In the shore town of Ocean City, New Jersey, the morning of March 11, 2009, began like any other for 21-year-old John Weisbecker. He went shopping with his mother, preparing for a new seasonal job he was about to start at a local restaurant. That day, he had asked his mother to buy him some new shirts for his job. After returning to the home he shared with his mother and sister in the 200 block of Asbury Avenue, he was seen by the mail carrier around 11:00 a.m.
This would be the last confirmed sighting of John. A short time later, around noon, his mother tried to call him, but the call went directly to voicemail, which was unusual for John who always kept his phone on. When she arrived home that evening around 8:30 p.m., John was gone.
The scene inside the house raised immediate concern. While there were no overt signs of a violent struggle, kitchen stools were out of place and some furniture had been overturned. John's car, a Lincoln LS, was still parked in the driveway, and on the kitchen counter was a pile of mail, including an uncashed unemployment check addressed to him. The new work shirts his mother had bought him were hanging in his closet, ready for a job he would never start. His wallet and cell phone were missing, but there was no activity on his bank accounts or his phone after his disappearance. His mother officially reported him missing to the police at midnight. The circumstances were alarming for a young man described as having a close relationship with his family and who was not known to leave without telling anyone.
Years have passed since John Weisbecker vanished, but the case remains an active and open investigation with the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and the Ocean City Police Department. Law enforcement officials have stated their belief that John did not leave his home voluntarily and was likely the victim of a crime. The FBI, which is also involved in the investigation, has indicated that more than one person was likely involved in his disappearance and that those individuals were probably familiar with the Cape May County area and possibly known to John himself. Despite appeals to the public and a substantial reward offered for information, the case has grown cold. The overview of this case is one of profound and sudden loss, a young man with plans for the future, including attending culinary school, who disappeared from the security of his own home, leaving behind a family searching for answers and a community with the lingering question of what happened to John Weisbecker.Last Seen: Mar 11, 2009
