Name: Damien Mark Sharp
Age: 22 years old
Last seen: May 25, 2002
Location: Warren, Pennsylvania
Status: Still Missing
Case Information
22-year-old Damien Sharp was last seen in Warren, Pennsylvania on May 25, 2002. He disappeared after leaving a friend’s apartment on Memorial Day weekend.
Background
Damien Mark Sharp was born on August 6, 1979. He graduated from Warren Area High School in 1998 and subsequently joined the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division where he served in Bosnia.
At the time of his disappearance, Sharp had recently returned to Warren from Fort Drum in Watertown, New York. He was living in an apartment that he shared with roommates at 19 Cedar Street in Warren, Pennsylvania.
Sharp was a practitioner of controlled combat, specifically Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He loved Pantera, Nine Inch Nails, and Salvador Dali.
Disappearance
A week before his disappearance, Damien Sharp injured his knee at Masterskater, an indoor skate park in Warren, Pennsylvania where his brother worked. The injury required him to use aluminum crutches to walk.
On May 24, 2002, Sharp had a party with friends at his apartment on Cedar Street in Warren, Pennsylvania.
On May 25, 2002, Sharp was picked up in the morning by a female friend for a “high ride,” which usually involved using marijuana and driving around, with a couple of other friends.
That afternoon Sharp met his brother at Masterskater to discuss plans on having a “keg party” in the woods, in a spot about that was about a one mile hike off the roadside. They eventually decided to have a party at Sharp’s apartment instead due to his leg injury.
Around 5:00 pm, Sharp was last seen by a friend after he was dropped off at the corner of Prospect and Dahl Street to meet another friend who lived at Prospect Mansions’ apartment 12 on 332 Prospect Street in Warren, Pennsylvania.
According to his friend, Sharp stayed there for about an hour before they parted ways on the street outside the apartment around 6:00 pm, with plans to meet up later at a Memorial Day weekend party on Brown Run Road.
Damien Sharp never showed up to the party that night and has never been heard from again.
On June 3, 2002, his family filed a missing person’s report with the City of Warren Police Department when they couldn’t contact him.
Investigation
In June of 2002 land and water searches for Damien were conducted in wooded areas where people were known to camp. The results of those searches were never made public.
In March of 2003, authorities reclassified Damien Sharp’s disappearance as a homicide when suspicious circumstances arose during the course of the investigation, though authorities have never elaborated as to what evidence led them to that conclusion.
One witness came forward and told police that Damien had been shot and killed by an associate over missing drugs, and that he was put in cement somewhere near Big Ben Overlook in Warren. Despite that claim no one has ever been charged in connection with his disappearance.
On October 22, 2008, Damien Sharp was declared legally deceased by a Warren County judge.
Whereabouts
Foul play is suspected in Damien Sharp’s disappearance. The circumstances of Damien Sharp’s disappearance remain unclear and his case is currently classified as homicide/missing. His case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
White male born on August 6, 1979. Damien has blond/strawberry, hazel eyes, stands 5’7 – 5′ 8 tall, and weighs 165 – 170 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Damien has a large Egyptian Ankh tattoo on his chest. He was using aluminum crutches due to a recent knee injury.
Clothing and accessories:
Damien was last seen wearing a dark Shirt and dark shorts. He was carrying a black backpack.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Damien Mark Sharp please contact the City of Warren Police Department at (814) 723-2700. Agency Case Number: 2002-2640
Resources & Further Information
Damien Mark Sharp #MP13646 – National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
Damien Sharp – Homicide/Missing Person – City of Warren Pennsylvania
Smoke: The Disappearance of Damien Sharp – Podcast
Damien Sharp – International Missing Persons Wiki
News & Media Links
Missing person declared dead after 16-years – Times Observer 10/2018
Missing Warren Man’s Family ‘Still Fighting’ – The Post-Journal 06/2019
Videos & Flyers
The only other thought that comes to mind , is that his past eventually caught up with him , in the that he was in the military , and specifically his time in Bosnia .
If the witness actually saw what happened , why did he / she not come forward sooner ? .