David Braley

David Braley was a 21-year-old man from Belmont, New Hampshire, with a talent for fixing things. From a young age, he loved cars and machines, a passion that led him to study automotive alignment and diagnostics at Hunter Engineering School in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1989, he was working as an alignment specialist at the Goodyear Service Center in Concord and living with his parents. Though he had struggled with alcoholism and had some legal troubles, his family said he was turning his life around. He loved his job, volunteered at a local healthcare center, and was trying to stay sober. His mother, Elaine, later recalled, “He had turned his life around. He had gotten a job he loved… and we believed he was staying sober.”

On the evening of Friday, November 10, 1989, David finished his shift at Goodyear around 6:00 p.m. and went to dinner with a coworker. After dropping his friend off, David said he was heading home. Instead, he went to the May King Restaurant & Bar in Concord. A bartender recognized him and saw him drinking with two other men he didn't know. Around 9:30 p.m., a waitress saw David leave with the two strangers. The group was next seen around 10:00 p.m. at the Take 5 Music Hall on Garvins Falls Road, with David still in his Goodyear work uniform. About a half-hour later, security escorted him out of the club for being disruptive.

Witnesses reported that David pleaded with the doormen to let him back inside, saying his ride was still in the club, but they refused. After being denied entry, he struck a car in the parking lot, drawing the attention of security. By the time they went to investigate the disturbance, David was gone. Security and other witnesses saw him run into the woods behind the nightclub and an adjacent racquetball club. It was the last time anyone reported seeing David Braley alive. He was reported missing by his family on Sunday, November 12, after he failed to show up for work and didn't come home.

The Braley family's search ended in heartbreak four months later. On March 18, 1990, a body was spotted floating among broken ice in the Merrimack River in Manchester, about 18 miles downriver from where David was last seen. The body was badly damaged, but the clothing—work boots, dark blue pants, and a light blue shirt—matched what David had been wearing. On March 20, dental records confirmed the man was David Braley.

Although the state medical examiner did not formally classify the death as a homicide, ruling the cause and manner of death as undetermined, law enforcement has always treated it as a suspicious death involving foul play. Investigators with the Concord Police Department believe David was involved in an altercation behind the nightclub, was violently assaulted, and his body was later dumped into the river. Reports from the time indicated his body appeared to have been badly beaten. The two men last seen with him have never been identified and never came forward.

The investigation into David Braley's death remains open. Over the years, detectives have been hindered by conflicting and contradictory stories from the community. The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit and the Concord Police Department continue to work on the case. In November 2024, on the 35th anniversary of his disappearance, investigators announced they had been re-examining the case for over a year, hoping to leverage modern forensic technology and encouraging new witnesses to come forward.

In a statement, David's family expressed their hope that someone would finally provide the information needed to solve the case. "The family would be forever grateful for any information to help bring them peace, closure, and comfort," the statement read. "Please be that person to come forward, for David and his Family.” As of November 2025, the investigation was still active and ongoing.

Authorities urge anyone with information, no matter how trivial it may seem, to contact the Concord Police Department at 603-225-8600, the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100, or the New Hampshire State Police Cold Case Unit at 800-525-5555.