James Patrick Hillis, 35, left his Bear Branch, Kentucky home on a September morning in 1993, reportedly headed to his job at the Golden Oak Mining Company. His wife saw him leave, but he never returned from his shift. His work equipment was found at the mine entrance with no sign he had begun the day.

Three days later his truck was found in an Ingles grocery store parking lot in Knoxville, Tennessee, about two hours south. The keys were in the ignition. There were unconfirmed suggestions he may have left the country, but nothing has been verified. Hillis was described as having brown hair and blue eyes and wearing glasses or contact lenses; he left wearing a work shirt and Levi’s jeans. The Kentucky State Police continue to list the investigation as open.

Did anyone in the area know Hillis’s routine, places he might have driven, or contacts in Tennessee around that September 1993 timeframe?