Missing Since: 1991-06-18 Location: San Diego, California
Dies was last seen in San Diego, California on June 18, 1991. He was a petty officer, third class, on leave from the U.S. Navy at the time. He had been assigned to the U.S.S. Horne in San Diego, and was supposed to report to duty at a naval station in Pensacola, Florida in thirty days. When he didn’t show up by July 18, he was declared absent without authorization, and on September 19, he was reclassified as a deserter. He has never been heard from again. Prior to his disappearance, Dies told his family in Louisiana that he was mailing them some packages, which he asked them to keep safe without opening them. He didn’t say anything else about them. When the packages arrived, they were postmarked June 18 and the return address was the naval station in Pensacola. His family decided to follow Dies’s instructions and not open them. They put the packages in storage, where they stayed unopened for nearly ten years. When Dies’s family finally opened the packages, they discovered gifts for them. They believe Dies planned to make a surprise visit to them in Louisiana during his period of leave and give them the presents. Dies’s cousin reported him missing to the police in Escambia County, Florida in January 2013, because she thought he’d gone missing from the naval station there, but he actually never arrived there. Although he remains classified as a deserter by the military authorities, his family believes he did intend to report for duty. His case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Escambia County Sheriffs Office 850-436-9199 Naval Criminal Investigative Service 850-452-4147 Source Information The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Missing Veterans U.S.S. Horne Federal Bureau of Investigation Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated September 9, 2018; distinguishing characteristics updated.