Stephan Mitchell Adams

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Oklahoma State Bureau Of Investigation Northeast Investigative Regional Office (OK)

Missing From:

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Summary:

Stephan Mitchell Adams was a man who disappeared from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in 2004. He was 26 and had just finished taking his finals at NSU on Dec. 13, 2004, when he told his girlfriend over the phone that he was taking an unidentified man to the Keys area. He has never been heard from again. Authorities consider Adams's disappearance suspicious and foul play is possible in his case.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On Monday, December 13, 2004, Stephan Mitchell Adams completed a final examination at Northeastern State University (NSU) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Adams called his girlfriend on his cell phone at 11:00 a.m. on December 13, 2004, and told her he was giving a man a ride to Keys, Oklahoma. He was in good spirits at the time of the conversation. Authorities later determined that Adams had been south of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, when he spoke to his girlfriend. Someone tried to call his phone at 11:30 a.m., but it rang only once before going to voice mail; all calls after that were transferred immediately to voice mail. Between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., he was seen at a convenience store in Cookson, Oklahoma. Adams appeared to be upset at the time. He purchased a soda and then stood outside the store for about five minutes before he left the vicinity in his pickup. He has never been heard from again.

Additional Details:

Adams has not used his credit cards or cellular phone since his disappearance, and he left all of his personal belongings behind and money in his dresser. Adams was involved in a very contentious custody battle with his ex-wife over their daughter at the time of his disappearance. He wanted custody of her or at least to be allowed to see her, but his ex-wife objected to this and refused to comply with the court's visitation order. Adams was charged twice with molesting the child, but in neither instance was there enough evidence to take him to trial. The custody matter had been going on for over two years and there was an important hearing about it scheduled in Muskogee County District Court for a few days after Adams vanished. A few weeks after Adams disappeared, his family received a telephone threat from an unidentified individual who stated that they would be harmed if the investigation into Adams's disappearance did not end. "Even though police have received many leads as to the identity of a man sitting in his dark colored Ford Ranger pickup truck outside the Dollar General next to Adams' apartment the day of his disappearance, we still have not located this person," the OSBI stated. "Investigators believe he could be a key to this case." Prosecutors said they are still receiving tips that are related to the 2004 disappearance of a Northeastern State University student. Adams has severe asthma and may need an inhaler to control the condition. Both of his inhalers were left behind at his residence.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 04, 2026