On the morning of July 27, 1973, a teenage couple from Brooklyn set out hitchhiking to upstate New York to attend what would become the largest rock concert in American history — “Summer Jam,” featuring The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and The Band.
They were never seen again.
Fifty-two years later, cold case investigators this week launched a joint public campaign for the first time in an effort to solve the mysterious disappearance of Mitchel Weiser, then 16, and Bonnie Bickwit, then 15 — honor students at John Dewey High School in Gravesend.
Of the 600,000 music fans who attended the concert, only Mitchel and Bonnie never returned. The case is believed to be the oldest involving missing teenagers in the country.
Sullivan County Detective Robert Cintron and New York State Police Investigator Ryan Leone this week began circulating a flier on social media, offering a $10,000 reward and, for the first time, releasing details about a Japanese camera Mitchel was known to carry — one that may now be considered a collector’s item.
They hope to reach hundreds of thousands of people, including aging concert goers, and elicit information as part of their renewed efforts to solve the case.
“Det. Cintron and I are dedicated to investigating the disappearance,” Leone said. “The joint flyer we have released is an important investigative step that is the product of a partnership between the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. “
The duo is also taking other steps.
“We have been investigating a number of leads and are hopeful that the flyer will generate additional leads for us to investigate and potentially solve their case,” said Leone. “We are urging that any member of the public who has information regarding Bonnie and Mitch to contact either agency in the hopes that Bonnie and Mitch’s loved ones will finally have closure.”
Sheryl Kagen, Bonnie’s older sister, enthusiastically welcomed the new activity.
“Well, I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “If we can find out a resolution, that would be absolutely extraordinary. You know, it’s a long, long time coming.”
The teenage couple were last officially seen on July 27, 1973, when they began hitchhiking from Camp Wel-Met — a popular summer camp in the Catskills — to Watkins Glen, a small hamlet in the Finger Lakes region about 155 miles northwest.
From the start, the case was plagued by problems: police initially dismissed their disappearance as a pair of runaway hippies, lost crucial files and failed to interview key witnesses.
In 2023, following an investigation by Rolling Stone magazine, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed state police to reopen the case and coordinate with all relevant state agencies.
“We hope that this work will uncover new leads or overlooked information that will help solve this case and give their families and friends the answers they deserve,” said Hochul.
Detectives are currently investigating several theories.
A Rhode Island man has claimed the couple accidentally drowned in an upstate river while hitchhiking with him home from the concert.
A Florida woman alleges her father — who lived about 20 miles from the concert site — killed the teens.
A notorious serial killer active in the region at the time could have picked them up hitchhiking and killed them.
A convicted murderer in Maryland claims he killed them.
In recent weeks, a psychic contacted investigators, claiming to know where the teens are buried. Detectives say they are open to leads and information from all sources.
Michele Festa, who grew up with Bonnie in Borough Park and attended John Dewey High School with her, said she is heartened by the new campaign and joint county-state investigation.
“Now, after 52 years, the case is finally getting the attention it deserves,” Festa said. “I’m overwhelmed with hope that we might finally get answers and some kind of resolution. Bonnie and Mitchel were never forgotten and never will be.”
