MUS-2026-0103
Archive card
MUS-2026-0103
Missing person
- Incident
- 1998
- Indexed
- Oct 5, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- Johnson County Sheriff's Department
- Location
- Mountain City TN
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
John Smith South Jr., 54, a Vietnam veteran nicknamed 'Junior,' left a bar off Highway 421 in Mountain City, Tennessee, on December 18, 1998, and never made it home. His daughters found his house empty with a cold wood stove. His white Subaru Justy (Tennessee plate 292-EJW) was never recovered. Foul play is suspected; the case is unsolved.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 1998
South leaves a local bar after work on December 18, 1998, and never arrives home.
- 1998
His family reports him missing to the Johnson County Sheriff's Department.
- 2024
A 2024 search of South Holston Lake targets his missing car; the Southern Gone podcast covers the case.
- 2026
He and his car were never found. The case remains unsolved.
Key people
The people in the file.
54, Vietnam veteran of Mountain City, Tennessee. Vanished December 18, 1998; his car was never recovered.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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