Overview

• Full name: Robert John Yandell
• Age at disappearance: 25
• Date of birth: September 20, 1957
• Date last seen: January 14, 1983
• Last known location: Alameda, California
• City: Alameda
• County: Alameda County
• State: California
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current status: Missing; unresolved in publicly available records
• Investigating agency: Alameda Police Department
• Police case number: 8302135
• Circumstances: Yandell was last seen in Alameda on January 14, 1983. Publicly available official records do not provide a detailed account of his disappearance.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Robert John Yandell: The Unsolved 1983 Disappearance in Alameda, California

On January 14, 1983, 25-year-old Robert John Yandell disappeared from Alameda, California. More than four decades later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and his case continues to appear in the California Department of Justice’s missing-person records.

The publicly available information about Yandell’s disappearance is limited. Although authorities have documented his identifying characteristics and the date he was last seen, the official record does not explain what happened immediately before he vanished or establish whether foul play was involved.

His disappearance remains an unresolved mystery in Alameda County, with fundamental questions about his last known movements and ultimate fate still unanswered.

Case Summary

• Full name: Robert John Yandell
• Age at disappearance: 25
• Date of birth: September 20, 1957
• Date last seen: January 14, 1983
• Last known location: Alameda, California
• City: Alameda
• County: Alameda County
• State: California
• Case classification: Missing person
• Current status: Missing; unresolved in publicly available records
• Investigating agency: Alameda Police Department
• Police case number: 8302135
• Circumstances: Yandell was last seen in Alameda on January 14, 1983. Publicly available official records do not provide a detailed account of his disappearance.

These details are documented in the California Department of Justice missing-person profile.

Background: Who Was Robert John Yandell?

Robert John Yandell was born on September 20, 1957. He was 25 years old when he disappeared in January 1983.

According to the California Department of Justice, Yandell was a white male with black hair and brown eyes. He stood approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 180 pounds at the time of his disappearance.

One particularly important identifying characteristic was a tattoo on his left forearm. The official record does not describe the tattoo’s design, wording, or size.

The available physical description includes:

• Sex: Male
• Race: White
• Height: 5 feet 10 inches
• Weight: 180 pounds
• Hair: Black
• Eyes: Brown
• Distinguishing feature: Tattoo on left forearm

The state record also indicates that dental X-rays were not available in the information reported for his case.

These identifying details may be valuable when investigators compare unidentified-person reports or previously unidentified human remains with long-term missing-person cases. However, the absence of dental X-rays in the public record does not establish which other identification methods investigators may have available.

Very little verified information has been published about Yandell’s personal life. His occupation, family relationships, education, daily routines, and activities immediately before his disappearance are not detailed in the official case profile.

Without reliable documentation, it would be inappropriate to speculate about his relationships, lifestyle, or circumstances at home.

Source: California Department of Justice.

The Disappearance: January 14, 1983

Robert Yandell was last seen in Alameda, California, on Friday, January 14, 1983.

Alameda is a city in Alameda County, situated along San Francisco Bay. The city’s waterfront setting and proximity to Oakland and other Bay Area communities provide geographical context for the disappearance, but there is no verified evidence linking Yandell’s case to any particular waterfront location.

The California Department of Justice identifies Alameda as his last known city but does not specify a street address, neighborhood, business, residence, or other precise location.

The public record also does not identify who last saw Yandell or describe the circumstances of that sighting.

Several essential details remain undocumented in accessible official information:

• Whether Yandell disappeared from his residence, workplace, or another location.
• Whether he was traveling on foot or using a vehicle.
• What clothing or personal belongings he had with him.
• Whether he had arranged to meet anyone that day.
• Whether anyone reported unusual behavior or suspicious activity before he vanished.

These are gaps in the publicly available information, not evidence that investigators never obtained such details.

What can be established is that January 14, 1983, remains the officially recorded last-seen date and that the Alameda Police Department is the reporting agency associated with his missing-person record.

Source: Robert John Yandell – Official Record.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Alameda Police Department investigation

The Alameda Police Department is identified by the California Department of Justice as the reporting law enforcement agency responsible for Yandell’s missing-person case.

The department’s case reference is 8302135.

This number is important because it allows someone contacting authorities to identify the specific investigation without relying solely on Yandell’s name or disappearance date.

The continued presence of his information in the California missing-person database provides a publicly accessible reference for the case. It does not, by itself, establish the frequency or nature of current investigative activity.

