This week’s person, chosen by Julie, is Bryce David Laspisa. The 19-year-old Sierra College student was driving from Castaic, California to visit his family in Laguna Niguel. The journey isn’t that long, a little less than a hundred miles, but Bryce never made it. This was in 2013.
The family has a Facebook page about his disappearance. He’s missing under strange circumstances. But he would stand out in a crowd: he’s got blazing red hair and a distinctive tattoo on his arm.
The Charley Project Blog 
I am so into this story, I have been following it since it the beginning. Very strange indeed. I noticed it says “Brown hair” in his case file but as you mentioned here it is “blazing red”. Does it say that because they think he may have dyed it? Might explain why no one has noticed him if he’s out there somewhere.
That is surely an error on my part. I’ll fix it; thanks for pointing it out.
Oh ok, thank you.
He originally left from Rocklin or somewhere up north near Sacramento which is a really long way from Laguna Niguel.
Lauren, have you read any of the comments at Rick Baker’s blog on this case? I listed Bryce’s entry 4 days after his disappearance and then it just seemed to get much more strange. Recall the one PI that seemed to have enough inside info that it gave the impression he chose to go off the grid?
One of the remarkable things compared to other cases is this got a great amount of volunteers looking, law enforcement interest and media coverage. Wish they all had that kind of support and turn out.
Yes, I read Rick’s blog regularly though I have never commented on any of the posts. I think what really made me first wonder about this case was this blog posting by the original private investigator that has the subtitle “It’s your life, Bryce”
http://tullosspi.com/bryce-laspisa/
The time line of events is also crazy. Being from California I know it shouldn’t have taken nearly the amount of time it took Bryce to go from the Sacramento Area to Castaic down Interstate 5. Evidently he spent many hours in a very small town called “Buttonwillow” during his trip. He had already been called in as a missing person, the police found him there and questioned him for a significant amount of time before letting him go on his way. After arriving in Castaic, he drove in circles around the lake for hours before pulling off the road which is odd too.
And yes I totally agree with you and I think it’s awesome that there is over 15,000 likes on their Facebook. Page. I am also pleasantly surprised when every time there is a sighting how many people in the sighting area care enough to take the time to go out and look for Bryce. It’s amazing.
Yes, thanks – that was the PI’s entry I had read back in December. “Shannon knows why you walked away, Bryce”. I too haven’t left any comments on Rick’s site but I have linked his site to where I post at (Cheri’s Corner For The Missing) and did read over on Websleuths early on, if I remember, didn’t Bryce’s girlfriend and maybe an uncle post there for awhile? But then later things were considered verboten and information cut off or not allowed for discussion, not just there but on the family’s page.
After some other cases that make it big with Facebook likes and money raised, I become skeptical on how the money is being used or why some families don’t want to reveal mental health issues (Linnea Lomax case) or social habits/addictions.
I do have to wonder if he just didn’t want to drop out of everything – school/girlfriend/parents that were too controlling or overwhelming for him. And law enforcement later deemed him ‘willfully missing’.
At least the lake and surrounding area seemed to be searched well enough that the probability is low for me to believe him still being near where his vehicle was found. This case reminds me some of the Nicholas Francisco case.
Yes thank you, you are right – his uncle Brian and girlfriend Kim were posting on websleuths and then just as you mentioned posts were being deleted and certain topics were now “off limits”. I left the site all together around that time and never went back. Part of me thinks maybe Bryce did just drop out of site on purpose. I hope he is alive and well. It’s just so weird and hard for me to wrap my head around. I will definitely check out Cheri’s Corner for the missing and the disappearences of Linnea Lomax and Nicholas Francisco they both sound very interesting as well.
I thought it said he was from Illinois?
He is from Illinois but was attending college in California.
very bizarre case…
I believe his parents recently (in the last few years) moved to California. His mom worked at my company in Chicago.
