In a rare case, two brothers from Alaska disappeared a decade apart. It’s unclear whether their disappearances were coincidental or somehow related. It started with 15-year-old Michael Palmer, who vanished while riding his bike down a road in Wasilla, Alaska.
On June 4, 1999, Michael spent the night at a friend’s house. That night, he snuck out of the house and attended a graduation party with three friends.
The boys rode their bikes to the party. Michael had consumed a few beers at the party, but was not intoxicated when they left at 4 a.m. The party was about nine miles from the friend’s house where they spent the night.
They were all riding together, but after a while, Michael fell behind. They waited for him at the 7-Eleven on Parks Highway, but when he never showed up, they assumed he must have gone back to his parents’ house.
When Michael didn’t come home, his mother called his friend’s house, but Michael wasn’t there. She reported her son missing at 3 p.m. Michael was never seen again.
His borrowed bicycle was later found in the Little Susitna River. His high-top Converse sneakers were discovered near a private airstrip about 200 yards away from the river. The shoes were wet and muddy.
A group of 50 people searched the woods near the river, but they could not find any other trace of the missing boy. Michael’s oldest brother, Chris, did not believe that Michael had been riding the bike that was fished from the river.
Michael’s father is also skeptical of the story that Michael’s friends told about the night he disappeared. He hired two private investigators to look into the case.
One investigator received death threats soon after looking into Michael’s disappearance, causing her to quickly pack up and move away.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
The second investigator caught wind of rumors that Michael never left the party that night, and he may have been murdered at the party or kidnapped.
Others have speculated that Michael was beaten to death by someone while riding his bike or that he fell into the river and died of hypothermia.
However, tracker dogs were unable to locate his scent. A local boy claimed that he saw Michael being beaten and shot on a bridge. When the police questioned him, he stated that he had made up the story.
At the time of his disappearance, Michael Palmer had blonde/brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a black jacket with red stripes on the sleeves and the Marlboro cigarette logo on the lapel.
Michael’s family stated that it was uncharacteristic of him to run away from home and to go so long without contacting them. They suspected foul play. His case remains unsolved.
Then, in April 2010, one of Michael’s older brothers, Charles, vanished near Talkeetna, Alaska. Charles was 30 years old and had been out snowmobiling with friends and relatives when he disappeared.
His snowmobile was found stuck in the deep snow. It is believed that he died of exposure, and he was declared legally dead in April 2011. His body was never found.
Anyone with information regarding Michael’s case is urged to contact the Alaska State Troopers at (907) 745-2131.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
