On a Tuesday afternoon in late August of 1982, a 20-year-old man from Elkton, Kentucky, named Perry Juerrell Stokes, spent some time squirrel hunting with a friend. After their time outdoors, they went to the friend's home, where Perry was given some fish to take with him. Before leaving, he spoke with his father and assured him that he would be home shortly. Perry, who was known to friends and family as Buck or by his middle name, Juerrell, was never seen or heard from again.
His promise to be home soon marked the beginning of a mystery that would stretch on for decades, leaving his loved ones with unanswered questions about his fate and whereabouts. Theories from those close to him suggested he may have intended to travel, possibly to Nashville or even as far as Florida, but these ideas were never substantiated, adding to the uncertainty of his sudden disappearance.
At the time he went missing, Perry was a young man with brown hair and blue eyes, standing between five feet nine and five feet ten inches tall, with a slender build of about 135 to 140 pounds. He had several distinct physical characteristics, including a flat spot on the back, right side of his head and a noticeable scar that ran from his breastbone to about two inches from his navel. He was believed to be wearing blue jeans without a shirt, a camouflage hat, and tan boots in a size 9 or 9 ½. He also wore a distinctive brown belt that featured a German-style eagle on the buckle; it's thought that the back of the buckle may have been engraved with the words 'white brass' and possibly his social security number. Around his neck, he wore a gold chain necklace with a circular emblem depicting a horse with wings. It was also believed he might have had several rings in his possession, possibly with the intention of selling them.
The hours and days following Perry's failure to return home were filled with confusion and growing concern. He had simply vanished after a seemingly ordinary day. The Kentucky State Police were notified and an investigation into his disappearance began, but the trail quickly grew cold. For his family, the pain of not knowing has been a constant companion. In an effort to aid the search, his brothers provided DNA samples to be entered into national databases, a hopeful measure against the vast unknown. The case of Perry Juerrell Stokes is a story of a young man on the cusp of his life who disappeared without a trace after a day spent with a friend. It is the story of a father who was told his son would be home soon, and a family left to navigate a world of ambiguity, forever waiting for answers as to what happened on that late summer day in 1982.Last Seen: Aug 24, 1982
