Overview

Last seen: November 27, 2024 — Adak, Alaska. William Garrity O’Connell, 43, was reportedly experiencing homelessness and frequently walked through the village and along the beach. The village and vacant buildings were searched after his disappearance, but he was not found. He is 6’1″, approximately 171 pounds, with black hair and green eyes. His disappearance remains unresolved in the latest publicly indexed records reviewed.

Detailed Case Breakdown

William Garrity O’Connell Missing in Adak, Alaska: What Is Known About His 2024 Disappearance

William Garrity O’Connell was 43 years old when he disappeared from the remote community of Adak, Alaska, on November 27, 2024. More than a year and a half later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and publicly available case records continue to list the Alaska State Troopers as the investigating agency.

O’Connell’s disappearance is recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System under NamUs #MP136504. The Alaska State Troopers’ case reference is AK24123237. A NamUs-derived case record updated in July 2026 continues to identify him as missing.

Who Is William Garrity O’Connell?

William Garrity O’Connell was 43 when he went missing. Public case information describes him as a white male, approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and 171 pounds, with black hair and green eyes.

Before his disappearance, O’Connell was living in Adak, a small and geographically isolated community in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Interestingly, City of Adak records provide evidence of his presence in the community only months before he vanished. Minutes from an August 22, 2024 Adak Restoration Advisory Board meeting list a William O’Connell as an Adak resident. Those records also state that a July 2024 dig permit had been submitted by Mr. William O’Connell for installation of a personal garden at 167 Fishermans Cove. The public records do not independently establish that every reference is the missing William Garrity O’Connell, so the connection should be treated cautiously.

Disappearance From Adak on November 27, 2024

According to information derived from his NamUs record, O’Connell’s last known contact occurred on November 27, 2024, in Adak, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska. At the time, he was reportedly experiencing homelessness and was known to walk frequently through the village and along the beach.

The circumstances published with the case state that he had not been seen or heard from after November 27. Searches were conducted through the village and its vacant buildings, but O’Connell was not located.

Adak’s unusual geography is an important part of the case. The community sits far out in the Aleutian chain, surrounded by rugged coastline and exposed to difficult weather. O’Connell’s reported habit of walking both the village and beach means the possible search area included developed portions of Adak as well as its shoreline.

Searches of the Village and Vacant Buildings

One of the most significant publicly disclosed details is that searchers did not limit their efforts to places where O’Connell was normally seen.

The village and vacant buildings were searched, according to the NamUs-derived case information. Despite those efforts, investigators found no publicly reported sign of O’Connell.

This detail is especially notable in Adak. The community contains numerous structures remaining from the island’s former military presence, creating substantially different search conditions than would exist in a typical small town.

Publicly available information does not identify a confirmed destination O’Connell intended to reach on November 27, nor does it disclose a confirmed witness account establishing precisely where he was at the final known moment before his disappearance.

When Was William O’Connell Reported Missing?

Although O’Connell’s last known contact was November 27, the Alaska State Troopers agency information associated with the case gives a report date of December 5, 2024. The state case reference is AK24123237.

The case was subsequently entered into NamUs as MP136504.

Crime Solvers Central lists the case as having been added to its database on January 13, 2025. Its case record identifies the Alaska State Troopers as the primary investigating agency and lists Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager Malia Miller as the agency contact.

Latest Investigation Information

The most recent publicly indexed information located for this review indicates that O’Connell’s case remains unresolved.

CrimeOwl’s NamUs-derived record states that its NamUs source was updated July 22, 2026, while the case page itself shows a later update date of July 29, 2026. It continues to list O’Connell as missing, gives NamUs number MP136504 and Alaska State Troopers case number AK24123237, and does not list a recovery or resolution.

Crime Solvers Central similarly recorded a July 24, 2026 update to its O’Connell case page. The page continues to describe the disappearance as unresolved and identifies the Alaska State Troopers as the investigating agency.

No publicly documented arrest, named suspect, person of interest, confirmed sighting after November 27, recovery of O’Connell, or official determination of what happened to him was located in the sources reviewed for this article.

There is likewise no publicly established evidence in the reviewed records that O’Connell was the victim of homicide. His case should therefore be described as an unresolved missing-person investigation, rather than a homicide case.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

The central question remains what happened to William Garrity O’Connell after November 27, 2024.

Public records establish that he was known to walk around Adak and its beaches, that the village and vacant buildings were searched, and that those searches did not locate him. They do not publicly explain his final confirmed movements, whether investigators identified a precise last-known point, or whether any physical evidence was recovered.

The circumstances leave several possibilities open, but without additional evidence it would be inappropriate to present any one theory as established fact.

William Garrity O’Connell Remains Missing

As of the latest publicly indexed case information reviewed in August 2026, William Garrity O’Connell remains missing from Adak, Alaska.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse is the statewide repository responsible for tracking reported missing-person cases and coordinating information with law enforcement and national databases. The clearinghouse lists a direct telephone number of 907-269-5038. Alaska State Troopers headquarters can be reached at 907-269-5511.

Anyone with credible information about O’Connell’s movements on or after November 27, 2024 should provide that information directly to law enforcement rather than relying on online speculation.