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 extensive search efforts—what happened to his belongings?
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location
Lead #2Did he deviate from known hiking trails in the mountains above Convict Lake?
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clue
Lead #3As an experienced hiker, an accident seems less likely unless he encountered unexpected terrain or weather conditions.
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 heading into the mountains. Despite search efforts, no remains or personal effects were ever recovered, leaving the circumstances of his disappearance unclear—whether he fell, became lost, or met with another accident. Nearly five decades later, the case remains unsolved, and anyone with information about his whereabouts or the day of his disappearance is urged to contact the Mono County Sheriff-Coroner.
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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
Parked car at Convict Lake early in the morning and hiked into the hills; 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 29, 2026
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Phone: 7609327549
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Case Information
Incident:August 20, 1977 at Invalid Date
Last Updated:May 29, 2026
Have Information?
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Phone: 7609327549
You can remain anonymous