James Francis Ehrgott

• Missing Since 07/02/2006
• Missing From Spokane, Washington
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 03/31/1933 (91)
• Age 73 years old
• Height and Weight 6'0, 190 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, brown eyes. Ehrgott wears prescription eyeglasses.

Details of Disappearance

Ehrgott was last seen at the Sportsman Cafe in the 6400 block of north Market Street in Spokane, Washington at 5:00 p.m. on July 2, 2006. He has never been heard from again. His gold Pontiac Sunfire was located on July 12. Witnesses said it had been driven by John Wayne Thomson.

Thomson was not known to Ehrgott's family and he had three prior rape convictions. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. He is a suspected serial killer. On August 7 in Victorville, California, a month after Ehrgott disappeared, Thomson attempted to carjack a woman. Two Victorville Daily Press employees saw what happened and intervened, restraining him with zip-ties until the police could arrive.

After his arrest he was charged with murdering a California man, Charles Ray Hedlund, who was stabbed to death in a botched carjacking in late July or early August. He then confessed to killing Ehrgott as well as another person, Lori Hamm, a Washington woman who had disappeared on July 16 and whose body was found in August.

Thomson stated he met Ehrgott walking along a road at High Bridge Park. Thomas claimed Ehrgott "was a homosexual and he made advances toward me. And it pissed me off." He decided to kidnap Ehrgott and steal his vehicle but did not initially plan to kill him. Thomas said while he and Ehrgott were driving around Spokane, Thomson shot him in the head. He then stole his car and credit cards and left Ehrgott's body under a bridge near a creek in an area of Idaho that had farmland. He could not be specific about the location.

Authorities were unable to locate Ehrgott's body in spite of an extensive search, but they believe Thomson's confession is true. Regarding Hamm, Thomson said said he met her at a bar and she invited him to go shopping with her, but when she started talking about her ex-boyfriend "it made me mad" so he killed her by shooting her in the head.

Thomson was convicted of Hedlund's murder and sentenced to death in California in 2014. He never stood trial for Ehrgott's and Hamm's murders because, in May 2024, he died of natural causes in a California prison.

Foul play is suspected in Ehrgott's case due to the circumstances involved.