James Otis Anderson was a 54-year-old Episcopal priest last seen on June 13, 1982, driving east on Highway 12 from Townsend toward White Sulphur Springs and never arriving for his scheduled service at St. John’s Episcopal Church. He left home with the sermon he was to deliver; personal items like his toothbrush and razor remained at the residence, suggesting he had not planned an extended absence.

Months later his silver 1975 Volkswagen Scirocco was found concealed in a remote, wooded area in White’s Gulch in the Big Belt Mountains. Personal items recovered nearby included his prayer book and eyeglasses. The manner in which the car was hidden prompted investigators to note someone familiar with the area may have been involved. Anderson had recently separated from his wife, was in a contentious custody dispute over two children, and faced rumors of possible termination from the church. He was declared legally dead in 1990, but his whereabouts were never determined and the disappearance remains unsolved.

If anyone knew Father Anderson, his movements that June 1982, or has information about the discovery in White’s Gulch, please come forward.