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  5. HAKAN KARACAY - CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY
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Hakan Karacay

The person at the center of this case

Hakan Karacay

Case
#745
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Clifton Police Department, New Jersey
Violent Crime · Open
26 years waiting · since 1999

HAKAN KARACAY - CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY

Justice for Hakan Karacay — the trail went cold in 1999, but the truth hasn't.

Start here

Key leads to think about

🚗
vehicle
Lead #1

Why was the Mazda 626 found in Lewis, New York, an area with no known connection to Karacay, and what happened to the vehicle between September 20-29?

📍
location
Lead #2

What is the significance of the recovery location near the Canadian border, and could Karacay have crossed into Canada?

🔍
evidence
Lead #3

Was there any evidence found in or around the recovered vehicle that could indicate foul play or Karacay's fate?

On September 20, 1999, Hakan Karacay disappeared from Clifton, New Jersey after leaving his apartment in his brother's silver 1989 Mazda 626. The vehicle was recovered nine days later on Wells Hill Road in Lewis, New York, approximately 60 miles south of the Canadian border, in an area where Karacay had no known connections. His current whereabouts remain unknown, and investigators seek information about the circumstances of his disappearance and what occurred after he left New Jersey.

Case
#745
SourceFBI WantedUpdated Mar 15, 2026
Clifton Police Department, New Jersey

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More leads to consider

Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.

👁️
witness
Lead #4

Did anyone see Karacay or the silver Mazda 626 during the nine days between his disappearance and the vehicle's recovery?

Have information about any of these leads?

Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.

Official wording

Source Narrative

September 20, 1999 Clifton, New Jersey On September 20, 1999, Hakan Karacay was reportedly last seen by his brother at approximately 5:00 p.m., leaving the apartment he shared with their parents in Clifton, New Jersey, and has not been seen since. Karacay left in his brother’s car, a silver 1989 Mazda 626, license plate: RW3-48E, NJ, which was recovered on September 29, 1999, on Wells Hill Road in Lewis, New York; about 5 miles west of Interstate 87 and 60 miles south of the Canadian border.

Karacay had no known relation to the area in which the vehicle was found. The Clifton Police Department in New Jersey, is asking for assistance in locating Karacay or obtaining details regarding his disappearance.

Remarks: Karacay was last seen wearing brown pants, a gray/black shirt, and black shoes.

Timeline of Events

👤
1999-09-20
17:00

Last Seen

Hakan Karacay last seen by his brother leaving the apartment in Clifton, New Jersey in a silver 1989 Mazda 626.

🔍
1999-09-29

Vehicle Recovered

Silver 1989 Mazda 626 (NJ license plate RW3-48E) recovered on Wells Hill Road in Lewis, New York, approximately 60 miles south of the Canadian border.

Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case

Case Information

Incident:September 20, 1999 at 5:00 PM
Last Updated:September 12, 2026

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Case Information

Incident:September 20, 1999 at 5:00 PM
Last Updated:September 12, 2026