Gaughan was last heard from when he made a long distance phone call to his parents in New Mexico from a phone booth El Paso, Texas at 7:15 a.m. on July 20, 1975. He told them he had car trouble and would be home later. He has never been heard from again. Two days later, the vehicle Gaughan had been driving was found abandoned in the desert west of Las Cruces, New Mexico. There was no sign of Gaughan at the scene. Foul play is possible in his case, which remains unsolved. New Mexico police are investigating.