Bryce Laspisa
Bryce Laspisa was born on April 30, 1994, to Karen and Michael Laspisa, their only child and the center of a close, supportive family.
He grew up in Illinois and graduated from Naperville High School in 2012 before moving with his parents to Laguna Niguel, California.
Not long after, Bryce headed north to Chico to attend Sierra College, where he was preparing to start his sophomore year.
From the outside, Bryce’s life seemed steady. He had done well academically, built friendships, and was in a committed relationship with his girlfriend, Kim Sly.
In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, friends noticed troubling changes — heavy drinking, misuse of ADHD medication, and behavior that didn’t match the Bryce they knew.
On August 26, 2013, Bryce spoke with his mother and sounded upbeat. Nothing in that conversation hinted at the strange and alarming chain of events that would unfold over the next three days.
By August 27, Bryce’s behavior had shifted dramatically. Kim became worried enough to take his car keys, telling him he wasn’t acting like himself. Bryce insisted he was fine and admitted he had taken a pill that wasn’t prescribed to him.
Later that day, he began giving away personal belongings — including his Xbox and a pair of diamond earrings — a gesture that deeply unsettled those around him.
On August 28, Bryce abruptly left Chico, telling friends he was heading home to Orange County. Instead of making the seven‑hour drive, he spent nearly 13 hours sitting in his car in Buttonwillow. Roadside assistance and a responding officer both checked on him; he was coherent, polite, and not considered a danger to himself or others. Still, something was clearly wrong.
In the early hours of August 30, at 2:08 a.m., Bryce called his mother again. He said he had pulled off I‑5 to rest and would be home soon. It was the last time anyone heard his voice.
Later that morning, his 2003 Toyota Highlander was found overturned down a 15‑foot embankment near Castaic Lake. The rear window had been removed or broken out, and investigators believe Bryce exited through it.
His phone, wallet, and laptop were still inside the vehicle. A small amount of blood was found on the windshield, but nothing indicating a life‑threatening injury.
Search teams, scent dogs, helicopters, and divers combed the area. Dogs tracked Bryce’s scent to a nearby truck stop before the trail abruptly ended, raising the possibility that he may have left the area with someone. Despite extensive searches, no confirmed sightings have ever been verified.
More than a decade later, Bryce’s disappearance remains one of California’s most baffling missing‑person cases. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to keep the investigation open, and even widely circulated leads — including a 2022 sighting in Montana — have all been ruled out.
Bryce’s family has never stopped searching for answers. They continue to believe that even the smallest detail — a memory, a sighting, a conversation someone overheard — could finally bring clarity to what happened after his car was found near Castaic Lake.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Bryce Laspisa, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at 323‑890‑5500
