Efforts Underway to Locate Missing Transient Man

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is trying to locate Joshua Dean Griffin, a 37-year-old transient man.

Griffin has a history of sudden and prolonged disappearance, according to a Sheriff's Office bulletin. He was living in Colorado when authorities there reported him missing in March 2023.

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Some months later, Griffin was located in Wenatchee, where he'd managed to find temporary work and shelter. But last August he again disappeared without explanation.

This past April, a disconcerting discovery was made on a hiking trail near Leavenworth. On the trail laid an unattended backpack presumably belonging to Griffin; it contained clothing, cash and an ID card bearing Griffin's name and photo.

(Deputies suspect he may have misplaced his backpack while under the influence. Griffin reportedly has a history of chemical dependency.)

A search of the immediate area "did not turn up any evidence of [Griffin's] whereabouts." It is important to note, however, that Griffin has not been presumed dead.

"The main purpose behind the bulletin is to get the information out there," says Chief Ryan Moody of Chelan County. "In case [Griffin] has decided to go do his own thing for a while."

"We're hoping to even get the information over to the West Side. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that - he could be living on the streets of Seattle."

Griffin, we are told, gets around primarily on foot and often walks long distances.

The Washington Department of Licensing lists Griffin as 5'7" and 155 pounds. Anyone with information on Griffin's whereabouts is encouraged to contact Det. Paul Nelson at paulb.nelson@co.chelan.wa.us or 509-667-6843.