Reeves Kemp Johnson III
Johnson, circa 1983; Photo of mysterious man possibly tied to Johnson's case
Missing Since: February 3, 1983
Missing From: Kittery, York County, Maine
Classification: Endangered Missing
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age: 31 years old
Date of Birth: September 1951
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 130 pounds
Hair Color: Brown (curly; full beard)
Eye Color: Brown (wears eyeglasses or contacts)
Medical Conditions: Johnson suffers from severe hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which could be potentially fatal. He may also be suffering from mental illness; he has sought psychiatric treatment in the past.
Details of Disappearance: Johnson moved to Kittery, Maine from Pennsylvania in 1977 and took a job as a welder for Donnelly Manufacturing in Exeter, New Hampshire. He lived in a cabin on Jewett Court with a roommate, a man named Richard whom he'd picked up hitchhiking months earlier. Johnson's family did not know Richard's last name.
On February 3, 1983, Johnson quit his Donnelly Manufacturing job. On February 9, he purchased two packs of thermal underwear in Portsmouth. Neither pack was in his clothing size: one was a size small and the other, an extra-large. He apparently was last seen in Kittery sometime between February 15 and February 21; the exact date is unclear.
On February 15, Johnson's father in Pennsylvania asked the Kittery police to do a welfare check on him, as he hadn't heard from him and was worried. The police went to his residence at Jewett Court and due to snowfall in the area and a lack of footprints, it was obvious that no one had been there in several days. They determined the home had not been entered since approximately February 6, and the pipes were frozen.
Also on February 15, Johnson's red 1972 Volkswagen with Maine license plates was towed to the Exxon station in the Elwyn Park area of Portsmouth. The mechanic on duty recognized Johnson's photo and stated that Johnson said he needed to go south and wanted "quick repairs" on the car. It's not clear what he meant about going south. He had mentioned wanting to visit his sister in Georgia, but no specific plans had been made.
Johnson reportedly reappeared at the Exxon station on February 21 to retrieve his car. He tried to pay the repair bill by check, but the mechanic refused to accept it and Johnson left the building on foot, leaving the car. The next day, Johnson or someone claiming to be him called Donnelly Manufacturing and asked to have his last paycheck sent to his address in Kittery.
On February 23, the Exxon station got a call from someone claiming to be Johnson. The caller offered to give the car to the business to cover the cost of the repair bill. He said he'd originally purchased the car for $1,200, but in fact it had been a gift from Johnson's father.
Johnson's parents staked out the post office in Kittery, hoping their son would come and collect his mail. His mother was inside the post office taking photos when she saw an unidentified man with long reddish-blond hair, about 5'10 tall and dressed in green overalls and a red hat, open her son's post office box and collect his mail.
The man kept the paycheck Donnelly Manufacturing had sent, but threw out the other mail. Then he noticed he was being photographed and put his hand up in front of his face. In the resulting photo, the man's face is completely covered.
When Johnson's mother spoke to the man, he stated Johnson was living with him in an apartment in Portsmouth and offered to take her there if she had a car. Johnson's mother called her husband so he could get the car, but when Johnson's father arrived at the post office, the man ran outside and got away from them. This man has never been identified, and the paycheck he took with him has never been cashed.
Since 1983 there has been no activity on Johnson's Social Security number and no indication of his whereabouts. His family believes the man who came to get his mail knows what happened to him. The circumstances of his disappearance are unclear, but Johnson's family said that due to his hypoglycemia he could have died unexpectedly of natural causes.
He is a graduate of Trinity College in Connecticut, where he studied philosophy and history and spent a semester abroad in Italy. His case remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency: Kittery Police Department
207-439-1638
