NOV 6, 2021
Lack of new leads in 2018 case of missing Virginia man leave authorities, family pleading for public's help (yahoo.com)
As hunting season approaches each fall in the mountains of Virginia, KW holds onto hope that a hunter or hiker will come across a clue that will finally lead to answers about her brother’s disappearance.
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Keith Whitmore always wore a hat, mainly his University of Virginia (UVA) hat.
“He was a big fan,” KW said. “And he never took that hat off.”
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KW told Dateline that her brother worked hard his whole life, and even managed to retire from his job as a maintenance mechanic at the Hershey plant before he turned 50.
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As the years passed, KW said her brother distanced himself from the family. He bought a house in a secluded area outside the small town of Greenville and lived a simple life, mainly kept to himself, avoiding people except for when he ventured out to pick up Chinese food each week.
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The last time the family saw Keith was in June 2015. Their father was on his deathbed and Keith came to say goodbye.
“He was his typical self, but he seemed fine and it was good to have the family together,” KW said. “But that was it. That was the last time we saw him.”
KW continued to reach out to her brother through letters, calls and messages on social media. But his responses trickled down to silence.
In the spring of 2018, Kim stopped by her brother’s house with her grandsons, hoping to say hello.
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KW and her sister continued to stop by the house. The porch light at his house was on. His cars were in the driveway. No one answered the door. Not even for the police who attempted a wellness check in May.
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KW discovered his power had been cut off. And that his mortgage had not been paid. Trash in the outdoor trash bins had long expired. After countless attempts to reach Keith, KW and their sister broke into his house.
“Except for the power being off, everything appeared to be in order,” KW said. “Only thing that was strange was that his phone and wallet were missing.”
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In June 2018, an official missing persons report was filed with the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office and an investigation was conducted.
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... they searched bank and credit card records, and while Keith had plenty of money in his accounts, nothing had been used since April.
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Anyone who believes they may have information on Keith’s whereabouts is asked to call the Augusta County Sheriff's Office at 540-245-5333 or Crime Stoppers at 800-322-2017.
