Overview

Last seen: December 22, 2017
Last known location: Badger Gas, 2004 Badger Road, North Pole, Alaska
Age when missing: 27
NamUs #: MP51789
Investigating agency: Fairbanks Police Department

Main circumstances: Sheldon was last known to be at or near Badger Gas and was reportedly heading toward an address on Bottles Street. He never arrived. At the time, Sheldon was transient and was known to sometimes seek shelter in vacant buildings and abandoned vehicles. Because his family lived outside Alaska and apparently did not immediately realize he was missing, a missing-person report was not filed until March 5, 2018.

Detailed Case Breakdown

William James Patrick Sheldon Missing Person Case: What Happened in North Pole, Alaska?

William James Patrick Sheldon was 27 years old when he disappeared from the North Pole area of Alaska on December 22, 2017. His last known location was Badger Gas on Badger Road, where he was reportedly seen walking away from the business and heading toward Bottles Street. He never reached his reported destination and has not been publicly confirmed seen or heard from since.

Sheldon’s disappearance remains unresolved. Available public case records continue to classify him as missing rather than as a confirmed homicide victim. His NamUs case number is MP51789.

Brief Case Summary

Last seen: December 22, 2017
Last known location: Badger Gas, 2004 Badger Road, North Pole, Alaska
Age when missing: 27
NamUs #: MP51789
Investigating agency: Fairbanks Police Department

Main circumstances: Sheldon was last known to be at or near Badger Gas and was reportedly heading toward an address on Bottles Street. He never arrived. At the time, Sheldon was transient and was known to sometimes seek shelter in vacant buildings and abandoned vehicles. Because his family lived outside Alaska and apparently did not immediately realize he was missing, a missing-person report was not filed until March 5, 2018.

William Sheldon’s Disappearance

On Friday, December 22, 2017, William Sheldon was reportedly seen leaving Badger Gas in North Pole, a community southeast of Fairbanks. Available accounts place the gas station in the 2000 block of Badger Road; current Alaska records identify the Badger Gas Store at 2004 Badger Road.

According to missing-person records, Sheldon was supposed to be traveling toward an address on Bottles Street. What he intended to do after arriving there has not been publicly established. More importantly, he apparently never reached that destination.

No publicly documented confirmed sighting after December 22, 2017 has surfaced in the sources reviewed for this article.

Why Months Passed Before Police Were Notified

One of the most significant circumstances in Sheldon’s case is the delay between his disappearance and the filing of his missing-person report.

Sheldon was transient at the time. Case summaries state that he sometimes slept or stayed inside vacant buildings and abandoned vehicles. His parents lived outside Alaska, making it more difficult for relatives to immediately recognize that something was wrong.

A missing-person report was ultimately filed on March 5, 2018 — more than two months after Sheldon was last seen.

That delay potentially complicated the investigation. By the time authorities were formally searching for Sheldon, considerable time had passed since anyone could reliably place him at Badger Gas.

Police Asked Residents to Search Abandoned Buildings and Vehicles

The case became more publicly visible in June 2018.

On June 25, KTVF reported that the Fairbanks Police Department was asking the community for assistance. Police said they had exhausted available resources in their efforts to locate Sheldon.

Because investigators knew Sheldon sometimes sought shelter in abandoned structures and vehicles, residents were specifically asked to check abandoned buildings and cars on their properties for indications that Sheldon might have stayed there.

At the time of that appeal, authorities directed information to Detective Anthony Laska at 907-450-6451. The general Fairbanks Police Department number subsequently published with Sheldon’s missing-person case is 907-450-6500.

What Happened After Badger Gas?

This remains the central unanswered question.

Publicly available information establishes a relatively narrow final known sequence: Sheldon was at Badger Gas on December 22, 2017, left the area on foot and was reportedly heading toward Bottles Street. He did not arrive at the reported destination.

What happened between those points has not been publicly established.

There is no reliable public evidence identified in the sources reviewed establishing that Sheldon was murdered, died accidentally, voluntarily left the area or encountered some other circumstance. His case therefore should not be characterized as a homicide unless law enforcement releases evidence supporting that conclusion.

Description of William James Patrick Sheldon

At the time he disappeared, Sheldon was 27 years old. He is described as a white male with black hair and brown eyes, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing between 140 and 150 pounds.

His relatively small physical stature, transient living circumstances and the severe winter environment of Interior Alaska are relevant background considerations, but none establishes what actually happened to him.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

A review of publicly searchable sources through August 2026 found no credible announcement that William Sheldon has been located and no publicly documented arrest, identified suspect or official determination that he was the victim of homicide.

Importantly, searchable missing-person resources continue to carry his case. Uncovered lists William Sheldon as missing under NamUs number MP51789, while current missing-person search results also continue to list his disappearance date as December 22, 2017.

A May 2024 community case post likewise described the disappearance as active and unsolved, although community-generated information should be treated as secondary to official law-enforcement and NamUs information.

The absence of publicly announced developments does not necessarily mean investigators have stopped working the case. Police may possess information, tips or investigative material that has never been released publicly.

For now, the fundamental facts remain unchanged: William James Patrick Sheldon disappeared after leaving Badger Gas in North Pole, Alaska, on December 22, 2017, and his whereabouts remain publicly unknown.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Several important questions remain unanswered publicly: Who last spoke directly with Sheldon? Was his reported destination on Bottles Street independently confirmed? Did anyone see him after he left Badger Gas? Was he carrying a phone, and if so, was usable location or communication data recovered? Which abandoned buildings, vehicles and properties were searched? Did investigators establish whether Sheldon ultimately changed his intended destination?

Answers to any of those questions could help clarify what happened during the critical period immediately following his last known sighting.

More than eight years after William Sheldon vanished, even information that once seemed insignificant could potentially provide investigators with additional context.

Anyone with information about William James Patrick Sheldon’s disappearance should contact the Fairbanks Police Department.