Dennis Day, who was a member of Disney’s original Mickey Mouseketeers, has been reported missing since July. On Saturday, police said a body was found at his Phoenix, Oregon home, but the remains have not been identified.
“On Thursday, April 4, 2019, the Medford Assault and Death Investigation Unit (MADIU) was contacted by the Phoenix Police Department after human remains were discovered at 510 Pine Street in Phoenix, Oregon,” Oregon State Police Spokesperson Captain Tim Fox told USA Today.
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Day, 76, has not been seen since July 15, 2018. However, his family did not hear he was reported missing until they saw a missing person report on the NBC affiliate KOBI-5 in January.
#INVESTIGATION: Crime scene tape surrounds the home of 76yo Dennis Day, the former Mouseketeer who went missing from his Phoenix home in July of 2018. Neighbors tell me forensic and other emergency cars were in and out of the house all day. @KTVL pic.twitter.com/YVOhLCWrLo
— Genevieve Grippo (@genevieve_ktvl) April 6, 2019
“He saw it on the news broadcast and called us immediately,” Day’s sister, Nelda, told NBC News, referring to one of their family members. “I called Phoenix Police Department the very next day, and we’ve been working on it ever since. The whole family got in on it.”
Nelda said Day’s husband, Ernie Caswell, reported Day was missing after Day stopped visiting him in the hospital.
“Ernie was in the hospital at that time, and he realized Dennis hadn’t come to visit him in a few weeks,” Nelda explained. “So he had someone from the hospital call the police and report Dennis as missing.”
She explained that police did not contact Day’s family because Caswell was his only family member on record. Caswell, who is battling dementia, could not provide contact information for the family, who live in California.
Police reportedly told Nelda there was a man living at Day and Caswell’s home when Day disappeared. Day left the home on foot to visit friends, according to police.
Lt. Jeff Price told KOBI in January that police found Day’s car, but that was a dead end as well. The two people found inside were unknown to Day and Caswell. The car was found about 200 miles from Day’s home on July 26.
“There was no evidence of a crime there, there was no evidence of a crime in the car,” Price explained.
In March, Price told Fox News Day was “reclusive” before he went missing.
“His sister doesn’t like it when I say he [and his husband Ernie Caswell] were kind of reclusive,” Price said. “They didn’t leave the house. They have friends, but not that many. They weren’t social and if you saw the house you would see that they didn’t leave the house. It’s in very bad shape — very, very poor shape.”
Price also explained Caswell’s condition has made their investigation difficult. There is also no evidence that Day had his own illness, but there is also no evidence of foul play.
“I don’t know of any medical conditions that Dennis has or had at the time,” Price told Fox News. “All I know is that the live-in handyman, he believed that Dennis was starting to show some dementia. That’s coming from somebody who himself has some mental issues, mental health issues… I don’t have any confirmation that there are any medical issues on Dennis.”
Anyone with information on Day’s appearance is asked to call Price at the Phoenix Police Department at 541-535-1113, ext. 309, or the anonymous tip line at 1-888-960-6450.
