David Douglas Potts II

• Missing Since 10/29/2006
• Missing From Florissant, Missouri
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 10/22/1985 (38)
• Age 21 years old
• Height and Weight 6'3, 180 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A dark blue or black hooded Carhartt jacket with a torn pocket, a t-shirt, new blue jeans, new black and white Vans sneakers, a silver watch and a silver band on his pinky finger.
• Associated Vehicle(s) Gray Ford Contour (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue/hazel eyes. Potts has a muscular build and a dog bite scar on his nose. He has the following tattoos: a Confederate flag and the words "rise again" at the base of his neck, Chinese characters that mean "drink" on his left forearm, and a skull and crossbones with green eyes on the small of his back. He has poor vision and normally wears wire-framed eyeglasses, but he did not have them with him when he disappeared. Potts may shave his head. He has caps on his front teeth and his four wisdom teeth have been extracted. He has previously broken his left femur and fractured his collarbone.

Details of Disappearance

Potts was being pursued by the St. Ann police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol when he crashed his car on the Blanchette Bridge westbound on Interstate 70 in Florissant, Missouri at 2:30 a.m. on October 29, 2006.

Potts was driving a friend's gray Ford Contour at the time; he was at the wheel because he thought his friend was too drunk to drive. The police saw the vehicle weaving and tried to stop it, suspecting the driver was drunk. Instead of stopping, Potts led the police on a chase with speeds approaching 130 miles per hour.

After he crashed his car, Potts exited the car and ran, pursued by an officer, and jumped over the bridge rail. It's unclear whether he landed on the catwalk or fell into the Missouri River below. He has never been heard from again.

Since he went missing, Potts hasn't picked up any of his checks or used his bank accounts. He was carrying his wallet and identification cards at the time of his disappearance. Police initially considered him wanted, rather than missing. It wasn't until November 1 that they accepted a missing persons report.

On November 5, searchers did a water and land search, dragging the river near Blanchette Bridge, but they didn't find anything of interest. His friends stated Potts is a good swimmer.

Potts's mother was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time of his disappearance and said he regularly checked on her and it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Nevertheless, some of his loved ones believe he left of his own accord to start a new life; he had allegedly told family members he wanted to change and would do "whatever it takes."

The other theory is that Potts drowned in the Missouri River and his body was swept away by the current. His disappearance remains unsolved.