This is the story about the old black guy who dissapeared...
Eye witnesses said he seemed dissorientated and his car was found in the woods with the keys inside but his body was never found....nor was he.

I believe he probably suffered some sort of stroke or dementia and went to get some wood and just stumbled out into the woods to die or whatever.

Any updates on this case?

-Ben

Unfortunately, there has never been an update on the George Owens case. Unfurtunately, since it's been 22 years since his disappearance, and that he would be in the vicinity of 100 years old or more at this point, I don't think the odds of him being found alive are very good. We can hope though.

I've got a bad feeling George ran into foul play. It looks like he was suffering from amnesia at the time, and I think somebody tagged him as vulnerable. that might explain why 2 cars (including George's) went down that dead-end road, but only one came back (the vehicle that wasn't George's). In addition, I would imagine that George would have required some type of assistance had he survived, as I don't think he could have survived left on his own for very long. I wonder if anyone has checked his social security number, credit cards for any activity. I wonder if his brother is still alive.

This case gives me a lump in my throat EVERY time I watch it. When he's like, "I can't find my wife," I get all weepy. It sucks.

I really wish that they could have found him, but I agree that it's probably too late to find him. He would be over 100 years old now.

Yes CRicci, I agree it was an emotional case, I have always liked senior citizens, just very sad when this kind of stuff happens to them. Yes, I believe George Owens did meet with foul play. I think that George probably had a mild stroke or was confused or something, he clearly was disoriented and I think that he probably was taken advantage of and killed. Clearly the unexplained truck would be the answer to this mystery.

I can totally understand George Owens having a stroke or another medical issue spike up and cause him to become disoriented, because it doesn't seem as if any other option makes sense. I would assume Mr. Owens knew his way to the destination, and no road closings/detours were talked of in UM, and even so it seems unlikely he would be unable to reach his destination if he was fine.

He obviously got off track and lost, but the hard part is trying to figure out what happened between his last known sighting and his car ending up on the hill. Did he go to another town, stop for help and run into trouble?

If I had to speculate on what happened, I'd say he went somewhere else and ran into trouble, maybe in the form of a "Oh, I know the way up there. I'll take you."

Whammo.

This is a case where the UM critical facts would be nice to know, as it is more than likely that Mr. Owens has passed on, and at this point it seems that almost everyone related to him is probably up in years now (his wife died, I imagine his brother has died since the broadcast, etc.) and the case will simply stagnate until the person who committed the crime comes forward. I mean, this was a case from I think over 20 years ago, so if anyone had a brief sighting of him it is likely gone from the memory.

Very sad case. The actor playing Mr. Owens captured the sense of confusion so well...:(

I have recently watched George Owen´s case, both at the video site and on CD´s volume 4. A sad case indeed. Have you noticed that in one of his photos, Mr. Owens looked a lot like an "older" Arsenio Hall or an "older" Wesley Snipes?

I have recently watched George Owen´s case, both at the video site and on CD´s volume 4. A sad case indeed. Have you noticed that in one of his photos, Mr. Owens looked a lot like an "older" Arsenio Hall or an "older" Wesley Snipes?



Hahaha, I thought he looked just like Arsenio Hall, in a few years. How funny! God bless him.

This was a really sad case. It sounds to me like George Owens got lost and became disoriented, and someone took advantage of that. He could have wandered into the woods and died of exposure, but that doesn't explain the other vehicle that was seen following George's car up the hill and then returning alone. Regardless of what really happened, it seems unlikely that he is still alive since he'd be over 100 years old by now.

This is really a sad case...I'm getting a lump in my throat too...

If he became disoriented, wondered into the woods, and died of exposure, you'd think that his body would have been found during some kind of a search. But he was never found...so I definitely think that he met with foul play.

Besides, why would he just walk off without his cane? Even when he was seen all disoriented, he always had his cane with him.

I think this segment is a good example of the actor looking nothing like the real person at all.

I thought this was about Joe Owens lol

If he became disoriented, wondered into the woods, and died of exposure, you'd think that his body would have been found during some kind of a search. But he was never found...so I definitely think that he met with foul play.

Besides, why would he just walk off without his cane? Even when he was seen all disoriented, he always had his cane with him.
No foul play..he probably had a minor stroke and is laying in the woods somewhere. Because of animals and weather he maybe never found.

sad case. I guess if we can learn anything from it.....it would be to try our best to help others if we can see similiar behavior from someone in the future. maybe a doctor could have helped him......maybe not. very unfortunate.

No foul play..he probably had a minor stroke and is laying in the woods somewhere. Because of animals and weather he maybe never found.

I am not convinced that there was foul play either. I think that he started on his way to retrieve his wife, suffered a minor stroke, and could not find his way back. At worst, a person or persons in that truck might have robbed him but I doubt that they killed him. They probably just took his money, etc. and left him there. As I type all of this, I feel very depressed because it is a very sad way to have one's life end. :(

While i don;t I put blame on her, i do think that store clerk should have done more.

If it was me and i saw an elderly man that looked confused and didn;t know how to find his wife. I would have stopped him and let him sit down and then call the 911 just to be safe. They could easily have treated him if he had a stroke or even have found out who he was and taken him to his wife.

The morale here is that you should never be afraid to take action in a case like this. I mean, yoiu don;t have to be that Depue couple following the killer. Just use common sense and don;t be afraid to call 911.

While i don;t I put blame on her, i do think that store clerk should have done more.

If it was me and i saw an elderly man that looked confused and didn;t know how to find his wife. I would have stopped him and let him sit down and then call the 911 just to be safe. They could easily have treated him if he had a stroke or even have found out who he was and taken him to his wife.

The morale here is that you should never be afraid to take action in a case like this. I mean, yoiu don;t have to be that Depue couple following the killer. Just use common sense and don;t be afraid to call 911.

Agreed.

Well, I dont know if I like this, with blaming people. I mean, in hindsight, yes she could have done more. However, I'm sure at the time this happened, she wasnt thinking 'oh, this guy probably had a stroke and I should call for help'. In hindsight, she knew she should have done more, but hindsight is always 20/20. It seemed to me like the clerk felt awful about not doing more. A lot of these cases on UM seem like cases that if they were in modern times they wouldnt have happened.

Every time I put gardening supplies, such as driftwood, buckets of dirt, bricks, and rocks, in my car, I think of this poor guy and his "perfect" car. :(

Yeah poor man. He probably was disorientated and drove up the logging trail thinking that he was near home and picked up some sticks and put them in his car. Then he probably wandered off again and lost out to the elements.

So sad :(

While i don;t I put blame on her, i do think that store clerk should have done more.

If it was me and i saw an elderly man that looked confused and didn;t know how to find his wife. I would have stopped him and let him sit down and then call the 911 just to be safe. They could easily have treated him if he had a stroke or even have found out who he was and taken him to his wife.

The morale here is that you should never be afraid to take action in a case like this. I mean, yoiu don;t have to be that Depue couple following the killer. Just use common sense and don;t be afraid to call 911.


Hindsight is always 20/20 remember?

Did you pay attention to her interview? Particularly the end of it? You can tell that she was getting choked up. She felt horrible about it. And what did she say? "I wish that I had called somebody."

At least she tried to do all that she thought she could. Can't blame her for that.

Hindsight is always 20/20 remember?

Did you pay attention to her interview? Particularly the end of it? You can tell that she was getting choked up. She felt horrible about it. And what did she say? "I wish that I had called somebody."

At least she tried to do all that she thought she could. Can't blame her for that.

If it was a 20-35 year old man. I could understand. But maybe it's just me, but when you see an elderly man struggling, the first though in my mind is that maybe that guy is gonna die on the spot of a heart attack.

Little kids and the elderly tend to just make me more attentive. I see an elderly man alone or a little child alone I tend to take a little more care if they voice that they are lost or can't find someone.

If a 40 year old guy in a biker outfit says to me that he can;t remember where his wife is, then I might be a little hesistant to get involved.

Again I'm not blaming the storekeeper, but the dude was elderly and he spoke to her for more than a secord and seemed more than a little out of sorts.

