Circumstances of Disappearance
Woolheater left his Albany, NY home on February 26 in 1981. He told his mother he was taking a bus to New Orleans, Louisiana for the annual Mardi Gras celebration and to look for a job as a cook. Although relatives received a phone call from Woolheater saying he arrived in New Orleans, it is unknown if he actually arrived.
Before disappearing, Woolheater worked as a cook at the Sign of the Tree restaurant, an upscale eatery at the Empire State Plaza, and lived on Western Avenue in Albany with his younger brother.
Woolheater has never been seen or heard from again.
Several months before he disappeared he traveled to Long Beach, California, where a relative lived. While there he was arrested for walking in traffic while intoxicated.