298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

John Swortwood Missing Person Case

Last seen in Kansas City, Kansas on Dec 3, 2011

Create Press Release

Victim Details

Created

Aug 22, 2012

Case Added

Jun 20, 2018

First Name

John

Last Name

Swortwood

Current Age

Age At Disappearance

Height

67 inches

Weight

175 lbs

Weight To

205 lbs

Ethnicity

White / Caucasian

Gender

Male

Last Seen

Dec 3, 2011

City

Kansas City

State

Kansas

County

Wyandotte County

Zip Code

66103

Agency ID

12200

Agency Name

Kansas City Police Department

Agency City

Kansas City

Agency State

Kansas

Agency County

Wyandotte County

Agency Zip Code

66109

Agency Contact

Stephen Smith

Contact Job Title

Detective

Agency Address

700 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas

Agency Phone

9135736020

Agency Jurisdiction

Local

Agency Type

Law Enforcement

Agency Case #

2012020420

Agency Report Date

Feb 4, 2012

Primary Agency

Kansas City Police Department

Hair Color

Gray or Partially Gray

Left Eye Color

Brown

Right Eye Color

Brown

Last Updated

Oct 13, 2026

Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!

Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP17168) and 4 other sources

In the winter of 2011, a family began a search for a loved one that continues to this day. John Thomas Swortwood, known to his friends and family as Tom, was 43 years old when he was last seen on December 3, 2011, in Kansas City, Kansas. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a white male, standing at 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighing between 175 and 205 pounds. He had graying hair and brown eyes. A notable detail of his appearance at the time he went missing was that he had a beard. When he was last seen, he was wearing a black trench coat and blue jeans.

The circumstances surrounding John's disappearance remain unclear, as there is little public information available about his last known activities or his state of mind at the time. The official report of his disappearance was not filed until February 4, 2012, approximately two months after he was last seen. This delay in reporting can sometimes complicate the initial stages of a missing persons investigation, as the trail of potential evidence and witness recollections can grow cold. The Kansas City Police Department is the investigating agency assigned to his case.

Over the years, the search for answers has persisted, with John's case being entered into national databases for missing persons, including NamUs, under the case number MP17168. Despite these efforts, there has been a lack of significant leads to indicate his whereabouts or what may have happened to him. The absence of information has left his family with unanswered questions and the ongoing pain of not knowing. The overview of this case is one of a sudden and unexplained disappearance, with limited details available to the public, which has unfortunately left a family in a prolonged state of uncertainty and hope for resolution.
Last Seen: Dec 3, 2011

Links to Additional Sources (4)

See any mistakes? Let us know!

Missing Person / NamUs

5820DMKS - John Thomas Swortwood - Doe Network

Kansas Missing

Kansas Lostnmissing - #Missing John Swortwood - December 3, 2011

Possible Unidentified Matches (5)

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.

76%Possible

John Doe — Kearney, Missouri

UP103228 • Found Feb 28, 2023

View case

Sex ✓Male

Age 100%Est. 50–65 vs 43 when missing

Race 100%White

Location 96%26 mi away

TimingFound 11 years after last seen

Height 75%5'9"–6'5" vs 5'7"

76%Possible

John Doe — Harrisonville, Missouri

UP123581 • Found Oct 18, 2022

View case

Sex ✓Male

Age 100%Est. 50–65 vs 43 when missing

Race 100%White

Location 94%32 mi away

TimingFound 11 years after last seen

Height 75%5'6"–6'1" vs 5'7"

75%Possible

John Doe — Kansas City, Missouri

UP102197 • Found Jan 25, 2023

View case

Sex ✓Male

Age 100%Est. 38–52 vs 43 when missing

Race 100%White

Location 100%5 mi away

TimingFound 11 years after last seen

75%Possible

John Doe — Kansas

UP92968 • Found Dec 11, 2019

View case

Sex ✓Male

Age 60%Est. 18–100 vs 43 when missing

Race 100%White

Location 100%8 mi away, same county

TimingFound 8 years after last seen

Height 100%5'5"–5'8" vs 5'7"

Weight 100%130–160 lb vs 175–205 lb

Hair 40%Black vs Gray

75%Possible

John Doe — Kansas City, Missouri

UP11507 • Found Aug 5, 2013

View case

Sex ✓Male

Age 85%Est. 35–55 vs 43 when missing

Race 100%White

Location 100%8 mi away

TimingFound 20 months after last seen

Height 52%5'11" vs 5'7"

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.

John Swortwood Missing Person Case

Last seen in Kansas City, Kansas on Dec 3, 2011

Victim Details

Case Description

Links to Additional Sources (4)

Possible Unidentified Matches (5)

Latest News

The Disappearance of Tyrone Bryant

Mom told EMS her daughter, 4, was sick from ‘drinking milk’ — as she turned blue from fentanyl poisoning: prosecutors

LINDSAY CLANCY CONFESSES, GRIPES “LACK OF SEX” IN GREEDY MONEY GRAB

Guilty plea on federal charges in deadly Boulder firebomb attack

MP of the week: Lisa Irwin

Missing Arizona Woman Found Alive in Mexico

Florida cops reveal exactly what happened before mom was arrested for leaving 4 kids for Las Vegas trip

WALKING DEAD: CHRISTA PIKE FACING HANGMAN’S NOOSE?

Botched executions came after changes to state protocol

The Disappearance of Jamie Curtis

Forum Posts (1)

Other Missing Cases from Kansas City, Kansas