Searches and witness information

No verified public account was located detailing the original search efforts conducted after Yandell disappeared.

Similarly, the available official profile does not identify witnesses, describe interviews, or document specific leads pursued during the initial investigation.

This lack of published information should not be interpreted as proof that searches or interviews never occurred. Police investigative files frequently contain material that is not included in public missing-person listings.

Physical and forensic evidence

The most clearly documented identifying evidence consists of Yandell’s physical characteristics, particularly the tattoo on his left forearm.

The California Department of Justice profile states that dental X-rays were unavailable.

No publicly confirmed information was located establishing that investigators recovered personal belongings, a vehicle, biological evidence, or other physical items connected to his disappearance.

Likewise, no verified public documentation was found identifying a forensic match or an unidentified-person comparison that resolved the case.

DNA testing and genetic genealogy

Modern DNA analysis and forensic genetic genealogy have helped investigators resolve some decades-old missing-person and unidentified-remains cases.

However, no publicly confirmed documentation was located showing that Yandell’s case has undergone forensic genetic genealogy, that a family DNA reference sample has been submitted, or that DNA testing has produced a significant investigative lead.

These possibilities should not be presented as investigative actions that have actually occurred in his case.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

The circumstances surrounding Robert Yandell’s disappearance remain unclear.

There is no reliable public evidence establishing that he was murdered, abducted, involved in an accident, or deliberately left his previous life behind.

Could foul play have been involved?

Foul play is a possibility investigators may consider in unexplained disappearances. However, the California Department of Justice identifies Yandell as a missing person and does not publicly establish that his disappearance resulted from a criminal act.

No officially identified suspect, criminal charge, or homicide determination was located in the reviewed sources.

Consequently, foul play remains an unverified possibility rather than an established explanation.

Could an accident explain the disappearance?

Accidental injury or death can also be considered when someone disappears without a documented explanation.

Nevertheless, no publicly verified evidence links Yandell to an accident, specific hazardous location, or recovered remains.

Alameda’s location near San Francisco Bay should not be treated as evidence of a water-related disappearance.

Was the disappearance voluntary?

The possibility of a voluntary departure cannot be confirmed or excluded from the limited public record.

No verified statement was located establishing that Yandell intended to leave Alameda, change his identity, or sever contact with people he knew.

It would be speculative to attribute a motive or intention to him without supporting evidence.

Questions that remain unanswered

The central unresolved questions concern Yandell’s movements on January 14, 1983, the identity of anyone who may have seen him that day, and whether additional evidence exists in historical investigative records.

Other important questions include whether investigators have obtained new witness information, whether unidentified-remains comparisons have been performed, and whether surviving family members have participated in modern identification efforts.

The publicly available case record does not provide answers to these questions.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

As of October 25, 2026, Robert John Yandell remains listed in the California Department of Justice missing-person database.

The official listing continues to identify January 14, 1983, as his last-seen date and names the Alameda Police Department as the reporting agency.

No publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthroughs were located during this research.

In particular, the reviewed information did not establish any recent arrests, identified suspects, recovered remains, confirmed DNA matches, genetic genealogy findings, or official announcements resolving his disappearance.

No verified public announcement of a new search, formal cold-case review, or age-progression release was located.

The presence of his profile in a searchable database should not be mistaken for a newly announced development. It confirms that the state maintains a public record of his disappearance, not that a new investigative event has occurred.

These findings are limited to the publicly accessible sources reviewed. They do not establish whether detectives possess nonpublic leads or are conducting investigative work that has not been announced.

Official case record: California Department of Justice – Robert Yandell.

Conclusion: A Disappearance Still Awaiting Answers

More than 43 years have passed since Robert John Yandell was last seen in Alameda, California.

The official record establishes his identity, physical description, disappearance date, and the law enforcement agency associated with his case. It does not establish what caused him to disappear or what happened afterward.

His case illustrates the difficulties of understanding a decades-old disappearance when little investigative history is available to the public.

Even after many years, information from someone who knew Yandell, remembers his movements in January 1983, or possesses previously unreported details could be important.

Anyone with information about Robert John Yandell’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the Alameda Police Department at (510) 337-8311 and reference case number 8302135.

Information may also be provided through the California Department of Justice’s missing-person hotline at 1-800-222-3463.

The goal remains the same as it was in 1983: to establish what happened to Robert John Yandell and provide reliable answers about his fate.