Independent Detective Case File

Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal

Missing

Pittsburg, Contra Costa, California, USA

Case Number #1590
Date of Incident June 6, 2011
Age 43 DOB: 07/18/1967 Approx. age today: 59
Type of Case Missing
Case Entry November 11, 2026
Last Updated November 8, 2026
Overview

Full Name: Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal, also listed as Nilesh Kumar Panchal and NileshKumar Panchal.

Age at Disappearance: 43 years old.

Date Last Seen: June 6, 2011.

Last Known Location: Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California.

Case Classification: Missing person.

Publicly Documented Status: Unresolved; no confirmed recovery or resolution was identified in the publicly available records reviewed.

Investigating Agency: Pittsburg Police Department.

Police Case Number: C11-4522.

Overview: Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal disappeared from Pittsburg, California, on June 6, 2011. Public records provide identifying information but few details about the events leading up to his disappearance. His whereabouts remain unknown in the available case listings, leaving significant unanswered questions about what happened that day.


Case Summary

Full Name: Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal, also listed as Nilesh Kumar Panchal and NileshKumar Panchal.

Age at Disappearance: 43 years old.

Date Last Seen: June 6, 2011.

Last Known Location: Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California.

Case Classification: Missing person.

Publicly Documented Status: Unresolved; no confirmed recovery or resolution was identified in the publicly available records reviewed.

Investigating Agency: Pittsburg Police Department.

Police Case Number: C11-4522.

Overview: Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal disappeared from Pittsburg, California, on June 6, 2011. Public records provide identifying information but few details about the events leading up to his disappearance. His whereabouts remain unknown in the available case listings, leaving significant unanswered questions about what happened that day.


Background and Circumstances of the Disappearance

Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal was 43 years old when he was last seen in Pittsburg, a city in Contra Costa County in Northern California’s East Bay region. Born on July 18, 1967, he is also identified in missing-person records by the shortened name Nilesh Kumar Panchal. The Charley Project reports that he used the nickname Niles and that his first and middle names may appear together as NileshKumar.

Publicly available information about Panchal’s personal life is limited. Reliable sources reviewed for this article do not establish his occupation, household circumstances, marital status, or activities immediately before he disappeared. Those details should not be assumed or reconstructed without evidence.

Physical Description and Identifying Characteristics

The California Department of Justice describes Panchal as a man with black hair and brown eyes. Its missing-person record lists his height as approximately 5 feet 9 inches and his weight as 195 pounds. His date of birth is recorded as July 18, 1967.

The Charley Project provides a slightly different physical description, listing him at approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 210 pounds, with graying black hair, brown eyes, and a mustache. These differences reflect the information published by the respective sources and should not be interpreted as evidence of a change in his appearance after his disappearance.

Clothing descriptions also differ slightly. California’s official missing-person record identifies a long-sleeved tan shirt and tan Dockers pants. The Charley Project lists a long brown shirt, beige Dockers pants, and brown Rockport shoes. Both descriptions may be useful when reviewing historical information, although the exact clothing combination has not been independently reconciled in the records examined.

The Last Known Day: June 6, 2011

June 6, 2011, is the confirmed last-seen date recorded by both the California Department of Justice and The Charley Project. The publicly identified location is Pittsburg, California. After that date, Panchal was not heard from again according to the available missing-person profile.

The reviewed sources do not establish the precise address where he was last seen, the time of his disappearance, who last spoke with him, or whether he was traveling by vehicle or on foot. They also do not document a confirmed destination or explain what prompted concern about his whereabouts.

Without a verified account of his final known movements, the circumstances surrounding Panchal’s disappearance remain uncertain. The absence of those details is a limitation of the public record, not evidence supporting any particular explanation.


Investigation History and Available Evidence

The Pittsburg Police Department is identified as the reporting law enforcement agency responsible for Panchal’s missing-person case. The California Department of Justice maintains a public listing under police case number C11-4522, providing an official reference for information submitted about his disappearance.

The existence of an official missing-person record confirms that his disappearance was documented by law enforcement. However, the publicly available sources reviewed do not provide a detailed investigative chronology, initial incident report, or comprehensive account of the steps investigators took after June 6, 2011.

Searches, Witnesses, and Physical Evidence

No verified public documentation was located describing a particular search operation, a confirmed witness account of Panchal’s final movements, or the recovery of physical evidence directly connected to his disappearance.

Similarly, the reviewed records do not establish whether investigators obtained surveillance footage, examined a vehicle, reviewed financial activity, or developed a confirmed lead from telephone records. Such investigative methods are common in missing-person cases, but there is no basis for claiming that any specific method was used in this investigation without supporting documentation.

Missing-Person Databases and Case Documentation

Panchal’s disappearance is documented in the California Department of Justice missing-person database and in The Charley Project, a public resource dedicated to long-term missing-person cases. Additional public case directories associate his name with NamUs missing-person reference 11234.

The state police case number and the NamUs reference serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable identifiers. The state record identifies the law enforcement report, while the NamUs reference relates to a national missing-person database listing.

