Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP21815) and 3 other sources
In the quiet, rural landscape of Clairfield, Tennessee, a story of unsettling mystery began to unfold on September 18, 1987. On that day, 29-year-old Tommy Gene Hatfield, a male with brown hair and brown eyes, walked out of his home, reportedly carrying a rifle or shotgun. He told his family he was heading into the woods that bordered their property, a familiar and unremarkable statement for many in the area. However, this seemingly ordinary departure would be the last time he was ever seen. Dressed in ox blood-colored cowboy boots, jeans, and a distinctive flannel shirt with a white background and progressively smaller, different-shaded blue blocks, Tommy vanished without a trace, leaving behind a family and a community to grapple with his sudden and unexplained absence.

The days following Tommy's disappearance were filled with urgent and exhaustive searches of the dense woods and rugged terrain surrounding his home. The Claiborne County Sheriff's Department led the efforts, but despite their extensive and thorough investigation, no sign of Tommy or his weapon was ever discovered. His case was officially reported to the authorities on the same day he was last seen, and he was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System under case number MP21815. As time stretched from days into weeks, and then into years, the hope of finding Tommy began to fade, replaced by a persistent and painful uncertainty.

The passage of time has done little to erase the questions that hang over Tommy Hatfield's disappearance. He had several distinguishing marks, including scars across the bridge of his nose, above his right eyebrow, across his right hand, and on his right knee, which may have caused him to walk with a slight limp. He also had a surgical scar on his upper left rib cage from a car accident that had occurred just ten months before he went missing. Despite these details, and the continued efforts of law enforcement, his case remains one of the enduring mysteries in Claiborne County. The story of Tommy Hatfield is a somber reminder of a life interrupted, a family left in limbo, and a community still waiting for answers decades after he walked into the woods and seemingly vanished from the face of the earth.

Last Seen: Sep 18, 1987

Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

79%Possible
John Doe — Birchwood, Tennessee - unidentified case UP8189
John Doe — Birchwood, Tennessee
UP8189 • Found Aug 28, 2006
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–45 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 75%101 mi away, same state
TimingFound 19 years after last seen
Height 84%5'11" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 50%190 lb vs 135–145 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Physical features: Scar: surgical
79%Possible
John Doe — Waynesville, North Carolina - unidentified case UP6291
John Doe — Waynesville, North Carolina
UP6291 • Found May 28, 2004
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 25–40 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 78%91 mi away
TimingFound 17 years after last seen
Height 52%6'1" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%123 lb vs 135–145 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
Physical features: Scar: surgical
79%Possible
John Doe — Nashville, Tennessee
UP8525 • Found May 11, 1988
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 24–34 vs 29
Race 100%White
Location 63%160 mi away, same state
TimingFound 8 months after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%155 lb vs 135–145 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Somerset, Kentucky - unidentified case UP80
John Doe — Somerset, Kentucky
UP80 • Found Jul 9, 1998
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 25–35 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 89%52 mi away
TimingFound 11 years after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'7"–5'9"
77%Possible
John Doe — Chattanooga, Tennessee - unidentified case UP10171
John Doe — Chattanooga, Tennessee
UP10171 • Found Jul 1, 1991
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 30–35 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 69%132 mi away, same state
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
John Doe — Tennessee
UP1560 • Found Sep 10, 1990
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 20–30 vs 29 when missing
Race 60%Hispanic
Location 82%75 mi away, same state
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 84%5'5" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%138 lb vs 135–145 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
John Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP8184
John Doe — New York, New York
UP8184 • Found May 12, 1990
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 25–45 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 26%611 mi away
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%152 lb vs 135–145 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
Physical features: Scar: surgical
76%Possible
John Doe — Cincinnati, Ohio - unidentified case UP7739
John Doe — Cincinnati, Ohio
UP7739 • Found Oct 27, 1988
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 20–30 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 59%179 mi away
TimingFound 13 months after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%137 lb vs 135–145 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 0%Blue vs Brown
76%Possible
John Doe — Georgia
UP152052 • Found May 7, 1988
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 28–42 vs 29
Race 100%White
Location 62%165 mi away
TimingFound 8 months after last seen
Height 100%5'10"–6'0" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 84%170–180 lb vs 135–145 lb
75%Possible
John Doe — Knoxville, Tennessee - unidentified case UP107847
John Doe — Knoxville, Tennessee
UP107847 • Found Aug 5, 2023
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–45 vs 29 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 91%44 mi away, same state
TimingFound 36 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'7"–5'9"

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.