George LaForest Missing Person Case

Apr 06, 2009

Sep 16, 2022

George

LaForest

65

45

70 inches

72 inches

180 lbs

190 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the spring of 2006, George James LaForest Jr., a 45-year-old man from Stillwater, New York, traveled to his family's seasonal camp in Indian Lake, a place he knew and loved within the vast Adirondack Mountains. An avid and skilled outdoorsman, he was intimately familiar with the area, often spending his weekends there fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling. On Friday, April 21, 2006, what should have been a perfect afternoon of fishing turned into a mystery. After his initial plans to go fishing with a neighbor were canceled, George decided to head out alone. That afternoon would be the last time anyone reported seeing him. Concern grew when George, a reliable foreman for a large construction company, failed to show up for a meeting and did not report to work the following Monday. He was officially reported missing on Tuesday, April 25, 2006. The search for George began almost immediately after he was reported missing. His blue GMC pickup truck, with a distinctive white contractor's cap, was discovered parked at a seldom-used, unpopulated dead-end parking area near a popular swimming and fishing spot on the Cedar River. The discovery of his truck, however, only deepened the mystery. Inside the vehicle were his wallet, cell phone, credit and ATM cards, several packs of his preferred Winston cigarettes, and a partially used can of worms, suggesting he was about to start fishing. The keys were also with the truck. A significant challenge to the initial search efforts was a torrential downpour that had occurred the weekend prior, causing the Cedar River to rise four feet in just 24 hours. Authorities believe this deluge may have washed away any potential tracks or other evidence that could have provided clues to his whereabouts. An extensive and exhaustive search operation was launched, spanning nearly three weeks. The effort involved New York State Police, Forest Rangers, Lower Adirondack Search and Rescue, the Indian Lake Fire department, and numerous volunteers who combed the rugged terrain by air, on the ground, and in the water. Dive teams meticulously scoured the bottom of the Cedar River, and a cadaver dog searched its banks, yet no sign of George was found. The searchers were perplexed by the complete lack of evidence; not a single footprint, piece of clothing, or any personal item was ever recovered. The case of George LaForest is one of several mysterious disappearances of men in the Indian Lake area around that time, leading to some local references of an "Indian Lake Triangle." Despite the passage of years and the continued pain of his loved ones, his case remains unsolved, a lingering and sorrowful question in the heart of the Adirondacks. His sister has described the profound loss by saying it was as if he "just vanished into thin air."

Apr 22, 2006

Indian Lake

New York

Hamilton County

12842

2043

New York State Police - RayBrook

Ray Brook

New York

Essex County

12977

Nicholas Delahant

Investigator

1097 State Route 86, PO Box 100, New York

5188972000

State

Law Enforcement

1507866

New York State Police - RayBrook

Brown

Hazel

Hazel

09/13/2026