John H. Dayton IV, 55, was last seen on January 25, 2022, in Woodbine, New Jersey, after picking up his paycheck from Smokey’s Meat Market on Washington Avenue. He lived in a boarding house directly across the street from work and did not return there that evening. His daughter last spoke with him the day he was last seen. An unconfirmed sighting placed him on Franklin Street in Woodbine between January 31 and February 2.

Dayton was a butcher and known locally as charming and outgoing. He did not own a vehicle or a cell phone at the time he vanished and was last seen on foot. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches, about 185 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and capped front teeth. He frequented several local businesses, including Bubba’s Discount Liquor Store in Vineland, and had ties to Cape May Court House, Rosenhayn and Newfield.

The New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit is handling the investigation. Authorities say there has been no activity on state benefits or use of his social security number for employment since he was reported missing. Very few public leads have been released; the circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear. Did anyone in Woodbine or the surrounding towns see John around late January or early February 2022?