Missing Person Spotlight: Rocco Joseph Rinella

In 2024, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department launched a new Missing Persons Cold Case Unit—a dedicated team focused on identifying and solving long-term missing-person cases throughout Southern Nevada. The unit maintains an online database featuring more than 100 open cases, some dating back to 1962, and includes photographs, case numbers, and contact information for tips. A full-time investigator now leads these efforts, reminding the public that no tip is too small and that many cases are solved through information from the community.

As part of our ongoing coverage, Sins & Survivors is spotlighting one of these cases in each episode and blog post—keeping names and stories visible, in the hope that someone, somewhere, remembers something.

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In November 2021, 42-year-old Rocco Joseph Rinella disappeared near Mount Charleston, northwest of Las Vegas. Four years later, his loved ones are still searching for answers.

According to Las Vegas Metro Police, Rocco was last seen around November 3, 2021, near the junction of State Routes 156 and 158 (Lee Canyon Road and Deer Creek Road)—one of the two main routes into the Mount Charleston Recreation Area. His gray or black long-sleeve shirt, tight jeans with back-pocket designs, and his distinctive tribal tattoos on both arms were noted at the time of his disappearance.

Family members said Rocco had spoken with them by phone on November 1, 2021, and seemed to be in emotional distress. When his vehicle was found parked along the mountain road days later, it set off a search that has yet to yield results.

Rocco is described as Caucasian, 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has visible tribal tattoos on both arms and mild “cauliflower ear,” a condition often caused by trauma from sports like boxing, wrestling, or jiu-jitsu.

In a GoFundMe campaign started soon after his disappearance, his mother wrote that Rocco was a kind and helpful man who had long cared for his younger brother Michael, who lived with muscular dystrophy. Friends remember him as dependable and compassionate—someone who never hesitated to help others.

Police believe Rocco may have been hitchhiking in the Mount Charleston area around the time he vanished. They have urged anyone who may have seen him to come forward, emphasizing that no tip is too small. Even a brief encounter could hold a clue to what happened.

How You Can Help

If you know anything about the disappearance or whereabouts of Rocco Joseph Rinella, please contact:

• LVMPD Missing Persons Cold Case Unit: 702-828-2907 or MissingPersonsColdCase@lvmpd.com (Reference the case number listed on the LVMPD Cold Case webpage.)
• Crime Stoppers (anonymous): 702-385-5555 or submit a tip online at CrimeStoppersOfNV.com
• You can also visit sinspod.co/metromissing for the official LVMPD Cold Case site featuring more than 100 unsolved missing-person cases across the Las Vegas Valley.

If you’d like to learn more about this case and others, listen to our podcast episode at sinspod.co/96 and explore resources for families and survivors at sinspod.co/resources
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