Plus she was living in rural area, it wasn;t like she was a convenience store clerk in the South Bronx or something. It wasn;t like George Owens was going to rob her store if she got involved.

Have they shown an updated version of this story on the new UM yet?

Thanks

Have they shown an updated version of this story on the new UM yet?

Thanks

They showed this segment again back in January on the Spike Network. Best I can remember, there was no update.

My personal theory is that he became so disoriented that he drove out into the woods, then wandered off and succumbed to the elements.

My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's during the same time that Mr. Owens was experiencing his symptoms. My grandfather would get in his truck to drive some where on an errand, but then forget what that errand was, drive around until he found some place familiar, then go visit there for a while.

This later deteriorated into aimless walking, around the clock, until he finally became completely bedridden, before passing away in 1992.

I think Mr. Owens was experiencing this kind of dementia.

I believe his cane is a critical element of this case. His cane was left abandoned leaning on his car.

He obviously had some movement issues if he was using a cane and was very old. he also had some sort of dementia or stroke symptoms and his mobility would have been further hindered.

He could not have got far without his cane so the search teams should have found him. Combie that with the time it took him to gather that wood, and to me it seems that someone else was involved.

Regarding the earlier convo about the store clerk not getting involved when the elderly man seemed in need of help...

I was just reading on cruisebruise.com (a website that covers the bad side of the cruise industry) about a woman in her 70s who suffered a stroke or heart attack that put her into a coma.

The cruise people put her and her husband off the ship to go to a local hospital. (This lady had travel insurance.) She was put into the hospital somewhere in south america for treatment and the cruise went on without her and her husband. They also didn't contact a next of kin. (I've been on cruises and they have you fill out a next of kin form, so I don't know why they didn't do that.)

Her husband was in his late 80s or early 90s and was suffering from dementia. She was his constant caregiver.

So here they were. She was in a coma in a south american hospital. Her husband had dementia and couldn't take care of her or himself. Neither of them spoke spanish.

The lady came out of the coma four days later and was able to get a spanish speaking relative to come to SA to rescue them and get them back to the states.

But get this... When the relative arrived to collect the couple, the elderly husband, with dementia, who had been with his wife in the hospital for four days, was suffering from severe dehydration!!!! He was in the hospital that whole time, around medically trained professionals, and no one bothered to make sure that the old man was taking in enough fluids. They just left him to his own devices, when I'm sure it was very obvious, that he needed to have a caretaker.

If doctors and nurses can ignore a person in need, then I can understand why the store clerk would feel that it may not be her place to get seriously involved with Mr. Owens, because she couldn't be exactly certain what the circumstances were or if her actions would be intrusive instead of helpful.

If doctors and nurses can ignore a person in need, then I can understand why the store clerk would feel that it may not be her place to get seriously involved with Mr. Owens, because she couldn't be exactly certain what the circumstances were or if her actions would be intrusive instead of helpful.

True, but i also think their might be a lawsuit issue as well with doctors or nurses.

My mom, was once on an airplane were a passanger was sick and they asked for a docyor. My mother was a nurse but said she did not want to get involved for exactly the reason of a lawsuit should that person die as a result of a mistake on her part.

In George Owens case, the lady just had to tell him to sit down or call her husband or doctor.

I hate to bring up the race card here, but i hope that wasn;t the issue with the storekeeper. I;m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and say it wasn;t that.

Still all in all, I think there is a lesson to be learned here from UM, I think if i ever came into the same situation I would remember this episode and act differently than the shopkeeper.

Race could be a possibility. If the white clerk wasn't familiar with black people, and had been raised to think that all black people are bad, maybe she was suspcious and thought he was faking the dementia so he could attack her. I suppose it's possible, and she just didn't want to admit that publicly.

I've run across a lot of weird racism over the years. My husband's sister is part jewish. She had two kids with a guy and married him. He's arabic, from Lebanon. After a few years together, he finally found out about her "jewish blood" and was livid, asking, "why didn't you tell me?"

She was young and naive and is completely unaware that jews and arabs have been fighting each other for thousands of years. And holy crap, our family name is as jewish as it gets.

Even though the family are all practicing christians, the stupid (now ex) husband from lebanon should have known from the very beginning that the family has jewish ancestry. The name is a huge give away. dur duh dur.

If he's that picky, what's he doing running around dating white women anyway, ya know? (She never told him that she's part black. LOL I wonder what he would have thought about that!)

Oh, and then my DD who is mostly white, some native american, etc, was dating a guy who is half black and half white. Everything was going fine. They were both watching American Idol one night and one of the singers was a girl from TX who looked full black. Her last name is the same as ours and our family comes from TX.

DD said to the boyfried, "Oh wow, her last name is the same as mine and she's from where my family came from. I wonder if we're related?"

The b/f said, "How can you be related? She's black and you're white?" That's when DD told him about her being part black from about 5 generations back. Well that pissed him off like you wouldn't belive. He only wanted to date a "pure" white girl.

There he was, half black and half white, but my DD, who looks white, but has black ancestry wasn't good enough for him! I wanted to beat the shat out of him for breaking up with her over that. I probably coulda won that fight too! lol The little twerp was one of the emo kids who wore tight girl pants. I woulda sent him home crying to his white daddy. lol

BUMP, this case always interested me.

I wonder what happened in the first place, that George got so far off track. Do you think he had a mild stroke while he was at home or maybe on the way to pick up his wife?

I see what both sides are saying. On one hand, it's tempting to jump all over the store clerk (I get slightly annoyed with her whenever I watch that segment too) since we know how it transpired, and wonder if this chick could've perhaps gotten him some help before it was too late. At least she called someone, but I would've called police rather than the local clinic. Yet, you can tell she felt bad about it in the interview, so I don't wanna beat up on her too much. I think we've all been through situations like that and realize later on how we could've handled it better, in fairness she was probably just taken off guard and maybe didn't realize how serious it was.

I guess we could make the same argument for the guy at the gas station who mistakenly led him to Lobelville instead of Nolansville - it was just an honest mistake (just a tragic one). :(


Another thing is, it makes logical sense that he would've (from being disoriented) driving up the trail and putting firewood in his car, then wandering off and passing away... sadly, probably within a couple days. I wonder in that case, why his body was never located.

I too think he wandered off and died, probably just beyond the periphery of the search area. This is one of the very few cases I can barely stand to watch -- it makes me SO sad :(.

I have read about a number of similiar cases where dementia/Alzheimers sufferers have wandered away, sometimes miles -- and sometimes only a few hundred yards- and it's taken years to find them. Have to wonder how vigorous the search was...

^ Me too. I think the most heartbreaking part is the idea is the idea that someone could've potentially helped him (probably why people watching it get annoyed at the store clerk, for instance).

As far as foul play is concerned, I'm on the fence but leaning towards no. Probably like a 30% chance. The only motive would probably be robbery or stealing his car. He would've sadly been pretty easy to coerce into going along with someone, or to being overpowered, but I'm thinking the firewood in his car was something he himself did out of pure confusion. If he was kidnapped or assaulted on top of the logging trail, I doubt they'd waste time doing something like that.

Then again, his cane being left behind makes it a possibility, imo. If he wandered off into the woods, you'd think he'd at least have taken his cane. More than likely he wouldn't have gotten far without it, and his body would've been easily found.

Sadly I'm thinking he passed away that day, or within a couple more days without food or water, and already being in a weak state. I'd like to think someone at least found him and he lived in a nice nursing home for a few more years (being confused, maybe not knowing who he was), but it seems unlikely to me. :(

Sadly I'm thinking he passed away that day, or within a couple more days without food or water, and already being in a weak state. I'd like to think someone at least found him and he lived in a nice nursing home for a few more years (being confused, maybe not knowing who he was), but it seems unlikely to me.

I still wonder why his body wasn't found? How far could the old guy have gone without his cane.

One theory I have is that George Owen met the similar fate as Rogest Cain and was taken in by someone who couldn't locate his family.

^ Yeah, the cane is the one piece of really conflicting evidence I think - it's the only thing that kinda makes the wandering off theory harder to believe.

