In May 1996, John McMeel left his home of Monaghan, Ireland and made his way to the San Francisco Bay Area in March 1997. He kept in contact with his sister who resided in Boston, Massachusetts and she would occasionally wire him money. The wire transactions were centered in the Bay Area. All contact between them ceased in November 1997. After not hearing from her brother for some time, she filed a missing persons report in early 1998. John has not once contacted his family or friends, either domestically or back in Ireland.