • Missing From Bossier Parish, Louisiana
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 10/10/1961 (62)
  • Age 21 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'0, 160 pounds
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Tindale has birthmarks on both knees. He has previous fractures to his left index finger and his lower right leg and foot.

Details of Disappearance

Tindale was last seen at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana on June 1, 1983. He went camping with two Air Force friends on the East Reservation and has never been heard from again.

The Air Force has classified Tindale as a deserter; they believe he left because he feared a pending court-martial. In May 1982, Tindale had driven home to Florida on a motorcycle. Air Force officials in Florida confiscated the motorcycle and threatened him with a court-martial for stealing it. The case was still pending when Tindale disappeared over a year later.

The day before his disappearance, Tindale withdrew $900 from his bank account, sold or gave away all his personal belongings and bought a motorcycle from another airman.

Tindale's mother, however, does not believe her son left of his accord. Both she and the local civilian law enforcement believe he was murdered and buried in the 18,000-acre wilderness east of the base. A private detective hired by his mother believes he may have been killed during the course of a robbery. The two friends whom Tindale went camping with are no longer in the Air Force.

Tindale grew up in Florida and was a straight-A student in high school. He joined the Air Force in 1980 and was stationed in Wichita, Kansas and San Antonio, Kansas before coming to Louisiana.

He was working as a metal fabrications specialist at the time of his disappearance. He called his mother in Florida once a week and wrote to his sister every two weeks, but neither of them have heard from him since his disappearance. There has been no sign of him since 1983.

Investigating Agency

  • Barksdale Air Force Base 318-456-1110

Source Information

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 15, 2010; casefile added.