Bonita Bickwit Missing Person Case

May 11, 2010

Jul 18, 2023

Bonita

Bickwit

68

15

59 inches

95 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

In the summer of 1973, 15-year-old Bonita "Bonnie" Bickwit was working as a mother's helper at Camp Wel-Met in Narrowsburg, New York. On July 27th, she and her 16-year-old boyfriend, Mitchel Weiser, made plans to attend the Summer Jam concert at Watkins Glen, which was set to feature major acts like The Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead. The two intelligent teenagers, who both attended a Brooklyn alternative school for gifted students, planned to hitchhike the approximately 75 miles to the festival. Carrying backpacks, sleeping bags, and a cardboard sign that read “Watkins Glen,” they set off with about $25 between them. The last confirmed sighting of the couple was on State Route 97, where they were seen hitchhiking. The days turned into weeks with no word from Bonita or Mitchel. Initially, it was believed by some that the two had simply run away together, as they had secretly exchanged wedding rings earlier that summer. However, as time passed, their families grew increasingly worried. Bonita was described as being very close to her family and was particularly concerned about her father, who was ill. She had made arrangements to collect her final paycheck and belongings from her job at the camp after the concert, indicating she intended to return. The investigation into their disappearance was heavily criticized by their families, who felt that law enforcement did not take the case seriously at first. Crucial evidence, including the only existing copies of the teenagers' dental records, was reportedly lost from the original case files, hampering identification efforts for many years. Decades have passed since Bonita and Mitchel vanished, and their case remains the oldest active missing teens case in the United States. Over the years, various leads and theories have emerged, but none have led to concrete answers. In 2024, New York State Police investigated a tip that took them to Rhode Island to question a 74-year-old man who claimed to have hitchhiked with the teens from Watkins Glen. He alleged that Bonita accidentally fell into a river and Mitchel jumped in after her, but this story could not be verified. More recently, in June of 2026, authorities conducted an extensive search of a property in Steuben County, New York, based on another tip, but the operation yielded no results. Despite the passage of time and the many dead ends, law enforcement agencies and the families of Bonita and Mitchel have not given up hope of finding answers and bringing closure to this long and painful mystery.

Jul 27, 1973

Narrowsburg

New York

Sullivan County

27087

Sullivan County Sheriff's Office

Monticello

New York

Sullivan County

12701

58 Old Route 17, New York

8457947100

County

Law Enforcement

FSS000464

Sullivan County Sheriff's Office

Brown

Brown

Brown

09/15/2026