Darwin Vest

Missing Since:
June 2, 1999 from Idaho Falls, Idaho
Classification:
Endangered Missing
Age When Disappeared:
48 years old

Height and Weight When Disappeared:
5'9" and 160 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Brown hair, blue eyes. Vest's nickname is "Dar." br/> Marks, Scars:
He has a scar on his forehead.


Darwin Vest was last seen in Idaho Falls, Idaho during the early morning hours of June 2, 1999. He played a weekly trivia game at the Frosty Gator with friends, then walked to the Golden Crown Lounge on Shoup Avenue for a nightcap. Vest was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, Levi's 501 jeans, a black belt, a distinctive brass belt buckle and a watch with a spider design on its face. He disappeared while walking back to the residence he shared with his mother. Vest has never been heard from again.

Vest is a toxinologist and an expert on spider, snake and plant poisons; he also named the hobo spider with his sister. He owned Eagle Rock Research in Idaho Falls in 1999, and also worked as a projectionist for Micro Moviehouse. He had no formal degree, but was self-taught instead. Vest often testified about spider bites in court and occasionally worked with the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He had also appeared on the Discovery Channel. His sister told authorities that a company was interested in purchasing a hobo spider trap kit Vest invented shortly before he vanished. The deal was reportedly quite lucrative, but it is not known if it was connected to Vest's disappearance.

Vest's family has said that it is very uncharacteristic of him to leave without calling any of his loved ones. They suspect foul play was involved in his case. Vest's relatives stated that he had not been informed when a man who assaulted and robbed him in 1997 was enrolled in a work release program shortly before he disappeared in June 1999. According to his family, the individual has since been arrested again and released several times on drug charges. The person has never been charged in connection with Vest's case and it is not known if he or she was involved. Authorities stated that the individual was placed in a halfway house at the time of Vest's disappearance and could not have escaped undetected. Several of Vest's loved ones believe that the person was seeking retribution and may have harmed Vest the night he vanished. He is known for taking many night walks.