Mysterious letter to parents of missing person could help solve 1977 disappearance, police say

Bernard “Bunny” Ross Jr. was last seen leaving his home near Fort Kent, Maine in a state of emotional distress in 1977.

He has been missing for 39 years and his whereabouts remained a mystery until his parents, Carol, 78, and Bernard Ross Sr., 80, received an anonymous letter a couple months ago at their home in Portland, Maine, from someone claiming to know where their son is.

Police say if the letter is legitimate it could help solve the nearly four decade old missing person’s case.

“I’ve never had anything like this happen in my career,” Maine State Police Lieutenant Troy Gardner told the Portland Press Herald.

“Of course, there’s no way of knowing whether the letter’s truthful or the information is accurate, but we are asking for whoever wrote the letter to please contact us.”

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Gardner told the Press Herald that he reached out to the media in hopes that more stories might encourage the anonymous author to come forward. He declined to share details about the letter’s contents.

Bernard Ross Jr. was just 18 when he disappeared on May 12, 1977, after leaving his family home in Fort Kent. A family car that went missing the same day was later found abandoned on a dirt road, offering no clues to his whereabouts.

According to the Charley Project, a U.S. missing person’s database, Ross was last spotted in a wooded area in Ashland. He was wearing a chamois shirt, green vest and corduroy pants. He was reportedly taking an anti-psychotic drug at the time of his disappearance.

Gardner said he hopes the person who wrote the anonymous letter — or any information about Ross — calls state police at 1-800-924-2261 or 532-5400 and asks to speak with Sgt. Darrin Crane.

The Maine State Police have also setup an online tip form on their website.