He Vanished Out Of His UCLA Dorm Room: Where Is Michael Negrete?
In 1999, Michael Negrete was a freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at the time of his disappearance. He lived on campus on the sixth floor of Dykstra Hall dormitory and was attending college on a music scholarship.
Michael was born on March 25, 1981, and grew up in San Diego with two brothers. He was a talented musician and played the trumpet and steel drums in a band called Island Fever.
The day before he went missing, he performed in a concert with his band. It was the last performance he would ever give. After the concert, he went to a party with 15 to 20 other students in Dykstra Hall.
He returned to his room around midnight and started playing a computer game with a friend who lived in the same building.
After several hours, the game ended, and he logged off his computer at around four in the morning on December 10, 1999.
He then left the room to congratulate his friend on winning their match. The friend witnessed Michael walking back toward his own room, and that was the last time anyone saw Michael.
Michael’s roommate, who had been sleeping this whole time, woke up at 9:00 a.m. and saw that Michael wasn’t there.
Authorities believe Michael left his room between 4:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. His personal belongings, including his shoes, clothing, wallet, and musical instruments, remained in his room.
Search dogs tracked his scent to Sunset Boulevard and Bellagio Street in Los Angeles, about a mile from campus, but the trail ended there, and no other evidence was found.
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In 2000, police released a sketch of a possible witness—an unidentified man who was seen inside the dormitory at 4:35 a.m.
He appeared to have been about 35 years old at the time. He was no more than five feet and eight inches tall and had a heavy build.
He was wearing a shiny gray and turquoise jacket. It is unclear if the man was connected to Michael’s disappearance.
No one has seen or heard from Michael since he went missing. His case is still unsolved 26 years later, but police suspect foul play.
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