GA GA - John Dax Dunn, 40, Coweta Co, 13 Feb 2020

[Ashley89]

.

 

[mlhenn]

Find John "Dax" Dunn

Sadly, there has not been too much activity on the “find” fb page. The last post was at the beginning of March.

 

[mlhenn]

Bump!

Where is John “Dax” Dunn??

 

[Barlow]

Thank you @mlhenn for always being at least twenty-two steps ahead of me!

Where is Dax?!
Does anyone have any updates or thoughts?!

 

[mlhenn]

Find John "Dax" Dunn

IMO, it’s pretty sad that there has not been any activity on the find fb page except for a handful of people asking for any type of update. However, all those requests have went unanswered.

 

[mlhenn]

Local search for missing fisherman continues; family asks for help

A recap

 

[PsychoBabble]

Sometimes additional searches yield results. Such a mystery, especially with a missing kayak? Where will that turn up??

 

[Rush4087]

So bizarre. Nobody seems to care. Sorry in advance, but I've just gotta vent. Jmo

Based on the posts and posted links I've read in this thread (referencing family's SM) so far, it literally appears that the family has lost interest in JDD's disappearance (idk, maybe they've been told by LE to shut up?).


And both involved LE organizations (outwardly anyway) also appear not to be terribly concerned (see remarks below).

Even the WS community is (imo) strangely quiet. I just don't get it. It seems almost like this case is already a cold case.

No family SM posts pleading for help in locating JDD since early March? No FBI involvement. Not even any State of FL involvement (not that I've heard of anyway). And very unenthusiastic sleuthing, imo.

No Press Conferences - and yet it seems that this is not because LE is "keeping the investigation close to the vest", but rather because the investigation is just not terribly active. Idk

And.. nine pages on a WS thread when JDD was first reported missing back in late Feb? No sleuthers condemning the family for remaining "too" silent - like you often see on similar case threads (like SM)? Kind of a double standard, seems to me. The guy's got four kids..

And the spouse. How do you reconcile this (from Ashley89's post above): "His wife.. broken hearted and left to pick up the pieces" with the fact that she just sued him for divorce and custody on Jan 24? Now I admit I don't have the faintest idea what their relationship was like, but imo, accelerating divorce proceedings (April) seems to be an action that would create pieces, not help pick them up. It certainly appears that she attempted to accelerate legal proceedings against JDD at the very moment that she knew he would be unable to respond (and might even be in extreme physical distress or danger). Doesn't seem very broken hearted to me.

Was there a life insurance policy involved? Did somebody want JDD out of the picture? Was he involved in crime? Drugs? Just what is going on here?

And where the hell is his phone? Not even the media (that I know of) has asked "where is his phone?" And not a peep from LE. Or his family (not a single call or text made or rec'd since 2/13? Really?). Did he even bring his phone with him on the trip? Did he bring it with him in the kayak? How come the glaring absence of a phone is not being discussed - by anybody? Has LE traced it? Pinged it?

I also thought it odd that JDD told only one daughter and several co-workers about his planned fishing trip. There was no mention of him telling his wife or any other family members. I'm beginning to think that maybe JDD and his wife weren't speaking to each other, at all (just speculation). But if that was the case, it also doesn't jibe with "broken hearted".

This (lack of communication with family) might also account for what I think is possibly confusion over the intended length of the trip. I could be wrong, but a "four day fishing trip" could - and I think in this case, does - mean four (4) days of actual fishing. Otherwise you'd drive down to TPA for at most a single day or a day and a half of fishing, and then have to drive back overnight. I personally think (but don't know) that JDD planned to fish on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, and then return on the 20th (hence he was reported missing to CC on the 21st, when he failed to show). Why he didn't begin fishing on the 16th is a mystery to me. Maybe the weather was bad that day, or maybe the kayak shop was closed.

And re: LE. Imo, both CC and LCSO are acting like they can't be bothered by the whole affair. Either that or they know something very significant that we don't, and they are being very restrained in what they divulge. But from what I can see, CC STILL hasn't begun a meaningful investigation into JDD's disappearance. Maybe the case is out of their jurisdiction, idk. If so, maybe it's entirely up to LCSO. Yet JDD doesn't live in LC (or even FL for that matter), so woukd his disappearance really be all that important to LCSO?

What has CC done so far? Posted the fact that JDD is missing on their SM (LE) site on the 22nd? Did they not reach out to contact LCSO on either the 23rd or 24th (by which time credit card info could surely have been obtained, putting JDD in Inglis )? Apparentky it was LCSO who first called CC on the 25th, some 3-4 days AFTER JDD had been reported missing by his family/friends, not the other way around (and I bet it wasn't his wife who reported him missing either, but jmo). Hell, one almost wonders if there would even BE an investigation right now at all if it hadn't been for LCSO watching their SM like a hawk.

