John Patrick Kerrigan was 58 when he vanished from Ronan, Montana on July 20, 1984, shortly after being transferred to Sacred Heart Church and just days before his first sermon there. He was last seen leaving Deneault’s Bakery after a jog. The following day, his blood-stained clothing and a deformed coat hanger were found along Highway 35 near Flathead Lake. A week later Kerrigan’s blood-soaked car was located abandoned near Polson; a bloody shovel and a pillow were inside, but Kerrigan was not. His wallet, containing more than $1,000 in cash, was also recovered, making robbery an unlikely motive.

Kerrigan had been moved between 13 parishes since his 1954 ordination and had spent time at a New Mexico rehabilitation center for priests with personal issues, including sexual misconduct. His name was later linked in 2015 to a wider church abuse scandal, though whether that connection relates to his disappearance is unclear. Investigators have never found his body; foul play is suspected.

If anyone knew Kerrigan, his movements in late July 1984, or saw a vehicle matching his near Flathead Lake or Polson, please come forward with information.