Overview

Missing Since: June 4, 2017
Last Known Area: Menominee Indian Reservation, Menominee County, Wisconsin
NamUs: MP64060
Classification: Missing person
Age When Missing: Reported as 24 by the Wisconsin DOJ and The Charley Project; some later news reports described him as 25.
Height: Approximately 5 feet 9 inches
Weight: Approximately 120 pounds
Hair: Brown to black/dark brown
Eyes: Brown
Tribal Affiliation: Menominee

Main Circumstances: Lyons left a residence on an ATV and was subsequently observed by law enforcement operating a four-wheeler near Long Marsh Road. He did not return. His ATV was recovered five days later near Maynard’s Loop Road, Long Marsh Road and Rush’s Lake Road. His cellular phone had been left behind at the residence. No confirmed sighting of Lyons has been publicly reported since June 4, 2017.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Robert S. Lyons Missing Person Case: Disappearance on the Menominee Indian Reservation

Robert S. Lyons disappeared from the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin on June 4, 2017, after leaving a residence on an ATV. Nearly a decade later, his whereabouts remain unknown. The Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to list Lyons as a missing person from Menominee County.

Brief Case Summary

Missing Since: June 4, 2017
Last Known Area: Menominee Indian Reservation, Menominee County, Wisconsin
NamUs: MP64060
Classification: Missing person
Age When Missing: Reported as 24 by the Wisconsin DOJ and The Charley Project; some later news reports described him as 25.
Height: Approximately 5 feet 9 inches
Weight: Approximately 120 pounds
Hair: Brown to black/dark brown
Eyes: Brown
Tribal Affiliation: Menominee

Main Circumstances: Lyons left a residence on an ATV and was subsequently observed by law enforcement operating a four-wheeler near Long Marsh Road. He did not return. His ATV was recovered five days later near Maynard’s Loop Road, Long Marsh Road and Rush’s Lake Road. His cellular phone had been left behind at the residence. No confirmed sighting of Lyons has been publicly reported since June 4, 2017.

Robert Lyons Disappears on June 4, 2017

Robert S. Lyons was a young Menominee man living in the Keshena/Menominee Indian Reservation area when he disappeared on Sunday, June 4, 2017.

According to Wisconsin’s official missing-person clearinghouse, Lyons left a residence driving an ATV four-wheeler. He was wearing red-and-white shorts and was not wearing a shirt. The Charley Project additionally reports that he was wearing a hat and shoes. His cellular phone remained behind.

Law Enforcement Saw Lyons Near Long Marsh Road

An important detail in the disappearance is that law enforcement apparently saw someone matching Lyons’ description operating a four-wheeler near Long Marsh Road on June 4.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice describes this as a law-enforcement observation of a person matching Lyons’ physical description. Other case accounts describe a Tribal Police officer seeing Lyons riding his ATV in the Long Marsh area.

That observation is among the last publicly documented indications of Lyons’ whereabouts.

Robert Lyons’ ATV Is Found Five Days Later

Lyons did not return home, and his family reported him missing to Menominee Tribal Police.

On June 9, 2017, five days after his disappearance, his ATV was recovered. Sources place it on Maynard’s Loop Road near the intersection of Long Marsh Road and Rush’s Lake Road on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The discovery provided investigators with Lyons’ vehicle, but not an explanation for where he had gone.

Searches were conducted and leads were investigated, but Lyons was not located. Published case summaries have reported that authorities could not rule out foul play.

Identifying Features of Robert S. Lyons

Lyons was approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed about 120 pounds when he disappeared. He had brown eyes and brown or dark hair.

His distinctive tattoos may be especially important for identification. They include the word “Menominee” across his upper back from shoulder to shoulder, an eagle on the back of his neck and “Native Pride” on one calf. Other published case descriptions list a bear tattoo on his left forearm and the name “Lyons” with a feather on his right forearm.

He also has a birthmark on the front of his neck.

$5,000 Reward Announced in Robert Lyons Case

On July 22, 2020, the Menominee Tribe publicly renewed attention on several missing and murdered tribal citizens and announced a $5,000 reward for information concerning Robert Lyons’ disappearance.

At the time, Tribal Police Chief Richard Nacotee expressed hope that the reward would encourage someone with information to come forward.

The renewed appeal emphasized a fundamental issue that continues to surround the case: someone may possess information that could explain what happened after Lyons was seen riding his ATV.

Human Remains Found on Menominee Reservation Were Not Robert Lyons

A potentially significant development occurred in 2023 after a hunter discovered a human skull and additional bones in the Menominee tribal forest north of Keshena.

Because Lyons remained missing, the discovery raised an obvious question about whether the remains could belong to him.

They did not.

Menominee County Medical Examiner Patrick Roberts said dental records were used to determine that the remains were neither Robert Lyons nor another missing man, Justin Dickenson. The remains were believed to be those of a male and approximately five to ten years old.

The FBI was involved with the investigation of those unidentified remains, including additional work toward identifying them through DNA. That investigation concerned the unidentified remains; the publicly reported dental comparison had already excluded Lyons.

Latest Publicly Available Information on the Robert S. Lyons Investigation

As of September 2026, Robert S. Lyons continues to appear on the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s current missing-person list. The state lists his missing date as June 4, 2017, his county as Menominee and his last known location as the Menominee Indian Reservation.

No credible public announcement located during a review of current sources indicates that Lyons has been found or that his disappearance has been resolved.

The most significant later investigative development publicly located remains the 2023 discovery of human remains on the reservation and the subsequent determination through dental records that those remains were not Robert Lyons.

The case therefore remains centered on the events of June 4, 2017: Lyons left on an ATV, was observed in the Long Marsh area, left his phone behind, and disappeared. Five days later, his ATV was recovered, but Lyons was nowhere to be found.

What Happened to Robert S. Lyons?

There is still no publicly confirmed answer.

The available evidence establishes where Lyons was seen and where his ATV was later recovered, but publicly available law-enforcement information does not establish what happened between those events or afterward. Foul play has not been publicly ruled out, but no publicly identified suspect or confirmed explanation for the disappearance was located.

Anyone with information about Robert S. Lyons’ disappearance should contact the Menominee Tribal Police Department. Wisconsin’s current missing-person clearinghouse lists the department at 715-799-3881. The Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults can also receive information at 1-800-843-4673.