Overview

Last Seen: January 23, 1964
Location: San Marcos subdivision area of Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California, near Hollister Road and Turnpike Road
Age: 3 years old
Classification: Missing child; commonly classified as a suspected non-family abduction
Status: Unsolved

Todd Eugene Collett disappeared while playing near his home with his twin brother and another young boy. Todd and the friend reportedly crossed toward a nearby construction area while his twin stayed behind. Approximately 20 minutes later, the friend was brought home, but Todd was nowhere to be found.

The ensuing search focused heavily on the construction site, demolition fires, nearby railroad tracks and the Turnpike overpass. No confirmed trace of Todd was found. Later accounts also described an unidentified bearded man seen behaving unusually in the neighborhood around the time Todd vanished. More than six decades later, Todd remains missing.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Todd Eugene Collett: The 1964 Disappearance of a Three-Year-Old Boy in Goleta, California

Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: January 23, 1964
Location: San Marcos subdivision area of Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California, near Hollister Road and Turnpike Road
Age: 3 years old
Classification: Missing child; commonly classified as a suspected non-family abduction
Status: Unsolved

Todd Eugene Collett disappeared while playing near his home with his twin brother and another young boy. Todd and the friend reportedly crossed toward a nearby construction area while his twin stayed behind. Approximately 20 minutes later, the friend was brought home, but Todd was nowhere to be found.

The ensuing search focused heavily on the construction site, demolition fires, nearby railroad tracks and the Turnpike overpass. No confirmed trace of Todd was found. Later accounts also described an unidentified bearded man seen behaving unusually in the neighborhood around the time Todd vanished. More than six decades later, Todd remains missing.

Todd Collett Disappears While Playing Near His Goleta Home

On January 23, 1964, three-year-old Todd Eugene Collett was playing near his home in the San Marcos subdivision of Goleta, California. Todd was with his twin brother, Travis, and another young boy described in case accounts as their friend Greg.

The children were near the area of Hollister Road and Turnpike Road, where construction was underway. Accounts of the disappearance state that the children had been told not to cross the road toward the construction area. Todd nevertheless headed toward the dirt embankments, and his friend followed him while Todd’s twin brother remained behind.

A Twenty-Minute Window and a Child Suddenly Gone

Roughly 20 minutes later, the other boy’s mother reportedly noticed her son across the street and brought him home. When she asked where Todd was, the young child reportedly spoke about a bulldozer and a fire and indicated that Todd may have continued toward or across the Turnpike overpass.

Todd had seemingly disappeared during that brief window.

Demolition fires were burning in the construction area that day. Investigators searched the burned areas once the fires were extinguished, but they found no evidence that Todd had been caught in them. Wells and septic systems in the area were also reportedly searched.

Search Dogs Lead Investigators Away From the Construction Site

One of the most significant details preserved in accounts of the original search involves tracking dogs.

According to case summaries, dogs detected Todd’s scent around nearby railroad tracks and toward or across the Turnpike overpass. If the tracking was accurate, it suggested Todd may have moved away from the immediate construction area rather than remaining near the demolition fires.

Despite the searches, investigators found no physical evidence establishing where Todd went or what happened to him.

The Unidentified Bearded Man

Another enduring element of Todd’s case involves reports of a stranger seen in the neighborhood around the time of his disappearance.

Published case summaries describe the man as light-skinned or fair-skinned, with a black beard and green eyes. He reportedly wore a navy-blue blazer displaying a “New Zealand” insignia and spoke English with an accent.

The man was reportedly asking residents for directions to newly constructed houses. At least one woman was sufficiently uncomfortable with his behavior that she brought her children inside.

The man’s identity has never been publicly established, and there is no publicly available evidence proving that he was connected to Todd’s disappearance. His presence nevertheless remains one of the unexplained circumstances associated with the case.

Todd Collett’s Identifying Features

Todd was born March 30, 1960. At the time he disappeared, he was approximately three feet tall and weighed about 30 pounds. He had blond hair and blue eyes.

He had several unusually distinctive physical characteristics. Case records describe a dimple on his left cheek, a small lump on his wrist and a substantial surgical scar extending from his chest toward his abdomen.

Todd had previously been seriously injured after being struck or run over by a vehicle. Some case summaries state that the accident resulted in a head injury and that afterward he could unexpectedly fall asleep. A possible lazy eye has also been reported.

When Todd disappeared, he was reportedly wearing a white sports shirt, light beige or brown corduroy pants and black loafers.

Search for Todd Continues Decades Later

Todd’s disappearance has never been publicly resolved.

The California Department of Justice continues to maintain an official missing-person listing for Todd and identifies the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department as the reporting agency. The state record carries Sheriff’s case number 79774.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also continues to publish Todd’s case. Its current listing identifies Todd as missing from Goleta on January 23, 1964 and displays an age-progressed image showing how he may have appeared at approximately 54 years old. The NCMEC case number is 1152008, and Todd’s NCIC number is M678204686.

Todd is also associated with NamUs case MP4545.

An important development preserved in modern case records is the availability of DNA information. The Doe Network currently lists DNA as available for Todd’s case; its archived updates show that Todd’s file was updated to indicate DNA availability in October 2011. This potentially allows comparisons with unidentified remains or appropriate biological reference samples as forensic databases and genetic technology continue to improve.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

As of August 2026, there has been no publicly announced identification, arrest or resolution in Todd Eugene Collett’s disappearance. Current California Department of Justice and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children records continue to list him as missing. NCMEC calculates that Todd would now be 66 years old.

The presence of DNA information in the case is particularly significant for a disappearance dating to 1964. Modern DNA comparison methods have provided investigators with options that did not exist when Todd vanished, although no public agency has announced that a genetic comparison has identified Todd or established what happened to him.

Separately, a longtime independent researcher who maintains ToddCollett.com states that she has researched Todd’s disappearance for decades and is conducting a renewed review of the case, including material obtained through public records and interviews. She has also discussed producing a podcast about Todd and the disappearance of seven-year-old Ramona Price, who vanished from the Santa Barbara area in 1961. The researcher believes the cases could be connected, but that theory has not been established as fact by law enforcement and should be treated as an independent theory rather than an official investigative conclusion.

Todd’s case therefore remains an active missing-person mystery more than 62 years after he disappeared. Anyone with information—particularly information that could identify the unknown man seen in the neighborhood, clarify Todd’s movements after leaving the construction area or provide evidence capable of DNA comparison—is encouraged to contact law enforcement or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.