The person at the center of this case
Theodore Sander III
Missing Person · Open
48 years waiting · since 1977
Missing Person: Theodore Sander III
Justice for Theodore Sander III — the trail went cold in 1977, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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evidence
Lead #1No remains or personal effects were ever found despite his disappearance in a mountainous area—what happened during his hike?
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clue
Lead #2As an experienced hiker, why would Sander fail to return? Did he suffer an accident, fall, or become disoriented in the remote terrain?
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location
Lead #3The mountains above Convict Lake remain largely unexplored for his remains—could a systematic search of the area yield new evidence?
Theodore Sander III, a 47-year-old experienced hiker, disappeared on August 20, 1977, after parking his car at Convict Lake in Mono County, California and hiking into the surrounding mountains. Despite extensive search efforts, no remains or personal effects were ever recovered, leaving the exact circumstances of his disappearance unknown. Nearly five decades later, the case remains unsolved, and investigators continue to seek information about what may have happened to him in those remote Sierra Nevada foothills.
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Official wording
Source Narrative
NamUs case MP151953. Missing person: Theodore Sander III.
Last known contact: 1977-08-20 in Convict Lake, Mono, CA. Circumstances: On August 20th, 1977, Theodore Sander III went missing in the mountains above Convict Lake in Mono County, California.
At the time of his disappearance, he was 47 years old. He parked his car at Convict Lake early in the morning on August 20th, 1977 and presumably hiked up into the hills and never returned.
He was an experienced hiker, however he may have fallen or had some sort of accident while on his hike. No remains or personal effects were ever found.
Demographics: 47 years, Male, White / Caucasian. Physical description: 6 ft 1 in, 160 lbs, hair: Brown, eyes: Blue.
Clothing and accessories: Clothing: Possibly last wearing G.I. pants and blue windbreaker..
Investigating agency: Mono County Sheriff-Coroner | 25-569 | 2025-09-24.
Timeline of Events
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1977-08-20
early morningTheodore Sander III goes missing
Theodore Sander III parked his car at Convict Lake early in the morning and hiked into the mountains above the lake. He never returned.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:August 20, 1977 at Invalid Date
Last Updated:May 20, 2026
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Phone: 7609327549
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Case Information
Incident:August 20, 1977 at Invalid Date
Last Updated:May 20, 2026
Have Information?
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Phone: 7609327549
You can remain anonymous