AZ AZ - John "Buck" Kueper, 92, Whetstone, 26 Jan 2007 - Last seen at bar

hoppyfrog · Jan 30, 2008

http://www.willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2008/01/30/news/news9.txt

30 Jan 08

A year ago today, John "Buck" Kueper left Buddy's Bar in Whetstone.

He hasn't been seen by his friends or family since.

It's been a mystery that has friends, family and community members are still trying to figure out.

His two daughters are left with dwindling hope of finding him.

"The Cochise County Sheriff's Office is still investigating this case and they are looking for two people, in state, to complete interviews with, and for one person who is out of state, to conduct interviews," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carol Capas said Friday.

Capas said the detective in charge of the case, Matt Szymeczek, would only say interviews are sought with those three people because of "investigative leads."

Kueper's case began in the late afternoon on Jan. 26, 2007, when he left his favorite bar at 119 E. Highway 82, to go to his truck out front.

It would have been a 100-yard drive to his home in the trailer park behind Buddy's.

On the Wednesday following his disappearance, Kueper's pickup was discovered in a wash near the ghost town of Fairbank, which is between Tombstone and Whetstone.

much, much more at link

no pic at link

hoppyfrog · Mar 10, 2008

http://www.svherald.com/articles/2008/03/09/news/doc47d39ddcbf22e400232176.txt

9 March 08

Missing person cases involve intrigue for the public, hard and often fruitless work for the authorities, and traumatic experiences for their families and loved ones.

The cases dont often go away. And the people who search for the missing dont forget. The most high-profile recent local case is that of John Buck Kueper, whose Jan. 26, 2007, disappearance remains a mystery. The man, who, if alive, is 93 years old, was last seen at his favorite bar in Whetstone, where he had a daily beer with friends and neighbors.

The investigation into Kuepers disappearance is still an active case, so Cochise County Search and Rescue personnel can only generally comment about it.

more at link

InterestedNHelping · Mar 10, 2008

This story reminds me of my grandfather, who had begun to have major memory loss, and would get up at 2am, and decide to drive over the windy mountains to see my mom, and he would show up at all hours of the night, or he would get lost, and then show up days later...

imamaze · Feb 10, 2009

North American Missing Persons Network
http://www.nampn.org/cases/kueper_john.html
John "Buck" Kueper was last seen leaving Buddy's Bar in Whetstone, Arizona between 3:30 and 4:00 PM driving a yellow and brown 1985 Dodge 1/2ton truck with Arizona plates, 884OVN. The truck was spotted abandoned later that evening 15 miles away, stuck up to the axle in a wash, with the keys in the ignition. Cochise County authorities searched for days on the ground and in the air but no sign of Keuper was found.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Cochise County Sheriff
(520) 432-9500

Debbie3223 · Feb 12, 2009

Awwww. I cant believe they have not found this poor old man. I used to live in Tombstone and know the desert can be brutal....hopefully someone will find him..

thefragile7393 · Feb 12, 2009

Yes there's A LOT of open desert out in that area....A LOT. My first thought was he was robbed for his truck.....drug guys like trucks, big cars, SUVs, stuff to strip to sell....when it got stuck maybe they just left it there and did who-knows-what with the poor gentleman.

summer_breeze · Jul 23, 2011

NamUs Profile

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/4517

CastlesBurning · Feb 4, 2023

Still missing, now 16 years...

Missing: John Kueper | Whetstone, AZ | Uncovered

John B. Kueper – CUE – Community United Effort

John Kueper – The Charley Project

DS2021 · Sep 24, 2024

CastlesBurning said:
Still missing, now 16 years...

View attachment 400225

Missing: John Kueper | Whetstone, AZ | Uncovered

John B. Kueper – CUE – Community United Effort

John Kueper – The Charley Project

Missing Since
01/26/2007
Missing From
Whetstone, Arizona
Classification
Endangered Missing
Sex
Male
Race
White
Date of Birth
08/30/1914 (110)
Age
92 years old
Height and Weight
5'5, 155 pounds
Medical Conditions
Kueper has bad knees and has difficulty walking as a result.
Associated Vehicle(s)
Yellow and brown 1985 Dodge half-ton pickup truck with the Arizona license plate number 884OVN (accounted for)
Distinguishing Characteristics
Caucasian male. Gray hair, blue eyes. Kueper wears eyeglasses. His nickname is Buck.
Details of Disappearance
Kueper was last seen leaving Buddy's Bar in the 100 block of east Highway 82 near the Highway 90 junction in Whetstone, Arizona between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. on January 26, 2007. He lived in a trailer park about one hundred yards behind the bar. Kueper told several people at the bar that he was going to drive his truck to Tombstone, Arizona to go to an event at the American Legion. He has never been heard from again.

Kueper's yellow and brown 1985 Dodge half-ton pickup truck with the Arizona license plate number 884OVN was found abandoned at a wash in a remote area near the ghost town of Fairbank, Arizona, between Tombstone and Whetstone, four days after his disappearance. The truck was stuck in the wash up to its axle, with the keys in the ignition.

Authorities stated they found no obvious signs of blood inside the vehicle, but a hammer wrapped in paper towels and tissue was located. There was no indication of Kueper's whereabouts. He normally stayed within a five-mile radius of his home, and drove most places because he had difficulty walking.

A witness reported seeing Kueper in the parking lot of Buddy's Bar on the day of his disappearance. She said Kueper was being helped into an older, full-size pickup truck by two men who also got into the truck. The vehicle fit the description of Kueper's own truck.

The witness said Kueper appeared to be intoxicated or ill at the time. One of the men who was with him is described as heavyset, with brown hair, facial hair and a cowboy hat; the other was thinner with dark hair. Kueper's loved ones stated he never drank to excess and should not have needed to be helped into his vehicle.

Kueper did not have any known enemies at the time of his 2007 disappearance. The only relative he had living in the area was his granddaughter; his two sons are deceased and his two daughters live in Illinois.

He went to Buddy's Bar frequently and was well-liked by the other bar patrons. Kueper was in excellent health at the time he went missing. His disappearance is being investigated as a homicide.

Investigating Agency
Cochise County Sheriff's Department 520-432-9500