Name: Donald Caldwell
Nickname/Alias: Pal; Fab
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 3, 1972
Location Last Seen: Tuckerton, Ocean County, New Jersey
Date of Birth: Unknown
Age: 12 years old
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Height: 5'0"-5'3"
Weight: 100 lbs., est.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: Brown pants; blue dungaree jacket
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
On the evening of April 3, 1972, Donald Caldwell and 16-year-old Steven Soden disappeared while they were on a camping trip at the KOA Campgrounds in Bass River State Park with 18 other children and 4 adults from the Paterson Orphans Asylum. They were last seen headed toward the Garden State Parkway.
In 2000, an off-duty state trooper found four bones in Bass River State Park. In 2013, the bones were identified by DNA as belonging to Steven.
Agency Name: New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit
Agency Contact Person: Det. Stephen Urbanski
Agency Phone Number: 609-882-2000
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: N/A
NamUs Case Number: 20345
NCMEC Case Number: 1216242
NamUs
Asbury Park Press (Paterson, NJ) - Apr. 9, 1972
The News (Paterson, NJ) - Feb. 9, 1973
The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ) - May 15, 2013
Added: 04/12/2024; Last Updated: 04/12/2024 - By: hb
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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