After a 25-year absence, a California man is finally back with his family, all thanks to his sister's keen observation. The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office shared the heartwarming story on Facebook, explaining how the reunion unfolded.
In April of this year, the man's sister, Marcella Nasseri, spotted a photo in a USA Today article that she believed depicted her long-lost brother. He had vanished without a trace back in August 1999, leaving his family searching for answers ever since. Nasseri contacted the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, sharing her suspicion with Deputy Derek Kennemore.
The photograph showed a man who had been admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles. By the time Kennemore followed up, the man had been transferred to another facility. Undeterred, Kennemore, with the help of the Los Angeles Police Department's Missing Persons Unit, obtained the man's fingerprints. The prints confirmed Nasseri's belief – the man was indeed her brother.
Overjoyed by the discovery, Nasseri expressed her relief on a GoFundMe page, explaining her years-long search for unidentified remains. Now, she faces a new challenge: her brother is located 600 miles away in Lynwood, California, while she resides in Lassen County. He is nonverbal and relearning basic skills like walking and eating. Nasseri is seeking assistance to support him until a medical transfer to a facility closer to her is possible.
The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office praised Deputy Kennemore’s persistence and thanked the LAPD for their collaboration in resolving this decades-old case.