I agree the only possible happy update at all, would be if someone came forward and said they took in an old man similar to him. I'm (sadly) sure he's long passed away now, and even by '93 when the segment aired. Maybe his symptoms got worse, making him unsure of who he was or where he was supposed to go. Like that day, he still remembered enough that he had to pick up his wife, but a few days later, he could've even forgotten his own name or anything personal about his life.

I watched George's segment this afternoon.

I can't help but scratch my head at the store clerk calling the local clinic when George said he couldn't find his wife. What would make her think the wife was there? It seems like a rather random conclusion to come to.


I still wonder why his body wasn't found? How far could the old guy have gone without his cane.


I wonder this as well. I can't see him walking miles and miles into the woods without his cane. But depending on the terrain in that area, maybe a body could easily remain hidden for years. Anyone on this forum ever been there?

its quite apparent to me he suffered a mini stroke. I think there is foul play. No body was found in the proximity. I think the police department knows who did it but doesn't have enough to convict.

ts quite apparent to me he suffered a mini stroke. I think there is foul play. No body was found in the proximity. I think the police department knows who did it but doesn't have enough to convict.

I agree there might be foul play. But I don;t think the police knows who did it. Heck they don;t even have the body yet.

Sadly, IMHO I think with the stroke and all, George Owens would be a tempting target for a robber, psychopath or racist. :(

This was such a sad case. My heart broke for his family especially his poor wife.

Aside from the cane, wasn't there cigarette butts or cigarettes around or in his car? Or am I thinking about the wrong case?

One other thing that stands out to me was the pick-up truck that was supposedly seen following Goerge's car up that trail and then speeding away just moments later. That piece of info led me to believe foul play was involved as well. If not murder, I can't think of any good reason why that truck would have been following George.

because they saw a truck and its in a remote area, i suspect law enforcement to be able to narrow down the culprits. again, its a matter of if they want to pursue it (racism?) and secondly if they have enough evidence for a conviction. its just so tragic that it was really a confluence of bad things happening at once.

I think UM has taught us that searches in woods are never very reliable. After all, think of how many episodes say that a "thorough search was done", only to discover the body (bodies) later on, sometimes years later, in the very vicinity where the search was conducted.

I am almost certain that Mr. Owens wondered off and died, sadly. There was no foul play evidence at the scene, and the "truck" sighting is suspect; we don't know if it was involved in Owen's disappearance, plus it is the ONLY piece of evidence that suggests that he was not alone on that road.

I truly think the fact that his body was not found in the area of the car should hold no relevance. Just think of all the cases (I'm thinking specifically about the Calico girl and the boy-cant remember name- who everyone thought was kidnapped)... it turns out he was found in the woods in the same area searched so thoroughly before.

Furthermore, this makes you wonder about the Nyleen Marshall case as well.... was she really abducted, or did she just wander off? Sad nevertheless.

Also, I think the racism accusation (as well as the "If I had been the clerk I would have") stuff is unfair. I grew up in a southern small town, and, yes, there is racism (as there is everywhere), but we also take great pride in helping each other out. It was clear to me that the clerk was not afraid of him (she went and got him an ice cream, and then called the clinic to see if his wife was there). Would that have happened in a city, or even somewhere up north, where I have also lived? I'm not so sure. She also mentioned that "he seemed fine, up until he said 'I can't find my wife.'"

I think we sometimes have a tendency to want to analyze everything to death, which appears to be the case here.

I think UM has taught us that searches in woods are never very reliable. After all, think of how many episodes say that a "thorough search was done", only to discover the body (bodies) later on, sometimes years later, in the very vicinity where the search was conducted.

1. How big could the radius be? This is an old man without a cain were talking about not a 7 year old boy? I doubt he could make it 3 yrds away in his condition without collapsing. In broad daylight in short shrubbery in an area where flies and buzzards would be abundant, how could they not stumble across his decomposed body?

2. It's not like his body was hidden or thrown in an area like with most missing body. George Owens dropped at a place to die, not to hide his body.

3. There's a marker in this search, namely his cane in the car, that's the focal point of the search. In most searches they usually don't have such a clear marker like that. The old man's body had to be within a reasonable range of the cane.

I am almost certain that Mr. Owens wondered off and died, sadly. There was no foul play evidence at the scene, and the "truck" sighting is suspect; we don't know if it was involved in Owen's disappearance, plus it is the ONLY piece of evidence that suggests that he was not alone on that road.

Till theres a body, there is no way to be certain of anything. He's missing presumed dead.

I think we sometimes have a tendency to want to analyze everything to death, which appears to be the case here.

Nobody is saying that George Owens didn;t have a stroke, what we question is whether his ultimate end was foul play. or not.

Overanalysis is what a good detective does.

I would rather risk a bunch of detectives trying solving a natural death, than risk a possible murderer of George Owens doing this to someone else.

Good points mastermind: If I recall, I think they said his car was found five days after the clerk sighted him, so a lot of time past for him to have walked, or died and then the body been dragged by animals (there are lots of black bears, for example, in that area). Just an idea. Of course, it is possible he was targeted, but I do disagree that a man without his cane couldn't walk more than a few steps. A cane is often used for assistance, but it doesn't mean he was unable to walk without it.
What I think most about is the fact that he obviously was severely disoriented, as witnesses described. That's why I think it's not wild that he left his cane there, and why he put wood in his car. I found it a little funny that the journalist (based on what Ms. Owens had said) would say that Mr. Owens would never put wood in his car b/c he loved the car so much and wouldn't want to scratch it up. If he's so disoriented that he's wandering into random towns, and driving up a random dirt road and collecting wood, I doubt he was thinking about keeping his car spotless.
I guess it could go either way, but with the evidence presented on UM, I lean heavily towards him wandering off in the woods and dying.

Regardless, this is a very sad case. On a side note, I thought the actor who played Mr. Owens did a wonderful job. You really felt his desperation.

Just an idea. Of course, it is possible he was targeted, but I do disagree that a man without his cane couldn't walk more than a few steps. A cane is often used for assistance, but it doesn't mean he was unable to walk without it.

Keep in mind that the terrain is coarse. He would have to go up hilly terrain. It was not like he was walking on smooth and even surface like a sidewalk.

My grandfather was the same age as George Owens and drove and I had to walk him everywhere in the house and he could technically walk. I can't imagine him getting to far without assistance

George Owens probably had bad knees, which probably couldn't support walking rough terrain for more than a few paces.

3. Five days is not really a long time. Usually the reason why bodies don;t get found is that grass, nature, erosion, and weather move the land or cover the body.Also add to that man made excavation and construction work. Essentially the body becomes part of the ground and becomes a natural burial ground. I can;t imagine that happening THAT quickly.

4. There would have been bear tracks and bear excrement if a bear took him away.

5. Keep in mind that he also had glasses which would have fallen off his body and that no animal would be interested in. And by the looks of it Mr. Owens had a very thick prescription.


I guess it could go either way, but with the evidence presented on UM, I lean heavily towards him wandering off in the woods and dying.

The only evidence that we have is that Mr. Owens car was left abandoned with his cane and sans Mr. Owens.

That's all.

We don't even have any evidence that Mr. Owens suffered a stroke. Just the eyewitness account. For all we know that may have been how Mr. Owens acted all the time. He may have had early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's that occured prior to this

This is a case that is missing a vital piece of evidence---Mr. George Owens, himself!!!

The whole theory of George Owens dying of a stroke could be destroyed if George Owens body is found with a bullet whole in his skull.

Mastermind: Points taken. The reason I have trouble believing the foul play theory comes down to the wood piles. I know it sounds trivial, but why on earth would perpetrators take the time to do this, especially since his wife confirmed that this was his habit. So, at the very least, we know that George went up that rode by himself, and was there by himself for a while (why else would there have been wood piles around)??? "To throw off the investigators" would be an absurd argument, esp. since he had a habit of doing this anyway.

Now, if you don't buy the idea that he wandered off, then I guess it's possible that, later on, people came upon him out there and [I]then[I] robbed him, abducted him, etc. But it seems implausible that he was taken there, given that there was no sign of a struggle, and that wood piles were around the car.