Not familiar with this one, but it seems most likely explanation based on the facts is that he fell asleep at the wheel, crashed, and wandered away, possibly injured. That’s my guess anyway.
it does make sense considering the way his vehicle was found that he crashed…after that? if he was badly injured he would not have gotten far and would’ve been found, dead or alive…if he had head trauma but could walk maybe rescued but unable to remember crash or who he was, etc…and with no identification is in a hospital or somewhere safe but still can’t ID himself or remember where vehicle is? very strange and troubling case
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?223162-CA-Bryce-Laspisa-19-Castaic-Timeline-and-Media-Thread-**NO-DISCUSSION**
This is the timeline of the events and discussion incase anyone was interested in looking at it.
Don’t know if anyone here has read this or are familiar with this but the link below has an interesting and rather disturbing perspective on the disappearance of Bryce. See what you think.
rickgbaker.blogspot. com/2015/02/is-bryce-laspisa-case-connected-to.HTML?m=1
I read it awhile back and was really surprised. I am very curious about Bryce’s connection with Micheal McStay.
hi, commented up thread to your entry. Let’s hope that both jurisdictions do look into any connection to McStay and Laspisa. There are some earlier cases in CA that I hope law enforcement looks into if Israel Keyes could be responsible.
first I heard of the connection…I have seen the McStay’s story on unsolved/cold case shows…this article states police who have interviewed Bryce and have investigated the case say it is a voluntary disappearance and that is why they are no longer actively pursuing it…Bryce wouldn’t be the first person to vanish on purpose
Lauren – most info on Nicholas Francisco (WA) is no longer around on the web unless you look under cached areas to find them. It was a doozy tho, and my first time really being aware of fundraising and etsy, and, good grief, adult friend finders. The wife came off as unlikeable, and even Lifetime did a movie on it. Wife had him dead, just knew he wouldn’t up and leave her pregnant and with 2 kids. Well he did, she found stuff on his computer and he went off to California and changed his name and his lifestyle. She had joined the old message board In Sessions and was combative, then joined over at Cheri’s Corner…even one of the local PD came on to post. (who can take a missing person’s poster seriously when you have the wife write under habits “leaves toast in the toaster”?!)
Linnea Lomax (CA) was a young lady that had mental health issues that the family was in denial about at first. Then you had the public jump in and one woman with a SAR dog…that mislead the public in her search, oy vey! Linnea’s case turned out to be a suicide where she hanged herself in a public park area. Very sad.
Cheri’s Corner for the Missing isn’t allowed to be linked at Websleuths, lol (like we’re competition to them, not) – it’s a tiny board as far as active members but does have several cases and trials and plenty of room for discussion. Any and all that want to use it is more than happy to go join. You don’t have to jump thru hoops to sign up. We link to The Charley Project often at the Corner, have nothing but love for her and her amazing efforts and database.
Thank you D’Lil those are two very interesting cases. I am going to see if I can find that Lifetime movie, that looked especially interesting. I am also going to look at joining the website you mentioned. It is nice to have an alternative to websleuths.
hi d’lil…yes I now see you and Lauren were familiar with Rick Baker…I agree it seems he is on the inside and knows a lot more about what happened… it doesn’t paint Bryce’s family in a good light
Hi ya whistler – Baker orig. was only covering the McStay case, due to his writing an e-book. Anyway, when doing a google search for any new news on Bryce’s case I saw his entry on that. I don’t know how much of a inside he has tho on Laspisa. You know how random stuff will pop up on a topix site, or mydeathspace or something. Granted, some of the postings you have to put on some waders to get thru comments, but you never know what might get posted that does seem like ‘real info’ or a real insider.
Then in late Jan. of 2014 Websleuths shut down the discussion on his case. I’m not a member there, but I do read on occasion – that always makes me go ‘hmm, closed do to LE wishes, family wishes???’
Of course anyone posting anywhere that may have real info, I wish they are contacting the local PD rather than just leaving a comment.
