Matthew Weaver Disappeared While Hiking After Sending A Disturbing Snapchat Message

MALIBU, CA — Matthew Weaver was last known to be on a hiking trail on the morning of August 10, 2018. From there, he simply disappeared, and his loved ones continue to do whatever it takes to find out what happened.

Brooke Tipton, Matthew’s stepmother, remembered the time leading up to the disappearance as a special one. Tipton said that Matthew, who was 21, had moved out of his childhood home, gotten his own apartment in Granada Hills, and found a job doing power line work. She also said Matthew hoped to travel and “see the world.”

Matthew Weaver Sr., Matthew’s father, recalled his son saying on Thursday, August 9, that he was going out that night with a new female friend. As Weaver remembered, “I kissed him on the side of the cheek and that was my last hug that I’ve ever given him.”

Jayden Brant is a private investigator who has been working the Matthew Weaver missing persons case. Brant said that at 1:30 A.M. on Saturday, August 11, several hikers made 911 calls indicating they heard a commotion that involved “people screaming.”

Tipton added that California Highway Patrol officers also reported hearing screams and may have also heard someone yell, “He’s got a gun!”

After Matthew was reported missing, his abandoned car was discovered near a Malibu hiking trail, but search teams, including canine units, reportedly scoured the area and turned up no new clues.

According to Tipton, investigators were able to use Snapchat pings to establish a timeline leading up to Matthew’s disappearance.

She said that on August 9, at 9:28 P.M., Matthew picked up his female friend in Chatsworth. They reportedly hung out and “had a private talk” before Matthew dropped her off in the early hours of August 10.

At 5:45 A.M., Matthew allegedly drove to Stunt Road, a place described by Brant as a “rural, dead-end road in a pretty remote area of the Santa Monica mountains.” While there, Tipton said Matthew took a Snapchat photo of the area’s scenic view “around sunrise” before apparently entering a hiking trail.

Several hours later, Matthew allegedly sent a text to the female friend he’d been with the night before. He wrote that something “crazy” was going on and that he just wanted to talk, “while I have the chance.” After that, all communication with him reportedly ceased.

Matthew’s family and loved ones have searched high and low for him. A land-surveying company in Malibu has published almost 800 high-resolution aerial photographs of the area taken by a drone. The images are available online and the public is being asked to examine them.

In January 2019, the drone photos were reportedly used to locate an Angels baseball cap and a white T-shirt, both of which were believed to have been worn by Matthew. Tipton added that the T-shirt was torn up and “it appeared to have old blood on it.”

She also said that some of Matthew’s friends told her he had “cracked his head” a few days before he disappeared — badly enough that he was allegedly bleeding from it. This claim has raised speculation that perhaps Matthew was suffering from a concussion, internal bleeding, or other injuries that may have affected his clarity of mind.

Ideally, Matthew’s family wants him to return home. They remain committed to searching for clues and answers. A $50,000 reward has been offered to information that leads to discovering Matthew’s whereabouts.

Matthew Weaver is described as standing five foot nine and weighing 140 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel/green eyes, and a tattoo on the left side of his chest, above his heart, written in script that reads “Jeremiah.” Matthew was last seen wearing an Angels baseball cap, Dickies pants, red sneakers, and possibly a black or white T-shirt.

Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Matthew Weaver Jr. is urged to contact the LAPD at (877) LAPD-24-7 or the tip line at (800) 358-3830.

For more on this case, watch the "Where Is Matthew Weaver?" episode of Investigation Discovery's The Missing on ID GO now!