Now, they did mention that Owens was carrying cash, so perhaps someone spotted him with the cash, and followed him up there and watched him for a while before robbing him... but why abduct him? Why not just rob him and go? To get rid of the eyewitness, okay? Possible. The only other option, for me, is that this was a hate crime, and he was targeted and followed for being black.

But I can't help but think that he went up there by himself, and had some time to gather wood, and put wood in his car.

What happened after that? He either wandered in the woods, or was murdered. I discount the notion that he might have been this way before the day he went to pick up his wife... After all, it goes back to the wood piles. HE did those wood piles; there would be no logical reason whatsoever why someone else would.

I know it sounds trivial, but why on earth would perpetrators take the time to do this, especially since his wife confirmed that this was his habit. So, at the very least, we know that George went up that rode by himself, and was there by himself for a while

1.His killer could have came upon him while he was doing this. Such an activity would have taken time(and worsened his condition by the way) and would have piqued the interest of a potential robber, racist or psychopath. A killer trolling in his car could have passed the car once, then noticed him again and used it as an opportunity.

2. There is also a possibility that if Mr. Owens made the road, that he as hit by a car. It's not inconceivable that in a panic, the driver took his body on his pickup truck and dumped it away from the body.

3. Building woodpiles is not that uncommon in that area, it could very much be a coincidence.

4. The fact that he was making woodpiles would tax his system even more, making it more likely that he would fall within a close proximity of the car.

I'm getting ready to watch this segment in a few minutes. It's already on the screen, and just paused until I can get away from my computer addiction long enough to watch it.

I didn't know that Mr. Owens was carrying cash. Does the segment say how much, or if he was witnessed handling the cash openly? And who witnessed him handling the money?

If there's a foul play angle to this, I'm wondering if maybe Mr. Owens, in a confused state, found himself in the woods, so he just started doing what he often did: placed wood into piles.

Then, the perp(s), being "helpful" to the old man, assisted in piling up the wood with him, maybe to gain his trust, chat, gain information on just how impaired Mr. Owens may have been, etc, and then used that information to harm or rob or kill him.

Anyone know what type of area his car was found in? Was it predominately white or known to have some aggressive racists? In the 80s, racism was still a major problem in a lot of areas of the south. I could definitely consider a scenario where some drunk, hot dogging, red neck types decided to victimize a helpless old man.

Regarding the issue about walking around without his cane... My grandfather (longtime alzheimer's sufferer) eventually had trouble walking, and was occasionally found crawling inside and outside the house (he lived on 7 wooded acres in Putnam county TN that was surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of woods, hills, streams, caves, etc.)

So I guess I'm saying this about the cane: Mr. Owens could have relied on it regularly, but in a mentally deficient state, could have forgotten all about it and actually crawled away. But, you sure would think that the searchers would have found an elderly man who was only able to crawl around the area near his car.

This case gives me a lump in my throat EVERY time I watch it. When he's like, "I can't find my wife," I get all weepy. It sucks.

I really wish that they could have found him, but I agree that it's probably too late to find him. He would be over 100 years old now.

You ain't kidding, sister. That moment where he says "I can't find my wife" is just about the most terrible thing in a show filled with terrible things. Just re-watched this one, and it's tough to take.

I'm still puzzled by why his body was not found within the search radius..especially considering he did not have his cane with him.

I'm still puzzled by why his body was not found within the search radius..especially considering he did not have his cane with him.

When I have the same thought I just think of the other Owens- Joe Owens- and how they were lucky to happen upon his remains after such a thorough search. Remains in woods stay hidden easily sometimes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mastermind
I'm still puzzled by why his body was not found within the search radius..especially considering he did not have his cane with him.

When I have the same thought I just think of the other Owens- Joe Owens- and how they were lucky to happen upon his remains after such a thorough search. Remains in woods stay hidden easily sometimes.

I guess.

This is another one of these missing persons cases that lie in limbo of uncertainty until the body is produced.

I guess.

This is another one of these missing persons cases that lie in limbo of uncertainty until the body is produced.

Based on his age - Owens would be long dead by now .

I've watched this and I almost always think it's 100% foul play. Who knows if he had a valuable watch or a lot of money in his pocket. I wouldn't put it past a crook to kill him for $200. If an old man gets disorientated and lost then he could easily be found you'd think

I watched this segment, and I just think he wandered off into the Woods and got lost. I say this based on his age and from the way the store clerk described Owens, he seemed a little confused. And for those saying it might be a hate crime because he is black, just because it took place in the South and Owens is black, doesnt mean its a hate crime.

I watched this segment, and I just think he wandered off into the Woods and got lost. I say this based on his age and from the way the store clerk described Owens, he seemed a little confused. And for those saying it might be a hate crime because he is black, just because it took place in the South and Owens is black, doesnt mean its a hate crime.

But where did he go? His car was right there. Those woods would have been scowered left right and center. An 87 year old man without his cane and much of a mindset couldn't go too far. Even in the chance of him being eaten by a bear you would think there were bones left behind. Nothing. No trace whatsoever. It isn't beneath a criminal to prey on an old man and leave him for dead, even bury him just for a few bucks

Sorry for the bump, but, amidst the sea of compelling theories presented in this thread, it seems as though one simple thing has been overlooked. Not that it's such a major revelation, but it gives more credibility to the "wandered off and died" theory. Much has been made about the fact that Mr. Owens' cane was left at the site of the car. Considering he was gathering firewood, it's not an inconceivable notion that he found himself another walking stick in the woods to help him on his way to wherever he ultimately ended up (still in the woods, no doubt).

I just want to add that the actor portraying Mr. Owens does about the best job I’ve ever seen on UM. He absolutely breaks my heart the way he seems confused, knowing something’s wrong but not quite sure of what it is, as well as being able to portray a real wistful and longing feeling. Well done.

It seems that many of us agree on that aspect. I'd love to know the actor's name, and to see more of his work. It really felt like we were watching the saga unfold the night that aired. None of the other reenactments ever came close to this one in that capacity.

For some reason, I really enjoyed that Mr. Owens took such great pride in a 20+ year old car. It would be a classic model now, but in the 1980's was considered a bucket of bolts.

Sorry for the bump, but, amidst the sea of compelling theories presented in this thread, it seems as though one simple thing has been overlooked. Not that it's such a major revelation, but it gives more credibility to the "wandered off and died" theory. Much has been made about the fact that Mr. Owens' cane was left at the site of the car. Considering he was gathering firewood, it's not an inconceivable notion that he found himself another walking stick in the woods to help him on his way to wherever he ultimately ended up (still in the woods, no doubt).

I hadn't even thought of that! That's a great theory! :)

Nice work!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gelatinous Goo
Sorry for the bump, but, amidst the sea of compelling theories presented in this thread, it seems as though one simple thing has been overlooked. Not that it's such a major revelation, but it gives more credibility to the "wandered off and died" theory. Much has been made about the fact that Mr. Owens' cane was left at the site of the car. Considering he was gathering firewood, it's not an inconceivable notion that he found himself another walking stick in the woods to help him on his way to wherever he ultimately ended up (still in the woods, no doubt).

I hadn't even thought of that! That's a great theory!

Nice work!

Sounds possible.

But even with the cane, George Owens radius of movement couldn;t be that great.

The difference between George having the stick is the difference between a man hobbling and crawling.

Walking stick or not, George Owens body should have been found nearby.

Plus, having a walking stick or cane won;t help George get up if he's falling down. If George fell, there;s a good chance he;s done for.

Very surprised he wasn't found. Like someone else said, he couldn't have gotten far if he wandered out into the wilderness and was disoriented. I think it's more likely that he met with foul play and someone hit the body pretty well. People will kill for the smallest amount of money.

This case gives me a lump in my throat EVERY time I watch it. When he's like, "I can't find my wife," I get all weepy. It sucks.

