Overview

• Full name: David Mark Schwarzschild
• Age at disappearance: 21
• Date last seen: August 2, 1979
• Last known location: San Francisco, California
• City and county: San Francisco, San Francisco County
• State: California
• Date of birth: September 24, 1957
• Physical description: White male, brown hair, hazel eyes, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 160 pounds
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current publicly documented status: Unresolved; listed in California’s missing-person database
• Investigating agency: San Francisco Police Department
• Police case number: 793160024

Main circumstances: David disappeared from San Francisco on August 2, 1979. Officially available information does not establish where he was last observed within the city, who last saw him, or what circumstances immediately preceded his disappearance.

Detailed Case Breakdown

David Mark Schwarzschild: The Unsolved 1979 Disappearance of a 21-Year-Old Man in San Francisco, California

On August 2, 1979, 21-year-old David Mark Schwarzschild was last seen in San Francisco, California. More than 47 years later, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain largely unknown to the public.

David’s case is documented in the California Department of Justice’s official missing-person database, which identifies the San Francisco Police Department as the reporting agency. Although his disappearance has attracted occasional attention in online missing-person and unidentified-remains discussions, there is no verified public evidence establishing that he was murdered or explaining what happened to him.

The scarcity of publicly available information makes David’s disappearance particularly difficult to reconstruct. His last known date of contact is documented, but fundamental questions about his final movements, the circumstances of his disappearance, and his subsequent whereabouts remain unanswered.

Case Summary

• Full name: David Mark Schwarzschild
• Age at disappearance: 21
• Date last seen: August 2, 1979
• Last known location: San Francisco, California
• City and county: San Francisco, San Francisco County
• State: California
• Date of birth: September 24, 1957
• Physical description: White male, brown hair, hazel eyes, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 160 pounds
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current publicly documented status: Unresolved; listed in California’s missing-person database
• Investigating agency: San Francisco Police Department
• Police case number: 793160024

Main circumstances: David disappeared from San Francisco on August 2, 1979. Officially available information does not establish where he was last observed within the city, who last saw him, or what circumstances immediately preceded his disappearance.

Source: California Department of Justice – David Mark Schwarzschild.

David Mark Schwarzschild’s Background and Life Before His Disappearance

David Mark Schwarzschild was born on September 24, 1957. He was 21 years old when he disappeared in the summer of 1979, approximately seven weeks before his 22nd birthday.

According to the California Department of Justice, David had brown hair and hazel eyes. He stood approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed around 160 pounds at the time of his disappearance.

The state’s missing-person record confirms these identifying characteristics but provides little information about his personal history.

Reliable publicly available records reviewed for this article do not establish David’s occupation, educational background, family relationships, or whether he had lived in San Francisco for an extended period before August 1979.

It is also unclear whether he was employed, attending school, traveling, or visiting someone when he disappeared.

These gaps are significant because they prevent a reliable reconstruction of his daily activities and personal circumstances. Without verified information, it would be inappropriate to speculate about his lifestyle, relationships, or reasons for being in San Francisco.

The California Department of Justice’s missing-person profile remains the strongest publicly accessible official source for his basic identifying information.

The Disappearance: August 2, 1979

David was last seen on Thursday, August 2, 1979, in San Francisco.

That date is confirmed by California’s official missing-person database. However, the publicly available state record does not provide an accompanying narrative describing the events of that day.

The precise location of David’s last confirmed sighting is not identified. No verified public account establishes the time he was last seen or whether he was alone.

Likewise, the available official information does not identify what David was wearing, whether he had personal belongings with him, or whether a vehicle was associated with his disappearance.

There is also no verified public explanation of how his disappearance was initially discovered or when authorities first received a missing-person report.

The distinction between a documented disappearance and an established criminal act is important. David’s missing-person status does not, by itself, demonstrate that he encountered violence or was the victim of a homicide.

What can be stated with confidence is that David’s last recorded contact occurred on August 2, 1979, and that the San Francisco Police Department is the agency identified in California’s missing-person record.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

San Francisco Police Department’s involvement

The California Department of Justice identifies the San Francisco Police Department as the reporting agency for David’s disappearance.

The state record associates his case with police reference number 793160024 and lists (415) 553-1071 as the agency’s contact number.

The existence of an official case number confirms that David’s disappearance is recorded within the state’s missing-person system. However, the publicly available profile does not provide a chronological account of investigative activity.

There are no verified public details in the reviewed official record establishing whether investigators conducted neighborhood searches, interviewed specific witnesses, examined telephone or financial records, or investigated particular locations.

This absence of published information should not be interpreted as proof that those investigative steps never occurred. It means that their occurrence and results could not be independently established from the available sources.

Dental records and identification evidence

One potentially important detail appears in the California Department of Justice’s profile: dental X-rays are listed as available.

Dental records can help forensic specialists compare missing individuals with unidentified human remains, particularly in cases dating back decades.

The availability of David’s dental X-rays does not establish that any particular unidentified remains belong to him. It simply indicates that potentially useful comparison material is documented in his missing-person record.

The reviewed official profile does not establish whether David’s DNA profile is available, whether genetic genealogy has been attempted, or whether any specific forensic comparison has produced an investigative lead.

