Overview

Last seen: June 14, 2019, shortly after 2 a.m.
Last confirmed location: Route 138 near Kingstown Road in South Kingstown, Rhode Island
Age when missing: 22
Status: Endangered missing; the circumstances remain unresolved
Key circumstances: Michael left his North Kingstown home during the early morning, spoke briefly with a police officer after stopping his car along Route 138, and was never confirmed seen again. His abandoned car was located three days later at the Great Swamp Management Area.

Detailed Case Breakdown

The Disappearance of Michael Joseph Sinotte Jr.: Rhode Island Man Still Missing After Car Found at Great Swamp

Brief Case Summary

Last seen: June 14, 2019, shortly after 2 a.m.
Last confirmed location: Route 138 near Kingstown Road in South Kingstown, Rhode Island
Age when missing: 22
Status: Endangered missing; the circumstances remain unresolved
Key circumstances: Michael left his North Kingstown home during the early morning, spoke briefly with a police officer after stopping his car along Route 138, and was never confirmed seen again. His abandoned car was located three days later at the Great Swamp Management Area.

Michael Sinotte Jr.’s Disappearance

Michael Joseph “Mikey” Sinotte Jr. was 22 years old when he disappeared from Rhode Island in June 2019. Described by his family as quiet, intelligent and good-natured, Michael enjoyed hiking, animals, video games and geocaching. He was especially familiar with the Great Swamp Management Area in South Kingstown.

Michael lived with his family in North Kingstown and had studied computers at the Community College of Rhode Island. He also worked as a Grubhub delivery driver and generally followed a predictable routine. His family said it was unusual for him to leave without explanation or fail to return home.

During the weeks before his disappearance, Michael had reportedly stopped taking medication prescribed for schizophrenia. His family noticed behavioral changes, including cleaning his room and selling some possessions, and encouraged him to speak with a doctor. Michael reportedly said that he felt well and did not need the medication. These circumstances became part of the investigation, although they do not establish what happened to him.

Michael’s Activities Before He Vanished

Investigators reconstructed some of Michael’s activities through transaction records.

On June 13, 2019, he visited a Home Depot in North Kingstown, where he purchased rope. Later that day, he bought food from a Burger King in Warwick and stopped at a Cumberland Farms gas station in East Greenwich. Family members said he had obtained gas, food and groceries and did not appear to be preparing to abandon his normal life.

According to his family, Michael hugged and kissed his mother that night and told her, “Just love each other.” At approximately 1:30 a.m. on June 14, he quietly left the family’s home in his black 2000 Honda Civic. His brother reportedly saw him leave.

Police Encounter on Route 138

Michael’s last confirmed encounter occurred shortly after 2 a.m. A South Kingstown police officer noticed his Honda stopped in the breakdown lane along Route 138 near Kingstown Road.

Michael told the officer that he was working for Grubhub (which he was, but he wasn’t delivering that night) and had stopped to use his phone or obtain directions to a customer’s address. The officer reported that Michael did not appear distressed and allowed him to continue on his way.

Investigators subsequently determined that Michael had not accepted or delivered a Grubhub order that night. The roadside interaction became the final confirmed sighting in the case.

A regional alert asking officers to watch for Michael was issued later on June 14.

Abandoned Car Found at the Great Swamp

Three days after Michael disappeared, his Honda Civic was discovered at the Great Swamp Management Area on Great Neck Road in South Kingstown.

Food, receipts and a hamburger were reportedly found inside the vehicle. Michael’s cellphone and car keys were not there.

Investigators attempted to obtain location information from Michael’s phone. According to later reporting, authorities initially entered an incorrect phone number. When the correct number was used, the device had been switched off. Its last general location was associated with the Great Swamp area, but police could not determine a precise position.

Searchers later discovered the empty packaging for rope Michael had purchased before his disappearance. The rope itself was found approximately 125 yards from the packaging in the wooded area. Neither discovery conclusively established what happened to him.

Extensive Searches of the Great Swamp

The Great Swamp Management Area contains thousands of acres of forest, trails, wetlands and difficult terrain. Police officers, firefighters, volunteers and specialized search teams searched the area on foot and by boat. Drones and other resources were also reportedly deployed.

Searchers examined trails and geocaching locations Michael may have known. More than 35 searches have reportedly been conducted, but no confirmed trace of Michael has been recovered.

Investigators also searched Michael’s computer but reportedly found no evidence showing that he had planned his disappearance. His bank accounts and credit cards showed no known activity after he vanished.

Questions Surrounding the Case

Several possibilities have been considered publicly, including an accidental death in the difficult swamp terrain, a mental-health-related crisis, suicide, voluntary disappearance or the involvement of another person.

However, no publicly released evidence has proved any of those theories. Michael has not been found, no confirmed crime scene has been identified and no person has been charged in connection with his disappearance.

Although Project: Cold Case includes Michael in a database containing unsolved homicide victims and long-term missing-person cases in which foul play may be suspected, his death has not been officially confirmed. The case should therefore be described as an unresolved endangered-missing-person investigation rather than a confirmed homicide.

Latest Investigation Information

The most recent substantial case spotlight located was published by Project: Cold Case on June 15, 2026. It confirmed that Michael remained missing and that searches organized over the years had not produced evidence explaining his disappearance.

The 2026 report did not announce a recovered body, arrest, identified suspect or definitive new investigative lead. It renewed public awareness of the case and repeated the request for anyone with information to contact the North Kingstown Police Department Detective Division or Rhode Island Crime Stoppers.

Michael’s family continues to commemorate him, including visiting the Great Swamp around the anniversary of his disappearance. They remain hopeful that someone may have information capable of explaining why he drove to South Kingstown and what happened after his encounter with the police officer.

Identifying Information

At the time he disappeared, Michael was approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed about 150 pounds. He had brown hair and brown eyes and reportedly walked somewhat stiffly because of back problems.

He was believed to be wearing a blue sweatshirt, blue jeans and black-and-brown size 13 boots.

Michael’s federal NamUs record is listed as MP74142. The NamUs search result displays his middle name as “James,” while family-supported case profiles and multiple published reports identify him as Michael Joseph Sinotte Jr. This appears to be a record inconsistency, and MP74142 remains the relevant NamUs case number.

Anyone who saw Michael or his black 2000 Honda Civic during the early morning of June 14, 2019—particularly along Route 138, Kingstown Road or near the Great Swamp Management Area—is urged to contact investigators. Information that appears minor could help authorities reconstruct Michael’s movements after the final confirmed police encounter.