Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 03/01/2005
- Missing From:
- Missing From Ukiah, California
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Male
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 07/26/1941 (83)
- Age:
- Age 63 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 5’8, 140 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, blue eyes. Cavanaugh may use the middle name Jim or the initials JC, and he may spell his first name “Donnald.”
- Details of Disappearance:
- Cavanaugh, a horse rancher from Illinois, fell on hard times. His nephew, Jimmy DeNoyer, convinced him to start a new ranch in California in 2004. DeNoyer’s land was also used to grow marijuana.
Things went badly. Cavanaugh and DeNoyer fought constantly. The horses were mistreated, many died, and DeNoyer controlled all of Cavanaugh’s money. Just before Christmas 2004, DeNoyer allegedly forced Cavanaugh to the airport and left him stranded.
Cavanaugh eventually ended up at a shelter for the poor. The last time anyone saw him was March 2005, when he said he was going back to DeNoyer’s ranch for his belongings and dogs. He was reported missing in May.
Another man connected to DeNoyer, David Neily, also disappeared. Neily’s remains were found years later, but it’s unclear how he died.
In 2005, animal control seized 36 severely neglected horses from DeNoyer’s ranch – a record for the county. DeNoyer was charged with animal cruelty but wasn’t convicted.
Police suspect DeNoyer was involved in both Cavanaugh and Neily’s disappearances, but he hasn’t been charged with any crime related to their disappearances. The disappearances are considered suspicious.
- Agency:
- Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department 707-463-4095
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 03/01/2005