The Lillian D.

Frank Damato Jr. was a 28-year-old commercial fisherman working out of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. On December 21, 1983, he may have gone out to test gear or scout for herring — the season was set to open January 1.

His fishing boat, the Lillian D., was found drifting and unoccupied near Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco Bay at approximately 1:00 AM. The engine was idling out of gear. The radar and electronic equipment were still on. No one was aboard.

Frank Damato Jr. was presumed lost at sea. His body was never recovered.

On March 6, 1984 — exactly 76 days after Damato's disappearance — unidentified human remains were discovered in unincorporated Brisbane, San Mateo County, a small town along the bay shore approximately 5.4 miles south of San Francisco.

The remains were those of a white male, estimated 20–40 years old, approximately 5'10", 180 lbs, with brown hair. San Mateo County Medical Examiner case #84-0228. Dental records exist for this individual.

In 40+ years, NamUs shows only one prior comparison has ever been attempted — an MP from Baltimore, Maryland, who was excluded. One try in four decades. Damato has never been compared.

This is not a confirmed identification. RECALL is an independent research project. We do not have access to law enforcement records, restricted NamUs data, or autopsy findings. There may be information behind the scenes that immediately rules this out.

What we are saying is: the publicly available data suggests this pair warrants a dental comparison, and it doesn't appear that one has ever been done. This lead has been formally referred to the appropriate agencies for professional evaluation.