The Juneau Police Department is seeking any new information on Sharon Buis, a hiker missing since May 2014.
JPD Lt. David Campbell said the request for information on Buis came from the Juneau Crime Line, a nonprofit organization that highlights incidents to the public to help solve crimes and aid in police investigations.
In this case, Campbell said, the Crime Line decided to start highlighting some of Juneau’s missing persons cases, and Buis’ case was the first one they decided to select.
“We then help Crime Line by posting their releases,” Campbell said. “Most Crimes of the Week involve cases that have gone cold, or need help from the public. It’s not unusual for Crime Line to run older cases in the hopes that someone might know something and come forward.”
On May 24, 2014, Buis went missing on the Mount Roberts trail in downtown Juneau. She was to meet a friend at 8:45 a.m. on May 24 to go on a hike, but never showed up. Buis was last seen at Alaska Marine Lines, a business in downtown Juneau near the Rock Dump, at 9:30 a.m. on May 23, 2014, based on a receipt troopers found in her car.
Buis’ vehicle was found parked at the trailhead for Mount Roberts trail, and multiple searches were made by friends, family, search organizations and law enforcement. The Alaska State Troopers suspended the search for Buis after four days of combing the Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts trail system without any new leads. In August 2014, a local man with experience exploring Juneau’s old mining shafts, Brian Weed, led a small team to search for Buis inside abandoned mine shafts on the back side on Mount Roberts.
Buis’ friends and family described her as an experienced hiker and outdoorswoman who frequently embarked on outdoor adventures, from cycling to kayaking to hiking. She biked across Canada and had just returned from an ice camping trip in Greenland with Johnson the month prior to her disappearance.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Buis is encouraged to log on to the Juneau Crime Line website and report their tip. You can also call JPD at 580-0600. Tipsters are guaranteed anonymity and may be eligible for a reward.
