Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 05/08/2011
- Missing From:
- Missing From Dugway, Utah
- Classification:
- Classification Lost/Injured Missing
- Gender:
- Male
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 06/03/1984 (40)
- Age:
- Age 26 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 5’9, 190 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Clothing/Jewelry Description Blue jeans or shorts, and a t-shirt wrapped around his feet.
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, green eyes. Bushling’s hair was in a buzz cut at the time of his disappearance. He has an appendectomy scar on his abdomen and a scar from gallbladder surgery. He has the following tattoos: an American flag on his right shoulder, a Celtic design on his neck, the words “Jeremy 88-00” on the left side of his chest, and a tribal design extending from his left shoulder down to his elbow. The tribal design tattoo is posted below this case summary. Bushling’s nickname is Joe.
- Details of Disappearance:
- In May 2011, Soldier Bushling, stationed at the Army base in Dugway, Utah (after being assigned to Fort Collins, Colorado), went missing. He left base early on May 8th in a borrowed car, a black 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer, and drove into the desert.
That evening, he called a friend, saying he’d run out of gas, was cold, had lost his flip-flops (using his shirt as shoes instead), and was walking back. This was his last contact.
His car was found six days later, abandoned in a remote ravine 64 miles from the base. His hat and flip-flops were found later, miles from the car. The area is harsh, with caves and poor cell service. Dugway’s history includes chemical weapons testing, and there are still unexploded munitions in the desert.
The Army initially labeled Bushling a deserter, but his supervisor and family disagreed. He was happy in the Army, close to his parents in Arkansas, and had no history of mental illness. He’d served in South Korea, dealt with a divorce and his brother’s suicide, but was looking forward to a new assignment in Texas and a career as a nurse.
Authorities concluded his disappearance wasn’t suicide or foul play. In 2014, a death certificate was issued, citing exposure to the cold as the cause. The Army corrected his status, allowing his family a military funeral with honors and access to his benefits.
- Agency:
- Tooele County Sheriff’s Office 435-882-5600
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 05/08/2011