MUS-2026-0320
Archive card
MUS-2026-0320
Missing person
- Incident
- 2000
- Indexed
- Oct 18, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- See coverage below
- Location
- Memphis TN
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Matthew Pendergrast, 23, a Rhodes College senior two weeks from graduation, left his Memphis apartment on the morning of December 1, 2000 for a class four blocks away and never arrived. That same afternoon his unlocked 1998 Toyota 4Runner was found in Lonoke County, Arkansas, keys in the ignition, with his clothes, shoes, and wallet, cash and cards inside, neatly folded about 100 yards away. The FBI ViCAP alert is headed Violent Crime / Cold Case. No arrests have been made.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- Dec 1, 2000
Pendergrast leaves his Memphis residence between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. for class at Rhodes College and never arrives. Later that morning he leaves a voicemail for a friend in Atlanta, the last time anyone hears from him.
- Dec 1, 2000
Around 2:00 p.m., duck hunters find his 1998 Toyota 4Runner on a private dirt road in Lonoke County, Arkansas, unlocked with keys in the ignition and backpack inside; his clothing, shoes, and wallet are found about 100 yards away.
- Aug 26, 2011
The FBI issues a ViCAP alert on the case.
- Mar 4, 2024
The ViCAP alert is updated administratively; no new evidence is reported.
- 2026
Pendergrast has never been found. The case remains unsolved.
Key people
The people in the file.
23, a Rhodes College senior two weeks from graduation. Left his Memphis apartment December 1, 2000 for class and never arrived.
Parents.
The FBI ViCAP alert lists an Arkansas State Police contact; other coverage points to the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office. Start with the coverage links below to find the right contact.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
Sources point to both the Arkansas State Police and the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office; the FBI ViCAP alert lists an Arkansas State Police contact. Start with the coverage links below to find the right contact.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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