KY KY - Ruvil Hale, 43, Paintsville, 3 July 1990

Ruvil Hale

Name: Ruvil Hale
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 3, 1990
Location Last Seen: Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky

Physical Description​

Date of Birth: January 21, 1947
Age: 43 yrs old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 208 lbs
Hair Color: Gray
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Ruble
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Discoloration right cheek, scar on head; fracture on arm, fractured skull; missing gallbladder; smoker.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance​

Mr. Hale sufferred a brain aneurysm. He had previously suffered a stroke and frequently had seizures. He also had some paralysis, double vision and responded slowly.

Hale disappeared from The Paintsville Health Care Center, a nursing home, on July 3, 1990. He reportedly disappeared about 10:25 a.m., the exact same time a Ford Tempo was stolen from the center's parking lot. At 10:25 a.m., July 3, a nursing home employee called in a missing persons report to the Paintsville 911 dispatcher's office. Near the same time, a man reported his 1988 Ford Tempo missing from Druther's Restaurant, located within 50 feet of the health care center.

Hale was the prime suspect in the auto theft, but medical personnel at the center said he would not have been physically capable of driving very far, especially without his medication. He only had $2 in his pocket. There was half a tank of gas in the car. He received a disability check and the last check was never cashed. Since his disappearance, not a shred of evidence as to his whereabouts has surfaced.

A private investigator's independent probe into Hale's disappearance concurs with the likelihood that Hale didn't make it far, alive. However, the independent investigation did provide a possible motive for murder, and the probe's findings reportedly point an accusing finger at someone who may have had daily contact with the nursing home patient.

The private investigator reportedly concluded that Hale was murdered in cold blood when it was discovered that he was going to blow the whistle on an alleged scam that involved the purchase of low-quality items at high-quality prices. Those identified by the private investigator as having any involvement with the alleged scam were never charged in connection with Hale's disappearance or the alleged scam. Hale was declared legally dead on July 7, 1996.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Kentucky State Police Post 9
Agency Contact Person: Trooper Steven Mounts
Agency Phone Number: 606- 433-7711
Agency E-Mail: steven.mounts@ky.gov
Agency Case Number: M433829971

Agency Name: Paintsville Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Chief Bill Halbrook
Agency Phone Number: 606-789-2603
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: N/A

NamUs Case Number: 7009
NCIC Case Number: M433829971

<MOD NOTE: Several original links throughout the thread were broken and have been edited to include the current link (when available) and images as of October 14, 2022>

When submitting to Namus, is it best to contact Local Contact, Regional Administrator, or Case Manager? Email or phone? TIA.

The Doe Network has some additional information regarding his disappearance.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Hale disappeared from The Paintsville Health Care Center, a nursing home, on July 3, 1990. He reportedly disappeared about 10:25 a.m., the exact same time a Ford Tempo was stolen from the center's parking lot. At 10:25 a.m., July 3, a nursing home employee called in a missing persons report to the Paintsville 911 dispatcher's office. Near the same time, a man reported his 1988 Ford Tempo missing from Druther's Restaurant, located within 50 feet of the health care center.

Hale was the prime suspect in the auto theft, but medical personnel at the center said he would not have been physically capable of driving very far, especially without his medication. He only had $2 in his pocket. There was half a tank of gas in the car. He received a disability check and the last check was never cashed. Since his disappearance, not a shred of evidence as to his whereabouts has surfaced.

A private investigator's independent probe into Hale's disappearance concurs with the likelihood that Hale didn't make it far, alive. However, the independent investigation did provide a possible motive for murder, and the probe's findings reportedly point an accusing finger at someone who may have had daily contact with the nursing home patient.

The private investigator reportedly concluded that Hale was murdered in cold blood when it was discovered that he was going to blow the whistle on an alleged scam that involved the purchase of low-quality items at high-quality prices. Those identified by the private investigator as having any involvement with the alleged scam were never charged in connection with Hale's disappearance or the alleged scam.

Hale was declared legally dead on July 7, 1996.

Bumping for Ruvil.

RUVIL HALE

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 3, 1990
Location Last Seen: Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky
Date of Birth: January 21, 1947
Age: 43 yrs old
Race/Gender: White/Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 208 lbs
Hair Color: Gray
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Ruble
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Discoloration right cheek, scar on head; fracture on arm, fractured skull; missing gallbladder; smoker.

Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Missing Person Exclusion: UP6637 2006 Fairfax VA

• NamUs MP7009
• The Doe Network 1298DMKY
• Unsolved Appalachia
• Porchlight
• The Charley Project

Per The Charley Project:
Medical Conditions: Hale was being treated for a brain aneurysm at the time of his disappearance, and had an open skull injury. He has also previously suffered a stroke. He had seizures, severe headaches, muscular weakness especially in his legs, poor coordination, memory loss, a paralyzed throat that caused him to choke easily, drastic mood swings, and double vision at the time he vanished, and he responded slowly. He needs multiple medications and round-the-clock are to control his conditions. He is classified as disabled.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Gray hair, brown eyes. Hale may spell his name "Ruble." He has previously fractured his skull and his arm. His gallbladder is missing. Hale's left arm is crippled. He has scars on his head and abdomen and a discoloration on his right cheek. Hale smoked cigarettes in 1990.

Details of Disappearance
Hale was last seen at the Paintsville Health Care Center, a nursing home in Johnson County, Kentucky, on July 3, 1990. He disappeared at around 10:25 a.m., at the same time that a 1988 Ford Tempo was stolen from the parking lot of Druther’s Restaurant, next door to the nursing home.

Witnesses reported a gray-haired man with eyeglasses drove the vehicle south towards Prestonsburg, Kentucky. Police suspected Hale stole the car, but his caregivers say he would have been physically incapable of driving far, especially without his medication.

Hale did not have his medicine with him at the time of his disappearance, and he had only $2 in cash. He received disability payments and never cashed his last check. The Ford he allegedly took had half a tank of gasoline at the time it was stolen.

The Hale family believes foul play was involved in his disappearance; they think he was murdered by someone connected with the nursing home. A private investigator hired by the family believed Hale found out about a scam some of the nursing home employees were involved in, and was killed in order to silence him. However, this theory remains unverified and no one was charged in the alleged scam.

Hale had been a coal miner for the Peter Cave Coal Company, but an injury put him out of work. He was declared legally dead in 1996. He and the missing car have never been located.

FWIW, I have been desperately trying to find at least an additional photo of Ruvil but to no avail. Based on photos of his male relatives posted on Ancestry, it’s safe to say that 6’1” is a good approximation of his height. The men all seem to be quite tall! JMO

MadMcGoo said:

RUVIL HALE
View attachment 231318
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 3, 1990
Location Last Seen: Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky
Date of Birth: January 21, 1947
Age: 43 yrs old
Race/Gender: White/Male
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 208 lbs
Hair Color: Gray
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Ruble
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Discoloration right cheek, scar on head; fracture on arm, fractured skull; missing gallbladder; smoker.

Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Missing Person Exclusion: UP6637 2006 Fairfax VA

• NamUs MP7009
• The Doe Network 1298DMKY
• Unsolved Appalachia
• Porchlight
• The Charley Project

Per The Charley Project:
Medical Conditions: Hale was being treated for a brain aneurysm at the time of his disappearance, and had an open skull injury. He has also previously suffered a stroke. He had seizures, severe headaches, muscular weakness especially in his legs, poor coordination, memory loss, a paralyzed throat that caused him to choke easily, drastic mood swings, and double vision at the time he vanished, and he responded slowly. He needs multiple medications and round-the-clock are to control his conditions. He is classified as disabled.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Gray hair, brown eyes. Hale may spell his name "Ruble." He has previously fractured his skull and his arm. His gallbladder is missing. Hale's left arm is crippled. He has scars on his head and abdomen and a discoloration on his right cheek. Hale smoked cigarettes in 1990.

Details of Disappearance
Hale was last seen at the Paintsville Health Care Center, a nursing home in Johnson County, Kentucky, on July 3, 1990. He disappeared at around 10:25 a.m., at the same time that a 1988 Ford Tempo was stolen from the parking lot of Druther’s Restaurant, next door to the nursing home.

Witnesses reported a gray-haired man with eyeglasses drove the vehicle south towards Prestonsburg, Kentucky. Police suspected Hale stole the car, but his caregivers say he would have been physically incapable of driving far, especially without his medication.

Hale did not have his medicine with him at the time of his disappearance, and he had only $2 in cash. He received disability payments and never cashed his last check. The Ford he allegedly took had half a tank of gasoline at the time it was stolen.

