Overview

Name: Michael Dennis Small
Age when missing: 27
From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Departed Milwaukee: July 28, 1980
Official “Missing Since” date listed by Wisconsin Clearinghouse: August 23, 1980
Last reported location: Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania
NamUs: MP29102
Doe Network: 6542DMWI
Status: Missing

Main circumstances: Michael left Milwaukee on July 28, 1980, saying he intended to move to New York. Wisconsin’s official missing-person poster states that he took $600 with him and was later last seen in Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania. The publicly available poster does not specify the date of that Pennsylvania sighting. He has not been located.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Michael Dennis Small: Missing Since 1980 After Leaving Wisconsin for New York

Michael Dennis Small was 27 years old when he left Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1980 with plans to relocate to New York. More than four decades later, his disappearance remains unresolved, and his case continues to be listed by Wisconsin authorities and national missing-person organizations.

Very Brief Case Summary

Name: Michael Dennis Small
Age when missing: 27
From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Departed Milwaukee: July 28, 1980
Official “Missing Since” date listed by Wisconsin Clearinghouse: August 23, 1980
Last reported location: Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania
NamUs: MP29102
Doe Network: 6542DMWI
Status: Missing

Main circumstances: Michael left Milwaukee on July 28, 1980, saying he intended to move to New York. Wisconsin’s official missing-person poster states that he took $600 with him and was later last seen in Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania. The publicly available poster does not specify the date of that Pennsylvania sighting. He has not been located.

Michael Small Leaves Milwaukee for New York

Michael Dennis Small was 27 when he left Milwaukee on July 28, 1980. According to accounts of his disappearance, Michael told others that he was going to New York to live.

The Charley Project reports that Michael intended either to hitchhike or take a bus to New York. Wisconsin’s official missing-person poster adds another significant detail: Michael had $600 with him when he left Wisconsin.

Michael was described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 135 pounds. He wore black plastic-framed eyeglasses. The Charley Project lists his clothing as a plaid short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.

A Later Sighting in Pennsylvania

One of the most significant details appearing in the current Wisconsin government poster is that Michael was last seen in Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania after leaving Milwaukee.

This creates an important distinction in the chronology of the case. July 28, 1980, appears to be the date Michael left Milwaukee rather than necessarily the date of his final known sighting.

The Wisconsin Clearinghouse currently lists Michael’s “Missing Since” date as August 23, 1980. Its poster likewise gives August 23 as the official date missing, while separately stating that Michael left Milwaukee on July 28 and was subsequently last seen in Pennsylvania.

The publicly available Wisconsin material does not provide a date, address, witness account or additional circumstances surrounding the reported Pennsylvania sighting.

Conflicting Dates in Public Missing-Person Records

Michael’s case illustrates why older missing-person cases can contain conflicting dates across databases.

The Charley Project lists Michael as missing since July 28, 1980, from Milwaukee. Uncovered and CaseTrace also associate his disappearance with July 28.

Wisconsin’s Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults, however, currently lists August 23, 1980, as his official missing date.

Rather than treating one date as definitively incorrect, the available records support a chronology in which Michael left Milwaukee on July 28, 1980, was reportedly seen later in Chapel Hill, Pennsylvania, and is officially recorded by Wisconsin as missing since August 23, 1980.

What Happened to Michael Dennis Small?

Very little has been made public about what happened after Michael began his trip east.

There is no publicly documented explanation for why he disappeared, and available official material does not establish that Michael was the victim of a homicide or other crime. His case remains classified as a missing-person case.

His intended destination of New York and the reported Pennsylvania sighting are particularly relevant because they indicate that the search for answers extends beyond Wisconsin.

Latest Publicly Available Case Developments

Michael’s case continues to appear in the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults, with the Milwaukee Police Department identified as the investigating law-enforcement agency.

A notable recent development in the public documentation of the case occurred on December 10, 2024, when the Doe Network added Michael to its missing-person case files as Doe Network case 6542DMWI.

There has also been renewed public discussion of possible unidentified-person comparisons. In July 2025, a Reddit user raised a possible comparison between Michael and an unidentified man found in New York in 1988. Commenters discussed similarities and differences and suggested submitting the comparison.

That discussion should not be treated as an identification, official investigative lead, or confirmed law-enforcement development. No reliable public source located for this article establishes that the unidentified man is Michael or that authorities have accepted the proposed comparison.

As of the latest publicly accessible information reviewed for this article, Michael remains listed as missing. No publicly documented identification, recovery, arrest or resolution of his disappearance was located.

Michael Dennis Small Is Still Missing

Decades after Michael left Wisconsin intending to begin a new life in New York, fundamental questions remain unanswered: When exactly was he seen in Pennsylvania? Who saw him? Did he continue toward New York? And what happened after that final reported sighting?

Michael would now be in his seventies. His NamUs case number is MP29102, and his Doe Network reference is 6542DMWI.

Anyone with information concerning Michael Dennis Small’s disappearance should contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7405 or the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults at 1-800-843-4673 (1-800-THE-HOPE).