Disappearance of Bryce Laspisa

Bryce David Laspisa was born on April 30, 1994, and grew up in Naperville, Illinois, the only child of his parents; the family later moved to California. By August 2013 he was a 19-year-old student at Sierra College in Rocklin, having spent the preceding summer at his parents' home in Laguna Niguel. After the fall semester began, friends reported that his behavior had changed, and he gave away some of his personal belongings. On August 28, 2013, Laspisa drove to Chico, California, and ended his relationship with his girlfriend before leaving to make the roughly 500-mile drive back to his parents' home in Orange County.

On August 29, 2013, Laspisa's parents became concerned after learning that the family's 2003 Toyota Highlander had required roadside assistance in Buttonwillow, in Kern County, after he ran out of fuel. He remained parked in the same spot for several hours even after a service provider brought him gas, and when his mother could not reach him by phone, the provider returned and, after speaking with him, encouraged him to continue driving. Laspisa then called his mother and said he was heading to Laguna Niguel, a trip that normally took about three hours. When he had not arrived by evening, his parents reported him missing to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Investigators determined his phone remained in Kern County, and after 7 p.m. a Kern County sheriff's deputy located him a short distance from Buttonwillow; the deputy checked on him, found no signs of impairment, and searched the vehicle without finding anything concerning. At 2:08 a.m. on August 30, Laspisa called his mother again, saying he had pulled off Interstate 5 to rest in what he described as a residential neighborhood, though his exact location was unclear. A few hours later, a California Highway Patrol officer told the family that the Highlander had been found on its side between 4:20 and 5:15 a.m. at the bottom of a 15-foot embankment near Main Ramp Road at Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County, roughly 90 miles south of Buttonwillow and about two hours north of Laguna Niguel.

Detectives who examined the SUV found Laspisa's phone, wallet, and laptop still inside and noted that the rear window had been removed, leading investigators to believe he had exited through the back of the vehicle. Blood on the windshield was attributed to the impact of the crash, and investigators found no evidence at the scene of a life-threatening injury. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department coordinated an extensive search of the lake, shoreline, and surrounding terrain, using ground teams, helicopters, divers, scent-tracking dogs, and volunteers over several days, but no physical trace of Laspisa was found, and investigators reported no clear indication of which direction he might have taken after leaving the vehicle. In September 2013, the discovery of a burned body near Castaic Lake prompted speculation about a possible connection, but investigators later confirmed the remains belonged to an unrelated homicide victim from Los Angeles. Laspisa's disappearance was featured in a 2016 episode of the television series Disappeared, and tips and reported sightings continued to be investigated in later years, including a widely circulated 2022 photograph of a man in Missoula, Montana, who resembled Laspisa; a detective located the man and confirmed he was not Laspisa. Laspisa's disappearance remains unsolved.