Michael Lee Pickering was 20 when he was last seen in Victorville, California, on April 16, 1971. He told family he planned to hitchhike to San Francisco and expected to be back in a few days, but he never returned and made no further contact.

At the time he disappeared he was between 6 feet 0 inches and 6 feet 1 inch, 130 to 140 pounds, with blond or strawberry hair, blue eyes and a deformed right ear. He was known by the nickname Zappa. There are no known personal belongings or clear clues from the day he left, and no definitive indication of foul play has been reported.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has kept the investigation open, but after decades no new leads have emerged. If anyone knew Michael, saw him around April 1971, or has information about his intended route to San Francisco, please come forward.