Why was JDD's family able to track down locations where his bank debit card was used faster than CC could (or would, or did)? Why did JDD's family have to? And apparently it was JDD's friends who had to drive to Florida to make requests of retail establishments to view store CCTV videos (versus CC contacting LCSO and having LCSO investigators go and review the videos?). Same questions. In fact, CC's early announcements about JDD's disappearance seemed to imply that JDD himself wasn't even the one using his own cards! All they (CC or LCSO) had to do was go check the videos! Jmo, but get off your butt! The case will never get solved that way

And I guess we just have to take LCSO's word that they "checked that area" (the area where the truck was later found on Mar 3rd) on Feb 27th and 28th. But maybe LCSO is just having to take the word of some patrol officer? Maybe they don't know for a fact that that location was checked? People have been known to lie, you know. If that truck was there the whole time, it changes a lot.

And, no press conferences. No announcements. No (recent) requests for help from the public. It's now mid-August.

Did JDD leave the hotel on the 16th or 17th? Has it been confirmed that he (in the flesh) rented the kayak on the 17th? Where is his phone? Are there suspicious prints on the truck? Why did he scratch it up so bad when parking? Which private drive was it on? Did JDD ever go to Cedar Key (and did his phone ping there)? Where is his phone (did I mention that already)? This isn't top secret investigative information. It's information that LE commonly / often releases, and would perhaps help locate JDD. But does anyone even care? Jmo

 

[Tracey4AU]

This is definitely a head-scratcher for all the reasons @Rush487 mentioned above. I have never heard of this case until coming across this thread today. For me, I can't think of a lot of scenarios in which I would push forward with a divorce while my husband was missing under these mysterious circumstances. At least not so soon. And the almost non-existent push for answers from anyone is strange and alarming to me. Whether foul play turns out to be the case or not, I will be shocked if this man is not deceased. I hope I'm proven wrong.

 

[mlhenn]

This is definitely a head-scratcher for all the reasons @Rush487 mentioned above. I have never heard of this case until coming across this thread today. For me, I can't think of a lot of scenarios in which I would push forward with a divorce while my husband was missing under these mysterious circumstances. At least not so soon. And the almost non-existent push for answers from anyone is strange and alarming to me. Whether foul play turns out to be the case or not, I will be shocked if this man is not deceased. I hope I'm proven wrong.

I honestly don’t know what direction to go at this point with this case. I definitely believe it’s gone cold way too fast with LE (and family).
We’ve sleuthed John, searched & read every article we can find (which isn’t a lot), and created timelines. WS members found out about his divorce, researched the legalities of a GA divorce when a spouse is missing, and tried to come up with possible reasons for proceeding with the divorce. The find John Dax Dunn fb page has been combed through comment by comment (even though I have to admit, the page seems a lil “forced” as I stated before).
I feel like there are more questions than answers!
I agree with a lot of what @Rush4087 has said, but again I honestly don’t know what the next step should be on WS members’ end. I am more than happy to hear suggestions from others if there are any.

 

[Rush4087]

If JDD's truck was there (pushed back under those Palm trees) the WHOLE time (say from 2/17 on) and LE just missed it, my assumption is that a tragedy or mishap befell JDD while he was in the kayak and on the water: a health issue, shark/gator attack, he got lost, was hit by a big boat, or committed some act of self harm (actually, the only indicator of possible self harm I've seen is that (assuming he parked the truck on the 17th) he apparently wasn't very concerned about causing some damage to his truck's passsenger side -almost as if he knew he wasn't coming back).

BUT. If the truck was NOT there on 2/27 and 2/28 but was somehow PUT there on 3/1 or 3/2, IMO we got a whole new ballgame.

Because that means either JDD (or someone working with or for him) put the truck there on 3/1 or 3/2 intending to deceive investigators (indicating perhaps an attempt by JDD to go into the wind) OR, that something even more nefarious happened - that somebody put the truck there after committing a violent crime against JDD (also intending to deceive, but for a different reason). But in this second scenario, it seems that the perp or perps could've just as easily left the truck miles, or hundreds of miles, away from Crystal River and it would have had the same effect.

So imo, LCSO needs to be damn sure that that truck was NOT there the whole time (they said it NOT there on the 27th and 28th. But. Are. You. Sure? ). We need to know that they didn't just happen to miss it in the dark - after all, it was hidden away (if they did miss it, it's okay.. just tell us the truth). Maybe they didn't even pull down that particular private drive on those days... So, are they sure? 100 percent sure?

Because if the truck wasn't there on 2/27 and 2/28, imo this investigation should have been ramped up fast (yet it didn't, and hasn't). It should now involve many more LE groups and should have become (and be) much more intense, imo. It means we've got a crime - not a mishap - on our hands.

If it happened that way, deceptively parking the truck on 3/1 or 3/2 was a clear attempt to mislead investigators. Again, it likely means either we are dealing with a planned disappearance by JDD, or a planned/premeditated murder by somebody closer to Atlanta (jmo).

As a note, if the truck was always there and was just missed by LCSO, I would look for JDD and the kayak to be found in the water in - or along some of the small marshy islands closer to - Cedar Key (due to his internet searches). To get there (to those fishing spots, from where we think he launched) you'd have to cross a good bit of open water. I dont know what the weather was like on those days. Could have been rough (for those waters, anyway), but idk. And I know nothing about boat traffic in that area.

