On December 14th, 2020, Dane Bryan Elkins—a 21-year-old honors engineering student at UC Santa Cruz and a 23-time national racquetball champion—disappeared under deeply unsettling and still unexplained circumstances. His case, unlike many missing person reports, is not one of sudden vanishing under the cover of night or disappearance after contact with suspicious individuals. It is a slow, unraveling story of mental health decline, misunderstood behavior, public sightings, and systemic failure. Nearly five years later, the question still echoes across California: Where is Dane Elkins?
Dane was known among his peers and community for his brilliance and determination. A high-achiever academically and athletically, he graduated high school early and began attending college courses at a young age. As a racquetball player, he was a prodigy, collecting national titles and representing the U.S. in international competition. To those who knew him, Dane was driven, introspective, and deeply caring. But behind the accolades and achievements, something more complex was unfolding.
In the months leading up to his disappearance, Dane began showing signs of mental distress. His family reported increasing paranoia, disorganized thinking, and extreme anxiety. Dane began to talk about conspiracies and voiced fears that people were watching or tracking him. His mother, Deborah Elkins, who has been the central voice in advocating for his recovery, describes his behavior as indicative of a psychotic break—something that can be brought on by intense stress, genetics, or untreated mental health conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
On the day of his disappearance, December 14, 2020, Dane Elkins phoned his mother from the side of a highway, clearly shaken. He told her he couldn’t come home and warned her of danger. “Mom, it’s not safe. You’re in danger—Dad too. There are targets on you both,” she remembers him saying.
Later that day, his car was located on a remote, mountainous highway. The tire was flat, and his wallet, phone, and laptop had all been left behind. His mother, Deborah Elkins, believes Dane feared being tracked and intentionally abandoned anything that could be used to locate him. This alone sets off alarms. Leaving behind a wallet and phone suggests that Dane either left in an altered mental state or was somehow forcibly removed. The location—an isolated stretch near a busy highway—has long been considered a dangerous area, with steep terrain and limited visibility. Investigators found no blood, no indication of foul play, no clear tracks to follow. The area was searched with dogs and helicopters, but no sign of Dane was found.
In the weeks and months that followed, hundreds of tips began flooding in. Witnesses claimed to have seen a young man matching Dane’s description walking barefoot along roads, talking to himself in fast food restaurants, or wandering through parks. These sightings spanned locations like Bakersfield, Mojave, Santa Cruz, Modesto, and Oakdale. One particularly compelling report came from a man who claimed to have offered Dane food and assistance, only to have him run off, visibly startled and refusing help.
These sightings tell a story that many in the mental health and missing persons advocacy community find tragically familiar: a bright, capable young person in the grip of an untreated mental illness, too frightened or confused to seek help, drifting further from the life they once knew. It’s suspected by many that Dane has been living among transient populations, possibly homeless, and avoiding detection.
Why would he not come home? That question is asked often by those unfamiliar with how psychosis or paranoia operates. When someone is experiencing these episodes, they may believe their family is part of a conspiracy, or that returning home would put them in danger. They may fear being institutionalized or believe they are being hunted. Rational explanations dissolve under the weight of delusions and fear.
In the time since Dane’s disappearance, Deborah Elkins has never stopped searching. She’s traveled to reported sighting locations, posted flyers, created social media campaigns, and even organized community search events. Her unwavering belief that Dane is alive is based on these repeated sightings and the knowledge that he had the skills to survive. But every day that passes without confirmed contact chips away at the hope for a quick resolution.
This is not a case where the trail has gone cold. Instead, it’s one that remains warm with heartbreaking ambiguity. Recently, America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons aired a full segment on Dane’s case, detailing the timeline, the mental health aspects, and the numerous tips that have surfaced. This exposure brought new leads.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department has maintained that they are keeping the case open. But with no hard evidence, and no crime scene, the resources dedicated to his search have waned. It’s a common issue in cases involving mental health: without signs of abduction or clear danger, missing adults are often considered to have left voluntarily—even when all evidence points to a mental health crisis.
This raises uncomfortable questions about the systems in place to protect vulnerable adults. Could more have been done when Dane first began showing signs of distress? Should there be legal mechanisms that allow families to intervene more effectively in these cases? The balance between personal freedom and protective intervention is delicate, but cases like Dane’s show how easily someone can fall through the cracks.
As of now, Dane Elkins is still missing. He is 6'1", 170 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair. He may appear disheveled, thinner, and unshaven. He is likely wary of strangers and may avoid eye contact or become agitated when approached.
If you have any information about Dane Elkins, please contact
Los Angeles Police Department at (877) 275-5273 and reference case number 200817726.
Text Photo's of Dane: +1 562-504-6005
Email Photos of Dane: Searchingfordaneelkins@gmail.com
Even the smallest tip could bring this young man home.
*Also note when approaching him be gentle, strike up a conversation, be nice to him offer him a cold bottle of water (he loves cold bottled water) or food, ask him what his story is or where he comes from.*
Thank you for reading Echoes of The Unsolved. If you want to stay updated on more true crime stories and ongoing investigations, be sure to subscribe to my blog. I'd also love to hear your thoughts on Dane Elkins' case—feel free to share your opinions or any insights in the comments below. Until next time, stay safe.
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