The date of disappearance is between January 1983 (when his parents last saw him in Jefferson County Colorado) and March 1983 (when a friend last saw him in Indio California)

Mitchell moved out his parent's house in Golden Colorado in 1980. He traveled extensively over the next three years working odd jobs such as rebuilding boats, a car mechanic and work in the oil fields. He was known to have been in Houston Texas, Galveston Texas, Clinton Oklahoma, Neosho Missouri and Indio California. Mitch would send his parents postcards and would visit once a year during the Christmas holidays.

In December 1982 Mitch came home to Colorado for a visit and abruptly left in January or February 1983 without saying goodbye to anyone. He was carrying his clothes and belongings in a black trash bag.

According to a friend, Mitch showed up in Clinton Oklahoma and then in early March 1983 he hitched a ride with the friend's father to California. When they stopped for the night in Indio California Mitch left the hotel room and has not been seen or heard from since.

Mitch may have been involved in drugs and was described by some friends as being anti-establishment. It was reported that Mitch had thrown away his driver's license, social security card and may have had no form of identification on him.