Source: California Department of Justice – Official Case Profile.

NamUs and unidentified-person comparisons

David’s disappearance has also appeared in online discussions involving the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, commonly known as NamUs.

Historical case-comparison discussions identify him with NamUs missing-person number MP37753. That identifier appears in archived community discussions reproducing NamUs comparison information, although a current, directly accessible NamUs case profile was not independently verified during this research.

One Websleuths discussion concerning unidentified remains recovered in San Mateo County in November 1983 included David among the missing people listed as excluded from that particular identification.

Another discussion concerning unidentified remains recovered in Los Angeles County in 1980 also reproduced a historical exclusion list containing David’s name.

These records are relevant because they illustrate how missing-person cases may be evaluated against unidentified-remains investigations.

However, historical community reproductions of database information are not equivalent to current forensic reports. They should not be treated as independent confirmation of the testing method used or the present status of any comparison.

Sources: Websleuths – San Mateo Discussion and Websleuths – Los Angeles Discussion.

Theories, Online Discussions, and Unresolved Questions

Could David have left San Francisco voluntarily?

One possibility in a disappearance with limited public documentation is that the missing individual traveled elsewhere voluntarily.

However, no verified evidence reviewed for David’s case establishes that he intended to leave San Francisco, arranged transportation, or communicated plans to relocate.

There is also no reliable public evidence establishing that he deliberately disappeared or adopted another identity.

Consequently, voluntary departure remains a hypothetical possibility rather than a documented explanation.

Could David have been the victim of foul play?

Another possibility is that David encountered an accident, violence, or another dangerous circumstance after his last known contact.

But no verified public evidence identifies a crime scene, suspect, weapon, motive, or witness to an assault involving David.

No publicly confirmed homicide determination was located.

His case should therefore continue to be described as a missing-person investigation unless reliable official information establishes otherwise.

Online comparisons with unidentified remains

David’s name has appeared in community discussions concerning unidentified deceased individuals.

For example, a June 12, 2022, Reddit discussion proposed comparing David with unidentified remains discovered in Washington County, Maryland, in December 1981.

The author cited similarities in estimated age, height, and physical appearance. However, the discussion was speculative, and it did not establish that the remains belonged to David or that investigators had accepted the proposed identification.

Similarly, historical Websleuths discussions raised David’s name in connection with unidentified-person cases in California.

These discussions demonstrate public interest in finding answers, but physical resemblance alone cannot establish identity.

There is no basis to identify David as any of these deceased individuals without authoritative forensic confirmation.

Sources: Reddit – Schwarzschild Comparison Discussion and Websleuths – Long Beach Discussion.

Questions that remain unanswered

Several fundamental questions continue to define David’s case:

• Where in San Francisco was David last seen on August 2, 1979?
• Who last had confirmed contact with him?
• Did he have plans to travel or meet anyone?
• Were any personal belongings recovered?
• Did investigators receive credible sightings after his disappearance?
• Have forensic comparisons eliminated possible matches with unidentified remains?
• Are additional investigative records or witness statements available that have not been publicly released?

At present, the publicly accessible information reviewed does not provide verified answers.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates (2026)

As of October 19, 2026, no publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthroughs were located concerning David Mark Schwarzschild’s disappearance.

The California Department of Justice continues to display his missing-person profile, including his August 2, 1979, disappearance date and San Francisco Police Department case number.

The reviewed sources did not establish any of the following developments specifically involving David:

• A confirmed identification of his remains.
• An arrest, criminal charge, or publicly named suspect.
• A newly announced witness or confirmed sighting.
• A publicly documented DNA or investigative genetic genealogy breakthrough.
• A newly released age-progression image.
• An officially announced cold-case resolution.

Online discussions from previous years should not be mistaken for newly confirmed investigative findings.

The continued availability of David’s state missing-person listing establishes that his disappearance remains publicly documented. It does not independently establish whether investigators are currently conducting particular searches, forensic examinations, or active case reviews.

The latest official case information located remains the California Department of Justice missing-person profile.

Conclusion: Remembering David Mark Schwarzschild and Seeking Answers

David Mark Schwarzschild was only 21 years old when he disappeared from San Francisco on August 2, 1979.

The available official information provides a date, a city, physical identifying characteristics, and an investigative agency. It does not explain the circumstances that led to his disappearance.

More than four decades later, there is still no publicly verified account of what happened to him.

Although online discussions have explored possible connections with unidentified remains, none of the reviewed information establishes a confirmed identification or explains David’s fate.

Anyone who knew David in 1979, remembers his activities in San Francisco, or possesses credible information about his disappearance is encouraged to contact the San Francisco Police Department.

The department’s current directory lists its Missing Persons Unit at (415) 734-3070. David’s California Department of Justice profile also lists (415) 553-1071.

When providing information, reference case number 793160024.

Even a seemingly minor recollection about David’s whereabouts, acquaintances, travel plans, or last known movements could provide context that is missing from the public record.

David’s disappearance deserves continued attention, careful reporting, and a resolution grounded in reliable evidence.

Sources: San Francisco Police Department – Contact Directory and California Department of Justice – David Schwarzschild