Don't know that LooksLikeCRicci posts here anymore, but she is not kidding about this. Not sure I can even watch this semgent again - too too sad. :(

But I am reminded of it today because I was flipping through the Doe Network site and came across the strange case of Richard Emanuel Lawrence (case # 4369DMWA). Check this out:

On the last day of February 1986, the Reverend Richard Lawrence of Portland, who was in Tacoma with his wife for a religious conference, left his motel room to put gasoline in his car. The Lawrences were in Tacoma for a three-day meeting of the Pacific Northwest District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. Lawrence was a district elder of the church.
He became lost while driving in Portland two weeks before the Tacoma trip and again in Tacoma the day before he vanished, according to family and police reports.
His vehicle was located on a logging road in the town of Vader, Lewis County, WA on April 28, 1986, 80 miles south of Tacoma.
It is believed that Lawrence was headed home to Portland, Oregon when he left Tacoma. His vehicle was out of gas when it was located. Lewis County sheriff's deputies found a page from The Oregonian dated the day he left Tacoma near the car. In his handwriting, a note on the newspaper read: ``Will pick up car tonight or tomorrow.''
A search of the area where the vehicle was located produced no clues as to the whereabouts of Richard Lawrence. After the car was found, authorities checked the area and found two residents who had seen a man fitting his general description on the logging road the day after Lawrence left Tacoma. In both cases, the man did not indicate that he needed any help.

Following a hearing, a Multnomah County Circuit Judge declared Richard Lawrence dead as of July 24, 1987.

An older black minister/preacher disappears, leaving a car abandoned in the woods with no explanation. Just like George Owens. And just 7 months later.

Almost certainly just a coincidence, but it gave me the willies all the same.

I've gone back and forth on this case many times. For years, I was totally convinced that George Owens was the victim of foul play or kidnapping and that his body was removed from the scene. I knew that an elderly man would not have been able to walk very far on his own without his cane and figured it would have been impossible for his body not to have been found. Of course, I started to do a bit of a 180 a few months ago once they found Mike Riemer's skull less than a mile from the original crime scene 26 years after he was killed and I realized how easy it is for a search team to miss a body in the woods. And we've also seen numerous other UM cases (e.g. Don Kemp, Dan Wilson) where a body was missed during an initial search of the area and found long afterward.

However, the thing that separates the Owens case from the others is the climate in which he disappeared. Diana Robertson's body wasn't found until two months after they disappeared and it was the middle of winter, so it's perfectly logical that Mike Riemer's body would be covered up by the elements and easily missed. George Owens' car was found only six days after he disappeared in the middle of July in Tennessee. You'd think that if his body was in the surrounding area in that summer heat, there at least would have been a noticeable stench that someone would have picked up on. That's pretty much the determining factor that prevents me from believing he simply wandered off and died.

This is the story about the old black guy who dissapeared...
Eye witnesses said he seemed dissorientated and his car was found in the woods with the keys inside but his body was never found....nor was he.

I believe he probably suffered some sort of stroke or dementia and went to get some wood and just stumbled out into the woods to die or whatever.

Any updates on this case?

-Ben

I agree. Im sure he suffered a stroke or heart attack and wandered off into the woods and passed away and was never found. This case really hit home for me since my grandfather had Alzheimers. Its such a horrible disease. Sadly, here in my hometown we see a lot of cases of the elderly wandering off and they end up finding them deceased. :(

George Owens' car was found only six days after he disappeared in the middle of July in Tennessee. You'd think that if his body was in the surrounding area in that summer heat, there at least would have been a noticeable stench that someone would have picked up on. That's pretty much the determining factor that prevents me from believing he simply wandered off and died.

That's the thing that's troubling in this case, we don't know for sure where (not to mention how) George Owens died. One thing we all can agree on is that George Owens was not in the right state of mind on the day he disappeared. It's quite possible that George, in a disoriented state of mind, parked his car where it was found and went out looking for more firewood. And who's to say a good samaritan spotted George, and gave him a ride to a nearby town, and George wandered off and died in another location away from his car? I still think the most likely scenario is that he wandered off (somewhere within the vicinity of where his car was found) and his body was overlooked in the search of the area.

Been awhile since I watched this, but I never really suspected foul play here.

Two years ago, an elderly family friend died from Alzheimer's disease. Prior to his death, he had a history of wandering off, even though he had some difficulty walking. I remember one scary instance where he walked out of a supposedly locked and secured hospital wing and wandered about three miles on the streets before a police officer found him. He was very tenacious.

As others have mentioned, there have been examples on UM and elsewhere where a "thorough search" is conducted yet remains are seemingly missed. The Don Kemp, David Stone and Dan Wilson cases come to mind.

So for those reasons, I think it's probable he simply wandered off and succumbed to the elements.

Been awhile since I watched this, but I never really suspected foul play here.

Two years ago, an elderly family friend died from Alzheimer's disease. Prior to his death, he had a history of wandering off, even though he had some difficulty walking. I remember one scary instance where he walked out of a supposedly locked and secured hospital wing and wandered about three miles on the streets before a police officer found him. He was very tenacious.

As others have mentioned, there have been examples on UM and elsewhere where a "thorough search" is conducted yet remains are seemingly missed. The Don Kemp, David Stone and Dan Wilson cases come to mind.

So for those reasons, I think it's probable he simply wandered off and succumbed to the elements.


Likely. I just wish they would have found the remains then and we would have some update, on the new UM or whatever.

I just watched this segment for what I believe was the first time. I don't remember seeing it before. How sad. :( I think he likely wandered off.

I really don't think that George was murdered. It's possible he may have been robbed, but that's about it. In fact, given the condition he was in, it would almost be a stretch to call it robbery. If someone did happen upon him even with the intent to rob him, they could have just asked for money, and George probably would have handed over his whole wallet without thinking about it. But, I doubt that anybody else was involved in any way, shape, or form. George had some sort of stroke that day and was going down fast. He most likely just wandered into the woods to die.

I think the condition George's car was found in would all but rule out foul play. I mean why would someone abduct George, kill him, hide his body, then dump his car and:

-leave the keys in the ignition
-leave the back door open
-leave his jacket inside on one of the seats
-prop his cane up against the car
-put sticks of wood in the backseat
-put several piles of wood around the car?

It makes no sense for anyone to have done these things other than a disoriented George Owens.

I have always thought it so sad that the family never had closure to this.
I just googled his name and a link took me to The Charley Project page about him.

I believe he was confused for whatever reason that day. He stopped and asked for directions to Nolensville. The store clerk misunderstood and sent him to a town in the opposite direction. This is where he was spotted and stopped again for instructions, saying, "I can't find my wife". Totally overcome by confusion and disoriented by this time, he ended up on the dirt road his car was found on. Lost in the woods, in his confusion he thought he needed to build a fire. He becomes too warm and removes his jacket. He leans his cane against the car, and leaves the wood he has gathered. For whatever reason, he wanders in the woods and dies. His body was overlooked by searchers. It was on the news yesterday about a man in CA that was in a wreck and lay in an overgrown area near the accident for 6 days overlooked by searchers. I believe this is what happened to Mr. Owens.

I have always thought it so sad that the family never had closure to this.
I just googled his name and a link took me to The Charley Project page about him.

I believe he was confused for whatever reason that day. He stopped and asked for directions to Nolensville. The store clerk misunderstood and sent him to a town in the opposite direction. This is where he was spotted and stopped again for instructions, saying, "I can't find my wife". Totally overcome by confusion and disoriented by this time, he ended up on the dirt road his car was found on. Lost in the woods, in his confusion he thought he needed to build a fire. He becomes too warm and removes his jacket. He leans his cane against the car, and leaves the wood he has gathered. For whatever reason, he wanders in the woods and dies. His body was overlooked by searchers. It was on the news yesterday about a man in CA that was in a wreck and lay in an overgrown area near the accident for 6 days overlooked by searchers. I believe this is what happened to Mr. Owens.

