Overview

• Full Name: Gerald Raymond Rhine
• Date of Birth: July 26, 1955
• Age When Missing: 41 years old
• Date Last Seen: January 15, 1997
• Last Known Location: Concord, California
• County: Contra Costa County
• State: California
• Case Classification: Missing person
• Publicly Documented Status: Missing; no confirmed resolution located
• Investigating Agency: Concord Police Department
• Police Case Number: 82019741

The limited publicly documented circumstances make Rhine’s case particularly difficult to reconstruct. His last-known location and identifying information are established, but the available records do not explain why he disappeared or what may have happened afterward.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Case Summary

Gerald Raymond Rhine was 41 years old when he disappeared from Concord, California, on January 15, 1997. More than 29 years later, his whereabouts remain unknown in publicly available missing-person records. Despite the passage of time, the central question surrounding his disappearance remains unanswered: What happened to Gerald Rhine?

Rhine’s disappearance is documented by the California Department of Justice, which identifies the Concord Police Department as the reporting agency. Public records provide identifying characteristics and his last-known date and location, but offer very little information about the circumstances that led to his disappearance.

• Full Name: Gerald Raymond Rhine
• Date of Birth: July 26, 1955
• Age When Missing: 41 years old
• Date Last Seen: January 15, 1997
• Last Known Location: Concord, California
• County: Contra Costa County
• State: California
• Case Classification: Missing person
• Publicly Documented Status: Missing; no confirmed resolution located
• Investigating Agency: Concord Police Department
• Police Case Number: 82019741

The limited publicly documented circumstances make Rhine’s case particularly difficult to reconstruct. His last-known location and identifying information are established, but the available records do not explain why he disappeared or what may have happened afterward.

Background and Circumstances of the Disappearance

Who Was Gerald Raymond Rhine?

Gerald Raymond Rhine was born on July 26, 1955. At the time of his disappearance, he was a 41-year-old man whose last-known residence was in Concord, a city in Contra Costa County in California’s East Bay region.

Little verified biographical information about Rhine is publicly available. Reliable sources reviewed for this article do not establish his occupation, educational background, family relationships, or everyday routines. Those gaps should not be interpreted as evidence that such information was unavailable to investigators or people who knew him.

Physical Description and Identifying Characteristics

According to the California Department of Justice, Rhine was approximately six feet tall and weighed 130 pounds when he disappeared. He had brown hair and blue eyes.

Two distinguishing physical characteristics could be particularly important in identifying him. His left pinky finger was crooked, and he had a scar approximately four inches long on the back of his left calf.

Rhine was reportedly wearing blue jeans and a black jacket with a fur collar when he was last seen. These clothing details reflect his appearance in January 1997 and should not be assumed to describe his appearance afterward.

The California Department of Justice also reports that dental X-rays are available. Such records can be valuable in missing-person identification work, although no publicly confirmed dental identification or forensic match resolving Rhine’s disappearance was located.

January 15, 1997: The Last Known Sighting

Rhine was last seen at his home in Concord, California, on January 15, 1997, according to the disappearance details reproduced by The Charley Project and a case discussion referencing that profile. The California Department of Justice independently confirms Concord and January 15, 1997, as his last-known location and date.

After that date, Rhine was not heard from again in the publicly documented account of his disappearance. The available sources do not establish the precise time of his last sighting, who last saw him, whether he left on foot or by vehicle, or whether any personal belongings were discovered afterward.

No verified public account establishes a confrontation, medical emergency, planned journey, or other specific event immediately preceding his disappearance. Without those details, the circumstances of his departure remain unclear.

Investigation History and Evidence

The Concord Police Department Investigation

The Concord Police Department is the law enforcement agency identified in California’s official missing-person record for Gerald Rhine. His case is listed under police case number 82019741.

The California Department of Justice maintains a public missing-person listing containing Rhine’s identifying information, disappearance date, physical description, and reporting agency. His continued appearance in that system provides an official reference for the case, although the public listing does not disclose the full investigative file.

Available records do not establish when the original missing-person report was filed, what interviews were conducted, whether investigators searched particular locations, or whether evidence was collected from Rhine’s residence.

These omissions reflect limitations in the public record. They do not establish that police failed to conduct interviews, searches, or other investigative work.

Physical and Forensic Evidence

One documented identification resource is the availability of Rhine’s dental X-rays. Dental records may help investigators compare a missing person’s known characteristics with unidentified remains when an appropriate comparison becomes necessary.

