John T. Mestayer, 23, was a graduate student in geology at Louisiana State University and was married when he disappeared in East Baton Rouge Parish. He was last seen wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes; he stood six feet one inch and weighed about 165 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Reports place him at the Mississippi River with his dog, throwing a rubber baton for the dog to fetch. Eyewitnesses say the dog became caught in a strong current near a barge and that John went into the water attempting a rescue. Witnesses reported the current pulled him under the barge and he was not seen again. Although the circumstances point to drowning, his body was never recovered and the case is officially classified as a suspected accident or lost/injured missing person. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation.

Did anyone in the Baton Rouge area see John or the dog on the river that day, or have information about his disappearance?