Jared was 12 years old and a Scout. He and his Troop were going on a hiking trip. After awhile he got separated and other Scouts realized he was gone. The only trace of him found were candy bar wrappers, his Backpack, and his Camera. The film was developed and revealed mostly landscapes and the last known photograph of him. It was of his nose and Eyes and he appeared scared. The photo was featured in Time magazine but seems absent from the Web.

I am curious what others think happened to him. Also does anyone know of a link to find that last photograph? My curiosity is piqued.

oh yes. I remember talking about him because his middle name is Michael, and reminded me of the much talked about Michael Negerte case. Here is his CP page

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/n/negrete_jared.html.

I'll have to do some research on this one.

Thnx for the reply. I'll look that up too.

I read somewhere, awhile ago, that remains had been found that were believed to be Jared's. I'll do some digging for that article.

This case was featured literally every 30 minutes on evening news in Southern California. But there were a lot of rumors floating around about the case. I remember hearing once, that eyewitnesses had seen him at a McDonald's in a nearby town with an elderly woman. This was a strange case. I tend to lean towards the theory that Jared, who was in the back of the group during the hiking trip, literally couldn't keep up and simply got lost. He then panicked and tried to catch up with the rest of the group and possibly ran into a bear or literally wasn't paying attention in his panicked state and accidentally fell down a cliff and died.

This is the first time I've heard of the picture of himself looking scared. I don't remember hearing any thing about that. I'll see if I can find that too.

Interesting... Yeah I also agree he got lost and got injured etc. Doesn't seem overly mysterious with this one. I feel like alot of missing people's remains just haven't been found yet. Not necessarily trapped somewhere or abducted by Aliens.

So the scoutmaster forced all those little kids to hike up an 11,500 foot high mountain and back down again? WTF to that and him leaving Jared alone by himself. If I were the parents, I'd sue the scoutmaster for wrongful death. He's clearly an idiot not to mention responsible for the death of a child.

From what I've read the terrain seemed potentially hazardous. the Woods were dense.

Slightly off topic: My Mother's teenage brother went in to get his Appendix removed and ended up bleeding out on the table due to him not being close up properly. I asked my Mom why didn't her family sue? She shrugged and said we didn't think to back then. (The 60's)

I remember hearing once, that eyewitnesses had seen him at a McDonald's in a nearby town with an elderly woman. This was a strange case.

I've heard a lot of preposterous eyewitness sightings of missing persons over the years, but that one wins the prize. I'm really sure he got off the high mountain and was kidnapped or met up with an old woman for unknown reasons and went to McDonald's.

I just hope his death was quick and not long and painful.

I've heard a lot of preposterous eyewitness sightings of missing persons over the years, but that one wins the prize. I'm really sure he got off the high mountain and was kidnapped or met up with an old woman for unknown reasons and went to McDonald's.

I just hope his death was quick and not long and painful.

Actually it was taken very seriously for various reasons.

1) being that that outside surveillance cameras in the parking lot and cameras inside McDonald's restaurant all had pictures of a young male fitting Jared's description.

2) more than 8 eye witnesses were certain the young boy looked like Jared.

3) the clothing worn by the boy in the pictures matched the clothing Jared was wearing when he disappeared.

4) the McDonald's where the alleged sighting took place was literally 2 streets away from the camping area Jared's group was camping out at.

5) the camping area/grounds were already on a high mountain so there was no need for Jared to get off a high mountain because he already was on one.

6) the hiking trail taken was used frequently by regular hikers to the public during the summer, so it would not be a stretch for Jared to get lost and for him to run into someone and be coaxed off the trail by a stranger.

7) the media literally quit talking about this angle after the search yielded the candy wrappers and camera Jared had on him.

It should be noted that because he disappeared on a national park, park rangers have jurisdiction over the search of a person who has disappeared. Sadly most of these searches only last maybe a week or 2.

Actually it was taken very seriously for various reasons.

1) being that that outside surveillance cameras in the parking lot and cameras inside McDonald's restaurant all had pictures of a young male fitting Jared's description.

