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Sidney Edward Johnston

Case Classification: Involuntary / Endangered Missing
Last Date of Contact: January 22, 1990
Location Last Seen: Davenport, Scott County, Iowa
Description:
Johnson went missing from Davenport, Iowa on January 22, 1990. He was a machine operator at Case IH in East Moline, and failed to show up for work the following day. He has never been heard from again. His supervisor told police that two weeks before his disappearance, Johnston had received several emergency telephone calls at work, which was out of the ordinary.
Johnston often ate a late-night breakfast at Ross’ Restaurant in Bettendorf, and was last seen there by a cashier on January 25, 1990, three days after he stopped showing up for work. Police interviewed the cashier who reported that Johnston appeared to be upset.
When investigators checked his home, they found holes punched in the walls and one door, a possible vomit stain on the bed sheets, and a dish full of cat food on the floor. The house was uncharacteristically messy. Johnston's maroon 1984 Ford Thunderbird was also missing and has never been located.
Johnston was scheduled to appear before a Rock Island County magistrate on January 23, the day after he went missing, for unlawful possession of a bank identification card. Relatives told police at the time that they did not think he had skipped town.
He had asked his brother for money in December of 1989 and refused to say what he needed it for. His family believes that he may have given away nearly $30,000 in the months before his disappearance, when before he had been very frugal. He had gotten into legal trouble over his finances and a stack of bills showed that he had been contacted by collection agencies on numerous occasions.
According to his neighbors, Johnston's behavior changed about six months before his disappearance. In the summer of 1989, a young man and a young woman began spending time at his house, which was unusual because Johnston rarely had friends over. His neighbors frequently heard loud arguments at the residence, with shouting and cursing. Investigators identified and interviewed the man and the woman. The man admitted Johnston had given him hundreds of dollars. The woman said she never knew Johnston. Both the man and the woman passed polygraph tests, so they were never arrested or charged in connection with his disappearance.
Johnston was a Navy veteran and at the time of his disappearance, he was single, had no children, and lived alone at 1623 East 11th Street where he'd been residing for 28 years. Two of his five siblings have died since he went missing. His brother is convinced that if Johnston was still alive, he would have attended his siblings’ funerals. Foul play is suspected in Johnston's case, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Investigators:
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
Sidney Johnston
4344DMIA - Sidney Edward Johnston
Sidney Edward Johnston – The Charley Project

Case Classification: Involuntary / Endangered Missing
Last Date of Contact: January 22, 1990
Location Last Seen: Davenport, Scott County, Iowa
Description:
- Date of Birth: December 11, 1942
- Age: 47 years old
- Race: White/Caucasian
- Gender: Male
- Height: 6'2" (74 inches)
- Weight: 180 lbs.
- Hair Color: Brown
- Eye Color: Hazel
- Nickname/Alias: Sid
- Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
- Clothing & Personal Items: Unknown
- Other Personal Items: Maroon 1984 Ford Thunderbird
- Identifiers: Unknown
Johnson went missing from Davenport, Iowa on January 22, 1990. He was a machine operator at Case IH in East Moline, and failed to show up for work the following day. He has never been heard from again. His supervisor told police that two weeks before his disappearance, Johnston had received several emergency telephone calls at work, which was out of the ordinary.
Johnston often ate a late-night breakfast at Ross’ Restaurant in Bettendorf, and was last seen there by a cashier on January 25, 1990, three days after he stopped showing up for work. Police interviewed the cashier who reported that Johnston appeared to be upset.
When investigators checked his home, they found holes punched in the walls and one door, a possible vomit stain on the bed sheets, and a dish full of cat food on the floor. The house was uncharacteristically messy. Johnston's maroon 1984 Ford Thunderbird was also missing and has never been located.
Johnston was scheduled to appear before a Rock Island County magistrate on January 23, the day after he went missing, for unlawful possession of a bank identification card. Relatives told police at the time that they did not think he had skipped town.
He had asked his brother for money in December of 1989 and refused to say what he needed it for. His family believes that he may have given away nearly $30,000 in the months before his disappearance, when before he had been very frugal. He had gotten into legal trouble over his finances and a stack of bills showed that he had been contacted by collection agencies on numerous occasions.
According to his neighbors, Johnston's behavior changed about six months before his disappearance. In the summer of 1989, a young man and a young woman began spending time at his house, which was unusual because Johnston rarely had friends over. His neighbors frequently heard loud arguments at the residence, with shouting and cursing. Investigators identified and interviewed the man and the woman. The man admitted Johnston had given him hundreds of dollars. The woman said she never knew Johnston. Both the man and the woman passed polygraph tests, so they were never arrested or charged in connection with his disappearance.
Johnston was a Navy veteran and at the time of his disappearance, he was single, had no children, and lived alone at 1623 East 11th Street where he'd been residing for 28 years. Two of his five siblings have died since he went missing. His brother is convinced that if Johnston was still alive, he would have attended his siblings’ funerals. Foul play is suspected in Johnston's case, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Investigators:
- Davenport Police Department: (563) 328-6749; (563) 326-7979
Reference Case#: Not available
- Missing Person Information Clearinghouse - Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation: (515) 725-6036; 1-800-346-5507; [email protected]
Reference Case#: Not available
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
Sidney Johnston
4344DMIA - Sidney Edward Johnston
Sidney Edward Johnston – The Charley Project
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