Found Deceased PA - John Kohlbecker, 27, Philadelphia, 11 February 2016

Feb 11.

I have not looked at facebook much. Was John a big sports fan? Did John gamble? The Super Bowl ended a week before. Could he have had gambling debts, although they did say foul play was not suspected. Super Bowl Sunday is the #1 suicide day on the calendar. I don't know why it is, but I heard that fact recently.
 
This is just my brothers opinion. Some of John's "friends" from Penn State and Manayunk were into drugs and drinking a lot. Once my brother got the city job stopped hanging out with John due to some of the friends John had. When I talked to John in December at my job, full blown conversation, he didn't seem odd or on drugs. I would see John every now and again after that only cause he lives next to me. We used to hang out a lot and I used to drive him and my bro places, as they were best friends growing up. I regret not actually getting involved more in John's life or his families life because they are good people. John is a smart guy, he was a little wired from time to time but he was smart. John was never the hardcore sports guy when I would be around him and I can't see him getting into gambling. He would drive his car from time to time.
I find it odd that he would be out that way especially that late at night. If this does involve drugs I would think something would of been found in the car. I personally don't think it's drugs, my brother thinks other wise.
I want to know what he bought at shop right and that fact he didn't tell anyone he was going to NJ is of course a red flag. I don't know if John realized how many people actually cared for him. My brother and I both want John to be ok. We don't care what dumb thing he may of done, we just want him alive and back. If there is someone involved or someone remembers John talking about that area I hope they do the right thing and contact the authorities.
 
Thanks for the backstory, Scarlet. Alive and back...that exactly what he needs to be.
 
I wonder if there is a way to know when his car was abandoned officially. If he left the car on the 11th and it was found on the 14th?
I find it odd that someone would go to the forest area at 10pm or later at night. It takes about 36mins to get from Buena Borough to Green Bank. He was pulled over on the 11th at 9:30pm on the 11th, did he drive to Green Bank that night?
 
I don't know how to answer that Scarlet. While it's a possibility, IMO it's too soon to be thinking along those lines. The clothes found on the Mullica River are currently being tested. LE knows if the clothes found match the clothes he was wearing in the ShopRite video or when the police stopped him. If they are John's clothes, then that's more information. Identifying what the clothes are stained with is key, too. Hopefully, test results will come back soon and some answers will follow.

Try to be patient. It's not a cold case. Keep brainstorming with his friends and family about events surrounding his disappearance. I believe someone knows something even if John is a private person as news reports claim.

Find your way home, John.
 
The New Jersey Search and Rescue posted on the 28th about being on stand by for a search and rescue but no other update. Could it be related to John? They tagged the location at Mahwah, NJ. It may not be connected at all.
I also wonder if we are going to find out about those lab test soon.
 
Has ANYONE heard anything lately about John?? It's killing me have so little information and no updates about what's going on. I read this entire thread so I know about the time line you constructed, but anything new? John and I havnt talked in maybe 10 years but we were best friends for a summer and I really hope and pray he is alright...
 
Honestly I feel there is a reason there hasn't been new info released. His story is kept a little quiet and it's best to keep it that way until his family wants it to get more attention. I can't imagine how his family feels. I am panicked and very upset that John has not been found yet. You all know from the start I want to go out and look for him, but me looking for him isn't going to find him. Truth is the Police are experienced, the search and rescue team know how to find people it's their job. I truly believe they know what's going on and have way more of a lead then we will ever have. I don't want to sound morbid and maybe I have watched way to many horror films, but I wonder if the grave yard near by was checked. We really don't know what has been searched through except that we know they looked south of his car.
John spent a lot of time in NJ and the fact he was pulled over at 9:30pm on the 11th shows he was there almost all day. He left work around 12:30pm and was seen at the shopright at 2:30pm. He was in NJ for a long time. My question is was he spotted in NJ after the 11th? It seems right now he was not, which is leaving me to believe after being pulled over he made his way to green bank.
As I said before I just want John to be alive. I think adult missing cases are handled differently then teens and children which is maybe a lot of the reason it's not as open. Maybe?
 
So, if John had no car for 6 months, how does he go to Bridgeton from Manayunk if it is a regular, familiar stop? Or was it a one time stop?

Just getting caught up on this case. Used to live in roxborough after graduating from college and can't believe the lack of coverage in philly, and I'm a news buff. I didn't even know about this until I came on here and saw his thread.

If he was familiar with the area of Bridgeton, but wasn't using his car the previous times he went, he could have been driven by someone else or the NJ transit has service on the 410 route from Bridgeton to philly, so that's a possibility. They also have service from Bridgeton to Atlantic city on route 553.