(I have actually emailed PD before with comments left at sites in case the person isn’t a nutter and actually saw the missing person/vehicle)
I do know one thing: some of Baker’s “supporters” on that sight are trash…all sycophants, self righteous and mean spirited…maybe Baker is too
that said all seems like Bryce got mixed up in something he shouldn’t have and left purposely, whether to hide or start over or whatever the reason
lol, whistler – I told ya some of these sites you have to use waders. I often cringe when reading comments there and around the web on a case as there are some hateful things said or just blatant lies. Initially, even Rick Baker had the poor murdered Mrs. McStay as the killer, and had to do a mea culpa when the bodies were finally found. With Bryce – there has been some info, hard to know if it can be verified, with Rx drugs. But as time went on, yeah, I’m leaning towards purposely being gone. It was strange that the burning body was found not far from the lake where Bryce’s vehicle was found. Bryce’s uncle at the time thought those remains were his nephew. At least with that homicide there was an arrest. Let’s hope the cops did interview those arrested if they saw anything out that way pertaining to Bryce’s case.
Does the lake have gators? He may have been eaten alive. The other theory I have is that maybe he was taken and maybe it’s like that case of the three girls in Cleveland. He is being held hostage at a shanty type house somewhere. The third theory I have is maybe they took him as a human sacrifice. My fourth theory is he was taken to Mexico by someone. But he could be anywhere. But whatever the case, if the cameras were rolling at Castaic Lake, then why didn’t the cameras capture him leaving the vehicle and whatever happened after that? It just doesn’t make sense! I hope he just voluntarily disappeared. He may have a head injury and may just be homeless because he can’t remember.
There no Gators in Castaic Lake!!!!! Yeah and human traffickers hang around Castaic Lake just waiting for some poor guy to come walking around in the middle of the night, Really??? Think before you post!
I am watching the show right now about him on the ID channel. I had a car accident and had a brain injury. and I think that is exactly what happened. They need to search the area really well where his truck wreck. If he did have a brain injury like mine then he would not remember even the wreck. He I am afraid is passed away. I just have a feeling he was hurt could not find his way and drifted off to that truck stop and some trucker may of took advantage of him. The search dogs did follow his scent to the truck stop. I just believe he is deceased. It is hell on the parents just not knowing. The wondering every minute of the day. Their life has probably been put on hold just like a tape recorder when he left they pressed pause it is still on pause. When they find out what happen to him they can press play again. I hope the best outcome for his family.
The only thing is all the unanswered questions. Why was he parked in the same spot in that small town for 8 plus hours? Why was he so evasive with his parents on the phone the whole time? Why did he circle around that lake all the way out there so late at night?
Does anyone else get the impression he might have actually been gay? It is just a feeling. He ditched his girlfriend… And wouldn’t go back to his apartment… On the Disappeared episode, neither the girlfriend nor the roommate were talked to. His mother dominated the entire show…basically. I just found that very odd.
Yes perhaps. Rick Baker signed off on this case with telling Bryce “hope you work out the problems with your father” (paraphrasing) and let his morher know he is alive. Whether gay or something else it seems a father-son conflict that drove Bryce away.
My opinion now is Bryce is alive and disappeared of his own volition.
Yes I believe you are correct , would explain a lot including the drinking too excess, and abusing the medication he was on, he obviously was mentally overwhelmed. That’s why he had stopped for so long deciding exactly what to do . I believe he took a ride with a trucker and is somewhere in the states, or took his life . Truely a very sad story ..
man this story gets me.. I guess it’s bc he was sitting at that truck stop for hours upon hours -spoke to his parents a few times, even after they thought he left for home, the police or the truck driver went back and bam – he was still there hours later in the same spot. He was wanting to tell his parents something when he got home. Was it a mix of alcohol and stimulants.. sometimes those drugs enhance feelings you have already.. such as.. if you were thinking of a suicide for whatever reasons.. it enhances those feelings.. depression etc.. coming down from a strong stimulant is extremely rough… just think of what teenagers go through – finding themselves.. I just cannot figure out why he would leave his car and walk across the dam, where the blood hounds picked up his trail.. actually separate bloodhounds – same trail – lead back to the truck stop. He broke up w/ his g-friend – gave away possessions.. that isn’t normal. My family and I watched this now twice and are so sad.. my wife thinks he was gay or had gay feelings.. thinks the alcohol and stimulants spun him into a depression and committed suicide. I think he might have made it to the truck stop and got a ride across the country.. but it doesn’t explain why no contact w/ the parents who seem to love him dearly.. so sad. finally could it be that he met w/ a criminal at the park? and met a horrible ending? this one really got us..