2) more than 8 eye witnesses were certain the young boy looked like Jared.

3) the clothing worn by the boy in the pictures matched the clothing Jared was wearing when he disappeared.

4) the McDonald's where the alleged sighting took place was literally 2 streets away from the camping area Jared's group was camping out at.

5) the camping area/grounds were already on a high mountain so there was no need for Jared to get off a high mountain because he already was on one.

6) the hiking trail taken was used frequently by regular hikers to the public during the summer, so it would not be a stretch for Jared to get lost and for him to run into someone and be coaxed off the trail by a stranger.

7) the media literally quit talking about this angle after the search yielded the candy wrappers and camera Jared had on him.

It should be noted that because he disappeared on a national park, park rangers have jurisdiction over the search of a person who has disappeared. Sadly most of these searches only last maybe a week or 2.

wow, that's really something. Yeah, if you could dig up any articles with extra info, that would be great. I found some online, but they didn't appear to have anything that wasn't on the relatively brief CP blurb. I also can't find the picture, there's been some debate on what his face depicts.

I wonder why they started discounting the old woman angle because they found candy wrappers and such on the mountain. I'd be curious to see some of the old news stories on this.

One thing that's weird: Jared made it most of the way, but couldn't quite complete it. It seems that not too much time would have elapsed before they returned for him. Additionally, mountains are very echo-y are they not? Would they have heard him if he yelled for help?

And why couldn't they just leave somebody there with him? Ugh, what a frustrating case.

Holy cow, check out this article about another boy lost up that same damn mountain.
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/10/news/mn-32709

wow, that's really something. Yeah, if you could dig up any articles with extra info, that would be great. I found some online, but they didn't appear to have anything that wasn't on the relatively brief CP blurb. I also can't find the picture, there's been some debate on what his face depicts.

I wonder why they started discounting the old woman angle because they found candy wrappers and such on the mountain. I'd be curious to see some of the old news stories on this.

One thing that's weird: Jared made it most of the way, but couldn't quite complete it. It seems that not too much time would have elapsed before they returned for him. Additionally, mountains are very echo-y are they not? Would they have heard him if he yelled for help?

And why couldn't they just leave somebody there with him? Ugh, what a frustrating case.

Holy cow, check out this article about another boy lost up that same damn mountain.
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/10/news/mn-32709

I've tried for years to find concise and detailed articles on this case, being from Southern California it always stuck out in the back of my head. I'm not sure the photo has ever been made public to my knowledge. Investigators probably have the original in their possession.

I don't remember seeing any news articles in the newspaper on the old woman angle. It was talked about extensively on evening television news though and after finding the items Jared had on him it was believed that he simply wandered off and got lost. This theory is something I believe as the items found were well off the general area of the hiking trail.

If he would have yelled out for help, I'm fairly certain someone might have heard him. Especially during the search for him in the mountains.

This is exactly why now when Cub Scouts go on hikes they now have a scout leader in the front and one in the back of the pack. What's more frustrating is that the counselor decided to wait to go back and get Jared after making the hike to the summit. That right there was unknowingly a life and death situation of Jared. If the counselor had decided to backtrack on the hiking trail the possibility of find him would have been much greater for him to be found. It was reported that only a few minutes had passed before they realized Jared had fallen back. All the counselor had to do was halt the hike and backtrack possibly less than a 100 yards.

Yeah I remember that. That didn't have that much extensive coverage though. California was embroiled in the Gary Condit scandal at the time as he was a California Senator.

I don't remember seeing any news articles in the newspaper on the old woman angle. It was talked about extensively on evening television news though and after finding the items Jared had on him it was believed that he simply wandered off and got lost. This theory is something I believe as the items found were well off the general area of the hiking trail.

That's probably the easiest explanation, although it's still possible he got off the mountain and encountered the old lady.

Yeah I remember that. That didn't have that much extensive coverage though. California was embroiled in the Gary Condit scandal at the time as he was a California Senator.