The Hale family believes foul play was involved in his disappearance; they think he was murdered by someone connected with the nursing home. A private investigator hired by the family believed Hale found out about a scam some of the nursing home employees were involved in, and was killed in order to silence him. However, this theory remains unverified and no one was charged in the alleged scam.

Hale had been a coal miner for the Peter Cave Coal Company, but an injury put him out of work. He was declared legally dead in 1996. He and the missing car have never been located.

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Wow, yeah reading all those medical conditions, I too can't see how he could've physically stolen a car, driven away, and even hidden the car so well, it hasn't been found in 30 years. I don't even see how he could've gotten out of bed by himself!

I also note that eyewitnesses describe a gray-haired man with eyeglasses, but I don't see glasses as part of Hale's description or belongings. Do we know if he wore glasses?

I feel like he was kidnapped, and that he couldn't call out for help because of his conditions, including his paralyzed throat. The PI's findings sound like a reasonable motive for me, but without further confirmation, it's harder to prove.

Also, don't laugh at me, but how far can a half tank of gas get you? I've never driven, and I know next to nothing about cars!

JSolt1210 said:

Wow, yeah reading all those medical conditions, I too can't see how he could've physically stolen a car, driven away, and even hidden the car so well, it hasn't been found in 30 years. I don't even see how he could've gotten out of bed by himself!

I also note that eyewitnesses describe a gray-haired man with eyeglasses, but I don't see glasses as part of Hale's description or belongings. Do we know if he wore glasses?

I feel like he was kidnapped, and that he couldn't call out for help because of his conditions, including his paralyzed throat. The PI's findings sound like a reasonable motive for me, but without further confirmation, it's harder to prove.

Also, don't laugh at me, but how far can a half tank of gas get you? I've never driven, and I know next to nothing about cars!

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I was a passenger in a car accident and have not driven because of that. Scary! So no judgment on not ever driving cuz I refuse to go behind the wheel lol

as for the gas, it depends on the vehicle and if it’s a “gas hog”, I think half a tank could get possibly 60+ miles, again depending on the vehicle, if it had issues like oil leak, high miles, etc, so it’s hard to say.

my MIL had 2 brain aneurisms burst and it caused seizures and a stroke 2 years ago. She was in the hospital for a couple months, came home and was back to somewhat normal, her eyes on the other hand gotten so bad from it that she had to have eye surgery and lense replacement for the cataracts it caused and expensive expensive glasses, so IMO Mr.Hale could have gotten glasses while he was being treated for the aneurism if he didn’t have them prior.

Personally I think he was forcefully taken, the poor man had many medical issues, I can’t imagine one leaving on their own accord with that much going on, but that’s imo

PezCandy said:

I was a passenger in a car accident and have not driven because of that. Scary! So no judgment on not ever driving cuz I refuse to go behind the wheel lol

as for the gas, it depends on the vehicle and if it’s a “gas hog”, I think half a tank could get possibly 60+ miles, again depending on the vehicle, if it had issues like oil leak, high miles, etc, so it’s hard to say.

my MIL had 2 brain aneurisms burst and it caused seizures and a stroke 2 years ago. She was in the hospital for a couple months, came home and was back to somewhat normal, her eyes on the other hand gotten so bad from it that she had to have eye surgery and lense replacement for the cataracts it caused and expensive expensive glasses, so IMO Mr.Hale could have gotten glasses while he was being treated for the aneurism if he didn’t have them prior.

Personally I think he was forcefully taken, the poor man had many medical issues, I can’t imagine one leaving on their own accord with that much going on, but that’s imo

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Oh wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL! That sounds tough! Yeah, maybe Hale didn't need glasses before his condition developed, so that's why they're not listed in his description.

Thanks for the info re: the gas tank. 60 miles is quite a distance. I actually found a map online of what a 60-mile radius from Paintsville looks like. Parts of it spill into neighboring states like Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia.

If witnesses hadn't reported the car was driving south to Prestonsburg, about 13 miles away, I might've suggested the car could've been driven into Paintsville Lake State Park, which is just 5 miles away from the center of town. But there are other bodies of water on the way to Prestonsburg the car could've been driven into.

Yeah I agree he was forcibly taken, and probably due to the reasons the PI uncovered.

I haven’t been able to completely read up on his case but was he getting social security? Did he have a caregiver?

