Account
Dec 22, 2011
Jan 08, 2024
John
Daugherty
61
24
73 inches
74 inches
160 lbs
185 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
In the spring of 1988, a 24-year-old man named John Fred Daugherty vanished from Rogue River, Oregon, leaving behind a mystery that has endured for decades. He was last seen on April 15, 1988. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a white male, standing at 6 feet 1 inch to 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing between 160 and 185 pounds. He had brown, curly hair and brown eyes, and was nearsighted, requiring glasses or contacts to drive. When last seen, he was reportedly wearing green wool army pants and wire-rimmed glasses, and may have had a beard. The circumstances surrounding John's disappearance are unsettling. It was his roommate who reported him missing, but not until two weeks after he had last been seen. The roommate claimed that John had gone on a solo camping and hiking trip in the Shasta Costa Creek area, a rugged and remote region between Curry and Josephine counties. An initial search of the vast wilderness yielded no clues as to his whereabouts. This lack of evidence left his family and friends with no answers, and the case grew cold. Several months later, a timber crew working in the area stumbled upon a campsite that had been torn apart by bears. Among the scattered belongings, they found John's identification and his tent, which was still in its case and had clearly never been set up. The discovery suggested a tragic encounter with wildlife, but the scene also raised more questions than answers. The fact that the tent was never pitched, especially with snow on the ground at the time of his disappearance, was a perplexing detail. An official report from the Curry County Sheriff's Office in October 1989 detailed the findings, noting that the campsite was strewn over a 75-foot area and that canned food items had been opened by a bear. John Daugherty's wallet, driver's license, University of Oregon ID card, and $31 in cash were all recovered at the scene, along with his camping gear. This collection of personal effects, found in such disarray, paints a grim picture of his last known moments, yet without his remains, the full story of what happened to John Fred Daugherty remains an agonizing mystery for his loved ones.
Apr 15, 1988
Rogue River
Oregon
Josephine County
97537
No
11139
Josephine County Sheriff's Office
Grants Pass
Oregon
Josephine County
97526
1901 Northeast F Street, Oregon
5414745123
County
Law Enforcement
S19880561
1988-03-29
Josephine County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Brown
Brown
05/29/2026