Could have just been a very sad mishap / tragedy. I really wish he could be found for his kids. A young guy (to me anyway!). But we really really need to know for sure about the truck location and dates to know which possibilities to consider. Mishap or crime?

 

[mlhenn]

Find John "Dax" Dunn

I went back to the find fb page because I remember one of the posts talked about people searching areas.
On the Feb 25 post, it’s stated that Yankeetown was one of the places searched. I’m not sure if they made it all the way down to the end of the road where the truck was eventually found, but if so then they did not see the truck on that day when searching.

 

[mlhenn]

It was stated that family and friends went down and reviewed video from the gas station. Is this as in they went to the station themselves and looked at video? That’s not the norm is it, to just allow someone to review your videos?

 

[mlhenn]

Questions, questions, and more questions!

•This was a fishing trip JDD took several times, when he went on the trip this last time was it around the same time of the year when he normally goes?

•We know he used cards pretty much to purchase things (food, gas, kayak, etc) so did he not use them any time after those purchases? Meaning what did he use to purchase food, drinks, gas, etc on days such as 17/18th? Did he decide then to use cash? Were there receipts from other purchases in his truck?

•He was stated he did not contact family any while gone. I can see this with his wife due to the circumstances but did he not check in with anybody to let em know he was good? Did they not think “hey, haven’t heard from JD!”?

•As for the hotel...when I asked before about whether he checked out, I meant in did he physically checkout at the front desk? Did anyone see him coming to & from the hotel? Were there video cameras at the hotel? Did anything look suspicious in the room he stayed in? Did it even look as if he stayed in the room (ex: maid comes in to clean & bed hasn’t been slept in)?

•The kayak was rented on the 17th for 2 days. However, JDD was due back to work on the 18th. Why would someone rent a kayak for two days if they were to go home the day after renting it?
And how did the family/friends get the receipt for the kayak rental? Where did they find it at? Not in his truck because it hadn’t been found yet.

•Lastly, (for now ) is it the norm to file a missing persons report just in their hometown and not in the place they were supposed to have went missing from?

 

[Rush4087]

Find John "Dax" Dunn

I went back to the find fb page because I remember one of the posts talked about people searching areas.
On the Feb 25 post, it’s stated that Yankeetown was one of the places searched. I’m not sure if they made it all the way down to the end of the road where the truck was eventually found, but if so then they did not see the truck on that day when searching.

I don't know specifically where the truck was found, other than it was "near" the end of 40, and "near" the boat ramp. I do recall reading however that it was found on a private road or drive - so I think we can assume it was not located somewhere along the road to the Bird Creek Boat Ramp or in the lot at Bird Creek Beach.

Looking at Google Earth, the only other "drives" I can find which appear to be within walking distance of the ramp are on E. Rock Island and on a small peninsula just southeast of E Rock Island. Both appear to be sandy and overgrown, and I think either could match the background of the photo. That said, neither is very long. It seems it'd be hard to miss a white truck parked at either location (especially given that you are searching for a white truck).

But if the truck truly was not there on 2/27 and 2/28 - but then was there on 3/3 - I think we're looking at a crime or an intentional disappearance, not an accident/mishap or suicide (though I suppose it could be an intentional-disappearance suicide). Pretty strange.

 

[Rush4087]

If suicide, why rent the kayak for 2 days..?

 

[Rush4087]

If intentional-disappearance-with-suicide, you'd think the kayak and/or a body would've been found by now (though I guess the kayak could be buried deep in the sand on some tiny remote mangrove island somewhere). Maybe renting it for more than a day was done to buy enough time to thoroughly hide it? And he did take the gun... But no body found. And you've still got the problem with the truck.

If intentional disappearance w/o suicide (like in an attempt to defraud insurance), it seems that somebody else would have almost had to have been involved. That would be a very very difficult thing to pull off in this day and age without lots of resources.

I guess he could have been robbed (and the perp took the kayak too?). But unless the robbery took place near the ramp, or unless the perp knew where JDD was planning to go fishing, how would the perp have known where to leave the truck, and why would he have not parked it there until some two weeks after the kayak was rented and JDD was to have been fishing?

 

[mlhenn]

I was under the impression it was found at the end of Yankeetown in a more public area.

Georgia man's disappearance a mystery

...not far from the boat ramp at the end of County Road 40 in the Yankeetown area just west of Inglis.


Co Rd 40
Yankeetown, FL
Google Maps

 

[JudgeJoe]

Bumping. Wondering about current legal status of divorce. Not finding the “deeply in love” idea plausible since wife filed for divorce before JDD went missing- right as his response was due before the court. All links upthread multiple times. Still find this case very unsettling. I doubt he’s using his military skills to survive off grid. Even with his marriage on the rocks, he doesn’t sound like the type of man to abandon his kids & a stable job. Jmo

 

[mlhenn]

Thoughts are with JDD!
With so many unanswered questions where do you even go from here in trying to help??