Overview

• Full name: Clemmie Mathis (also identified as Clemmie Lorenzo Mathis III in Doe Network records)
• Age at disappearance: 27
• Date last seen: April 10, 1987
• Last known location: Oakland, California
• City, county, state: Oakland, Alameda County, California
• Date of birth: May 22, 1959
• Sex: Male
• Race: Black / African American
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current status: Unresolved; listed as missing in California’s official database
• Investigating agency: Oakland Police Department
• Police case number: 87-53483
• NamUs reference: MP50222 (reported by secondary case records)

Main circumstances: Mathis disappeared in Oakland in April 1987. A case account attributed to NamUs describes an interaction with his landlord concerning his lease, during which Mathis reportedly did not open his door. No verified public account establishes what happened afterward.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Clemmie Mathis Disappearance: The Unsolved 1987 Missing Person Case in Oakland, California

On April 10, 1987, 27-year-old Clemmie Mathis disappeared in Oakland, California. Nearly four decades later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and publicly available records provide few answers about what happened to him.

One of the most troubling details of the case involves an encounter with his landlord. According to a missing-person case summary attributed to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), Mathis’s landlord reported that Mathis would not open his door to discuss his lease. Mathis has not been seen or heard from since, according to that account.

The California Department of Justice continues to list Mathis as a missing person, with the Oakland Police Department identified as the reporting agency. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unresolved.

Case Summary

• Full name: Clemmie Mathis (also identified as Clemmie Lorenzo Mathis III in Doe Network records)
• Age at disappearance: 27
• Date last seen: April 10, 1987
• Last known location: Oakland, California
• City, county, state: Oakland, Alameda County, California
• Date of birth: May 22, 1959
• Sex: Male
• Race: Black / African American
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current status: Unresolved; listed as missing in California’s official database
• Investigating agency: Oakland Police Department
• Police case number: 87-53483
• NamUs reference: MP50222 (reported by secondary case records)

Main circumstances: Mathis disappeared in Oakland in April 1987. A case account attributed to NamUs describes an interaction with his landlord concerning his lease, during which Mathis reportedly did not open his door. No verified public account establishes what happened afterward.

Sources: California Department of Justice and Uncovered Case Profile.

Background: Who Was Clemmie Mathis?

Clemmie Mathis was born on May 22, 1959. He was 27 years old when he disappeared, approximately six weeks before his 28th birthday.

According to the California Department of Justice, Mathis was a Black man with black hair and brown eyes. He stood approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 130 pounds at the time of his disappearance.

These identifying details remain important because they may help investigators compare missing-person records with unidentified-person reports dating back to the late 1980s.

Much of Mathis’s personal history remains undocumented in publicly accessible sources. Verified information about his childhood, education, employment, relatives, friendships, and daily activities before his disappearance is limited.

There is also no sufficiently documented public account of why Mathis was living at his particular Oakland residence or what his plans were in April 1987.

The absence of this background information should not be mistaken for evidence that Mathis lacked close relationships or community connections. It reflects the limited surviving public documentation of his case.

The Disappearance on April 10, 1987

The California Department of Justice identifies April 10, 1987, as the date Mathis was last seen in Oakland.

A more detailed description appears on the missing-person awareness website Uncovered, which attributes its account to NamUs.

According to that summary, Mathis’s landlord said Mathis would not open his door and speak with him about his lease. The account states that Mathis was not seen or heard from afterward.

However, the available description leaves several significant questions unanswered.

It does not establish the exact time of the landlord’s visit, whether the landlord physically saw Mathis during the encounter, or whether their communication took place through a closed door.

It also does not establish whether Mathis was inside the residence when the landlord attempted to speak with him.

These distinctions matter because the landlord’s reported encounter is one of the few publicly documented circumstances associated with Mathis’s disappearance.

There is no verified public information identifying what clothing Mathis was wearing, whether he had transportation, or whether he took personal belongings with him.

The available sources also do not establish whether he left voluntarily, experienced an accident, or became the victim of a crime.

Sources: California DOJ Missing Person Record and Uncovered: Clemmie Mathis.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Oakland Police Department Investigation

The Oakland Police Department is identified by the California Department of Justice as the reporting law enforcement agency responsible for Mathis’s missing-person case.

The official state record lists police case number 87-53483.

That reference provides an important identifier for anyone contacting investigators with information about Mathis.

However, the publicly available case materials do not provide a detailed chronology of the original investigation.

It is not possible to establish from the reviewed sources when police first received the missing-person report, which officers investigated the disappearance, or what investigative steps were taken during the initial days and weeks.

No verified public investigative report was located describing searches of Mathis’s residence, interviews with neighbors, or the examination of his financial or personal records.

This does not establish that investigators failed to conduct those activities. It means that the reviewed public sources do not document them.

The Landlord’s Account

The landlord’s reported encounter remains one of the most significant details available.

According to Uncovered’s NamUs-attributed summary, the landlord attempted to discuss Mathis’s lease, but Mathis would not open the door.

The account raises questions about when Mathis was last independently confirmed to be alive and whether anyone else communicated with him around that time.

Nevertheless, the publicly available information does not identify the landlord by name or provide a transcript of any police interview.

