Overview

• Full name: Donald Cary Ewalt
• Age at disappearance: 21 or 22, depending on the recorded disappearance date
• Date of birth: September 30, 1957
• Date last seen: September 1, 1979 (California Department of Justice); October 4, 1979 (The Charley Project)
• Last known location: El Centro, Imperial County, California
• Case classification: Missing person; endangered missing according to The Charley Project
• Current status: Unresolved disappearance
• Physical description: White male, black hair, hazel eyes, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and 120 pounds
• Primary investigating agency: El Centro Police Department
• Official California case number: 08E-13698

Main circumstances: Ewalt was reportedly last seen after work in the company of three males. He subsequently disappeared and has not been heard from again. The Charley Project reports that foul play is suspected and that Texas authorities have assisted with the investigation.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Donald Cary Ewalt: The Unsolved 1979 Disappearance in El Centro, California

In 1979, 22-year-old Donald Cary Ewalt disappeared from El Centro, California, after reportedly being seen with three men following work. More than four decades later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance have never been publicly resolved.

Investigators have suspected foul play, but there has been no publicly confirmed determination that Ewalt was murdered. His case remains listed in California’s missing-person records, and the limited information available about his final known movements leaves important questions unanswered.

One significant discrepancy complicates the historical record: the California Department of Justice lists September 1, 1979, as his last-seen date, while The Charley Project identifies October 4, 1979. Both dates appear in publicly accessible case information, and neither should be presented as conclusively established without clarification from investigators.

Case Summary

• Full name: Donald Cary Ewalt
• Age at disappearance: 21 or 22, depending on the recorded disappearance date
• Date of birth: September 30, 1957
• Date last seen: September 1, 1979 (California Department of Justice); October 4, 1979 (The Charley Project)
• Last known location: El Centro, Imperial County, California
• Case classification: Missing person; endangered missing according to The Charley Project
• Current status: Unresolved disappearance
• Physical description: White male, black hair, hazel eyes, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and 120 pounds
• Primary investigating agency: El Centro Police Department
• Official California case number: 08E-13698

Main circumstances: Ewalt was reportedly last seen after work in the company of three males. He subsequently disappeared and has not been heard from again. The Charley Project reports that foul play is suspected and that Texas authorities have assisted with the investigation.

Background: Who Was Donald Cary Ewalt?

Donald Cary Ewalt was born on September 30, 1957. At the time of his disappearance in 1979, he was a young adult living or working in the El Centro area of Southern California.

El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, a desert region near the United States–Mexico border. It is the last known city associated with Ewalt’s disappearance in the publicly available missing-person records.

Official records describe Ewalt as a white male with black hair and hazel eyes. He stood approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed about 120 pounds.

Little verified biographical information has been published about his family, education, occupation, personal relationships, or daily activities. Although The Charley Project reports that he was last seen after work, the available profile does not identify his employer or the specific type of work he performed.

These gaps are important. Without reliable contemporary reporting or official investigative documentation, it would be inappropriate to reconstruct Ewalt’s personal life or speculate about his relationships before he vanished.

The California Department of Justice missing-person profile remains an important official record of his identity and disappearance.

Disappearance in El Centro, California, in 1979

According to The Charley Project, Donald Ewalt was last seen on October 4, 1979, after work in El Centro. He was reportedly accompanied by three male individuals.

The identities of those individuals are not provided in the public case summary. The available account also does not establish whether they were coworkers, acquaintances, friends, or strangers.

After this reported sighting, Ewalt disappeared. He has not been heard from again.

The publicly accessible accounts do not specify the exact location of the encounter, the time of day, his intended destination, or whether he was traveling in a vehicle.

Conflicting last-seen dates

A central difficulty in documenting the disappearance is the disagreement between two established sources.

The California Department of Justice lists September 1, 1979, as Ewalt’s last-seen date. This would make him 21 years old when he disappeared.

The Charley Project lists October 4, 1979, four days after his 22nd birthday, and describes the reported encounter with three men after work.

The Charley Project’s case history indicates that its disappearance date was corrected in an update dated September 16, 2009. However, California’s official listing continues to show September 1.

The reason for the discrepancy has not been publicly established in the sources reviewed. It is possible that the records reflect different historical reporting or data-entry practices, but neither explanation has been verified.

Until investigators clarify the original disappearance date, both dates should remain part of any careful account of the case.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Initial disappearance investigation

The El Centro Police Department is identified by the California Department of Justice as the reporting law enforcement agency responsible for Ewalt’s case.

The Charley Project states that foul play is suspected, suggesting investigators or reporting authorities have considered the possibility that Ewalt’s disappearance involved criminal activity.

However, the public summaries do not explain the specific evidence underlying that suspicion.

No publicly verified investigative narrative was located establishing precisely when Ewalt was reported missing, who made the report, which witnesses were interviewed, or what searches were conducted immediately after he disappeared.

Likewise, the reviewed sources do not establish whether authorities recovered clothing, personal possessions, a vehicle, or other physical evidence connected to his disappearance.

The absence of those details from publicly accessible profiles does not mean investigators never obtained such evidence. It means those investigative findings cannot presently be confirmed through the sources reviewed.

The three men reportedly seen with Ewalt

The account that Ewalt was last seen with three males is one of the most significant publicly documented details.

Nevertheless, there is no verified public information identifying these individuals or establishing their involvement in any crime.

No reliable source reviewed identifies any of them as a suspect, reports criminal charges against them, or confirms that they harmed Ewalt.

Their presence in the reported last sighting is a potentially important investigative detail, not proof of wrongdoing.

