Joseph Laurence Halpern

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Rocky Mountain National Park Service Co (CO)

Missing From:

Estes Park, Colorado

Summary:

Joseph Laurence Halpern, a doctoral candidate in astronomy at the University of Chicago, disappeared on August 14, 1933 while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park near Taylor Peak. A snowstorm hit the area in the days following, and an extensive search of the mountains turned up no sign of him. He remains missing; no trace has ever been found.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

The family arrived at the Rocky Mountain National Park and set up camp at the Glacier Basin campground. On 14 August Joe packed a few sandwiches, two bananas, an orange and a small, up to date Rocky Mountain National Park Guide Map into a small rucksack and set off by car with Samuel for the Bear Lake parking area from where they began a day hike on the Flattop Mountain Trail, leaving his parents at the campsite. Halpern was last seen hiking near Taylor Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park on August 15, 1933. He had gone camping in the region with a friend. He began hiking up Taylor Peak alone, carrying an Army knapsack. Halpern's friend notified authorities when he failed to return from his hike. In the days that followed, a snowstorm hit the area. An extensive search of the mountains turned up no sign of him. Not knowing if Joseph was lost, injured, or had plunged to his death off a cliff, park rangers and at least 150 volunteer searchers combed the mountainous terrain for days on end. Park authorities checked registers on Taylor and nearby peaks, but none had Joseph's signature. Officials debated bringing in bloodhounds but couldn't locate any nearby.

Additional Details:

The park rangers questioned Samuel Garrick and fellow hikers and learned that Joseph had inquired about climbing Taylor Peak, but he may have, instead, headed toward Chief's Head Peak. Samuel also stated that it was possible that Joseph may have headed toward Andrews Glacier. According to the Chief Ranger's report––which contained the above conflicting statements––no one could really say which way the missing hiker had gone. Following Halpern's disappearance, there were unconfirmed sightings of him all over the country: in Phoenix, Arizona in December 1933; traveling with the Civilian Conservation Corps near Alliance, Nebraska in May of 1935; and traveling with the Lewis Brothers Circus in Detroit, Michigan in the summer of 1935. None of these reports were ever substantiated. A Report on the Disappearance of Joseph Laurence Halpern was written on August 23, 1933 by John S. McLaughlin, former Chief Ranger of the Rocky Mountain National Park, and contained information on the first search, a photo of Joseph submitted by his parents, and a detailed colored map of six days of search routes. In 1950 Joseph's parents went to probate court and filed notice of "legal presumption of death." Fanny Halpern died in 1963, followed by Joe's father in 1964. Authorities are no longer actively investigating Halpern's case due to the passage of time, but they have taken DNA from his relatives to identify his body if it is ever located. Joseph Halpern's case is the oldest missing person case entered into the NamUs System of dual databases that match missing persons and unidentified remains.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 26, 2026