Matthew Weaver is a 21-year-old man who went missing on Friday, August 10, 2018. At the time of his disappearance, he had been working to find his footing in the world. He had recently moved out of home and into his own apartment in Granada Hills, California. He moved to be closer to his job as a linesman for his father’s telephone pole construction company.
Matthew had broken up with his long-term girlfriend at the beginning of August, but his family say he had moved on and was beginning to make new friends.
The Final Day
Thursday August 9, 2018 – Matthew visited his father, Matthew Sr, to pick up his paycheck. Matthew told his father that he had plans to hang out with a new female friend that night.
Friday August 10, 2018 – 12 am- Around midnight, Matthew drove to the house of Melissa Sanchez. The pair partied together for the next few hours. There are rumors that they were doing cocaine and acid together.
Friday 10 August, 2018 – 4.30am – Matthew dropped Melissa back to her home. Cell phone records then indicate that Matthew drove towards the Malibu Canyons near Rosas Overlook.
Friday 10 August, 5.30am – Matthew posted his last SnapChat video of a view from the hiking trail at this time.
Friday 10 August, around 7am – Matthew’s car was spotted on CCTV driving near a gated area on the trail. The gate was meant to be locked every day but had been left unlocked on this occasion.
Friday 10 August, 11am – Matthew tried to call and then sent concerning and jumbled texts to Melissa. She replied asking if Matthew was okay and he never replied.
Cell phone records indicate that this interaction was the last that Matthew made before his phone either died or was turned off.
Saturday August 11, 12am – Hikers called 911 to indicate they heard screams and that a man and woman were calling for help. During their search for the people who needed help, the California Highway Patrol found Matthew’s vehicle. A press release by the Los Angeles Police Department says his car was found “abandoned on the Topanga Tower Motorway, near Rosas Overlook, and above the Backbone Trail and Hondo Canyon areas.” According to the ‘To Live and Die in LA’ podcast, his car was found in a precarious position, with one wheel hanging off the edge of a cliff.
The Search for Matthew
Law enforcement and Matthew’s family searched the area around Rosas Overlook for months. Jayden Brant, a private investigator hired by Weaver’s family, said during a news conference that he has obtained surveillance video from a nearby construction site that shows people going in and out of the area where Weaver’s vehicle was spotted.
In January 2019, hikers came across Matthew’s car keys, around 25 feet from where his vehicle had been found.
Later that month, Matthew’s family worked with a drone operator to take aerial footage and photos of the area where Matthew disappeared. They released 797 photographs and related GPS data to the public. They asked for help in searching the photos for any sign of Matthew or his belongings.
The appeal paid off and as a result, The Angels cap he had been wearing at the time of his disappearance was found. While searching the area, his family recovered a torn white t-shirt with blood stains on it. They cannot be sure that the shirt belonged to Matthew but they suspect it may be related.
The family gave the items they found to the Lost Hills Police Department, where they sat stagnant for months. The Los Angeles Police Department has taken over Matthew’s case and they took possession of the items to have them tested. The family recently heard from the LAPD that the items will now no longer be tested for DNA as there is no evidence a crime has occurred.
Today, almost 1 year later, Matthew is still missing. There are rumors of gang involvement, drug abuse and of Melissa knowing more than she has let on. What happened to Matthew? Was he high and he fell from the overlook? If so, where is his body? Was he murdered and his body dumped far from where he went missing?
Matthew Weaver Jr. is described as being 5’9” tall and weighing about 140 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information on Matthew’s whereabouts, or know what happened to Matthew in the early morning hours of August 10, 2018, please call the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or go to wwww.lacrimestoppers.org.
Social Media for Matthew –
Matthew’s Instagram
Help Find Matthew Weaver Jr
Source Links –
Family Has Renewed Hope In Search For Man Missing Since Last August
$50K reward offered in search for missing man who texted ‘some crazy is going on’
Why couldn’t the family pay for DNA testing of the shirt? 🤔