Still No Answers After Upstate NY Search for Missing Teenagers
If you live in Upstate New York, you may remember hearing about Bonnie and Mitch, two teenagers who disappeared more than 50 years ago.
The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police have provided a case update after a recent search tied to the investigation.
June 2026 Steuben County Search Yields No New Evidence
On June 19, 2026, the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police conducted a coordinated search of a property in Steuben County.
Investigators say the search was prompted by a tip submitted to law enforcement. Despite an extensive sweep of the property, the operation did not turn up any new evidence in the case.
The Town of Wayne Highway Department assisted both agencies at the scene.
The 1973 Disappearance of Bonita Bickwit and Mitchel Weiser
The case began on July 27, 1973, when fifteen-year-old Bonita Bickwit and sixteen-year-old Mitchel Weiser left Narrowsburg, New York. They were heading to Summer Jam, a concert festival held in Watkins Glen, New York, that featured the Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers.
When the two teenagers, known to family as Bonnie and Mitch, did not return home, their families reported them missing to the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office.
Bonita was a Borough Park resident who had been working as a summer helper at Camp Wel-Met in Narrowsburg. Mitchel was a Midwood resident and high school senior who worked as an assistant at a Coney Island photography studio.
Carrying sleeping bags, backpacks, a cardboard destination sign, and $25 between them, the two were last seen hitchhiking along State Route 97. Mitchel was wearing a gray and olive-green plaid flannel shirt.
A truck driver who offered them a ride is the last confirmed person known to have had contact with them. It has not been established whether the teenagers ever reached the festival grounds, which drew an estimated 800,000 people.
Decades of Mystery: Unverified Leads and Lost Records
Law enforcement initially investigated the case as a possible runaway situation, noting that the two had privately exchanged rings earlier that summer. Family members have disputed that characterization.
Records show Mitchel had recently learned his family could not afford to send him to an out-of-town college, and Bonita's father was dealing with declining health at the time.
Mitchel's family relocated to Arizona but kept a phone listing active in the Brooklyn directory for several years afterward. Years later, Mitchel's father received a long-distance collect call from a woman who identified herself as Bonnie. The call disconnected before the two could speak further, and no additional contact was made.
In 2000, a man came forward, stating that he had traveled with Bonita and Mitchel in a Volkswagen bus and witnessed them being swept away in the Susquehanna River during a stop to swim. He said he waited 27 years to report the account due to personal legal concerns. The bus driver was never identified, and the account could not be verified.
According to Rolling Stone, Sullivan County officials have said the case file's original physical records, including duplicate dental records for both teenagers, were lost at some point during the investigation.
Police Continue to Pursue Sullivan County Cold Case Leads
The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police say they remain committed to following up on any leads received regarding this investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact either agency directly.
How to Submit Tips to Sullivan County Sheriff and NY State Police
If you have information related to the disappearance of Bonita Bickwit or Mitchel Weiser, you're asked to call Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Detective Cintron at (845) 807-0849, or New York State Police Troop F Communications at (845) 344-5300.
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