Reuniting with his family after 22 years, a California man who went missing in 1999 was identified by his sister in a USA Today article in April, announced the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.
The man’s sister contacted Deputy Derek Kennemore after recognizing her missing brother in the article. He had disappeared without a trace back in 1999.
A GoFundMe set up by the sister revealed the family’s ongoing search for him since his disappearance.
“My name is Marcie. My little brother, Tommy, had been missing since August of 1999. He just VANISHED with no trace. Not even his vehicle was ever located,” Marcella (Marcie) Nasseri wrote.
The missing man was later confirmed to be Nasseri’s brother after a detective from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit matched his fingerprint.
Nasseri requested Deputy Kennemore’s help to identify the man, who had been admitted to a hospital in the Los Angeles area.
The man, who is nonverbal, was transferred to another hospital in July and was confirmed to be Nasseri’s brother after his fingerprint was matched.
Nasseri expressed her joy in finding her brother alive and requested assistance to aid him until a medical transfer is possible.
She explained, “I am 600 miles away in Lassen County. He is in Lynwood, California. I have initiated a possible medical transfer to a facility in Lassen County. All we know is that he just learned to walk, he can eat regular food, and he is non-verbal. I do not have money for things we need. I am mailing him used men’s clothing, a set of pencils, and a scratch pad because he loved to draw. This is all I can send for now,” in the GoFundMe.
The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to Deputy Kennemore for his efforts in identifying the man and resolving the case after 25 years.
“The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office would like to commend Deputy Kennemore on his tenacity with this case. We would also like to thank the Los [Angeles] Police Department for their assistance in identifying the missing man and closing out this 25-year-old case,” the sheriff’s office said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Marcie Nasseri for further comment.