John Cheek

[AngelDoll]

I just saw this case today and have seen it several times before and I was wondering does any know if John Cheek was ever found? Have there been any updates on this case?

[Kane]

I just saw this case today and have seen it several times before and I was wondering does any know if John Cheek was ever found? Have there been any updates on this case?

Judging from the fact that his Doe Network profile is still active, it doesn't look good. :(

The Doe Network web site tends to be up to date on missing persons. Once someone on their list is found, the profile of that person is removed. Otherwise, the profile stays active.

http://doenetwork.us/cases/1141dmtn.html

[DarkDante]

For quite sometime (and maybe it's still up on the main page of this site) there was an article (off-site) called "Friends still puzzled over the disappearance of John Cheek" and the article basically sums up the case and what might have led to John's disappearance or what might have happened to him.

[idyllia]

Does anyone have a link to that article? :)

[Mr. Fuji]

I'm afraid the link to the article no longer works. If you got to the main page of the website (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/unsolvedmysteries.html) and scroll down you'll find a link to the article that no longer works. I tried searching for some cached webpages for it on google but found none. I do remember reading the article a while back. This is really a sad case.

[crystaldawn]

Here's a link to an article that TJ posted a few years ago.

http://sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?p=1341160

[buckeyeblogger]

I just saw this case today and have seen it several times before and I was wondering does any know if John Cheek was ever found? Have there been any updates on this case?

I just saw this one for the first time, this week. This is a strange one to me personally because I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennesee. I didn't move to Columbus until 1999. So strange that I don't even remember this case or this UM ep... I was only 17 when he disappeared so perhaps my mind was elsewhere. :)

Personally, I think John Cheek killed himself by jumping off the Hernando/Desoto bridge (they didn't call it that in the UM ep, but that's what it is). The Mississippi River is very unforgiving...John could have committed suicide and it is very possible his body wouldn't have been found. Probably wound up a John Doe in a morgue down in Mississippi. I think that trucker was probably mistaken with the identity of the young fella he had breakfast with.

The question is why would he kill himself? Could have been something as simple as stress from the major deal he was putting together; he was a fairly young CFO. Or, maybe personal problems with a close girlfriend... who knows.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. :)

[LooksLikeCRicci]

The question is why would he kill himself? Could have been something as simple as stress from the major deal he was putting together; he was a fairly young CFO. Or, maybe personal problems with a close girlfriend... who knows.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. :)

I love how we all quantify our opinions on these cases. :) In all seriousness, though, I think you may be correct. John's Doe Network profile states that he was intoxicated on the night of his disappearance. From my experience, alcohol usually intensifies any feelings that you were having right before you started drinking (for example, you start drinking angry, you become beligerant. OR... you start drinking happy and become giddy.) If John was as stressed and upset about the business deal as everyone states that he was, it's likely to believe that this worry was intensified and John committed suicide. OR... John could have already been suicidal and the alcohol only served to lower his inhibitions about killing himself.

Just my thoughts.

[Mr. Fuji]

I would totally agree with the suicide theory if it weren't for the shoes that the trucker noticed that the parents said exactly matched a pair Cheek owned. Still, if I had to guess, I'd say he did commit suicide, but the shoes plant a small seed of hope in me that he is alive and still missing.

[mozartpc27]

Just re-watched this case. What I find interesting is that Cheek's father, at one point, in refuting the suicide theory, says something like "It's not possible to go from perfectly fine one minute to suicidal the next"; he then goes on to assert that Cheek was perfectly fine one minute, then suffering from stress-induced amnesia the next.

Pretty sure Cheek died in the Mississippi. Interesting that the UM segment "forgot" to mention he was last seen drunk the night of his disappearance, and that the business deal he was working on had fallen through a day or so BEFORE his disappearance. you see why, despite how much I love UM, I am often skeptical of their presentation of things.

[UMfan77]

...Interesting that the UM segment "forgot" to mention he was last seen drunk the night of his disappearance, and that the business deal he was working on had fallen through a day or so BEFORE his disappearance.

How did you find this information about what was happening in John Cheek's life days before his disappearance? I'm surprised that UM left that out!

