Daniel Jay Fools was serving in the United States Army at the time of his disappearance in 1984.  Daniel was one of several children in his family, including an identical twin to his brother, Don. He was a member of the Cherokee Nation and was known to smoke Marlboro cigarettes. Unfortunately, there isn’t much additional information available about Daniel or who he was as a person. In 1984, Daniel was living with a couple in Clarendon County, SC, known as Gerald and C.C. in a yellow brick house. 

Daniel gets into a bar fight prior to his disappearance. In the days leading up to Daniel’s disappearance, he gets into a physical altercation at a local bar. During the fight, Daniel is hit over the head with a glass bottle. Locals who witnessed the fight later tell police that Daniel had a serious head wound and that they urged him to seek medical attention. Daniel’s family believes that Daniel may have been suffering from amnesia after being hit on the head. 

“But he was afraid he’d get in trouble. He was in the Army.” - Don Fools, Daniel’s twin brother. 

Daniel vanishes without a trace.  Sadly, there is little to no details about Daniel’s disappearance available to the public. We do know, however, that he was last seen in Summerton, SC on January 7, 1984. After leaving his home, we also know that Daniel did not return to pick up any of his belongings or visit his workplace to pick up his paycheck. He simply vanished into thin air.   “My brothers and sisters are very, very close. This was not like Danny at all. He used to call Dad on a weekly basis.” - Don Fools, Daniel’s twin brother. 

Daniel’s car is found a week later. A week after Daniel was last seen, his car, a red 1979 two door gold Thunderbird is found approximately 100 feet north of a convenience store at exit 102 off of I-95 in Clarendon County, SC. The car is found abandoned, and only around 4,000 feet from his home. When authorities respond to his car, they note that there are no physical signs of a struggle, but they do note several other strange details. Police note that the car’s hood is up, the battery is dead, and his car is out of gas. Additionally, his keys are on top of the car, his glasses are on the road, and the driver's side door is closed but the passenger's side door is open. Also, some time in 1984, Daniel’s tools and tool kit were found in a local pawn shop. 

Fourteen years later, Daniel’s brother receives information from a man in Louisiana.  In early 1998, Daniel’s twin brother, Don, visits Opelousas, LA and runs into a man in New Orleans, LA who recognizes him as looking like Daniel. This man, Terry D’Antoni, informs Don that he had seen Daniel two years earlier, in 1996, and had lived in an apartment next to him. Don and his other brother, Billy, were fully convinced that Terry had seen Daniel when he was able to describe him perfectly, down to his tattoos. 

Where the case stands today. Human remains were discovered in Lake Marion by a woman fishing under the U.S. 301-15 bridge in Santee, SC. Though the possibility that the remains may belong to Daniel is considered, he is later ruled out as a possible match. 

At the time of his disappearance, Daniel was described as a 20 year old Native American/Caucasian male with brown hair and brown eyes. In 1984, Daniel stood 5’9”-5’10” tall and weighed between 150-180 lbs. Daniel has a quarter-sized birthmark on his stomach, a dark brown mustache and goatee, and hair that falls to his ears. He has the following tattoos: a skull with two crossed spud wrenches with "Iron Worker" underneath on his right upper arm and a cobra snake with wording on his left upper arm. Daniel was last seen wearing one-piece coveralls, jeans size 33 waist, and a t-shirt. He wears wire-framed eyeglasses and steel-toed work books, size 10.5.