FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 11, 2023
On Aug. 26, 2019, 84-year-old Paul Farmer left his home in Belmont for an evening walk. When Mr. Farmer did not return home soon thereafter, he was reported missing to the Belmont Police Department. It was quickly learned that Mr. Farmer suffered from memory loss and an expansive search was set in motion. Several agencies including CERT, San Mateo County Search & Rescue, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit and K9 tracking teams were used to search areas across Belmont and San Mateo County.
Over the course of the next three years, multiple searches were conducted, and dozens of tips were investigated.
In March of 2023, Paul Farmer’s identification card was found in a waterway in lower San Mateo which was later reported to the department in May. This discovery led Belmont Police Investigators upstream to a heavily forested area just south of Highway 92 near Hillsdale Boulevard.
On June 25, 2023, Belmont PD partnered with San Mateo County Search and Rescue and the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit to conduct an exhaustive search through the hillsides and dense brush where they ultimately discovered human remains. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office later confirmed the discovery were the remains of Paul Farmer.
Although we are deeply saddened by this tragic case, we are very thankful for the agencies that assisted us with locating Mr. Farmer and helping us bring closure to this investigation.
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