The person at the center of this case
Randy Stewart Doran
Violent Crime · Open
48 years waiting · since 1978
RANDY STEWART DORAN - NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
Justice for Randy Stewart Doran — the trail went cold in 1978, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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location
Lead #1Was Doran actually employed on the SS President riverboat in New Orleans, and did coworkers see him after early April 1978?
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person
Lead #2Who did Doran stay with or associate with during his time in New Orleans?
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evidence
Lead #3Fingerprints and family DNA are available in CODIS—has any unidentified remains been compared against these records?
Randy Stewart Doran, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and musician, disappeared in early 1978 after leaving California and traveling to New Orleans, Louisiana. His last known contact was an early April 1978 phone call to his aunt stating he was working on a shipping dock, possibly aboard the SS President riverboat. Despite fingerprints and family DNA being available for comparison, Doran has never been located and his fate remains unknown.
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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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timeline
Lead #4Why was there a gap between the postcard and the April phone call, and can the exact dates be pinpointed?
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clue
Lead #5Doran was known to hitchhike across the country—did he meet anyone on the road who saw him in or near New Orleans?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
April 1, 1978 New Orleans, Louisiana Randy Stewart Doran left his family’s Los Angeles, California, residence in early 1978. His last communication with family members was in early April 1978 when he called an aunt, stating he was working on a shipping dock (possibly on the SS President riverboat) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Prior to his disappearance, he sent a postcard to his aunt from New Orleans saying he was doing fine. He has never been heard from again.
Doran was known to hitchhike, traveling across the country from California to Florida. He was a U.S.
Marine Corps veteran, an avid guitar player, and liked to write short stories and poetry. He also carried a small pocket Bible with him.
Fingerprints are available for comparison, and DNA from family members is in CODIS.
Timeline of Events
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1978-01-01
Departure from California
Randy Stewart Doran left his family's Los Angeles residence in early 1978
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1978-04-01
Final Contact
Last communication with family when he called an aunt from New Orleans stating he was working on a shipping dock, possibly on the SS President riverboat
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1978-04-01
Postcard from New Orleans
Prior to disappearance, Doran sent a postcard to his aunt from New Orleans saying he was doing fine
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 1978
Last Updated:September 12, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:January 1, 1978
Last Updated:September 12, 2026