Key facts
- Name: Joshua “Josh” Guimond
- Born: June 18, 1982
- Age at disappearance: 20
- Last seen: November 9, 2002, around midnight
- Location: St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota
- Height / build: 5’9″, 175 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes
- Status: Still missing — Stearns County Sheriff’s Office case open
- Investigating agency: Stearns County Sheriff’s Office (320-251-4240); Minnesota BCA (1-877-996-6222)
The walk back
November 9, 2002. Josh Guimond, a 20-year-old junior at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, spent the evening at a party in the Metten Court dormitory. Around midnight, he left — alone — to walk back to his own dorm, St. Maur House. The walk was short, across a campus he knew.
He never got there.
Investigators believe he may have stopped at the Stumpf Lake bridge on the way. Days later, his glasses were found on the frozen lake. His footprints led out onto the ice — and stopped. Divers searched the lake. They found nothing.
But the lake theory never sat right, because of what Josh left behind: his coat, his keys, his wallet, his car — all in his dorm room. A young man walking out into a Minnesota November night without his coat does not read as a plan. And a young man who fell through ice leaves a body, or a hole, or something. The divers found nothing at all.
Who Josh was
Josh was a political science major from Maple Lake, Minnesota, a student at the all-men’s St. John’s. He had a girlfriend. He was doing well. His father, Brian Guimond, became the public face of the family’s search — holding press conferences, keeping the case in the news, refusing to let it go cold. Brian died in 2021 without ever learning what happened to his son.
In 2022, Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries profiled Josh’s case in its third volume, bringing it to a global audience. Tips followed. None of them closed the case.
The investigation
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office has investigated for 24 years. Early on, they pursued the possibility that Josh’s disappearance was connected to a series of drownings of young men in the Midwest — the so-called “smiley face” theory promoted by two retired detectives. The sheriff’s office has not endorsed that theory, and it remains speculation.
In 2015, investigators drained part of a lake near campus based on a tip. Nothing. The sheriff’s office has said the case remains open and active, and they continue to ask anyone with information to come forward — including information about the party that night, which attendees have not always been forthcoming about.
Theories: what might have happened
He fell through the ice. The glasses on the frozen lake, the footprints that stop. What supports it: the physical evidence at Stumpf Lake. What undercuts it: divers found nothing, and a man who drowns in November is usually recovered. Also: why walk onto a frozen lake without a coat?
Foul play after the party. Something happened on that short walk — an altercation, an abduction. What supports it: the missing coat/keys/wallet suggest he expected to be right back; the party-goers’ reticence has troubled investigators. What undercuts it: no witness, no suspect, no physical evidence of violence.
The “smiley face” drowning theory. Two retired detectives linked Josh’s case to other young men’s drownings. What undercuts it: law enforcement has not endorsed it, and it explains none of the case-specific details — the coat left behind, the empty lake.
Have information?
Contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 251-4240 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 1-877-996-6222. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- June 18, 1982 — Joshua Guimond is born.
- November 9, 2002, ~midnight — Leaves a party at Metten Court dorm; never reaches St. Maur House.
- November 2002 — Glasses found on frozen Stumpf Lake; footprints stop on the ice; divers find nothing.
- 2015 — Section of campus-area lake drained on a tip; nothing found.
- 2021 — Josh’s father Brian dies without answers.
- 2022 — Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries (Vol. 3) profiles the case.
- November 2027 (upcoming) — The 25th anniversary of his disappearance.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Josh Guimond still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Josh Guimond has been missing for nearly 24 years. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office case remains open.
Was Josh Guimond ever found?
No. Despite searches of Stumpf Lake, a drained lake section, and national coverage, no trace of Josh beyond his glasses has ever been found.
How old would Josh Guimond be today?
Born June 18, 1982, he turned 44 in June 2026.
What was found on the lake?
His glasses were found on the frozen Stumpf Lake, and his footprints led out onto the ice and stopped. Divers searched and found nothing.
Was Josh Guimond’s case on Unsolved Mysteries?
Yes. Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries profiled his disappearance in Volume 3 (2022).
What is the smiley face theory?
Two retired detectives suggested Josh’s case might be linked to a series of drownings of young men in the Midwest. Law enforcement has not endorsed the theory, and it remains speculation.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Stearns County Sheriff’s Office (case open; (320) 251-4240); Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (1-877-996-6222).
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Joshua Guimond” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Joshua_Guimond) (retrieved Oct 2026); Uncovered, “Missing: Joshua Guimond” (https://uncovered.com/cases/joshua-guimond).
- Media: Netflix, Unsolved Mysteries Vol. 3 (2022); And Then They Were Gone podcast, “Joshua Guimond” episode.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.