Overview

Last seen: December 17, 1993
Location: Vicinity of West Highland Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age when missing: 20
Status: Missing

Main circumstances: Foster was reportedly last seen leaving the Highland Avenue area in a brown 1970s-style van with an unidentified man. Police records reviewed by journalists state they were reportedly headed toward South Milwaukee to look at a gun and VCR for sale. Foster was never known to have returned. Family members later provided investigators with several theories and accounts concerning events before his disappearance. DNA and dental information were not collected for the case until 2022.

Leonard Demarcus Foster remains missing. Anyone with information—even information that may have seemed insignificant at the time—is encouraged to contact the Milwaukee Police Department.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Leonard Demarcus Foster Missing Person Case: Milwaukee, Wisconsin — 1993

Leonard Demarcus Foster, known to friends and family as “Mark,” was 20 years old when he disappeared from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on December 17, 1993. More than three decades later, Foster remains missing, and his case continues to appear on official Wisconsin and Milwaukee long-term missing-person lists.

Leonard Foster’s Disappearance

Official missing-person records place Foster’s last known location in the vicinity of the 3300 block of West Highland in Milwaukee. He was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed approximately 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. A chipped front tooth is listed as a distinguishing characteristic.

Foster was reportedly wearing a gray-and-blue Dallas jacket, blue pants or trousers with a white stripe, and black shoes when he disappeared.

More detailed information about his final known movements emerged decades later after student journalists with Media Milwaukee obtained and reviewed approximately 92 pages of Milwaukee Police Department records connected to his disappearance.

What Happened the Last Time Leonard Foster Was Seen?

According to the police records reviewed by Media Milwaukee, Foster’s friend Mario Mallet reported seeing him near 29th and Highland on December 17, 1993. Foster reportedly left in a brown, 1970s-style van with a manual transmission.

Foster was not alone.

According to the account contained in the police records, he was accompanied by a man described as having a dark complexion and a mustache who appeared to be in his late 30s or early 40s. The two were reportedly going to South Milwaukee to look at a gun and VCR that were being offered for sale.

Foster was never known to have returned, and the reporting states that no subsequent sighting of the unidentified man accompanying him was documented.

Foster Was Reported Missing in January 1994

Although Foster was last seen on December 17, his girlfriend, Tondalayo Davis, reported him missing on January 4, 1994.

At the time of Foster’s disappearance, the couple had a young son, Leonard Jr.

His disappearance apparently generated few publicly available details for many years. Older missing-person listings largely reported only his physical description, clothing and last-known location.

Questions About What May Have Happened

The police records reveal that investigators received different theories from members of Foster’s family.

In a May 1995 police interview, Foster’s uncle, Oliver McHatten, reportedly suggested that Foster might have traveled to Rockford, Illinois, where Foster’s girlfriend had moved with their child. He also raised another possibility involving a Milwaukee drug house.

Foster’s mother reportedly told investigators that she suspected her son had been involved in selling drugs. Police records subsequently changed the listed reason for his disappearance from “Unknown” to “Drug Trafficking.”

These statements are investigative leads and family accounts—not proof of what happened to Foster.

The Media Milwaukee review reported that Foster did not have a documented drug arrest history, although he reportedly had an outstanding warrant involving an expired driver’s license and a $500 bond.

Family Member Reported Leonard Said People Were After Him

Another potentially important development came decades later.

In 2022, Foster’s half-sister Marquita was interviewed by an officer assigned to missing-person cases. She reportedly recalled that before Foster disappeared, he had contacted her while she was living in Louisiana and asked her for money.

According to the police report as described by Media Milwaukee, Marquita said Foster had been selling drugs and told her that people were after him.

The statement potentially provides additional context surrounding Foster’s disappearance, but it does not establish who may have been pursuing him, why they allegedly were pursuing him, or whether the reported concern was connected to his disappearance.

DNA, Dental Records and Photographs Added Decades Later

One of the most significant modern developments in Foster’s case occurred in 2022.

According to Media Milwaukee’s review of police records, dental and DNA records had not been collected for Foster’s missing-person investigation until that year. These records can be important in comparing long-term missing people with unidentified remains.

The Milwaukee Police Department also reportedly did not have a photograph of Foster in its case materials until 2022. An officer working on Milwaukee’s long-term missing-person cases sought photographs that could be publicly circulated in an effort to generate new information.

Photographs of Foster subsequently appeared in missing-person databases and public case profiles.

Latest Investigation Information

The most recent detailed public examination of Foster’s disappearance located for this article came from Media Milwaukee’s investigation, published in December 2024 and updated in February 2025. Student journalists obtained Foster’s Milwaukee Police Department records through open-records requests and reviewed approximately 92 pages of reports, interviews and investigative material.

That reporting brought previously obscure information about Foster’s final known movements and the later investigation into public view, including the account of the brown van, the unidentified man reportedly accompanying Foster, statements from relatives, and the 2022 collection of DNA and dental information.

As of September 2026, the Milwaukee Police Department continues to include Leonard Foster among its long-term missing persons. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults also continues to list him as missing.

No reliable public information located for this article indicates that Foster has been found, that his disappearance has been solved, or that anyone has been charged in connection with his disappearance.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last seen: December 17, 1993
Location: Vicinity of West Highland Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age when missing: 20
Status: Missing

Main circumstances: Foster was reportedly last seen leaving the Highland Avenue area in a brown 1970s-style van with an unidentified man. Police records reviewed by journalists state they were reportedly headed toward South Milwaukee to look at a gun and VCR for sale. Foster was never known to have returned. Family members later provided investigators with several theories and accounts concerning events before his disappearance. DNA and dental information were not collected for the case until 2022.

Leonard Demarcus Foster remains missing. Anyone with information—even information that may have seemed insignificant at the time—is encouraged to contact the Milwaukee Police Department.