Case file
Key facts
- Name: Douglas Dunphy
- Age at disappearance: 78
- Last known location: Hampden, Maine — his property on Kennebec Road
- Disappearance: Reported missing in January 2026; Hampden Police began investigating on January 15, 2026
- Height / build: 5 feet 10 inches, about 210 pounds; gray hair, green eyes; clothing worn when he disappeared is unknown
- Status: Still missing — about nine months on, extensive searches have found no trace of him (re-checked October 20, 2026; no report of him being found)
- Last-seen date: Police have not published an exact date or time he was last seen — the investigation is dated from January 15, 2026, when Hampden police began investigating
- Investigating agency: Maine State Police, Major Crimes Unit–North (lead agency)
- Contact: 207-973-3700, extension 9 — ask for Detective Jennifer Fiske
A January disappearance in Hampden
Douglas Dunphy was 78 years old and lived on Kennebec Road in Hampden, Maine, a town just south of Bangor. On January 15, 2026, the Hampden Police Department opened an investigation into his disappearance. The next day, January 16, Hampden police asked the Maine State Police for help — and because of what police called the facts and circumstances of the case, the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–North was assigned to assist.
His white Econoline van was later discovered, though police have not disclosed where it was found. Beyond that, little has been made public about his last known movements. Police have not said what he was wearing when he disappeared, and they have released few details about the days before he was reported missing.
Seven months of searching, and nothing
The search for Douglas Dunphy was not a single afternoon’s effort. Four agencies have worked the case together — Hampden police, Bangor police, the Maine Warden Service, and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–North. On February 3, 2026, the Maine State Police, the Maine Warden Service, and Hampden police searched his Kennebec Road property. Two days later, on February 5, the case changed shape: citing the complexity of the investigation, Hampden police agreed to let the Major Crimes Unit–North take the lead, remaining as a key partner. Police described it as an isolated incident with no ongoing public safety concerns.
On May 5, 2026, state police led another search of the Kennebec Road area, focused on what investigators called high-probability areas. Again, Dunphy was not located. By September, the Maine Department of Public Safety was describing the effort in plain terms: “For the past seven months, Hampden and Bangor police, the Maine Warden Service and Maine State Police have worked together to locate Dunphy,” its September 16 appeal said. Extensive searches of his Kennebec Road home and surrounding properties had not located him.
The September appeal: hunters, watch the woods
On September 16, 2026 — about eight months after Dunphy was reported missing — Maine State Police issued a renewed public appeal tied to the start of hunting season. With hunters and others spending long hours in the woods around Hampden, police asked anyone outdoors to stay alert for anything that could be connected to the case: a person, a belonging, anything out of place.
The appeal was covered by news outlets across Maine, carrying Dunphy’s photo and description back into the public eye. It was an acknowledgment of where the investigation stood: active, unresolved, and still in need of one break.
A case the police call complex
The Major Crimes Unit does not take the lead on every missing-person case. Its involvement here, ordered because of the case’s complexity, is one of the few public clues about how investigators view it. What that complexity consists of, they have not said. The van was found. The man was not. Everything else — what happened on Kennebec Road in January, and where Douglas Dunphy went — remains unknown.
Have information?
Contact the Maine State Police at 207-973-3700, extension 9, and ask for Detective Jennifer Fiske. Tips can also be submitted through the Maine State Police online tip portal. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- January 15, 2026 — The Hampden Police Department begins investigating the disappearance of 78-year-old Douglas Dunphy.
- January 16, 2026 — Hampden police request assistance from the Maine State Police; the Major Crimes Unit–North is assigned.
- February 3, 2026 — Maine State Police, the Maine Warden Service, and Hampden police search Dunphy’s Kennebec Road property and surrounding properties. Nothing is found.
- February 5, 2026 — Citing the complexity of the investigation, the Major Crimes Unit–North takes the lead, with Hampden police remaining as a key partner. Police describe it as an isolated incident with no ongoing public safety concerns.
- May 5, 2026 — Maine State Police lead another search of the Kennebec Road area, focused on high-probability areas. Dunphy is still not located.
- September 16, 2026 — State police ask hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in the Hampden area to watch for Dunphy or anything connected to his case as hunting season begins. The appeal describes “the past seven months” of joint effort; he has been missing about eight months. His white Econoline van is known to have been discovered, but police have not said where.
- October 20, 2026 — Still missing. Case re-checked against the September 2026 state police appeal and October coverage; no report of him being found or located.
FAQ
Is Douglas Dunphy still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Douglas Dunphy has been missing about nine months (reported missing mid-January 2026). No source has reported him found or located.
When was Douglas Dunphy last seen?
Police have not published an exact last-seen date, time, or place beyond his Kennebec Road property in Hampden. The public timeline starts on January 15, 2026, when the Hampden Police Department began investigating his disappearance — which is why coverage describes him as missing since January 2026.
What does Douglas Dunphy look like?
He is 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 210 pounds, with gray hair and green eyes. Police do not know what he was wearing when he disappeared, and that has not changed in any update through October 2026.
Where did Douglas Dunphy live?
On Kennebec Road in Hampden, Maine, just south of Bangor. His home and the surrounding properties were searched extensively in February 2026, and the Kennebec Road area was searched again on May 5, 2026.
Was his van found?
Yes. His white Econoline van was discovered, but police have not disclosed where it was found or what, if anything, it told them.
Who is investigating his disappearance?
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–North is the lead agency, working with the Hampden Police Department. The Major Crimes Unit took the lead on February 5, 2026, because of what police described as the complexity of the case.
Is the public in danger?
Police have described the investigation as an isolated incident with no ongoing public safety concerns. They have not elaborated on what that means for the case itself.
How can I help?
If you hunt, hike, or spend time outdoors around Hampden, Maine, watch for anything that could be connected to the case and report it. Anyone with information should call the Maine State Police at 207-973-3700, extension 9, and ask for Detective Jennifer Fiske. Sharing this case file helps keep the case in view.
Sources
Official / law enforcement
- Maine Department of Public Safety / Maine State Police — press releases carried on maine.gov: February 3, 2026 search of the Kennebec Road property; February 5, 2026 (Major Crimes Unit–North takes the lead; isolated incident, no ongoing public safety concerns); May 4, 2026 (May 5 search of Kennebec Road high-probability areas; no known risk to the public; tip line 207-973-3700, extension 9, Det. Jennifer Fiske; online tip portal).
News
- 94.3 WCYY, “Search Continues For Hampden Man Missing Since January” (September 16, 2026) — carries the MSP/DPS hunting-season appeal: “For the past seven months” of joint effort; 5’10″/210 lbs, gray hair, green eyes; clothing unknown; 207-973-3700, extension 9, Detective Jennifer Fiske; online tip portal — wcyy.com
- I-95 Rocks, “Maine State Police Seek Help Locating Missing Hampden Man” (September 16, 2026) — adds that his white Econoline van was discovered and police have not disclosed where — i95rocks.com
- Q106.5 (WQCB), “Maine State Police Seek Help Locating Missing Hampden Man” (September 16, 2026) — same MSP hunting-season appeal, independently carried: missing 9 months, van discovered, February property search, 5’10″/210 lbs, gray hair, green eyes, clothing unknown, 207-973-3700 extension 9 — q1065.fm (re-checked October 20, 2026; no found/located update in any source)
- B985, “Maine’s Unsolved Mystery: The Disappearance Of Douglas Dunphy” (May 4, 2026) — the May 5 Kennebec Road search, nearly six months missing, no known danger to the public — b985.fm
Reference
- None additional.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.