Overview

Date Last Seen: September 23, 1987
Location Last Seen: Polaris Hotel, Nome, Alaska

Main Circumstances

• Ernest Lincoln Saccheus Jr., also known as “Sonnyboy,” disappeared while traveling home to Elim after a stopover in Nome.
• He was last seen leaving the Polaris Hotel to go out for drinks.
• He never arrived home and has never been heard from again.
• His disappearance remains an active unresolved missing person case.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Ernest Lincoln Saccheus Jr. Disappearance (1987): Alaska Cold Case Remains Unsolved

Summary

Date Last Seen: September 23, 1987
Location Last Seen: Polaris Hotel, Nome, Alaska

Main Circumstances

• Ernest Lincoln Saccheus Jr., also known as “Sonnyboy,” disappeared while traveling home to Elim after a stopover in Nome.
• He was last seen leaving the Polaris Hotel to go out for drinks.
• He never arrived home and has never been heard from again.
• His disappearance remains an active unresolved missing person case.

Ernest Lincoln Saccheus Jr. Disappearance (1987)

Ernest Lincoln Saccheus Jr., known to family and friends as “Sonnyboy,” disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Nome, Alaska, on September 23, 1987. More than three decades later, investigators continue to classify his disappearance as an open missing person case with no confirmed sightings or evidence explaining what happened.

At the time he vanished, Saccheus was 24 years old and was returning to his hometown of Elim after traveling through Anchorage. During the trip, he stayed overnight at the Polaris Hotel in Nome. According to available investigative records, he left the hotel intending to go out for drinks. He never returned.

His disappearance was reported shortly afterward, but despite investigative efforts over the years, no confirmed trace of him has been found.

Saccheus graduated from Elim High School in 1981 and was well known within his community. Investigators have released very little information regarding potential witnesses, suspects, or evidence, leaving many questions unanswered.

The case has periodically received renewed public attention because it is one of several long-term unresolved disappearances connected to the Nome area. Media reports have noted that federal authorities, including the FBI, have reviewed multiple historic missing persons cases from the region over the years, although no public announcement has identified a direct link between Saccheus’s disappearance and any specific criminal investigation.

Investigation

The Nome Police Department remains the primary investigating agency, with assistance from statewide missing persons resources.

The case is listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), allowing investigators nationwide to compare unidentified remains and forensic evidence with Saccheus’s case. His NamUs profile remains active, indicating the case has not been resolved.

Publicly available information indicates:

• No confirmed suspects have been identified.
• No remains have been recovered that have been identified as Saccheus.
• No publicly released evidence has explained his disappearance.
• The case continues to remain open for investigative leads.

Latest Investigation Information

As of 2026, there have been no publicly announced major developments resolving Ernest Lincoln Saccheus Jr.’s disappearance.

His NamUs case remains active, and law enforcement continues to encourage anyone with information to come forward. Public records do not indicate that investigators have ruled the case solved or recovered his remains. While historical reviews of unsolved Nome-area disappearances have generated public interest, officials have not announced evidence directly connecting Saccheus’s disappearance to another case or suspect.