Steven Douglas Bunch

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Covington Police Department Ky (KY)

Missing From:

Covington, Kentucky

Summary:

Steven Douglas Bunch, a 26-year-old white male from Covington, Kentucky, disappeared on December 28, 1985, after being dropped off at his parents' home following a night at a Cincinnati nightclub. He went into the backyard telling his mother someone would pick him up and was never seen again. His case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Steven Douglas Bunch left his home in Covington, Kentucky on December 28, 1985, and went to January's, a nightclub in nearby Cincinnati, Ohio located at 411 W. Second St. He stayed at the club until 2:00 a.m. and drank a few beers. When he attempted to leave, he discovered his rental car battery was dead. A friend had borrowed his own vehicle without permission and wrecked it, forcing Bunch to use a rental. Bunch obtained a ride home from a female friend. During the ride, she observed him acting anxious and nervous, repeatedly glancing behind them. He became visibly stressed when a police car followed them, and only calmed down after the vehicle turned off in another direction. His friend dropped him off at his parents' home on Warren Street in Covington around 2:30 a.m. His parents were still awake when he arrived. He went to his room and stayed for approximately five minutes, then came back downstairs and told his mother he was going out for a while and that someone would be picking him up. His father found this behavior odd and followed him outside, observing him walking into the backyard. He was never seen again. When his family searched a wooded area near their home, they found the scarf he had worn that night. His rental car, which had been left inoperable at the nightclub parking lot, later turned up several blocks away from the club.

Additional Details:

At the time of his disappearance, Steven Bunch owned and operated Bunch's Auto Body in the MainStrasse area of Covington. He went missing shortly after testifying in a criminal case, and there were unconfirmed rumors that he entered a witness protection program. Since his disappearance in 1985, Bunch has never made contact with family members nor been seen. His father died in 1990, and his mother subsequently remarried. His NamUs profile has been updated as recently as 2020 and includes 49 rule outs from unidentified persons. The case has been documented in The Charley Project, Websleuths forums, and the International Missing Persons Wiki. As of the last updates in 2011, his case remained unsolved.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 25, 2026