Rogest Cain told his sister he was going to the hardware store… He never returned. ![]() Rogest Cain Stats: Race: African American ![]() Rogest’s car is found parked in the city near a mechanic shop On the afternoon of February 19th, 1986, 61-year-old Rogest Cain told his sister that he was going to a local hardware store. His family never saw him again. The day after Rogest disappeared, he called a neighbor and told her he didn’t feel well, and he would not be going to work. Two days later, a private security company in an affluent neighborhood spotted a man whom they believed to be Rogest Cain. The man appeared confused and gave them a phone number belonging to Rogest’s sister. When his sister arrived, Rogest had disappeared again. One month later, Rogest’s car was found parked on a busy street twenty-two miles from his home. Remarkably, all his papers, his G.I. bill, the deed to his property, and his insurance policies, as well as his glasses and false teeth were in the car. At a gas station next to Rogest’s abandoned car, police learned that he had talked with a mechanic on the day after he disappeared. Detective Doug Haskin:
The night after our broadcast, police received a call from a man in Topeka, Kansas, who believed he recognized Rogest Cain as a local resident named Elmer Jackson. Acting on the caller’s tip, police attempted to locate Elmer Jackson, only to discover he had disappeared. Within days, Rogest Cain’s son flew to Topeka and joined the police search. The search ultimately turned up no new information and police were never able to establish if Elmer Jackson was, indeed, Rogest Cain. In 1995, Rogest Cain was declared legally dead. His disappearance remains unsolved. ![]() Important documents, even his false teeth, were found in the vehicle
Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season one with Robert Stack. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Franklin moorehart jr
Well with him being from Mississippi check Mississippi check around the areas obviously he was traveling around not remembering who even was or anything like that I hope they find out some info so they can close this if nothing else it’ll help the family that’s still around
Freddy
Could this be him?
http://www.interment.net/data/us/ca/losangeles/lanat/c/lanat_c01.htm
Buried in 1997.
AWholeBeew
You can find headstones in cemeteries that aren’t actual grave markers; there’s one in a cemetery in my city put up in memory of an entire family of seven who disappeared over Lake Michigan in 1970 while heading home in the father’s private plane after they flew here to visit relatives for Thanksgiving. Seeing how closely the date on the headstone is to when he was declared legally dead, I don’t think this is anything more than a memorial.
Freddy
But they releases to many and precise details:
died in 02/19/1993, US Navy, S1, Res: Los Angeles, CA, Plot: ME 0 B10, buried 02/14/1997.
Also: Records with an asterisk at the end indicates those that have not been verified as accurate by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
His record is without asterisk, so he was verified as accurated. Strange
Savannah
This is my great grandfather I am a 10 yr old female and I just found out about this tragedy when I asked my grandmother [Rogest Cain’s daughter] how he died I always knew he was dead I just didn’t know how, when, or why it’s absolutely devastating for me and my family to know that they just declared him dead I still have hope every day that he’s out there somewhere and one day he’ll come home
Mariyah
I’m so sorry friend for ur loss
Andrew
Did Sherman Hemsley play ROGEST CAIN in this episode by chance?
Erik
This man is the Grandfather to rapper Will.I.Am. I’m suprised it hasn’t gotten more attention for that!
Kristina
I had the same thought when I found out. And his son being a former NFL player. It’s so unsettling when these kind of stories go unsolved when there’s so many people involved, how does an older guy w lots of family just fall off the map? Forever?
Monica
I wish ppl would THINK before being in such haste to get the family’s hopes up. They know they have not seen this man..I believe the repairman saw him, his neighbor got a call from him but that man in kansas who claims his name was elmer jackson is hard to believe. How did he get from LA to Kansas, and Why? LA is huge. Ik they said a truck driver picked him up and named him Elmer and possibly dropped him off in Kansas but I dont think thats what happened and he was never in kansas. I truly believe he was taken care of, he passed and they buried him respectfully. These cases need to be all over the news not shows like UM. Mostly Everyone watches the news. Someone was probably taking care of him outside of a nursing home. Did they check all the nursing homes in LA? This case will be solved as well. I just hope Im alive to see it.
Jared
The story did say that they found evidence of him working and being in Kansas. Maybe he kept traveling and hitch hiking that he eventually went out of state.
AWholeBeew
Elderly people who suffer memory issues often seek out familiar settings and pieces of their lives. If he had a minor stroke that left him with memory issues and confusion, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he would try to head back to Mississippi, where he lived prior, but got mixed up, going northeast instead of just east and finding himself in Kansas.
Jennifer
Prayers always. I pray they had found his body or him and w a buried with family. I know he is at a . age now that he may nolonger be alive or he is blessed by the lord with age and soon find his memory
Mreynolds
How does he have a deceased date of Feb 19, 1993? Was he found ?
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/452350
J A Vance
I believe his family declared him legally dead..?
Kelly
So sad.
AN
So sad that he went missing. He is the grand-uncle of rapper Wil.I.Am
Jen
Not grand-uncle but his grandfather
Monica
I didnt know that. WOW