More than 30 years ago, 17-year-old Roger Ellison was last seen in the basement of Cedaredge High School.
There has been no sign of the popular student since then. His mysterious disappearance has remained one of the enduring missing persons mysteries in Colorado, filled with sightings of Roger across the country and even a death bed revelation about two hunters finding a tied up boy in the woods.
Roger Ellison, 17
Roger was an A-student, a gifted athlete and had plans to attend Western State College the following fall.
His disappearance has been considered suspicious for many years now.
When he vanished, Roger had $1,000 in savings left in his bank account. He had already paid an entry fee for a ski race at Aspen for the next weekend. Left behind were his car, his motorcycle and his skis, according to numerous articles, including several by Denver Post staff writer Nancy Lofholm.
Roger was a member of the Powderhorn Racing Club. He was working to attain “A” level racer status in the United States Ski Association. Like his older sister, he wanted to be a U.S. Ski Team member.
He lived with his parents in Eckert near the Grand Mesa National Forest and was the youngest of five children.
The last morning he was reportedly seen was Feb. 10, 1981. He was only a month away from turning 18 on March 11.
Roger had stood at the kitchen door that morning and told his mother Evelyn that the snow-heavy sky was a good omen for the ski race he planned to compete in that weekend.
He picked up his books, $3 for lunch and his yellow backpack, and hopped on the school bus, as he did every morning, for the 6-mile ride to Cedaredge High School.
The last time anyone ever saw him, he was getting his books from locker No. 191 and telling his lockermate and friend, Mitch Coleman, he would catch up with him in class.
He didn’t make it to class. He never returned home that day.