Texas authorities’ involvement

The Charley Project also lists the Texas Department of Public Safety as an agency assisting with the investigation.

Its case profile does not explain why Texas authorities became involved or whether Ewalt had personal, employment, or travel connections to Texas.

The agency’s involvement should not be interpreted as evidence that Ewalt traveled to Texas or that a crime occurred there.

The publicly available information supports only that Texas authorities were identified as assisting investigators.

Physical evidence, DNA, and unidentified remains

No official source reviewed confirms that DNA testing, forensic genetic genealogy, fingerprint comparisons, or a particular unidentified-remains examination has resolved Ewalt’s disappearance.

Online discussions have raised possible comparisons involving unidentified remains, but those discussions are not equivalent to an official forensic identification or an investigative finding.

There is no verified basis in the reviewed sources for stating that any particular unidentified decedent is Donald Ewalt.

No confirmed recovery of his remains, homicide ruling, or publicly announced forensic identification was located.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Because Ewalt’s disappearance remains unexplained, several questions continue to surround the case. It is essential to distinguish investigative possibilities from established facts.

Was foul play involved?

The Charley Project explicitly reports that foul play is suspected.

That assessment is relevant, but the publicly available case summary does not disclose the supporting evidence. It does not establish a homicide, identify a perpetrator, or explain a motive.

A disappearance involving suspected foul play remains a missing-person investigation unless reliable evidence establishes a different classification.

What happened after the reported sighting?

If the October 4 account is accurate, the final publicly described sighting places Ewalt with three men after work.

The record does not establish where they went afterward, whether Ewalt separated from the group voluntarily, or whether anyone saw him later.

Clarifying the original witness accounts could be important to reconstructing his final known movements.

Why do the disappearance dates differ?

The difference between September 1 and October 4, 1979, is more than a minor chronological inconsistency.

It affects Ewalt’s reported age, the period investigators would need to reconstruct, and the identification of potential witnesses.

The original missing-person report, police records, and contemporary statements could potentially clarify the discrepancy, but those documents were not available for independent examination in the reviewed material.

Could unidentified remains hold answers?

Comparisons between long-term missing-person cases and unidentified remains are a recognized investigative approach.

However, there is no publicly confirmed identification linking Ewalt to any particular remains.

Suggestions made in online forums must remain unverified unless supported by official forensic results or law enforcement statements.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates (2026)

As of October 19, 2026, Donald Cary Ewalt’s disappearance remains unresolved in the publicly accessible records reviewed.

The following developments and records provide the clearest documented picture of the case’s continuing public visibility.

August–September 2009: Updated case information

The Texas Department of Public Safety maintains a missing-person bulletin for Ewalt under case number M0908011.

The bulletin identifies his disappearance date as October 4, 1979, and classifies the case as “Endangered – Foul Play Possible.” It also confirms that he was living in El Centro and was last seen after work with three males.

The Texas record identifies August 26, 2009, as the date his photographs were updated. The Charley Project separately records a September 16, 2009, case-profile update that corrected the disappearance date and added information.

These are historical record updates, not evidence of a new investigative breakthrough.

October 6, 2017: Renewed public attention

On October 6, 2017, The Charley Project Blog published an article titled Flashback Friday: Donald Ewalt.

The article revisited Ewalt’s disappearance, the report that he was last seen with three men, and the suspected possibility of foul play.

The publication brought attention to an older case but did not announce new evidence, an arrest, or a confirmed resolution.

Current official records

The California Department of Justice continues to display Ewalt’s missing-person profile, including the El Centro Police Department’s contact information and case number 08E-13698.

The Texas Department of Public Safety also has a publicly accessible case bulletin identifying Ewalt as an endangered missing person for whom foul play is possible.

These records establish continued public documentation of the disappearance, but their availability does not establish that a new search or investigative operation has recently occurred.

No publicly confirmed recent breakthrough

No publicly confirmed recent investigative developments were located in the sources reviewed, including announcements of:

• An arrest, criminal charge, or prosecution connected to Ewalt’s disappearance.
• A confirmed DNA identification or genetic-genealogy breakthrough.
• The recovery and identification of Ewalt’s remains.
• A newly identified suspect or officially announced person of interest.
• A recent law enforcement press conference announcing significant new evidence.

This does not establish that the investigation is inactive. Law enforcement may possess information that has not been publicly released.

Conclusion: The Unanswered Disappearance of Donald Cary Ewalt

Donald Cary Ewalt disappeared from El Centro, California, in 1979, leaving behind a case with few publicly documented answers.

The reported final sighting with three men, the suspicion of foul play, and the conflicting disappearance dates remain central elements of the known history.

Despite the passage of more than 47 years, no publicly confirmed explanation establishes what happened to him.

The case illustrates the difficulties surrounding long-term missing-person investigations, particularly when original witness statements, physical evidence, and investigative findings are not publicly available.

For Ewalt’s loved ones, the unanswered questions represent far more than an old case file. They concern the fate of a person whose disappearance has never been resolved.

How to provide information

Anyone with information about Donald Cary Ewalt’s disappearance, his activities in El Centro during 1979, or the individuals reportedly accompanying him after work is encouraged to contact the El Centro Police Department at (760) 352-2111.

Information may also be provided to the Texas Department of Public Safety Missing Persons Clearinghouse at (800) 346-3243 or the California Department of Justice at (800) 222-3463.

Even information that appears minor may help investigators establish a more complete historical timeline.

Anyone submitting information should contact law enforcement directly rather than publicly identifying or accusing individuals without verified evidence.