I just checked pa webdockets, and this young man doesn't even have a traffic ticket and I checked all counties in the philly suburbs plus Centre county where PSU is, so I'm not sure what explains not using the car for awhile based on the mileage on the car fax report. It is true you can walk most places in the area. I drove most places but everyone's preferences and needs are different.
 
Me and John used to walk through the woods of Roxborough and find abandon places to explore just out of curiosity.. I know time and age can change someone's personality and he might not be into that sort of thing any more but I wonder if he went out there in search of something like that and could have possibly gotten lost of injured somewhere. Are there any places located around the area of his car that would be categorized as a local oddity or something of that nature that he might be interested in? I understand that details of a case such as this are better not shared publicly until everything is able to be fully explained but still, it's extremely hard to wait for an answer.
 
Just getting caught up on this case. Used to live in roxborough after graduating from college and can't believe the lack of coverage in philly, and I'm a news buff. I didn't even know about this until I came on here and saw his thread.

If he was familiar with the area of Bridgeton, but wasn't using his car the previous times he went, he could have been driven by someone else or the NJ transit has service on the 410 route from Bridgeton to philly, so that's a possibility. They also have service from Bridgeton to Atlantic city on route 553.

I just checked pa webdockets, and this young man doesn't even have a traffic ticket and I checked all counties in the philly suburbs plus Centre county where PSU is, so I'm not sure what explains not using the car for awhile based on the mileage on the car fax report. It is true you can walk most places in the area. I drove most places but everyone's preferences and needs are different.

He didn't really need his car because where we live is close to everything! He can take a bus to his job if he wanted and even if he drove it would be small distance. I have walked to Manayunk but it's hilly on the way back. I personally have seen John drive his car so he was driving it from time to time. Like I said everything is in walking distance and to drive would be close. Also Toyotas are great on gas. My friend has an older model Camry and that car has great distance on gas.
 
Me and John used to walk through the woods of Roxborough and find abandon places to explore just out of curiosity.. I know time and age can change someone's personality and he might not be into that sort of thing any more but I wonder if he went out there in search of something like that and could have possibly gotten lost of injured somewhere. Are there any places located around the area of his car that would be categorized as a local oddity or something of that nature that he might be interested in? I understand that details of a case such as this are better not shared publicly until everything is able to be fully explained but still, it's extremely hard to wait for an answer.

That's the reason I mentioned the grave yard and if it was checked. I still like stuff that's abandoned, it's mysterious and will never leave with age personally.
 
Speaking of the Roxborough woods. I remember when we all hug out at night by the woods, all the neighborhood kids. We used to be so freaked out by those woods sometimes. I miss those days and I regret not staying in better touch with everyone. I just wanted to say that for anyone who may know me on this thread or reading this in general. I don't think any of us intentionally lost touch it just happens when life makes us busy.
 
He didn't really need his car because where we live is close to everything! He can take a bus to his job if he wanted and even if he drove it would be small distance. I have walked to Manayunk but it's hilly on the way back. I personally have seen John drive his car so he was driving it from time to time. Like I said everything is in walking distance and to drive would be close. Also Toyotas are great on gas. My friend has an older model Camry and that car has great distance on gas.

Oh I know! I grew up across the river from manayunk and lived in roxborough but closer to Andorra right after college so I obviously had to drive more. Many of my friends still in manayunk and roxborough have cars they rarely use and commute to work by train, etc. so I don't find the mileage on the car weird at all. For this reason, maybe he decided he didn't need a car anymore and wanted to sell it?

I do wonder if the service he had done on the car on 2/10 could have been bc he was planning on selling it and was going to meet someone there to sell it? I'm sure this avenue has been explored by LE. Just a thought, I'm pretty much grasping at straws but I'm going to keep responding to posts and writing in here so his thread continues to get attention.
 
Oh I know! I grew up across the river from manayunk and lived in roxborough but closer to Andorra right after college so I obviously had to drive more. Many of my friends still in manayunk and roxborough have cars they rarely use and commute to work by train, etc. so I don't find the mileage on the car weird at all. For this reason, maybe he decided he didn't need a car anymore and wanted to sell it?

I do wonder if the service he had done on the car on 2/10 could have been bc he was planning on selling it and was going to meet someone there to sell it? I'm sure this avenue has been explored by LE. Just a thought, I'm pretty much grasping at straws but I'm going to keep responding to posts and writing in here so his thread continues to get attention.

One thing is clear, he intended to travel. I just don't get how his car was serviced and they didn't fix the tail light. If the car was going to be sold you would think he would want it all to be in good condition. Also if he did sell how would he of gotten home? Just shooting off questions. Also if he was going to sell it then when? He was driving the car at 9:30pm on the 11th.
It's all a mystery. I do think he had to have gone to meet someone; unless there is a lot to do in those areas for 6 plus hours.
 

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