kimmo
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Sheriff’s Office asks for help in finding missing military veteran
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help with its search for Richard Jones, a military veteran who was reported missing in June 2022.
Lt. Matt Moore said investigators do not believe a crime was involved in Jones’ disappearance, and because the search is not part of criminal investigation, the Sheriff’s Office is limited on what it can do legally to locate Jones.
“It is not a crime to go missing,” Moore said. “If it was a criminal investigation, we could request search warrants for his phone, bank account and his social media (activities). We are a little bit limited as far as resources (we can use) in our investigation. That is why we are putting this out there and relying on tips from the public to give us a call where he is at.”
Jones is now 44. He was 42 when he was first reported missing on June 9, 2022, Moore said.
In July 2022, the Sheriff’s Office posted a picture of Jones on its Facebook page and asked the public for help in locating him. Jones was described in the post as being 5 foot 11, weighing 200 pounds and having brown eyes and hair.
Moore said Jones was renting a mobile home in the 6000 block of Second Street in House Springs when he was reported missing. He said the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Jones’ landlord.
“She said he was good at paying rent, but he had not paid his rent since March,” Moore said. “When she went to the home, no one answered the door, but his car was in the driveway. The landlord went inside and everything appeared normal.”
Moore said when deputies went to the home, they also did not find anything that was out of place. He said Jones left behind his military uniform and medals and other belongings, such as electronic devices.
Moore said Jones’ neighbors described him as a bit of a recluse who they rarely saw in the neighborhood.
“They did not have a good time frame when they last saw him at the home,” he said.
Moore said investigators did learn Jones made some bank transactions in House Springs near the end of March 2022, and that Jones used an ATM at a BP gas station near Hwy. 30 and Hwy. Y during that time frame.
He also said a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputy had provided Jones a ride on March 29, 2022, to the Shady Beach Campground, 136 Shady Beach Lane, in St. Clair.
Moore said the deputy saw Jones walking in the area and did a wellness check on Jones. He said the deputy told investigators there was nothing suspicious about Jones, and the deputy checked to see if Jones was wanted on any outstanding warrants before driving him to the campground.
Moore also said when investigators spoke to the campground’s manager, they were told Shady Beach would have been closed at that time.
Investigators also were told someone who may have been Jones was seen at a Dollar General in St. Clair in late March or early April 2022, Moore said.
“We didn’t get that information until June or July 2022,” he said. “By that point, camera footage has been written over. We were months behind the eight ball of getting video.”
Moore said Jones was not in communication with his family members who live on the east coast.
More at the link above.
I've been conflicted on what to put as the city he went missing from. The above article says he was last seen by an officer who gave him ride to Shady Beach which is located in St. Clair, Missouri.
The Charley project and Namus list the city as Dittmer. All have conflicting dates on the last time he was seen. So I listed the date he was reported missing per the above article.
Richard Dean Jones – The Charley Project
Missing Person / NamUs #MP94108
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help with its search for Richard Jones, a military veteran who was reported missing in June 2022.
Lt. Matt Moore said investigators do not believe a crime was involved in Jones’ disappearance, and because the search is not part of criminal investigation, the Sheriff’s Office is limited on what it can do legally to locate Jones.
“It is not a crime to go missing,” Moore said. “If it was a criminal investigation, we could request search warrants for his phone, bank account and his social media (activities). We are a little bit limited as far as resources (we can use) in our investigation. That is why we are putting this out there and relying on tips from the public to give us a call where he is at.”
Jones is now 44. He was 42 when he was first reported missing on June 9, 2022, Moore said.
In July 2022, the Sheriff’s Office posted a picture of Jones on its Facebook page and asked the public for help in locating him. Jones was described in the post as being 5 foot 11, weighing 200 pounds and having brown eyes and hair.
Moore said Jones was renting a mobile home in the 6000 block of Second Street in House Springs when he was reported missing. He said the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Jones’ landlord.
“She said he was good at paying rent, but he had not paid his rent since March,” Moore said. “When she went to the home, no one answered the door, but his car was in the driveway. The landlord went inside and everything appeared normal.”
Moore said when deputies went to the home, they also did not find anything that was out of place. He said Jones left behind his military uniform and medals and other belongings, such as electronic devices.
Moore said Jones’ neighbors described him as a bit of a recluse who they rarely saw in the neighborhood.
“They did not have a good time frame when they last saw him at the home,” he said.
Moore said investigators did learn Jones made some bank transactions in House Springs near the end of March 2022, and that Jones used an ATM at a BP gas station near Hwy. 30 and Hwy. Y during that time frame.
He also said a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputy had provided Jones a ride on March 29, 2022, to the Shady Beach Campground, 136 Shady Beach Lane, in St. Clair.
Moore said the deputy saw Jones walking in the area and did a wellness check on Jones. He said the deputy told investigators there was nothing suspicious about Jones, and the deputy checked to see if Jones was wanted on any outstanding warrants before driving him to the campground.
Moore also said when investigators spoke to the campground’s manager, they were told Shady Beach would have been closed at that time.
Investigators also were told someone who may have been Jones was seen at a Dollar General in St. Clair in late March or early April 2022, Moore said.
“We didn’t get that information until June or July 2022,” he said. “By that point, camera footage has been written over. We were months behind the eight ball of getting video.”
Moore said Jones was not in communication with his family members who live on the east coast.
More at the link above.
I've been conflicted on what to put as the city he went missing from. The above article says he was last seen by an officer who gave him ride to Shady Beach which is located in St. Clair, Missouri.
The Charley project and Namus list the city as Dittmer. All have conflicting dates on the last time he was seen. So I listed the date he was reported missing per the above article.
Richard Dean Jones – The Charley Project
Missing Person / NamUs #MP94108