[mozartpc27]

How did you find this information about what was happening in John Cheek's life days before his disappearance? I'm surprised that UM left that out!

doenetwork.org , search for John Andrews Cheek.

[Wamisto]

Just re-watched this case. What I find interesting is that Cheek's father, at one point, in refuting the suicide theory, says something like "It's not possible to go from perfectly fine one minute to suicidal the next"; he then goes on to assert that Cheek was perfectly fine one minute, then suffering from stress-induced amnesia the next.

Pretty sure Cheek died in the Mississippi. Interesting that the UM segment "forgot" to mention he was last seen drunk the night of his disappearance, and that the business deal he was working on had fallen through a day or so BEFORE his disappearance. you see why, despite how much I love UM, I am often skeptical of their presentation of things.

Parents, understandably, are usually quite irrational when it comes to such cases. First, they want to believe their missing child is still alive, so they will cling to anything that might give them such a hope (ie. the sighting by the trucker). Second, they don't usually want to acknowledge that their child might have killed himself. For some reason, they would rather believe their child is a victim of a crime, got amnesia, etc. Good observation, though, on the inconsistency in his statement.

Like I just said in my comments on the Chaim Weiss case, UM usually knows more than they tell. And UM always wants to put the most mysterious "spin" on things. That Cheek was drunk that night makes the case for suicide quite a bit stronger - in fact, too strong - for something that is supposed to be a "mystery". Without the sighting from the trucker, UM would have never done a segment on it. But with that particular sighting, all of a sudden you have a "mystery", and an intriguing story to tell.

I believe John leapt to his death that night, I am sad to say. I felt bad for him - by the sounds of it, an excellent, honest, and dedicated businessman with a great personality and a bright future, who unfortunately found himself in a very stressful situation. I also felt bad for his parents, who seem like very nice people.

[LuigimanJV]

Hi. I'm a new member in this forum, I'm sorry because I don't have practice in the English language, but I'll try it. I live in Mexico City.

Well, today are 17 years since John Cheek disappeared. Is very sad that a young man as him, with a bright future like he has finished far from everything, losing to his identity and his family. God surely already has it in his presence and I wish that prompt he and his family return to be united. He is my inspiration because he and I did study similar careers. I expect some day to be able to look like for him remotely.

Well, I say goodbye. Greetings from Mexico and those that we prune let's pray something for him for his eternal rest. Bye, and excuse me again for my little domain of the language English.

[cocytus]

Parents, understandably, are usually quite irrational when it comes to such cases. First, they want to believe their missing child is still alive, so they will cling to anything that might give them such a hope (ie. the sighting by the trucker). Second, they don't usually want to acknowledge that their child might have killed himself. For some reason, they would rather believe their child is a victim of a crime, got amnesia, etc. Good observation, though, on the inconsistency in his statement.

Like I just said in my comments on the Chaim Weiss case, UM usually knows more than they tell. And UM always wants to put the most mysterious "spin" on things. That Cheek was drunk that night makes the case for suicide quite a bit stronger - in fact, too strong - for something that is supposed to be a "mystery". Without the sighting from the trucker, UM would have never done a segment on it. But with that particular sighting, all of a sudden you have a "mystery", and an intriguing story to tell.

I believe John leapt to his death that night, I am sad to say. I felt bad for him - by the sounds of it, an excellent, honest, and dedicated businessman with a great personality and a bright future, who unfortunately found himself in a very stressful situation. I also felt bad for his parents, who seem like very nice people.

I agree poster. It's very difficult for parents to acknowledge that their children are having or had serious mental or emotional issues. Clearly, John Cheek was working far too many hours and was under more stress than he could handle. It sad that his superiors didn't see this and offer him the assistance he so obviously needed.

And as we all know, Unsolved Mysteries leaves out many details when they conflict with the purpose of the show, which was, of course, displaying "unsolved mysteries." in this case, the reason that this is such a mystery is that there was a reasonable expectation that his body would have been found if he had ( which I believe he did) jumped from the bridge.

Since there was no body and the trucker reported his sighting, all of the sudden, this now becomes an unsolved mystery.