Yeah but the guy has been missing for about 25 years. Someone would stumble on his body you would think right? If he just wandered off he wouldn't have gotten too far. It isn't as if they didn't have a central point to check from - his car. How far can an 87 year old man go? Even after all these years someone would have seen something peculiar. The car was down a dirt road, lending to the idea that bikers or joggers or even cars go through there. I don't know, I think he ran into foul play

Not neccessarily so. The Charley Project describes his car as being found "on a remote hilltop". If this were an old logging road or some similar such road, not a well travelled dirt road, yeah, I could see no one going up there, or rarely going.

And with time, animal activity , and rain, weather etc, it's very likely his bones have been scattered and will never be found. There have been too many instances where the body of a missing person has been found after a long time in areas that have been supposedly searched.

I've always felt sorry for the store clerk who called the local clinic to try to help find George's wife...you can tell how genuinely upset she is that she didn't try to help more.

yes, this is just one of the UM stories that really touches people.

It reminds me of when my MIL first began to get confused before being diagnosed with dementia several years later. She had 2 episodes of this- she was driving at night in areas she was completely familiar with and were a part of her neighborhood. My DD was with her the first time-she only had her permit. MIL was driving and became totally disoriented-lost. DD had to drive them home and they were only a couple blocks from MIL's apartment. The other episode happened when she was late getting out of her hair appt. she was on her way home, just a few blocks away and she was stopped by a cop for driving erratically. She was lost and scared to death. She parked her car and he took her home. After that, she never drove at night again.

Mr Owens might have been perfectly fine most of the time, but could have been showing early signs of alzheimers/dementia.

Regardless, it's just doubly sad that this happened, and that he has never been found.

Regardless, it's just doubly sad that this happened, and that he has never been found.

This is what I find most amazing about this sad case, the fact that they never found his body. How far could an 87 year old man have wandered off into the woods? You would think someone would have found some remains by now.

Very sad case. I think George either had early Alzheimer's or completely undiagnosed Alzheimer's because this case has all the tell-tale signs of someone completely disoriented and confused which ended up costing him his life.

George driving hundreds of miles into the middle of nowhere, him leaving his keys in the ignition, the gathering of the firewood, him leaving his back-door open, and yes even him leaving his cane are all wholly consistent with someone suffering an episode of a mentally incapacitating illness.

It's entirely possible he hobbled off without his cane. That's very common among elderly patients who are suffering from sort of dementia. They'll often forget to put on their glasses, their clothes, or will randomly set their calendars six months ahead in their confused state.

Just because he was old and frail doesn't mean he wouldn't have gotten far. You'd be surprised how the elderly can get in their confused state. And just because the search was exhaustive doesn't mean his body was going to turn up. I googled searched Lobelville, TN and it is a very, very heavily wooded area. It's not a stretch to assume that he disappeared into the woods and that his dead body was covered up by the foliage.

What a sad way to end ones life. At least he's at peace now.

As for the clerk, she probably assumed he was a disoriented local who'd find his way home. She had NO way of knowing that he was at least 100 miles from home.

I watched this for the first time. I hate seeing bad things happen to elderly people, or even just seeing people who have Alzheimer's or things like that in general. I definitely teared up seeing this poor man look disoriented and the part when he was asking about his wife. Hell I tear up a but just thinking about it

I am pleasantly surprised this story has six pages of discussion. I am glad I am not the only one that got rather touched by this case

Very sad case. I think George either had early Alzheimer's or completely undiagnosed Alzheimer's because this case has all the tell-tale signs of someone completely disoriented and confused which ended up costing him his life.

George driving hundreds of miles into the middle of nowhere, him leaving his keys in the ignition, the gathering of the firewood, him leaving his back-door open, and yes even him leaving his cane are all wholly consistent with someone suffering an episode of a mentally incapacitating illness.

It's entirely possible he hobbled off without his cane. That's very common among elderly patients who are suffering from sort of dementia. They'll often forget to put on their glasses, their clothes, or will randomly set their calendars six months ahead in their confused state.

Just because he was old and frail doesn't mean he wouldn't have gotten far. You'd be surprised how the elderly can get in their confused state. And just because the search was exhaustive doesn't mean his body was going to turn up. I googled searched Lobelville, TN and it is a very, very heavily wooded area. It's not a stretch to assume that he disappeared into the woods and that his dead body was covered up by the foliage.

What a sad way to end ones life. At least he's at peace now.

As for the clerk, she probably assumed he was a disoriented local who'd find his way home. She had NO way of knowing that he was at least 100 miles from home.

Great post (and btw, love your username, as I'm a GNR fan too!), I think this sounds the most plausible. The simple fact that he had a stroke, and was even more disoriented being in an unfamiliar area, makes it very possible that his actions would be inconsistent with what they normally were.

I honestly wonder where George actually had his stroke in the first place, and if he was slowly getting more confused/disoriented, the more time passed? He was supposed to pick his wife up at the bus station around Nashville but never made it, which makes me think he'd already had the stroke, causing him to drive further away from his hometown/familiar areas in the first place.

I'm guessing that George died within a couple days, probably wandering off and either getting injured or by lack of food and water. While it's a horrible way to go, I just hope (if that's indeed what happened) he didn't suffer long. In a rural area, I'm not surprised they might've missed him at the time.

Yeah, it's tempting for us to watch the segment and scream at the clerk to do more for him, but she probably didn't realize the severity of it at the time. You could tell she felt horrible about it too. :(

I'd like to think that something happened to George a la Rogest Cain, in that he was found lost and wandering around and somehow ended up in a home, but I definitely think he died in the woods shortly after disappearing.

I tend to believe the foul play theory because his body was never found. It doesn't seem unlikely someone looking for an easy target would kill him, then rob him then get rid of the body.

I tend to believe the foul play theory because his body was never found. It doesn't seem unlikely someone looking for an easy target would kill him, then rob him then get rid of the body.

To the contrary, this is why I believe he actually wandered off. George was very apparently showing signs of dementia, and the last place that vehicle was found was in a remote area off a logging road with evidence that he was engaging in behaviors he typically engaged in out at his home in Nolensville--picking up kindling wood. I don't feel it's at all unusual that kindling was put in the backseat of the vehicle as the reporter commented on--a confused person with decreased cognitive ability does confusing things. I think it is definitely possible he wandered for some time and distance into those woods or the surrounding (remote) area and he is simply yet to be found. It's worth noting that Perry County is the least densely populated county in the entire state of Tennessee. A considerable percentage of the population lives below the poverty line and their public services are not well-resourced relative to other jurisdictions in the state.

I think everything we know points straight to George's deteriorating mental function rather than foul play.

It's worth noting that Perry County is the least densely populated county in the entire state of Tennessee. A considerable percentage of the population lives below the poverty line and their public services are not well-resourced relative to other jurisdictions in the state.

Excellent point. This could be the main reason why George's body has never been found.

It's just kind of hard for me to believe that an old man would be able to so far into the woods to the point where he was unable to be found, but who knows

It's just kind of hard for me to believe that an old man would be able to so far into the woods to the point where he was unable to be found, but who knows

We had a case similar to this. An elderly man who had signs of Alzheimers left a hospital and wandered into the desert/ mountains. They went searching all over for him and never found him. They did eventually find his remains a few weeks later.

It's just kind of hard for me to believe that an old man would be able to so far into the woods to the point where he was unable to be found, but who knows
I think if he was disoriented, it's possible. He may have thought that he was going the right way and even--tragically-- that he would find his wife if he kept moving. Staying still may have been too much for him to handle since he was pretty distraught about not knowing where she was; perhaps he felt he had to keep moving so he could find her.

I honestly wonder where George actually had his stroke in the first place, and if he was slowly getting more confused/disoriented, the more time passed? He was supposed to pick his wife up at the bus station around Nashville but never made it, which makes me think he'd already had the stroke, causing him to drive further away from his hometown/familiar areas in the first place.

Whether it was a stroke or an episode of dementia, my guess it happened earlier in the day. The segment notes that George was supposed to pick up his wife at the bus station in Nashville. But three hours later was spotted at the gas station in Santa Fe, TN, which is approximately 40 miles southeast of George's home of Nolesnville, TN.

From there, George was (accidentally) directed to Lobelville, TN, which is 55 miles west of Sante Fe and nearly 100 miles from Nolensville.

