Missing Since: 2006-06-05 Location: Mission Viejo, California
Nelms was last seen between 5:30 and 7:00 a.m. on June 5, 2006 in the vicinity of the 27700 block of Center Drive, near the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California. He was on foot at the time of his disappearance. Because of his Alzheimer’s Disease and his tendency to wander, Nelms had been placed in a locked residential facility, Paragon Gardens, in December 2005. He fractured his hip in March 2006 and was transferred to a hospital for treatment, then returned to Paragon Gardens in April. Nelms was supposed to be securely locked in the center’s Memory Care Unit at the time he went missing, but was able to walk away without anyone seeing him leave. He has never been heard from again. In August 2006, two months after Nelms went missing, a civil suit was filed against Paragon Gardens because of his disappearance. The suit alleges that the facility poorly supervised its clients and created an unsafe and abusive environment. Investigating Agency Orange County Sheriff’s Office 714-647-7000 Source Information California Attorney General’s Office NamUs Orange County Sheriff’s Office U. S. Newswire Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 5, 2007; casefile added.