Zachary Vidal

The Find Me Project
Jun 19
3 min read

Updated: Jun 23

Missing from Pottsville, PA on October 22, 2022. — Zachary Vidal - Missing

What This Case Needs

Support Status: 70%

The highest priority at this stage is simple: we need information from the community. You may hold a detail that seems small or insignificant, a sighting near the railroad tracks east of Pottsville, a memory from the night of October 22nd, a conversation you’ve had, but even minor information can help narrow search parameters and guide deployment decisions.

Review the below information and intelligence photos and contact us if you have information.

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Case Information

Name: Zachary Vidal

Missing Since: October 22, 2022

Missing Age: 27

Missing From: Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Biological Sex: Male

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 150–170 lbs

Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Hair Color: Brown / Dark Blonde

Eye Color: Blue

Distinctive Physical Features: Slim build

Clothing & Accessories: Red shirt, tan/light-colored jacket, blue jeans, Oakley baseball-style hat, black backpack

Transportation: On Foot

External Link: Click Here To Open

Media Awareness Score: 44 out of 100

Consistent regional coverage and database presence with dedicated family-led social media activity. No mainstream national television coverage. No sustained long-form investigative coverage to date.

Circumstances of Disappearance

Zachary Vidal was last confirmed on surveillance video at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, October 22nd, 2022, at a 7-Eleven convenience store near the intersection of Route 61 and East Norwegian Street in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. That evening, Zachary visited a private residence on the east side of the city. Occupants of the residence reported that he departed in the early morning hours of October 23rd, 2022. He has not been seen or confirmed since. Zachary was reported missing after his family had not heard from him.

An unconfirmed report advised that Zachary was seen walking along the railroad tracks leading out of Pottsville. Additional unconfirmed sightings have also been reported in the Schuylkill Haven area (approximately 7 miles south on Route 61) and on Sharp Mountain, an elevated and heavily wooded ridgeline north/northeast of the city. None of these sightings have been officially corroborated or verified.

There is currently a reward for information leading to Zachary’s whereabouts. Tips can be submitted anonymously at www.p3tips.com ] or by calling Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477). Tips may also be submitted directly to the Pottsville Bureau of Police at (570) 622-1234.

Intelligence Overview

Close up of 7-Eleven and House (proximity)

Bayesian Missing Persons Probability Model

The below results were generated as part of our real time Bayesian probability engine that takes case evidence as inputs and outputs a mathematically defensible estimate of whether a disappearance involves foul play, anchored to published FBI and research driven data.

High Level Behavioral Profile

Zachary Vidal is a 27-year-old male who was well-known in the downtown Pottsville community. His family describes him as a routine-driven, family-connected individual with a gentle personality, a natural talent for music, and a close relationship with those around him. Family members have publicly stated that his disappearance is entirely out of character and that they believe someone in the community has information that has not yet been shared with investigators.

The pattern-of-life analysis conducted by The Find Me Project places Zachary’s consistent daily activity within a tight corridor of downtown Pottsville, centered around the Pottsville Free Public Library, the intersection of Market and Centre Streets (known locally as The Wheel), and the Route 61 / East Norwegian Street corridor. His movement was entirely on foot.

The last confirmed anchor point, the 7-Eleven surveillance footage, establishes his presence in a location consistent with his known daily route. The subsequent residence on the east side of the city represents the final confirmed activity node. The east side of Pottsville places Zachary in relative proximity to railroad infrastructure that runs through remote and heavily wooded terrain in both a northward and southward direction.

The critically low tip volume for this case, three tips in the first year despite a public reward in a community of approximately 14,000 is a significant investigative anomaly. In cases involving this profile and this setting, low tip volume in a tight-knit community can indicate community-level awareness combined with reluctance to come forward. The Find Me Project takes this as an indication that information exists and has not yet been surfaced through official channels.