MO MO - Jon Ganz, 49, missing since 5 April 2025 from Springfield.

[Linear13]

Jon Ganz,49, disappeared from Springfield MO. He and his wife had rented the Airbnb for a month with intentions upon using the time to look for a new home and jobs. Their home was in Richmond VA. Over the course of the previous months Jon had become obsessed with Gemini AI. It is believed he had a mental break. There is a lot to this story.

I came across this story on Rolling Stone and looked here and there was no thread for him. It is a very strange story about a guy trying to turn his life around and seemingly succeeding only to become obsessed with AI. The new diagnosis being floated around is “AI Psychosis” even though this term is not currently in the DSM. I will link several different MSM links as well as the MO State Police missing flyer. The Rolling Stone link was free to read and explains many details that couldn’t fit on a missing persons flyer.

Addendum -I followed the link from the author of the story who posts on X. I was able to read the Rolling Stone article free one time but when I went back it wanted a sub so I think you only get one free read. My secret to reading items behind a wall is to go to archive.is where people cache (save) articles. All you have to do is copy the link you want to read and paste it in the bottom search box on archive.is to see if anyone has cached (saved) it.

MO State Police Missing Flyer

https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/mpphotos/A1001001A25D07B13205J817471.pdf

Very Informative Rolling Stone Article (was free to read one time…this article explains everything)

He Grew Obsessed With an AI Chatbot. Then He Vanished in the Ozarks

Jon Ganz committed a terrible crime in his youth, but he survived prison, fell in love, and started over. His new life unraveled in a way nobody could have predicted.

www.rollingstone.com

Ozark First Newspaper

https://www.ozarksfirst.com/top-stories/search-stalls-for-for-jon-ganz-who-disappeared-in-oregon-county-a-month-ago/

Missing Flyer from ‘Missing In America Network’ Instagram

Missing In America Network on Instagram: "🚨 Missing In Missouri: JON GANZ 🚨 Jon Ganz was last seen by family around 3:40 p.m. on April 5, 2025, in Springfield, Missouri. That same evening, between 8:40 and 9:00 p.m., he was seen by Oregon County She

9 likes, 0 comments - missinginamericanetwork on July 31, 2025: "🚨 Missing In Missouri: JON GANZ 🚨 Jon Ganz was last seen by family around 3:40 p.m. on April 5, 2025, in Springfield, Missouri. That same evening, between 8:40 and 9:00 p.m., he was seen by Oregon County Sheriff’s Deputies in...

www.instagram.com

This is my first thread post so I hope everything is correct.

 

[songbrd]

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[GraceG]

@Linear13 you did a great job of starting the thread! I hadn't heard of his being missing, and I lived for about 10 years in the Springfield area (Ozark actually, though my job was at the SGF airport). I still had to look Thomasville up on a map, it states it has a population of 23. There's nothing there, but it's a beautiful part of the state with a lot of isolation and forests. But if he had, as speculated, simply walked off, with no coat, and those temps, he likely wouldn't nave survived long - but I think his body would have been close enough to the vehicle to have been found.

Fascinating article in any case, I really liked the quote from the associate professor of philosopher at the Univerisy of Oxford's Institute for Ethics in AI, Carissa Veliz," “Part of what keeps us sane is other people’s perspectives, which are often in tension with ours,”. AI simply validates whatever you say it appears, though I haven't worked with it much myself.

Again, thank you for all of this. I don't think this is going to have a happy ending but it's good his story is being widely shared.

 

[TwinkieDefense]

April 9, 2025 article - (A search on Google indicates 25 minutes (21.6 miles) via US-160 E from West Plains, MO to Thomasville, MO).

Search Continues for Missing Man Following Devastating Flooding in Southern Missouri - Ozark Radio News

West Plains, MO – A search is underway for 49-year-old Jon Ganz, who went missing during the severe flooding that struck southern Missouri over the weekend. Multiple agencies are involved in the ongoing efforts to locate him, including the Oregon County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Police...

www.ozarkradionews.com

[…]

…. He was then directed toward his last known destination—a motel in West Plains—where he was expected stay. However, Jon never arrived.

[…]

The next day, Jon’s truck was discovered abandoned in Thomasville, an area that had been under evacuation orders due to extreme flooding. Inside the vehicle, officers found his cell phone, clothing, and shoes, raising serious concerns about his safety and well-being.

[…]