Stack points out in the narration that nobody has any idea what George was even doing in Santa Fe in the first place. In my opinion, George became incredibly confused and disoriented and was already driving around aimlessly, which explains how he showed up at the Sante Fe gas station.

I think upon George's arrival in Lobelville, he only became more and more confused. He told the clerk how he used to love to dance, and that he couldn't find his wife. At that point, I don't think he had any idea where he was.

A person suffering from a stroke or dementia can lose all sense of time and place and their memories can become very jumbled. My uncle once had a stroke which left him with permanent brain damage. Not long after, he was talking to my father and he said: "Yeah, Mom called me yesterday. She was nagging me about smoking. As usual."

Mind you, his mother (my grandmother) had been dead for about 25 years by this point. The phone conversation my uncle was referring to DID, in fact, take place. But it likely happened in the 1970s. The brain damage my uncle suffered from totally compromised his long-term memory.

THAT'S the cognitive state I think George was in. George telling the clerk "I can't find my wife" could've been a reference to an event that happened years earlier that George was suddenly thinking just happened. If he had any clue that his wife was at the bus station waiting for him, then surely he would've stopped to use a payphone (per the technology of the time) to try to get in touch with her or another relative.

Persons in this state also revert back to old habits completely randomly; again, this is consistent with their sense of long-term memory being totally off-balance. I've read plenty stories about elderly folks, suffering from dementia, who suddenly show up for "work" at their old jobs, long after they've retired. Or they wander into abandoned buildings, remembering the place as an bar or nightclub from decades earlier, but not remembering that the establishments have been closed down for years.

I'm not a doctor but it's probably some sort of unconscious reaction to their brain's disoriented state. They don't remember where they are, so they instinctively revert back to familiar (but ultimately needless and arbitrary) behaviors in order to keep their composure.

That, to me, explains the randomness of the wood-pile stacked in George's backseat. It's likely something he did in his younger years, and not remembering where he was, instinctively reverted back to it.

I, for one, do not think George was the victim of foul play. I love UM but sometimes the segments would desperately over-reach, trying to tie tangential events to the "mystery." There's absolutely no evidence that George was being "followed" by that pick-up truck. Considering the remote location, it's safe to assume that that was the only road that vehicles could use to get from point A to point B. Just because the truck was later spotted driving in the opposite direction doesn't mean they were George's murderers. Couldn't it have been a return trip?

Unless that road dead-ended into the location where George was found, then I don't think there's any murder mystery to be uncovered here.

The journalist interviewed in the segment mentioned: "There's so many things that don't make any sense." I agree, but I think that has 100% to do with George's disoriented state, and nothing at all to do with any kind of murder mystery.

Every time I put gardening supplies, such as driftwood, buckets of dirt, bricks, and rocks, in my car, I think of this poor guy and his "perfect" car. :(

Still true, six years later! Some cases stay with ya.

Whether it was a stroke or an episode of dementia, my guess it happened earlier in the day. The segment notes that George was supposed to pick up his wife at the bus station in Nashville. But three hours later was spotted at the gas station in Santa Fe, TN, which is approximately 40 miles southeast of George's home of Nolesnville, TN.

From there, George was (accidentally) directed to Lobelville, TN, which is 55 miles west of Sante Fe and nearly 100 miles from Nolensville.

Stack points out in the narration that nobody has any idea what George was even doing in Santa Fe in the first place. In my opinion, George became incredibly confused and disoriented and was already driving around aimlessly, which explains how he showed up at the Sante Fe gas station.

I think upon George's arrival in Lobelville, he only became more and more confused. He told the clerk how he used to love to dance, and that he couldn't find his wife. At that point, I don't think he had any idea where he was.

A person suffering from a stroke or dementia can lose all sense of time and place and their memories can become very jumbled. My uncle once had a stroke which left him with permanent brain damage. Not long after, he was talking to my father and he said: "Yeah, Mom called me yesterday. She was nagging me about smoking. As usual."

Mind you, his mother (my grandmother) had been dead for about 25 years by this point. The phone conversation my uncle was referring to DID, in fact, take place. But it likely happened in the 1970s. The brain damage my uncle suffered from totally compromised his long-term memory.

THAT'S the cognitive state I think George was in. George telling the clerk "I can't find my wife" could've been a reference to an event that happened years earlier that George was suddenly thinking just happened. If he had any clue that his wife was at the bus station waiting for him, then surely he would've stopped to use a payphone (per the technology of the time) to try to get in touch with her or another relative.

Persons in this state also revert back to old habits completely randomly; again, this is consistent with their sense of long-term memory being totally off-balance. I've read plenty stories about elderly folks, suffering from dementia, who suddenly show up for "work" at their old jobs, long after they've retired. Or they wander into abandoned buildings, remembering the place as an bar or nightclub from decades earlier, but not remembering that the establishments have been closed down for years.

I'm not a doctor but it's probably some sort of unconscious reaction to their brain's disoriented state. They don't remember where they are, so they instinctively revert back to familiar (but ultimately needless and arbitrary) behaviors in order to keep their composure.

That, to me, explains the randomness of the wood-pile stacked in George's backseat. It's likely something he did in his younger years, and not remembering where he was, instinctively reverted back to it.

I, for one, do not think George was the victim of foul play. I love UM but sometimes the segments would desperately over-reach, trying to tie tangential events to the "mystery." There's absolutely no evidence that George was being "followed" by that pick-up truck. Considering the remote location, it's safe to assume that that was the only road that vehicles could use to get from point A to point B. Just because the truck was later spotted driving in the opposite direction doesn't mean they were George's murderers. Couldn't it have been a return trip?

Unless that road dead-ended into the location where George was found, then I don't think there's any murder mystery to be uncovered here.

The journalist interviewed in the segment mentioned: "There's so many things that don't make any sense." I agree, but I think that has 100% to do with George's disoriented state, and nothing at all to do with any kind of murder mystery.


the reason why I think a murder is not out of the real of possibility is


1. His body wasn't found. How far could he have walked for his body to completely disappear and not be found by the search team?


2. An old man would make for a very easy target to attack and rob.

2. An old man would make for a very easy target to attack and rob.

The state of his car would suggest a murder/robbery as unlikely. His car was found abandoned, with several twigs and branches in the backseat and leaning up against his car. This would make no sense for someone to do if this were a robbery. Unfortunately, I too think George was developing dementia or another mental illness, and for reasons unknown began to gather wood and place it in his car before either being picked up by a good samaritan and taken to a hospital or wandering off in the woods and having a heart attack or stroke.

I don't know much about the area he disappeared in, but if those woods are full of wild animals, that could very well explain why he has never been found. :( If he did succumb in the woods (to exhaustion, natural causes, etc.) after wandering away, animals could have scattered the remains and could therefore explain why no trace of him has been discovered.

I don't know much about the area he disappeared in, but if those woods are full of wild animals, that could very well explain why he has never been found. :( If he did succumb in the woods (to exhaustion, natural causes, etc.) after wandering away, animals could have scattered the remains and could therefore explain why no trace of him has been discovered.

Perry County is VERY rural. It is also the least-populated county in the state, so I too could definitely see animal foraging as an extremely likely possibility.

I just watched this case for the first time: one of the best acted UM episodes. The actor playing Owens in the store nailed the disorientation without hamming it up.

I just watched this case for the first time: one of the best acted UM episodes. The actor playing Owens in the store nailed the disorientation without hamming it up.

That's what made the story even more sad, IMO.

This segment just broke me. The store scene is one of the most upsetting things I've seen. The storeclerk looks like she's about to cry, and in the segment the actor playing George is just perfect. Its gut-wrenching

This segment just broke me. The store scene is one of the most upsetting things I've seen. The storeclerk looks like she's about to cry, and in the segment the actor playing George is just perfect. Its gut-wrenching

Yes!!!!

It will be interesting to see if and how this is updated on Amazon Prime. George went missing over 30 years ago and would be 112 years old today, so i do wonder if they will add a disclaimer at the end that the case is considered closed.

