jun 7, 1974 - Alan Wayne Soper DISAPPEARANCE

Description:

Alan Wayne Soper was born on April 27, 1952, and is officially missing from Tulsa, OK.

After graduating from college, Alan left home with the intention of traveling around the country. He told his parents that he was working for truck drivers — specifically loading and unloading cargo — in exchange for rides. Alan, who was 22 years old at the time, last contacted his family on Friday, June 7, 1974, when he called and said that he was in Sacramento, CA at the time. According to all databases, he has never been heard from again, however one clipping from 1977 stated that a truck driver told police that after Alan traveled to northern CA, he (the driver) dropped him off in Needles, CA.

Almost exactly three years later, on June 8, 1977, Alan's wallet and clothing were found in Needles, San Bernardino County, CA, by two young boys who were walking in the desert area west of Needles near Eagle Pass Wash. The wallet contained a substantial amount of money. Both the wallet and the clothing showed extreme weathering, indicating they were likely in the desert for quite some time. Alan's parents identified the wallet and clothing as being his.

Alan is classified as Endangered Missing, and foul play is suspected in his disappearance.

Alan is a white male who was 5'11 and 160 lbs at the time. He has blue eyes, shoulder-length brown hair, and no facial hair at the time, though there are photos of him with facial hair. Alan has a cleft in his chin, a dimple in his left cheek, and some freckles. He is right-handed and wears shoe size 10B. He has a scar on one of his wrists (it's uncertain which one) from a cut on his wrist that occurred when he was 2yo. He has previously had a deviated septum that was then surgically repaired. He also once suffered a broken right big toe as a juvenile.

Both Alan's DNA and his dental records are available for comparison, while his fingerprints are not. According to CA DOJ, his dental x-rays are available. He has sixty-five UID exclusions on NamUs, four of which were found in CA: one of these no longer has an accessible NamUs page, while the other three are Aptos John Doe 1974, Twenty-Nine Palms JD 1974, and Whittier JD 1996.

EDIT June 2025: Another exclusion has been added to Alan's list: Amboy, San Bernardino County John Doe 1974. There are now 66 exclusions on Alan's list.

The Tulsa, OK PD is investigating his case, which is number 957022. The agency can be contacted at 918-596-9222.

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WRITE-UP COMPLETION DATE: February 2025

Cases mentioned above that are also/will be present on this timeline:
Aptos John Doe 1974, Twenty-Nine Palms John Doe 1974, Amboy John Doe 1974
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LUNAR PHASE:
ZODIAC SIGN:
DAY OF WEEK: Friday

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