The Missing
Donald Joseph Connell
Newport, Rhode Island
🕯️ The Mysterious Disappearance of Donald “Donny” Connell Jr. 🔍
Donald “Donny” Joseph Connell Jr. was 28 years old when he vanished without a trace from Newport, Rhode Island, on December 2, 1986. What was meant to be a short walk between family homes became one of Rhode Island’s enduring missing person mysteries.
Donny, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, left his parents’ home on Record Street on foot, intending to walk just one street over to his sister’s house on Channing Street. His sister was driving home separately and expected him to arrive before her. But when she got there, Donny was nowhere to be found.
At first, the family assumed his plans had changed. According to relatives, it was not unusual for Donny to disappear for a few days at a time. However, as the days passed with no word from him, concern grew. Ten days later, on December 12, 1986 — his sister’s birthday — Donny was officially reported missing.
Descriptions of Donny paint the picture of a well-known and respected young man in the community. He had brown hair and brown eyes, stood approximately 6 feet tall, and weighed between 150 and 180 pounds. Friends and family knew him by the nickname “Donny.” Before his disappearance, he had served several years in the Marine Corps and later worked for a landscaping company. He was also remembered as a talented athlete who helped lead Middletown High School’s varsity basketball team to a state championship.
Investigators later learned that Donny struggled with alcohol abuse, and relatives shared stories suggesting he had occasionally left town without warning in the past. One family member told detectives that roughly a year earlier, Donny had unexpectedly purchased a plane ticket to Ireland. Rumors surrounding his disappearance began circulating almost immediately. Some speculated he may have jumped from the Newport Pell Bridge, while others believed he may have hitchhiked to New York City. A relative even traveled to Manhattan searching for him, but found no trace.
Despite decades passing, no confirmed sightings of Donny have ever surfaced. His case was eventually entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2015. Newport police have released very few details publicly, and the mystery of what happened that December night remains unsolved.
Today, Donny’s family continues to hold onto hope. His sister, Anita Connell Gifford, still honors him every year with heartfelt birthday messages, writing that she continues to search, hope, and dream of finding her missing brother.
Anyone with information about Donald “Donny” Joseph Connell Jr.’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the Newport Police Department at (401) 847-1306.
Sources:
Missing: Donald Connell | Newport, RI | Uncovered
RI veteran’s sudden disappearance still puzzling 38 years later | WPRI.com
Missing Person / NamUs #MP30939 | NamUs
RI veteran’s sudden disappearance still puzzling 38 years later
Missing: Donald Joseph Connell
The Lost & The Taken 
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