Where is Daniel?
Can you help us find him?
Missing since December 2023
What we know about Daniel’s disappearance….
On Friday 8th December 2023 at 09:56 Daniel was captured on CCTV at Plymouth train station where he purchased a return ticket. He arrived in St Erth at 12:08 before boarding the 12:13 train to St Ives in Cornwall, however, he did not disembark the train when it arrived in St Ives at 12:29.
At 12:40 he was captured on CCTV in Carbis Bay walking towards the South West Coastal Path.
Between 13:02 and 13:38 Daniel was picked up by CCTV cameras in St Ives. At 13:38, a CCTV camera captured him walking up Porthmeor Hill. Shortly after this capture, he was sighted outside Treganna Surf House on the corner of Porthmeor Hill and the South West Coastal Path. This was the last known sighting of Daniel.
At 18:35 his phone pinged a mast in Cambourne, then left the network shortly after. His friends and family have not seen or heard from him since.
Daniel’s disappearance is described by his tight-knit family as completely out of character especially as he appeared to be in good spirits up to, and including the evening before he disappeared.
On the day of his disappearance Daniel had short, curly, light brown hair, and a stubble jawline beard and moustache. He was wearing navy blue jeans, a navy blue jacket, a dark coloured t-shirt, and brown shoes with distinctive white outsoles, and had with him a grey cross-body bag, and his mobile phone and charger.
On the evening of Thursday 07 December, Daniel and Jake enjoyed a typical night at their flat, talking about gaming and wrestling while sharing sausage rolls and Jammy Dodgers. Despite living together, they would often miss each other during the day because of work commitments. Daniel's daily routine would usually involve working from 09:00 to around 16:30 or 17:00, writing for clients, and then taking a walk around the block or nearby streets – only venturing further if he was going to the shops. In that context, Friday 08 December 2023 seemed unremarkable to Jake. He didn’t realise Daniel had left the flat that morning, and at 18:23 when he texted Daniel about tea, he didn't receive a reply.
About Daniel
An introvert yet a ‘chatterbox’ with those he trusts, Daniel is a quiet, openly gay man who loves his home comforts and avoids pubs, clubs, and bars. His family and friends describe him as creative, kind, gentle, caring, and shy. A passionate gamer, he was enjoying working from home as a freelance writer, producing gaming articles and blogs for clients he never had to meet. Family life had remained central to him and Jake — Sunday roasts at their mum’s, board games, bowling, and cinema trips, with Jurassic Park his enduring favourite film. Daniel also answers to Dan, Danny, Mizzi, and, in one friendship group, Mittens. He has written under several names, including Daniel Masterson, Daniel James, and James Leigham. He has always been reliable with money and pays his bills on time. On the day he disappeared, he was due to pay the rent for the flat he shared with Jake but didn’t — and later financial checks revealed that he had debts of around £20,000. Daniel’s family has no answer about his trip to St Ives on 8 December 2023. He had no links or reason to go, left no note, didn’t tell anyone, and didn’t take his passport. His bank accounts are inactive, internet searches show no plans to disappear or threats, and no indication he was meeting anyone there.
Below is an interactive map showing the locations Daniel was known to have visited.
Please scroll through the slides to see if you remember seeing or speaking with him at any of the locations.
Contact us if you have any information which can help us find Daniel.
Questions you can ask yourself
Can you help us locate Daniel? Just one small detail or piece of information could help reunite him with his family.
Have you seen Daniel, or someone who looks like him?
Do you recognise him, or remember speaking to him on 8th December 2023, perhaps on the train from Plymouth, or in St Erth, Carbis Bay or St Ives?
Are you part of Daniel’s social circle in Plymouth?
Daniel’s Discord username is @Erlkind. Are you part of Daniel’s gaming circle?
Did you commission Daniel to write for you?
Do you remember anything about Daniel or his disappearance that could help us find answers for his family and friends?
Why St Ives? Daniel’s family believe he has no known links to St Ives. He did not leave a note or tell his family that he was planning to travel there.
Could you share this appeal to your social networks?
Daniel’s mum and brother are desperate to find Daniel and have shared these messages with us…
“Daniel was my rainbow baby, born 13 months after I lost his brother Jason at 19 days old. He was an easy-going child who turned into a man who I loved, admired and am deeply proud of. Clever, sometimes too clever for his own good! He had a quick, dry, wit that I miss so much. He had integrity, humility and kindness. Funny and loving, he enjoyed being close to his family. We celebrated birthdays, Christmas and mother’s day with joy and so much laughter. I miss him so much, the pain feels physical. I have said good morning and goodnight to him ever since he has been missing. I need to know what happened to my son.”
“Dan is more than a big brother to me, he is one of my best friends and in many ways, an older twin. From childhood he helped to shape me and mould me in to who I am today. He encouraged me to embrace literature and he influenced the entirety of my media consumption. His disappearance is a pain that never fades, never dims. Like the phantom pain left over from an amputation, I can feel the ache every single minute and the hollowness inside my soul will never heal, the emptiness is constantly there without him. At this point two years on, I only hope this appeal page can lead to any information on his disappearance or any of the possessions that he had on him at the time so we can at least try and get some answers”
There is always hope, and you could be the person that makes the difference.
No matter how seemingly small the information you have, it really may be the answer we need. Information provided can be submitted anonymously, and submissions will be treated in confidence. Everything we receive will be reviewed by our dedicated team of volunteers.
Please do not use this form for emergency assistance in locating a person. Please call 999.