The person at the center of this case
Joseph Anthony Hale
Missing Person · Open
28 years waiting · since 1998
Missing Person: Joseph Anthony Hale
Justice for Joseph Anthony Hale — the trail went cold in 1998, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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evidence
Lead #1What caused Joseph to fall or leave the vessel? The boat was running fine according to his wife.
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location
Lead #2Where exactly was he fishing when the vessel was found circling?
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clue
Lead #3Could the tight circles indicate he was incapacitated before falling overboard, or was the vessel set on autopilot?
On March 20, 1998, 23-year-old Joseph Anthony Hale disappeared while fishing in Redding, California after dropping off his wife and son. Deputies discovered his unmanned vessel circling in the water with his hat and personal items floating nearby, suggesting a possible drowning or fall overboard. Despite the search efforts by Shasta County Sheriff's Office, Joseph's fate remains unknown and the case continues to seek any information that might explain what happened that afternoon.
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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.
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witness
Lead #4Were there any other boats or witnesses in the area who might have seen what happened?
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Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
NamUs case MP149907. Missing person: Joseph Anthony Hale.
Last known contact: 1998-03-20 in Redding, Shasta, CA. Circumstances: A report was received of a vessel turning tight circles with the operator slumped over the vessel.
When deputies arrived on scene, the vessel was still turning circles but there was no one aboard. Joseph's wife stated her husband dropped her and their son off and he went back out to continue fishing and asked her to pick him up at 18:00 hours.
She also said the boat had been running fine. Joseph's hat and personal item were retrieved from the water.
Demographics: 23 years, Male, White / Caucasian. Physical description: 5 ft 10 in, 155 lbs, hair: Brown, eyes: Brown.
Investigating agency: Shasta County Sheriff's Office | 98-07978 & 19S021205 | 1998-03-20.
Timeline of Events
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1998-03-20
18:00Last known contact
Joseph dropped off his wife and son, then returned to continue fishing. Wife expected to pick him up at 18:00 hours.
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1998-03-20
Vessel discovered
Deputies arrived to find Joseph's vessel turning in tight circles with no operator aboard. His hat and personal items were retrieved from the water.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:March 20, 1998 at 6:00 PM
Last Updated:September 27, 2026
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Phone: 5302456025
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Case Information
Incident:March 20, 1998 at 6:00 PM
Last Updated:September 27, 2026
Have Information?
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Phone: 5302456025
You can remain anonymous