[TheCars1986]

Even though the UM segment didn't mention anything about what happened with this "big deal" he was working on, I kind of figured that he lost the deal got depressed and killed himself by leaping off of that bridge. If the deal didn't fall through wouldn't he be more anxious than stressed? That's why I don't believe the whole "stress induced amnesia" theory from his father. After reading that article on Cheek and learning that there was a problem with the deal that bothered him greatly enough to where he'd travel back to Memphis, I think it's safe to assume that he figured the deal was going to fall through and killed himself.

[LuigimanJV]

Hi. I found this links about John Cheek's dissapearance :( :

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F-YyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lgcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1182,509603&dq=missing+man+believed+spotted+at+caroline+county+truck+stop&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CJVaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IEsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7043,1464637&dq=john+cheek+missing&hl=en

[crystaldawn]

Hi. I found this links about John Cheek's dissapearance :( :

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F-YyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lgcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1182,509603&dq=missing+man+believed+spotted+at+caroline+county+truck+stop&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CJVaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IEsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7043,1464637&dq=john+cheek+missing&hl=en

Thanks for posting that. That puts a different spin on things. If the woman is correct and basically saw him get mugged near where his car was found than his amnesia may be a result of a head injury. The thing that doesn't make sense though is why he would park his car there on the bridge. I wonder if they checked it to see if he was having car trouble. That would make sense why he parked it there.

[Apostapler]

Wow thank you! I really thought this man committed suicide, but now I'm not so sure.

[TheCars1986]

If Cheek truely was the man who was seen being attacked, why did the motorist he flagged down not take him to a hospital or a police station, nor report the incident to the authorities? And why did it take this waitress two years to report what she saw?

[Hambone2421]

Just re-watched this case. What I find interesting is that Cheek's father, at one point, in refuting the suicide theory, says something like "It's not possible to go from perfectly fine one minute to suicidal the next"; he then goes on to assert that Cheek was perfectly fine one minute, then suffering from stress-induced amnesia the next.

Pretty sure Cheek died in the Mississippi. Interesting that the UM segment "forgot" to mention he was last seen drunk the night of his disappearance, and that the business deal he was working on had fallen through a day or so BEFORE his disappearance. you see why, despite how much I love UM, I am often skeptical of their presentation of things.

Where did you read/hear that Cheek was drunk the night of his disappearance? The reason I ask is that while watching the segment, I figured this was open and shut. He probably got drunk and jumped off the bridge. If the most sane of people could do this is they were stupid drunk.

[biscuitgirl]

Where did you read/hear that Cheek was drunk the night of his disappearance? The reason I ask is that while watching the segment, I figured this was open and shut. He probably got drunk and jumped off the bridge. If the most sane of people could do this is they were stupid drunk.

It's listed on the Charley Project: link (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cheek_john.html)

[LuigimanJV]

It's listed on the Charley Project: link (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cheek_john.html)
I think that the assailants did signs to him in this place in order that it was stopping (probably shamming that they had problems) and they took advantage of it to assault it. After everything, I believe that the bridges are places where often this type of persons meet to commit misdeeds. For what the fact that his car was found exactly there can be a simple coincidence.

I don't understand how The Charley Project website is so sure that John was intoxicated the night in which it disappeared, who of his family or friends or witnesses gave this information.

It did not want to seem to be insensitive to the foreign pain, but probably if anybody was asking his sister, I am almost sure that this one is his Facebook, I do not see it feasible but if anybody wants to try it:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1489035910

[TheCars1986]

I'm sorry but I just don't buy the assault theory. Seems more likely that he was depressed over a deal that fell through and jumped into the river.

[LuigimanJV]

Another sad anniversary. Eighteen years have happened since he was seen by last time.:( I hope that his parents and his sister are well.

[dks64]

I was browsing segments on the "forbidden site" and came across this case. I think it was my first time seeing it (at least in the last 15 years), I don't remember seeing it before. From what I've read in this thread, it's likely he committed suicide, but I'm not 100% convinced. It wouldn't surprise me if he snapped under the pressure of his career and ended it all. So sad.

[scc1222]

yes,i really got the feeling,from seeing the pic of the car,that he stopped and parked it there for a reason,and that was to jump.i don't think you have to be psychic to figure it out.I suspect they just didn't find his body.JMO.

[dks64]

I feel so bad for the family, never finding out what happened.