The reviewed sources do not document a case-specific DNA result, genetic genealogy identification, fingerprint match, or confirmed comparison with unidentified remains. They also do not establish that any particular forensic test has been completed or ruled out.


Theories and Unresolved Questions

The central unanswered question in Panchal’s case is what happened after he was last seen in Pittsburg on June 6, 2011. Available records do not provide enough information to determine whether his disappearance involved an accident, a voluntary departure, a medical emergency, criminal activity, or another circumstance.

These possibilities are general categories of explanation, not established investigative theories or conclusions about Panchal. No publicly verified evidence reviewed for this article supports selecting one explanation over the others.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Several important questions remain unresolved in the available public record. Where exactly was Panchal last seen? What was his intended destination, if any? Did anyone communicate with him immediately before his disappearance? Were there belongings, transportation records, or other circumstances that could help reconstruct his movements?

The public record also does not explain whether investigators received credible later sightings or information that could narrow the timeline. Answers to these questions may exist in nonpublic investigative files, but they cannot be reported as established facts without confirmation.

No Confirmed Homicide Classification

Panchal is publicly listed as a missing person. No verified information located in the reviewed sources establishes that he was murdered, that his remains were recovered, or that a suspect was officially identified in connection with his disappearance.

His case should therefore be described as an unresolved disappearance rather than a confirmed homicide. Maintaining that distinction protects the accuracy of the public record and avoids attaching unsupported allegations to individuals or circumstances.


Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

As of October 31, 2026, no publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthrough, arrest, identification of remains, or resolution was located in the sources reviewed for this article.

The California Department of Justice continues to provide a publicly accessible missing-person record identifying Panchal and the Pittsburg Police Department. The Charley Project also retains his disappearance profile, which records June 6, 2011, as his last-seen date.

The Charley Project identifies August 4, 2018, as the date of its last recorded profile update, involving the addition of clothing information. That profile revision is a historical database change, not evidence of a new investigative discovery or a confirmed development in the case.

No verified public announcement was identified describing a new forensic identification, genetic genealogy result, age-progression release, cold-case investigative finding, criminal charge, or court proceeding specifically connected to Panchal’s disappearance.

The absence of a public announcement does not establish that investigators have stopped working on the case. Some law enforcement activities and leads may remain confidential. Any substantive change in Panchal’s status should be confirmed through the responsible police department or an updated official record.


Conclusion and Public Appeal for Information

More than fifteen years after Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal disappeared from Pittsburg, California, the available public record still does not explain what happened to him on or after June 6, 2011. His disappearance remains an unresolved missing-person case, with limited public information about his final known activities and the subsequent investigation.

Although the documented circumstances are sparse, the identifying details preserved in official and independent missing-person records remain important. His name, last-seen date, physical description, and clothing information may help someone recognize a relevant memory or connect previously unreported information to the case.

Anyone with credible information about Panchal’s whereabouts, his activities around June 6, 2011, or circumstances that may be relevant to his disappearance is encouraged to contact the Pittsburg Police Department at (925) 252-4980 and reference case number C11-4522.

Even information that appears minor may be worth sharing with investigators. Members of the public should avoid speculation, refrain from confronting anyone based on an unverified theory, and submit potentially relevant information directly to law enforcement.

Nilesh Kumar Panchal’s disappearance deserves continued attention, careful reporting, and a commitment to verified facts. Until reliable evidence establishes what happened, the fundamental question remains unanswered: Where is Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal?

Agency / ReferencePhone Number / Case Number
Pittsburg Police Department โ€” Reporting Agency(925) 252-4980
Pittsburg Police Department โ€” Additional Number Listed by The Charley Project(925) 252-4186 (secondary-source listing)
Pittsburg Police Department โ€” Official Case NumberC11-4522
California Department of Justice โ€” Missing Persons Hotline1-800-222-FIND (1-800-222-3463)
NamUs โ€” Missing Person ReferenceMP11234 (secondary-directory reference; not independently confirmed on a directly accessible NamUs profile)
DateEvent
July 18, 1967Nilesh Kumar Chimanbhai Panchal was born, according to his official California missing-person record.
June 6, 2011Panchal, age 43, was last seen in Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California. This is the confirmed disappearance date recorded by the California Department of Justice and The Charley Project.
Date not publicly establishedThe disappearance was documented by the Pittsburg Police Department under case number C11-4522. The precise reporting date was not established in the reviewed sources.
August 4, 2018The Charley Project recorded a profile update adding clothing and jewelry description information. This was a database revision, not a confirmed investigative breakthrough.
October 31, 2026Review of publicly available case information found Panchal still listed as missing. No confirmed recent investigative breakthrough, recovery, arrest, or resolution was identified.

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Map Location

Pittsburg, California

On June 6, 2011

Location disclaimer: This map may identify only the general city or surrounding area. It should not be interpreted as the exact location where the homicide occurred, where a person went missing, or where any other case event took place unless an exact location has been independently confirmed and entered.

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