He was a U.S. congressman representing the Modesto area of California. He was never a senator.

That's probably the easiest explanation, although it's still possible he got off the mountain and encountered the old lady.



He was a U.S. congressman representing the Modesto area of California. He was never a senator.

If he knew where he was going. Yes it would have been very easy for him to get off the trail and encounter someone. I read an article where the County Sheriff had strongly considered abduction as a possibility. Wouldn't shock me as those hiking trails are a hot bed for activity during the summer months. That theory I think was abandoned when his items were found on an area with jagged rocks and steep drops. It didn't help matters much that the place had recently gotten some rain and the rocks were still slippery. It was said that he was wearing high top Pro-Wing sneakers and I can tell you those are the worse shoes to be wearing while hiking. I had a pair of the same kind of shoes Jared had and they have no traction on the grip tape on a skateboard.

My apologies for that. He may never have never been a senator but he was crooked like a senator. Just saiyan.

it sounds like a particularly dangerous mountain with bears, wild dogs, steep cliffs and such, which makes me wonder all the more why the hell the "scoutmaster" left him alone.

The scoutmaster resigned from the boy scouts immediately upon his return back from the trip as he was going to get fired anyways.

Fascinating case. Pull up the mountain on google maps and look at the altitude detail on the topo map. There is some question, and it has never been specified WHERE exactly he was last seen, Where the candy wrappers and camera were found.

The following is from the China Lake Mountain rescue group #87 dated Dec 91:

"91-14 7/28/91 Search

San Gorgonio Huey
CLMRG was placed on alert on Thursday 25 July, by Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team for the possibility of assisting in the search for Jared Negrete, who had been lost since July 19. Jared was last seen on July 19, at approximately 1800 near the head of Vivian Creek Trail and the Old San bernardino Peak Trail on San Gorgonio Mountain. He was hiking with his scout troop and had lagged behind. Over 200 personnel were participating in the search. CLMRG was not called to participate for Saturday and Sunday.
CLMRG personnel who were on standby included: Huey, Schafhauser, Silverman, Stogsdill, Wilson. S. Walker, Leiser, Jain, L. Lucas. J. Westbrook coordinated.
CLMRG was called at 1700 on Sunday night to send a technical team to the area on Monday, 7/28. A camera and food wrappers belonging to Jared had been found Saturday, but no other clues were discovered. The location of these items led searchers into a rough stream bed with a difficult rock
section.
CLMRG and Sierra Madre units were assigned this area on Monday morning and thoroughly covered the area between the trail and opposite side of the stream. The technical area was covered as best could be, keeping in mind the safety of the searchers. CLMRG members had to return to work Tuesday.
Participants included: Huey, Finco, S. Walker, Roseman, Wilson and J. Westbrook (Coordinator)."

From the Los Angeles times, (c) July 23, 1991

Searchers Comb Mountain for Scout Lost Since Friday
The Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext); Los Angeles, Calif.; Jul 23, 1991; JESSE KATZ;