California’s missing-person identification programs also include forensic resources for comparing missing persons with unidentified individuals or human remains. However, the existence of those statewide programs does not establish that Rhine’s case has undergone DNA testing, forensic genetic genealogy, or a particular unidentified-remains comparison.

No publicly confirmed DNA match, recovered personal item, forensic identification, or physical evidence establishing Rhine’s fate was located in the reviewed case materials.

Public Case Listings and Awareness

Rhine’s disappearance has remained accessible through official and community missing-person resources. The California Department of Justice provides the primary official case listing, while The Charley Project’s case information has also circulated through missing-person discussion communities.

A Websleuths discussion created in October 2023 repeated his identifying details and the known circumstances of his disappearance. That discussion demonstrates continued public awareness but does not, by itself, establish a new investigative lead or development.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

The reason Gerald Rhine disappeared has not been established in the publicly available records reviewed for this article. No verified public evidence identifies a suspect, establishes a motive, or confirms that a criminal act occurred.

It is important to distinguish the uncertainty surrounding his disappearance from evidence of homicide. Although foul play is one possibility that investigators may consider in an unexplained missing-person case, the reviewed official records classify Rhine as missing, not as a confirmed homicide victim.

What Happened After His Last Sighting?

The first major unanswered question concerns Rhine’s movements after January 15, 1997. Public records do not explain whether he left his residence voluntarily, intended to return, traveled elsewhere, or encountered an unexpected event.

Information about his transportation, communications, financial activity, or planned appointments could potentially help establish a clearer timeline. However, no verified public evidence about those matters was located, and none should be presumed to exist.

Could His Distinguishing Features Help?

Rhine’s crooked left pinky and the four-inch scar on his left calf remain two of the most specific identifying characteristics in his official missing-person record.

These details could be useful when evaluating credible information about a possible sighting or identity. His available dental X-rays may also assist an authorized forensic comparison if investigators determine one is appropriate.

Why Are So Few Circumstances Publicly Known?

Another unresolved issue is the limited amount of information available outside official missing-person listings. Public sources do not provide a detailed account of the initial investigation, statements from identified witnesses, or a confirmed sequence of events following Rhine’s disappearance.

It is not possible to determine from the reviewed material whether additional evidence remains confidential, whether witnesses supplied information that was never publicly released, or whether investigators have developed leads that are not reflected in the public record.

These are unanswered investigative questions, not established theories about what happened to Rhine.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

As of October 30, 2026, Gerald Raymond Rhine remains listed as a missing person in the publicly accessible California Department of Justice database. The listing continues to identify the Concord Police Department as the reporting agency and retains the January 15, 1997, disappearance date.

No publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthroughs were located during research for this article. Specifically, no verified recent arrest, criminal charge, recovery of remains, positive forensic identification, or official announcement resolving Rhine’s disappearance was found.

The reviewed materials also did not establish a recent official cold-case review, newly released age-progression image, DNA breakthrough, or announced use of investigative genetic genealogy in his particular case.

His appearance in modern missing-person directories and community discussions should not be mistaken for evidence of a new development. Continued publication of an existing case record is not the same as a newly discovered lead or investigative finding.

The absence of publicly announced developments does not mean that the investigation has been formally closed or that authorities possess no additional information. It means that no such developments could be independently confirmed from the sources reviewed.

Conclusion and Public Appeal for Information

Gerald Raymond Rhine disappeared from Concord, California, on January 15, 1997. He was 41 years old. Nearly three decades later, the publicly documented record still does not explain what happened to him.

His case illustrates the lasting uncertainty of an unresolved disappearance, especially one for which so few circumstances have been made public. The lack of a confirmed explanation should not lead to assumptions about his actions, his fate, or the involvement of another person.

Anyone who knew Rhine in the Concord area in January 1997, remembers circumstances surrounding his disappearance, or possesses credible information about his subsequent whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Concord Police Department.

Information can be provided to the Concord Police Department at 925-671-3240, the telephone number listed in California’s official missing-person record. Callers should reference Gerald Raymond Rhine and police case number 82019741.

Information may also be directed to the California Department of Justice missing-person hotline at 1-800-222-FIND (1-800-222-3463).

Even a detail that seems insignificant may help investigators evaluate the circumstances of a longstanding disappearance. Anyone with potentially relevant information should contact authorities directly rather than publish unverified allegations or identifying information about private individuals online.

Gerald Rhine’s disappearance remains unresolved in the available public record. Until reliable information establishes what happened, his case deserves continued attention, careful reporting, and respect for everyone affected by his absence.