By The eerie disappearance of Bryce Laspisa continues to cause intrigue and confusion, several years after he vanished in 2013.
Laspisa was just 19 at the time he vanished. His car was found overturned at the bottom of an embankment – though he was nowhere to be seen. Some unusual actions in the days and hours before his disappearance add another layer of complexion to this case.
This article reviews this case. There is a reader’s poll at the end of the article which we hope you vote on. We will all then be able to see what the leading theory is to explain what happened.
Background
Bryce Laspisa was born in 1994. He grew up in the state of Illinois, USA, before moving to California. He was an only child – with his parents being named Michael and Karen.
Laspisa had seemingly been a ‘normal’ young adult with friends, family, a girlfriend, and several hobbies.
Prior to his disappearance, Laspisa had been studying at Sierra College in Rocklin, California. After spending the summer at his parents’ house, he returned to Rocklin for the fall semester.
There had been some concern for Laspisa’s wellbeing in the build-up to his disappearance. This was due to behavioural changes that friends had witnessed.
Many have attributed this change to Laspisa’s usage of Vyvanse (the brand name of Lisdexamfetamine). This medicine, which is intended for cases of ADHD, is known to have side effects like low mood, decreased quality of sleep, and restlessness. However, he is not known to have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Additionally, Laspisa had reportedly been drinking heavily and playing video games for hours on end.
Laspisa had also been giving away some of his possessions in the build up to his disappearance. These included earrings and his Xbox.
On 28th August – one day ahead of his disappearance – Laspisa travelled almost 90 miles to the city of Chico. He broke up with his girlfriend.
Then, Laspisa had the aim of travelling to his parents’ home – which was almost 500 miles away.
The Disappearance
On 29th August 2013, Laspisa vanished in mysterious circumstances. During the drive, Laspisa ran out of fuel. He had reached Buttonwillow – which was 350 miles into his journey.
After contacting a roadside assistance provider, Laspisa had gas delivered to him from a local service station, allowing him to resume his journey. However, in an odd move, Laspisa remained stationery in the same area for several hours.
Laspisa’s parents had been made aware by their insurance company that the family car had requested roadside assistance. Laspisa’s mother Karen tried to call him, but was unable to do so.
Karen requested that the service station owner checked in on Laspisa again. The owner found Laspisa in the same place and managed to convince him to set off again.
Laspisa soon phoned Karen – letting her know that he was leaving and was due to be at their house in about 3 hours.
His parents waited, but after the 3 hour mark arrived, there was no sign of Laspisa. Further hours passed and there was still no sign of Laspisa. Then, Laspisa’s parents reported him as missing.
The Sheriff’s Department were able to track his phone’s approximate location – which was still in the Buttonwillow area. Impressively, they were able to locate Laspisa. He was just a few miles away from where he’d previously been parked for several hours.
The deputy checked in on Laspisa, who was said to be acting normally. There were no concerns, and the parents were made aware of his safety.
At around 2am, Laspisa called his mother again – this time to tell her that he was resting due to feeling tired. His parents went to sleep – believing that he’d instead be arriving mid-morning.
However, at approximately 6am, the house’s doorbell rang. While initially expecting it to be Laspisa, the parents were met by a California Highway Patrol officer.
The officer made them aware that their car (which was being driven by Laspisa) had been found in Castaic, which was approximately 90 miles on from Buttonwillow.
The car was found at the bottom of an embankment and was on its side at the time of it being located. However, there was no sign of Laspisa anywhere.
The Investigation
It was an incredibly strange scene. The car had clearly been involved in some sort of crash or incident. But instead of the driver (Laspisa) being present, he was nowhere to be seen.
The rear window had been removed. Therefore, investigators concluded that Laspisa exited through the back of the vehicle after kicking out the window.
The investigators also concluded that Laspisa had the capacity to know to exit out the back of the vehicle. As for what happened next – the investigators were unsure.
Laspisa’s main belongings – such as his phone, wallet, and computer – were all inside the car. The only thing missing was Laspisa.
A large search of the surrounding area was organised. The Sheriff’s Department launched searches through ground teams, divers for nearby lakes and rivers, helicopters, and cadaver dogs.
A nearby reservoir was swept without success. Mounted police on horseback also contributed to the search. The cadaver dogs were unable to track Laspisa past a nearby truck stop.
This large search involved significant resources. Local volunteers also assisted – with there being a concerted effort to find Laspisa.
On September 4th, a jogger found a burned body near Castaic – which is where the car was found. The community feared the worst, though it was soon confirmed that the body was not that of Laspisa.
The search lasted for almost 3 weeks. But tragically, there was no sign of Laspisa. On September 18th – 20 days on from Laspisa’s disappearance – the search was stopped.
Investigators studied the car – but found no sign of forced entry, the presence of another person, nor anything untoward. Blood that was found was attributed to the impact upon crashing. But the fact that no blood was in the surrounding area suggested that Laspisa was not harmed seriously in the incident.
Additionally, investigators concluded that the pattern of the tire tracks indicated that the car had been travelling at speed, and that there was no indication that the brakes had been used.