Search and rescue teams continued to comb the rugged San Bernardino National Forest Monday for a 13-year-old El Monte Boy Scout lost in the wilderness since Friday.
Jared Negrete, who was on his first overnight backpacking trip, was last seen Friday at about 6 p.m. when he fell behind his fellow Scouts on a hike to the summit of 11,500-foot Mt. San Gorgonio. The eighth-grader, who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and 150 pounds, was wearing green pants and a tan shirt and was carrying a two-quart canteen of water.
"He's young, very shy, a little bit overweight and was allowed to get a little behind the others," said Frank Barney, a bishop at El Monte's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors Boy Scout Troop No. 538.
Another group of hikers spotted Jared straggling behind and notified the troop leader at the mountain summit, Barney said. But the leader, an experienced backpacker, said he would pick up Jared on the way down, Barney said. A Boy Scouts of America spokesman said he hadn't been fully briefed on the incident and was trying to determine whether the troop leader had been negligent.
"Obviously we would be concerned if proper safety procedure was not in fact followed," said Mike Bassett, director of support services for the 387 troops in the Boy Scouts' San Gabriel Valley Council. As soon as the troop leader realized that Jared had strayed, he accompanied his five other Scouts back to the base camp and then hiked about five miles in the darkness to summon help. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies, along with search and rescue teams from as far away as Sierra Madre and San Dimas, began searching a 130-square mile swath of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, a jagged, rocky terrain about 17 miles northeast of Redlands.
By Monday their search was focused on a six-square mile area, where a print believed to match one of Jared's high-top tennis shoes was found. At least 70 officers, some of whom were airlifted by helicopter into the dense evergreen forest, tramped through the brush until dusk but there were no more clues. The search was scheduled to resume again today at dawn.
Low temperatures have been around 50 degrees, and officers said that there was sufficient water in the mountains as a result of recent storms.
"They're checking every crack and crevice-anywhere that a 13-year-old boy would go," said Deputy Debra Dorrough.
"We're reasonably confident he can survive." Byline: JESSE KATZ
[Illustration]
_______________________________________________________


Searchers Comb Mountain for Scout Lost Since Friday

The Los Angeles Times (c)(Pre-1997 Fulltext); Los Angeles, Calif.; Jul 23, 1991; JESSE KATZ;

Search and rescue teams continued to comb the rugged San Bernardino National Forest Monday for a 13-year-old El Monte Boy Scout lost in the wilderness since Friday.
Jared Negrete, who was on his first overnight backpacking trip, was last seen Friday at about 6 p.m. when he fell behind his fellow Scouts on a hike to the summit of 11,500-foot Mt. San Gorgonio.
The eighth-grader, who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and 150 pounds, was wearing green pants and a tan shirt and was carrying a two-quart canteen of water.
"He's young, very shy, a little bit overweight and was allowed to get a little behind the others," said Frank Barney, a bishop at El Monte's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors Boy Scout Troop No. 538.
Another group of hikers spotted Jared straggling behind and notified the troop leader at the mountain summit, Barney said. But the leader, an experienced backpacker, said he would pick up Jared on the way down, Barney said.
A Boy Scouts of America spokesman said he hadn't been fully briefed on the incident and was trying to determine whether the troop leader had been negligent.
"Obviously we would be concerned if proper safety procedure was not in fact followed," said Mike Bassett, director of support services for the 387 troops in the Boy Scouts' San Gabriel Valley Council.
As soon as the troop leader realized that Jared had strayed, he accompanied his five other Scouts back to the base camp and then hiked about five miles in the darkness to summon help. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies, along with search and rescue teams from as far away as Sierra Madre and San Dimas, began searching a 130-square mile swath of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, a jagged, rocky terrain about 17 miles northeast of Redlands.
By Monday their search was focused on a six-square mile area, where a print believed to match one of Jared's high-top tennis shoes was found. At least 70 officers, some of whom were airlifted by helicopter into the dense evergreen forest, tramped through the brush until dusk but there were no more clues. The search was scheduled to resume again today at dawn.
Low temperatures have been around 50 degrees, and officers said that there was sufficient water in the mountains as a result of recent storms.
"They're checking every crack and crevice-anywhere that a 13-year-old boy would go," said Deputy Debra Dorrough. "We're reasonably confident he can survive."
_________________________________________________________

Trail Grows Faint in Search for Boy Scout Wilderness: Efforts to find the 12-year-old will continue into next week, deputies say. Water and resources in area are considered adequate for survival.

The Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext); Los Angeles, Calif.; Jul 27, 1991; EDMUND NEWTON;

Tracks have grown faint in treacherous rock chutes and footprints have led nowhere. It has been more than a week since 12-year-old Jared Negrete disappeared in the San Bernardino Mountains. But hopes, though growing dimmer, are still alive among the searchers picking through the rocky wilderness in search of the El Monte Boy Scout.
The effort pressed ahead Friday, with 150 volunteers moving slowly through a 45-square-mile target area around the 11,500-foot San Gorgonio Mountain.
"There's plenty of water up there," said San Bernardino County firefighter Bill Garcia, who has spent 14 to 18 hours a day on the search since Monday. "There are even fish in some of the creeks. With a little ingenuity, there are enough resources to live off of. If he keeps his wits, he should be able to get by."
San Bernardino Sheriff's Deputy Debra Dorrough said that the search effort will be carried on through the weekend and into next week.
But some involved in the rescue effort conceded privately that the odds of finding the youth grow worse with each passing day.
Jared's mother, Linda Negrete, awaiting word at her El Monte home, expressed faith that the boy was still alive.
"There are times when I ask God, `Should we still be hoping?' " she said Friday. "I have thought of all the things that might have happened, but I have faith in God and in Jared. I know he is alive."
Friends at the Negrete home said that he had once read a book about two teen-agers lost in the mountains. He and classmates talked about how they might themselves survive in similar circumstances, said Angelique Molloy, 12, a classmate. But other family members, upset about the circumstances of Jared's disappearance, fretted about the physical capabilities of Jared, who is described as 5-foot-2, 150 pounds.
"Jared's idea of a good workout," said Jared's 20-year-old cousin, Anthony Negrete, "was to shoot 10 lay-ups at the basket in the back yard, then to go inside for some Doritos and punch." Jared and five other Boy Scouts were taken by their Scoutmaster, Dennis Knight, on an overnight hike, beginning on July 18. Knight told authorities that the group spent that night at Dry Lake, north of the San Gorgonio Summit, then headed up the mountain the next morning.
They left their packs at a new base camp, about a mile from the lake, and hiked about five miles along the Sky High Trail, most of it at 10,000 feet or higher. Sometime before they reached the summit, Jared, who had been dawdling, lost contact with the group.
Jared's uncle, Ramon Negrete, said one hiker's parent told him Jared was left behind in a race. "Somebody said, `Let's
race to the top,' " said Ramon Negrete, awaiting word at the rescue operations center about 22 miles northwest of Redlands. "He didn't wander off; they left him behind."


6/4/03
Boy Scouts of America officials concede that safety procedures may have been violated on the overnight hiking excursion.
A spokesman at the Scouts' national headquarters in Irving, Tex., said Knight, Scoutmaster of El Monte's Troop 538, apparently had failed to observe the "two-deep leadership" rule, requiring him to bring another adult to help supervise the hike. Knight also failed to file a description of the planned hike with the local Boy Scout Council and to observe a standard outdoorsman's rule that "the slowest hiker sets the pace," said Scout spokesman Blake Lewis.
Knight could not be reached for comment. Jared's parents, who belong to the same Mormon church as Knight, continued to express support for him.
"Maybe (Jared) stopped to tie a shoelace or something happened, and he was just separated," said Linda Negrete.
"We aren't pointing any fingers at this point. We just want for him to be back." Searchers described the terrain where Jared disappeared as one of loose rocks, slippery slopes and, along the ravines and lower slopes, thick Vegetation.
"If you stay on the trail, there's no problem," said tracker Francis Lorson, a member of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Mounted Posse. "But the minute you get off, you can get swept down in a rockslide."
Tracks initially indicated that Jared had been moving down the side of the mountain, possibly in a panic reaction. "Things can get pretty spooky up there," said Garcia.
Friday, however, searchers said they had lost the boy's trail. The number of searchers, more than 90% of them volunteers, has continued to increase through the week, said Senior Sheriff's Deputy Bill Lenew.
Searchers kept their spirits up by recalling earlier searches that had ended successfully. For example, a 10-year-old mentally ******** boy survived unharmed in a nearby area for five days. "Any time you find any kind of a little clue, your hope gets rejuvenated," Garcia said. He added that there had been no "indicators" of Jared's death Search-and-rescue team leaders say that there are no rules as to when to give up a search. "You just keep going until
you've searched all the areas where he could be," said Arnold Gaffrey of the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team.
"As long as it doesn't involve a great risk to the searchers, you continue."
Lenew said that the leaders of the search effort had compiled a psychological profile of Jared, leading them to be optimistic. "He's no quitter, and he's got a good heart," Lenew said. "He's got spirit." Times staff writer Anna Cearley contributed to this story.
________________________________________________________