It will be interesting to see if and how this is updated on Amazon Prime. George went missing over 30 years ago and would be 112 years old today, so i do wonder if they will add a disclaimer at the end that the case is considered closed.

Until they find him (dead or alive) it's not closed to me, but they probably won't even put it on Prime.

Until they find him (dead or alive) it's not closed to me, but they probably won't even put it on Prime.




The similar Rogest Cain segment is on Prime so I can't see why Owens wouldn't be

The similar Rogest Cain segment is on Prime so I can't see why Owens wouldn't be

Every segment will eventually be on Prime.

Every segment will eventually be on Prime.

Not true. They are leaving some off for legal or other reasons. That itself is an Unsolved Mystery. But Cosgrove-Muerer isn't going to be the one to solve it.

this case is not on Amazon. I guess it is because he is most likely dead. Wish it had still been uploaded since it is a very sad case and the actor that plays Owens does such a good job

this case is not on Amazon. I guess it is because he is most likely dead. Wish it had still been uploaded since it is a very sad case and the actor that plays Owens does such a good job

annoys me that it's not there

I didn't know George was declared legally dead in 1993.

After almost eight years years without a word from George Owens, a Nolensville man who mysteriously vanished, he has been ruled legally dead. Owens disappeared July 22, 1985, with only his cane and a car emerging as evidence of his departure. Thorough investigations and even a segment on television's Unsolved Mysteries have failed to shed light on his whereabouts. "I guess we'll never find out about poor Mr. Owens," said attorney Patricia McDade, assigned by the courts to represent Owen's interests. The Chancery Court ruling came after Owens' family members and his preacher testified this week that Owen's disappearance was inconsistent with the way this family man and church leader lived, according to attorney Russell Harwell. Owens vanished after he left his Nolensville Road home to pick up his wife, Alene, at a Nashville bus stop. His car was found in a desolate section of Perry County with the keys in the ignition and battery dead. Tree branches and brush were piled around the car as if someone intended to hide it or start afire, McDade said. The Rev. James Taylor of Nashville's New Hope Baptist Church, where George Owens had been an associate pastor, testified Thursday that he found the missing man's cane leaning against the car during a search of the area. "Taylor said Mr. Owens always had his cane with him. It was a very strange thing to see him without his cane," said Harwell, who is with the law firm Heiskell Donelson Bear-man in Nashville. As another part of the Chancery Court ruling, Daryl L Owens, Harwell's client and George Owens' grandson, is to collect an inheritance of about $33,000. The money is from the sale of the Owens home four years ago. Daryl Owens of Nashville is the missing man's sole heir. George Owens disappeance was the focus of a segment of the Unsolved Mysteries television show last year. The publicity generated about 140 reports of sightings, but none led to new information.

This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sunset+Rd,+Tennessee/Santa+Fe,+TN/Lobelville,+TN/Pond+Hollow,+Tennessee/@35.8452683,-87.8973053,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x886470e0d199de41:0x5a40c248d4709b50!2m2!1d-86.712086!2d35.9686995!1m5!1m1!1s0x886365c417a569db:0x5d083698b263de66!2m2!1d-87.1280626!2d35.735069!1m5!1m1!1s0x887ca312ddd451b7:0xc4d57b5682f5e123!2m2!1d-87.7839129!2d35.7720103!1m5!1m1!1s0x887c9c3bc1f43b8b:0xae2f56b85a437521!2m2!1d-87.9472526!2d35.8392308!3e0) is the route George took when he was supposed to be headed North to Nashville to pick up his wife. I also found a disturbing comment on Topix related to the area that his car was found in. Here (http://www.topix.com/forum/city/linden-tn/TKR9CJVRG0VV2M31J/pond-holler-cedar-creek) is the link where people are asking why that area is considered a bad one.

The area was at one point an extremely rural, isolated part of an already rural and isolated county. There were many rumors surrounding the residents of this neighborhood, some deserved, others undeserved. It eventually garnered a reputation as being Lobelville and Perry County's own little version of what was seen in the movie "Deliverance." There were, and some would say continue to be, a few groups of people that lived in this area that did, in fact, exhibit a rather enhanced paranoia about those from the 'outside' of their group. I grew up in the area, and for my entire life, it was always known as an area one didn't go unless you had specific business there. And having specific business there was unlikely for the more law abiding among us, as it was also known as an area where one could obtain illicit liquor, and later, drugs.

Pond Hollow (and Lobelville in general) came to rather dubious national fame for a brief period in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to the disappearance of Mr. George Owens, which was covered on the nationally syndicated television show "Unsolved Mysteries." Mr. Owens, who reportedly possibly suffered from a mild mental handicap, was misdirected to Lobelville after a gas station attendant misunderstood his request for directions. He was last seen at a small country store at the corner of state highways 13 and 50 in Lobelville (50 has been since renumbered as a secondary route, 438). His car was later found in the woods in Pond Hollow, with no sign of Mr. Owens to be found, save for his walking cane and jacket which were found near the car. Rumors began to spread that he ran afoul of the denizens of the Hollow. This theory is, unfortunately, entirely plausible, especially considering the fact that he was black.

Pond Hollow has since seen something of a resurgence, having caught the eye of development companies which took advantage of the beautiful scenery along the Tennessee River and extremely low land prices available. It is located near a popular recreation area and boat dock at Cedar Creek, which has helped in its recent popularity.

In short, Pond Hollow is one of hundreds of isolated areas of Tennessee that has a population of people who, for whatever reason, have often shied away from outside contact, preferring to keep to themselves. Some of these people, as with any population, are bad apples that would have wished harm on those that stumbled in to them. But it isn't really a place one must actively avoid these days, especially if you're just minding your own business or passing through.

I don't believe in the foul play scenario, but I did find that interesting. He was clearly disoriented by the time he reached Santa Fe with a flat tire. He was nowhere near where he should have been at that time.

I don't know why it is not possible foul play could have happened. Especially since apparently he disappeared in a known bad area. We will never know for sure unless his body turns up one day

I think George was robbed but not killed. I think he just died of a stroke out in the woods

I don't know why it is not possible foul play could have happened. Especially since apparently he disappeared in a known bad area. We will never know for sure unless his body turns up one day

I'd never rule anything out...but anyone who has had a relative or friend with Alzheimer's/dementia knows that wandering off happens all too often. It's the reason Memory Care wards in nursing homes are very strict. I've heard of cases where elderly people wandered off in winter and froze to death. It's possible he was suffering from dementia when he disappeared and died of natural causes, and his body was never found because of time, animals, elements, etc.

I wonder why this segment was missing from the Film Rise collection?

I wonder why this segment was missing from the Film Rise collection?

A few possible reasons:

1. George was born 120 years ago and the passage of time makes solving his disappearance very slim.
2. Surviving relative(s) asked Unsolved Mysteries to not air it for whatever reason(s), likely due to no leads or what I mentioned in post 1.
3. Authorities tend to unofficially close disappearances if there are no surviving relatives to reach out to for information or case updates.

A few possible reasons:

1. George was born 120 years ago and the passage of time makes solving his disappearance very slim.
2. Surviving relative(s) asked Unsolved Mysteries to not air it for whatever reason(s), likely due to no leads or what I mentioned in post 1.
3. Authorities tend to unofficially close disappearances if there are no surviving relatives to reach out to for information or case updates.

They still featured the Rogest Cain segment. I get that the family declared him legally dead in the early 90s (something that UM could have updated the audience on), but his remains are still missing.

They still featured the Rogest Cain segment. I get that the family declared him legally dead in the early 90s (something that UM could have updated the audience on), but his remains are still missing.

I'll add him to my list of Most Perplexing Missing Persons Cases in the UM Award Categories thread I post.

It's rumored the segment was excluded because it needs extra restoration and Cosgrove-Meur Productions doesnt want to risk their original copy using more advanced methods.

It's rumored the segment was excluded because it needs extra restoration and Cosgrove-Meur Productions doesnt want to risk their original copy using more advanced methods.

This makes more sense than "ehh he's probably dead, let's not air it."