John Smith South Jr.

South, circa 1998

  • Missing Since 12/18/1998
  • Missing From Mountain City, Tennessee
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Age 54 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'0, 210 pounds
  • Medical Conditions South suffers from health problems due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) White 1985 or 1989 Subaru Justy hatchback with a cracked left taillight and the Tennessee license plate number 292-EJW
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown/green eyes. South's nickname is Junior.

Details of Disappearance

South was last seen in Mountain City, Tennessee on December 18, 1998. His daughters and granddaughter had plans to visit him that day and help him put up his Christmas tree, but when they arrived, South's car wasn't in the driveway and the house was deserted. The doors were unlocked, as they usually were, and the wood stove, the only source of heat in the house, was cold.

His daughters learned that South had gone to work that day, then gone home, where he left his tool belt. He drove his car, a white 1985 or 1989 Subaru Justy hatchback with a cracked left taillight and the Tennessee license plate number 292-EJW, to the bar and was seen by several friends there.

No one is sure when he left the bar and he apparently never arrived home. He has never been heard from again. His vehicle has never been recovered. He is missing under suspicious circumstances and foul play is suspected in his case.

South is a Vietnam War veteran. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Johnson County Sheriff's Department 423-727-7761

Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 6, 2019; picture and medical conditions added, details of disappearance updated.