Dateline: Inside the unsolved case of Ollie Letrell Cader, missing in the Emerald Triangle

NBC's Dateline: Missing In America revisits the shocking disappearance of a 45-year-old grandfather and cannabis farmer named Ollie Letrell Cader from California's Humboldt County on October 9, 1981. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported that Ollie's blue Chevrolet was discovered in Mendocino County after 4 months of his disappearance. Ollie's granddaughter, Carrie, mentioned that she saw her grandfather just 3 days before he went missing.

Carrie recalled her memories and described that her grandfather often dressed in Ben Davis shirts. It is a brand favored by lumberjacks and known for its popular monkey logo. She further shared that the incident happened very abruptly.

Carrie believed that her grandfather's connection to cannabis led to his disappearance. According to Dateline, she said that her parents often told his story as a warning about becoming involved with the wrong people. She further added that their area is popular for numerous cases of the missing and murder of someone involved in the cannabis business.

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Dateline NBC: The unsolved case of Ollie Letrell Cader

October 6, 1981

Carrie had last seen Ollie Letrell Cader hanging out in the yard with 20 to 30 relatives at her fourth birthday party. On that day, Carrie's family shared a giant cake, and Ollie gifted her candy. The gift was special to Carrie because her mom restricted her from eating candy.

October 9, 1981

According to the Times-Standard, Ollie was last spotted moving from Loleta to Piercey. Reporter Sam Blackwell mentioned that Ollie had left his mother's home in Loleta on the morning of his missing day at 9 o'clock. He was driving a blue 1971 Chevrolet pickup truck.

Ollie told Carrie that he was going to reconcile with a former girlfriend and said he would call if he couldn't return that night. Carrie reported that he neither called nor came back.

October 16, 1981

One week after the disappearance of Ollie, Carrie's mother went to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and reported Ollie missing.

January 30, 1982

On this date, Ollie Letrell Cader's blue Chevy was discovered in Mendocino County over an embankment in a stripped-down condition.

February

Carrie returned to Humboldt County to follow her grandfather's steps. She drove to Loleta and retraced the route she had taken many times before. She also visited his mother's house and then tried to trace the way up the mountains as closely as possible.

Carrie hoped that she might notice something new, but nothing appeared. During this month, the investigators told her that the DNA profile of Ollie Letrell Cader in CODIS didn't produce any matches.

Carrie still believes that her grandfather's case can be solved. She said that her wish is to find his remains and give him a proper burial. She recalled that even when he had very little, he was always the happiest person in the room. Ollie was 5 feet 8 inches tall, had brown hair and blue eyes, and weighed 145 pounds when he disappeared. He would be 90 years old today.