Dale was last seen in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan on May 18, 1996. That day he attended a wedding reception with his wife, and afterward multiple witnesses saw them driving their van northbound on 6 Mile Road at 11:15 p.m. They were en route to the Downtowner Bar, where many of the reception attendees went after the event was over. Dale was intoxicated and passed out in the van prior to heading downtown. There was a reported sighting of him behind the Downtown Bar, only one witness reported seeing him downtown, and that witness later recanted their statement. Authorities do not believe he left on his own accord, and his family suspects foul play was involved in his disappearance. His case remains unsolved.