Overview

Last seen: December 14, 1968
Location: Monterey, Monterey County, California, in connection with a fishing trip to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Circumstances: Fourteen-year-old Alfred James Grimes left early in the morning with his 13-year-old friend Sammy Lloyd Jackson to go fishing. A bus driver remembered the boys at approximately 4:30 a.m. and reportedly dropped them near the wharf. Neither boy returned home. Alfred’s father searched for them later that day and contacted police. Drowning has been considered, but no conclusive explanation has been established.

Main points: Alfred and Sammy disappeared together; the outing was reportedly part of an established fishing routine; neither has been found; Alfred’s family did not believe he voluntarily ran away; no publicly confirmed suspect or cause of disappearance has been announced; and the case remains listed with California authorities.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Alfred James Grimes: 14-Year-Old Vanished During a 1968 Fishing Trip in Monterey, California

Alfred James Grimes was only 14 years old when he disappeared from Monterey County, California, on December 14, 1968. Alfred, who was sometimes called “Al,” vanished alongside his 13-year-old friend Sammy Lloyd Jackson after the two boys set out before dawn for one of their regular fishing trips to Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf. More than five decades later, neither boy has been found, and the circumstances surrounding their disappearance remain unresolved.

The Early-Morning Fishing Trip

Fishing was apparently a familiar activity for Alfred and Sammy, not an unusual or spontaneous outing. On the morning of December 14, 1968, the boys got up in the early hours and headed toward Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. A bus driver later recalled seeing them at a bus stop at approximately 4:30 a.m., speaking with Alfred and eventually letting the boys off on Del Monte Avenue near the wharf.

That bus ride is one of the most important documented pieces of the timeline because it establishes that Alfred and Sammy were traveling toward their intended fishing destination that morning. California’s current missing-person record summarizes Alfred as last seen fishing with Sammy in Monterey on December 14.

Alfred Never Came Home

Alfred was expected home later that day. According to accounts preserved by The Charley Project, when he had neither returned nor called by approximately 5:00 p.m., his father began looking for him. After finding no trace of Alfred or Sammy, he contacted law enforcement.

There is no confirmed public record showing that either boy contacted family after leaving for the fishing trip.

Alfred lived with his family in the 100 block of Hilo Street in Marina at the time and had two younger sisters. His parents reportedly did not believe he had voluntarily run away because he was not known to be experiencing significant problems and had not taken extra clothing or money with him.

Did Alfred and Sammy Drown?

One longstanding possibility is that the boys accidentally entered the water and drowned while fishing. That explanation has appeared repeatedly in case summaries, although authorities have never publicly established drowning as the cause of their disappearance. No publicly documented recovery of either boy has been made.

Another secondary case source states that there may have been a possible later sighting around Cannery Row, but that information has not been publicly confirmed by law enforcement and should be regarded as unverified.

The absence of bodies, confirmed belongings or a publicly identified accident scene has left open other possibilities, including an encounter with another person.

The Family Did Not Believe Alfred Ran Away

Alfred’s family reportedly remained skeptical of both the runaway and accidental-drowning explanations.

In a 2012 Websleuths discussion, a poster identifying herself as Alfred’s niece said her family believed Alfred knew how to swim and never accepted drowning as the explanation for his disappearance. She also alleged that Alfred’s parents received disturbing anonymous telephone calls for years afterward from someone who taunted them about the disappearance.

Those telephone-call claims are significant from a historical perspective but have not been independently substantiated in publicly available law-enforcement records. There is also no publicly identified caller or suspect connected to the alleged calls.

Alfred and Sammy Remain Missing

Alfred’s disappearance remains listed by the California Department of Justice. His state record gives his date of birth as April 9, 1954, and describes him at the time as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 110 pounds. Dental X-rays are listed as unavailable.

Sammy remains listed separately by California authorities, but both boys share Monterey County Sheriff case number 1-22185, reinforcing that their disappearances are investigated as connected events.

NamUs-linked case information identifies Alfred as MP4541 and Sammy as MP4540.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

As of the most recently available public records located for this article, Alfred has not been publicly reported found or identified, and the California Department of Justice continues to maintain an active missing-person listing for him. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Department remains the reporting agency, with case number 1-22185.

No recent law-enforcement announcement was located identifying a suspect, confirming an accidental drowning, announcing a DNA breakthrough or declaring the case solved.

Online researchers have periodically compared Alfred and Sammy with unidentified remains from other cases. Websleuths discussions, for example, contain proposed comparisons with unidentified juveniles, but these suggestions are community research rather than confirmed investigative conclusions.

The publicly documented status therefore remains essentially unchanged: Alfred and Sammy disappeared together on December 14, 1968, and what happened after their trip toward Fisherman’s Wharf remains unknown.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last seen: December 14, 1968
Location: Monterey, Monterey County, California, in connection with a fishing trip to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Circumstances: Fourteen-year-old Alfred James Grimes left early in the morning with his 13-year-old friend Sammy Lloyd Jackson to go fishing. A bus driver remembered the boys at approximately 4:30 a.m. and reportedly dropped them near the wharf. Neither boy returned home. Alfred’s father searched for them later that day and contacted police. Drowning has been considered, but no conclusive explanation has been established.

Main points: Alfred and Sammy disappeared together; the outing was reportedly part of an established fishing routine; neither has been found; Alfred’s family did not believe he voluntarily ran away; no publicly confirmed suspect or cause of disappearance has been announced; and the case remains listed with California authorities.