Family seeks public’s help finding missing Fort Bragg musician and carpenter
The family of 46‑year‑old Lane Rider is asking for the public’s help. Rider was reported missing after leaving Fort Bragg a week ago.
Lane Rider, 46, has lived on the Mendocino Coast for a decade. He worked as a carpenter for Scramaglia Construction and was known locally as a talented musician.
The last confirmed contact with him was on March 8.
The attached brochure includes the basic details of the case, but additional information came from speaking with his parents, Dan and Kay Rider, who live in Colorado and are now in Fort Bragg searching for their son with the help of many local residents.
According to his father, Lane said he was leaving town, putting his belongings in storage, and quitting his job. He was driving a 2018 white Toyota pickup when he left Fort Bragg.
Lane told his family he was heading to San Francisco, Big Sur, or Jerome, Arizona — the last destination especially puzzled them, as they know of no connection he had there. His cell phone has been off or dead, and attempts to reach him by email have been unsuccessful.
A missing‑person report was filed Friday with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. Lane Rider is not related to local musician Lee Rider; they simply share a last name. Lane has lived in Fort Bragg, Little River, and Mendocino at different times. His father said he was unsure exactly where Lane left from or the precise time he departed town.
If you have seen Lane Rider or have information about his whereabouts, please contact his father, Dan Rider, at the number listed on the brochure.
A community doesn’t vanish when a person goes missing — it leans in. Lane Rider’s name is moving through Fort Bragg like a tide call, carried by carpenters, musicians, neighbors, and strangers who’ve never met him but understand what it means when someone’s absence suddenly has weight. His family is here, walking the same streets he once did, following every thread of hope. If you’ve seen him, if you’ve heard a scrap of something that might matter, now’s the time to speak up. On this coast, we look for our own.
The following is from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office about the case:
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was contacted on 3/13/2026 at 5:52 P.M. regarding a missing person investigation. The missing person was identified as Lane Harvey Rider (46-year-old male) who was reportedly staying at an unknown location in the town of Mendocino. The reporting party was a relative of Rider who stated they last spoke with the missing person approximately 1 week prior to calling the Sheriff’s Office.
Rider informed his employer he was going to San Francisco and then Big Sur, but Rider’s family has been unable to reach him by telephone. Rider is associated with a white 2018 Toyota Tacoma pickup with license plate CA # 59733K2. The white Toyota Tacoma has a damaged rear bumper.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office took a missing person report on 3/13/2026 and anyone with information related to this missing person investigation involving Rider is requested to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086 (option 1).