Laspisa’s mental state leading up to the crash was also investigated. Some friends told investigators that Laspisa had been trying to give away some of his personal belongings in the build-up.
This led some to believe Laspisa was trying to take his own life in the crash. But others suggested this wasn’t realistic and that Laspisa was a happy individual with plenty of hope for the future.
Later Developments
Unfortunately, there have been very few leads in the years since Laspisa vanished.
Karen and Michael continue to hope that Laspisa will one day return. With Bryce being their only son, it is particularly difficult for them to deal with.
But they have submitted their son’s DNA to a database, so if there are any leads, there are records to assist.
Hia parents have fought hard to keep the case in the spotlight. This includes a page on Facebook called ‘Find Bryce Laspisa’, which at the time of writing has almost 50,000 followers.
On the 10 year anniversary of Laspisa disappearing, his parents wrote a poignant message on the page, talking about the pain they felt and their everlasting hope for a miracle.
In 2022, a photo taken in the state of Montana, featured a man that closely resembled Laspisa. The photo was widely shared on social media and raised hope.
However, the individual in the photo was tracked down by a detective, with it not being Laspisa. He did remark that the man closely resembled Laspisa.
In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released an age-progressed image of Laspisa – to give an indication of what he may look like aged 29.
Unfortunately, this, along with other interventions, have failed to result in any signs of Bruce Laspisa. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Theories
There are a few theories that have been put forward to explain what might have happened in this mysterious case.
We take a look at the evidence for each theory:
Theory One: Bryce Laspisa crashed and became disoriented
One of the main beliefs is that Laspisa became disoriented after the crash. It is known he was travelling at speed, so he may have been concussed or confused upon leaving the car.
With it also being the early hours of the day, it was dark and an unfamiliar area for Laspisa. It would have left him very vulnerable.
Therefore, it is possible that he fell from a height, fell into water, or died from exposure over hours, or even days if he managed to travel far enough on foot.
While those are all plausible suggestions, they all fail to answer the same question – why has he never been found? Given the scale of the search, some have questioned if it is likely that he could’ve died in the area without being found.
Theory Two: Bryce Laspisa took his own life
Another prominent theory is that Laspisa may have taken his own life, or at least attempted to do so. While Laspisa seemed happy, you never know what a person is going through.
There were also some signs that Laspisa might not have been well. For example, his friends mentioned that he was giving away some of his personal belongings. Moreover, Laspisa had broken up with his girlfriend, and analysis of tire marks at the crash site indicated that he had made no effort to brake.
The fact that he was also found in a stationery position for several hours on the day he disappeared certainly suggests that not everything was okay. His usage of the medication Vyvanse may also have been interfering with his mind.
The crash may have been an attempt on his life. But after surviving, it is possible that he got up, walked away, and ended up again attempting to take his own life. But as mentioned above – this doesn’t explain why his body has never been found.
It is possible that he walked to the nearby truck stop (where the cadaver dogs lost his scent) and hitch-hiked to a more remote area, where he took his own life. Yet no one has ever come forward to say they saw Laspisa following the crash.
However, Laspisa had a loving family and was said to be popular. He seemingly had a bright future and a lot to live for – which does call into question the accuracy of this theory.
Theory Three: Bryce Laspisa was the victim of foul play
Another suggestion is that Laspisa was the victim of foul play. While this is a horrible thought, it is a possibility.
As mentioned earlier, he would have been disoriented and vulnerable after the crash. Is it possible that someone with nefarious intentions happened to come across Laspisa?
It is possible that someone offered to drive him to a hospital, only to do something horrible to him. He may have tragically feel victim to an opportunistic criminal.
Additionally, if he was intending on hitch-hiking, he may have done so from the nearby truck stop. This could explain why the cadaver dogs lost Laspisa’s scent there. He may have been taken away by an unscrupulous person.
This may explain the lack of body – as perhaps his body was disposed of far away. However, the chances of coming across someone like this would be incredibly low. But still, it is a possibility.
Theory Four: Bryce Laspisa intentionally vanished
Finally, another theory is that Laspisa intentionally vanished. This theory could explain why no remains have ever been found.
It is possible that Laspisa wanted an entirely fresh start. As mentioned above, there may have also been some mental health issues present. Perhaps Laspisa had planned this.
It would explain why Laspisa has never been located. This may even mean that he remains alive. He could be living a quiet life.
However, intentionally vanishing is difficult. Laspisa’s face is well-known. Additionally, all of his belongings had been left behind in the car – he literally would have had just the clothes on his back. It would also be very challenging to not get back in touch with his family.
This may actually be the best-case scenario in this case. If this is accurate, Laspisa may one day reappear. But this theory’s possibility is rather remote.
Reader Vote
With the above theories in mind, we now invite you to vote in the poll below on the theory that you believe is most accurate.
Summary
The disappearance of Bryce Laspisa is a rather baffling case. It continues to confuse investigators and cause anguish for Bryce’s family.
There are many unanswered questions in this case and it remains to be seen if we will ever get answers. The hope is that one day, Bryce Laspisa will turn up alive and well.
Image Credit
Leo_Visions on Unsplash