There is no verified evidence establishing that the landlord was involved in wrongdoing.

The landlord’s account should therefore be treated as a reported witness statement, not evidence of criminal responsibility.

Physical Evidence and Forensic Testing

The California Department of Justice records that dental X-rays were not available for Mathis.

Dental records can be valuable in identifying unidentified human remains, particularly in historical cases.

The reviewed sources do not establish whether investigators possess other dental records, fingerprints, biological samples, or DNA reference samples from Mathis or his relatives.

No publicly confirmed DNA match, genetic genealogy identification, forensic breakthrough, or recovery of Mathis’s remains was located.

Likewise, no verified public information establishes that police recovered evidence indicating a struggle or other violent incident.

The absence of publicly reported forensic evidence does not prove that none exists.

Missing-Person Databases and Public Awareness

Mathis’s disappearance has been documented by several missing-person resources.

The California Department of Justice maintains an official case entry, while Uncovered identifies his NamUs reference as MP50222.

A Websleuths discussion opened on June 8, 2023, also reproduced identifying information and case details. That discussion is a community awareness resource, not an official investigative finding.

The Doe Network’s November 2024 update archive records a case-information update for Clemmie Lorenzo Mathis III, identified by its reference 510DMCA.

That entry establishes a database-record update, not a confirmed discovery of new evidence.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

There is no publicly verified explanation for Clemmie Mathis’s disappearance.

Several possibilities may arise in considering a long-term missing-person case, but none should be treated as an established theory endorsed by investigators without supporting evidence.

Did Mathis Leave Voluntarily?

One possibility in an unexplained disappearance is that a person left their previous residence or community voluntarily.

However, there is no verified public evidence showing that Mathis planned to relocate, purchased travel tickets, withdrew money, or established a new identity.

The reported lease-related encounter does not establish that he intended to move.

Could Mathis Have Experienced an Accident or Medical Emergency?

An accidental death or medical emergency is another general possibility in an unresolved missing-person case.

Yet no confirmed accident report, medical event, hospital admission, or unidentified-remains identification has been publicly linked to Mathis in the reviewed sources.

There is insufficient evidence to favor this explanation.

Was Foul Play Involved?

Foul play cannot be ruled out simply because a case remains classified as a disappearance.

At the same time, no publicly verified evidence establishes that Mathis was abducted, assaulted, or killed.

No suspect or person of interest was identified in the official records and case materials reviewed for this article.

Clemmie Mathis’s case must therefore be described as an unresolved missing-person investigation, not a confirmed homicide.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Several questions are particularly important:

• When and where was Mathis last independently confirmed to have been seen alive?
• What exactly occurred during the landlord’s reported visit?
• Who last communicated with Mathis before April 10, 1987?
• Were any belongings, identification documents, or personal records left behind?
• Did investigators obtain fingerprints, DNA, or other identification material?
• Have unidentified-person records been compared with Mathis’s information?

These are unresolved questions, not indications that any particular event occurred.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

November 2024: Doe Network Case Information Updated

The Doe Network’s archived updates record that information for Clemmie Lorenzo Mathis III, case reference 510DMCA, was updated on November 11, 2024.

The entry does not establish that investigators discovered new evidence, identified a suspect, or located Mathis.

It should be understood as an update to publicly maintained case information rather than an investigative breakthrough.

Continued Listing in California’s Missing-Person Database

The California Department of Justice continues to display Mathis’s missing-person record, including the April 10, 1987, disappearance date and Oakland Police Department contact information.

His continuing appearance in the state database supports describing the case as unresolved in the publicly available records.

However, an active database listing does not establish whether detectives are currently conducting a specific new investigation, forensic review, or search.

Status as of October 25, 2026

As of this review, no publicly confirmed recent investigative developments were located involving an arrest, criminal charges, identification of remains, DNA match, or official resolution of Mathis’s disappearance.

No verified recent police announcement identifying a suspect or announcing a new search was found.

The latest identifiable case-specific record activity in the reviewed material is the November 2024 Doe Network information update, which should not be interpreted as evidence of a new investigative discovery.

Conclusion: The Search for Answers Continues

Clemmie Mathis was only 27 when he disappeared from Oakland on April 10, 1987.

What remains publicly known about his disappearance is remarkably limited: an official missing-person record, identifying information, and a brief account of an encounter involving his landlord.

Nearly four decades later, the available evidence does not explain where he went or what happened to him.

His case illustrates the difficulties of resolving older disappearances when witness accounts, investigative records, and personal histories are not widely available to the public.

Even information that seemed insignificant in 1987 could potentially help establish a clearer account of Mathis’s final known movements.

Anyone with firsthand information about Clemmie Mathis, his Oakland residence, his associates, or events surrounding April 10, 1987, is encouraged to contact the Oakland Police Department.

The California Department of Justice also maintains a statewide missing-person information hotline at 1-800-222-3463.

When contacting authorities, reference Oakland Police Department case number 87-53483.

Information should be provided directly to investigators rather than used to publicly accuse individuals or speculate about criminal responsibility.

Clemmie Mathis deserves to be remembered as a person whose disappearance remains unexplained, and whose case may still benefit from credible information.