Missing Scout Took Picture of Himself Search: His camera is found. Most of the photos were landscape scenes but final shot on the roll of film was of his eyes and nose.
The Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext); Los Angeles, Calif.; Jul 29, 1991; EDMUND NEWTON;
A 12-year-old Boy Scout, lost in the wilderness of the San Bernardino Mountains for the past nine days, may have taken a picture of himself after he became separated from his troop, family members said Sunday.
Twelve snapshots were developed from a camera found by searchers combing 11,500-foot Mt. San Gorgonio on Saturday for Jared Negrete, who has been missing since July 19.
Most of the photos were landscape scenes apparently taken before the boy became lost. But the final picture on the roll of film was a photograph of the Scout's eyes and nose, taken with the aid of the camera's flash attachment, possibly at night after the youth disappeared. Family members said it appeared Jared pointed his camera at his face and snapped
the picture. "Evidently, the flash went off so we determined it was rather late in the evening," said Harvey Beach, one of Jared's
uncles. Beach and another uncle, Leo Cortez, said they believed the boy lost the camera while sliding down a portion of the mountainside within days of his disappearance. "He was on his bottom sliding down to a lower area and water," Beach said. The camera was found in the same general area where searchers discovered beef jerky and candy wrappers believed to have been dropped by the Scout. "Jared always carried some goodies with him" and also had a two-quart water canteen, said Cortez, who has
accompanied the boy on short hikes.
The film, food wrappers and earlier tracks helped rescuers narrow the search area to the south fork of Whitewater River, north of Mt. San Gorgonio, from the entire brush and boulder-covered mountain face. And because of the discoveries, about 100 volunteers will continue the search today "full force," said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Lenew.
"There are areas in the south fork where someone could survive an extended period of time," said Lenew, but as time passes "the chances of survival are a big issue."
While nearly a dozen uncles and cousins gathered near the search area, the youth's parents remained at their home in El Monte. The family has been having a "terrible time" since the 5-foot, 2-inch, 150-pound boy disappeared while on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Scout outing, Beach said.
In addition to searchers on foot and on horseback, helicopters have been used to scan the brutal terrain. Infared monitors were installed at a number of high points Saturday night in hopes of spotting the boy in the dark. Only deer
and other animals were detected by the monitors, authorities said.
_________________________________________________

Apparently the final photo was not publically released. Looking at the trails, and the fact that his fellow scouts wanted to "race" to the top of the mountain leaving Jarred alone, it is not hard to summize what happened. He likely got confused on which trail to take back down. From there, something catastrophic happened. Considering how steep the angles were adjoining the trail, it is likely he looked over and lost his footing. Most likely his fall triggered a rock slide that encompassed him and he was likely unconscious and unable to call out. It is most likely that his body is still there, covered in rocks and dirt.

The idea that he was abducted is not likely for a number of reasons. He was likely tired, and an abductor was not likely to carry him rapidly down the mountain. we have not seen the camera footage of the unidentified kid and the old lady. . . .Just don't sound right.

Here is a link to the topography of the mountain:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/San+Gorgonio+Mountain/@34.098954,-116.8269194,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80db49beeacf30c9:0x93f1681ef7b9c829!8m2!3d34.098954!4d-116.8247307!5m1!1e4

Here is a link to the search area:

http://caltopo.com/m/5G1K

I've tried for years to find concise and detailed articles on this case, being from Southern California it always stuck out in the back of my head. I'm not sure the photo has ever been made public to my knowledge. Investigators probably have the original in their possession.

I've found a newspaper extract with the photo. Not great quality but higher resolution was behind a paywall:

http://i.imgur.com/rMiW5XZ.jpg

Wow great find! I haven't been on here in a few years and am going through my old posts.