According to Charley Project, he was getting disability payments and never cashed his last check. I’m not sure about a particular caregiver, I think the nursing home as a whole would have been his ‘care giver’.

re: gas tank...I think with a Ford Tempo, 1/2 a tank would get you about 150 miles, roughly. I used to have a Z28 Camaro and could get about 300 miles, or a little under, on a full tank of gas. That was a gas guzzler, especially at the speed I was allegedly going. So an ‘88 Tempo is a small 4 or 6 cylinder that could go forever on a tank of gas.

(I had to look it up lol) On average, it gets about 24 miles per gallon with a 15 gallon fuel tank. So let’s say it had 8 gallons of gas, half full, that’s about 192 miles. There are lots of variables still; highway vs city miles, the exact model and specifications, but just to show, I think he could have gotten pretty far, if he were able to, which I really don’t think he was.

I can’t find a thing on him medically, which I expected. Nor can I find a bit of info on the PI’s findings, also somewhat expected. Same thing with the coal mining accident that caused his injuries. I did find it interesting that he had attempted to “steal” an ambulance and drive away from the facility he was in. I can’t remember exactly which link I read that, but it’s one I posted. Makes me wonder if he was trying to escape from someone or something then. Because I too don’t believe he could have driven that vehicle far, if at all. He was evidently still able to smoke cigarettes, so I’m not sure to what extent he was physically handicapped.

If the ambulance story is true (I’m sure it is, I just didn’t find any supporting info), then I think it’s possible he did try and take that vehicle in another attempt to escape. That or he was kidnapped. I don’t think he was so mentally retarded that he was unaware of his surroundings, otherwise how could have even known about, and be willing to expose, a “corrupt” situation. So I’m sure if he felt his life was in danger, he’d have been able to at least concoct a plan to get away. However, I think his physical disabilities must have thwarted the execution of that plan; e.g. the ambulance incident and the ‘car theft’ the night of his disappearance. Or, possibly he had moments of mental clarity that allowed him to think more clearly than others, and without medications those thoughts were short-winded? If that makes sense.

Both scenarios, kidnapping or trying to run for his life gone wrong, I think are incredibly sad and scary. I also tried finding out if that car had ever been found (not that I could tell) because that holds a massive clue, IMO. If not stolen by him and unintentionally driven into a lake or someplace else, what happened to it? Did someone kidnap him using that vehicle and then later destroy it? Sell it? It has to be somewhere!

This case is very disturbing to me. I’d sure like to find out what happened to this poor man. IMO, someone definitely knows more than they’re saying.

half a tank in a Ford Tempo is 8 gallons. It is rated around 24 MPG city and 33 highway so 200+ miles of travel on the open road isn't unreasonable.

Valiant said:

half a tank in a Ford Tempo is 8 gallons. It is rated around 24 MPG city and 33 highway so 200+ miles of travel on the open road isn't unreasonable.

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I’m apparently terrible with figuring out miles lol most trucks my family have had were gas guzzlers so that’s what I was figuring, but I don’t drive so I wouldn’t exactly know

PezCandy said:

I’m apparently terrible with figuring out miles lol most trucks my family have had were gas guzzlers so that’s what I was figuring, but I don’t drive so I wouldn’t exactly know

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That’s why I had to look it up

A friend's husband had a traumatic brain injury and tried to escape from the rehab center he was in. He actually tried to drive off in an ambulance! I wonder if they sometimes leave them running unattended for short periods in order to do transfers. Must not be as uncommon as I thought!

I'm curious why the stolen Ford Tempo was left unlocked in the restaurant parking lot apparently either running or with keys inside, and how would RH have known to go out there to take that vehicle that specific day at that time?

What a coincidence

IMO at least one other person had to be involved.
This very vulnerable man deserves justice. Wish they would take a fresh look at the case.
My speculations and opinions only.

This case was just recently added to NAMUS and the location where the skull was found is about 11 miles from where Ruvil went missing.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Ruvil is also in NamUs.
Do you suppose they would only have added the skull to NamUs if nearby cases like Ruvil's had already been ruled-out (I'm not sure what they have to go by for him, if anything), or would they have opened the NamUs case and then started pondering rule-outs? How does it all work?

ChatteringBirds said:

Ruvil is also in NamUs.
Do you suppose they would only have added the skull to NamUs if nearby cases like Ruvil's had already been ruled-out (I'm not sure what they have to go by for him, if anything), or would they have opened the NamUs case and then started pondering rule-outs? How does it all work?

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Good questions.

Bumping up for the year. UID is still unidentified in NamUs.

May Ruvil not be forgotten.