John Henry Jacobson was five years old when he disappeared from Bismarck, North Dakota, on November 16, 1996. Public missing-person listings identify him as John Henry Jacobson, a white male child with light brown or brown hair and brown eyes. He was last reported wearing a hunter green winter coat with blue cuffs. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children lists his case under NCMEC number 826663 and shows an age-progressed image of how John may appear as an adult.
John was last seen with his mother, Sandra M. Jacobson. According to public case summaries, Sandra and John had been at a relative’s home in Bismarck and left in Sandra’s gray 1990 Honda Civic to get gasoline. The North Dakota Attorney General’s cold case listing states that they left at approximately 8:00 p.m. and were never seen again. NCMEC similarly reports that John was last seen leaving a relative’s home in Sandra’s car, and that the vehicle was later found abandoned.
The Charley Project provides additional detail about the hours before the disappearance. It reports that Sandra and John had planned to eat dinner at Sandra’s mother’s home near the 1100 block of University Drive in Bismarck. Sandra reportedly called the Bismarck Police Department while on her way back, sounding upset and making alarming claims about activity near Center, North Dakota. After arriving at her mother’s home around 7:30 p.m., Sandra appeared to be struggling, and she agreed to let her mother take her to the hospital, but first wanted to buy gasoline. She and John then left in the Honda Civic.
According to the same account, Sandra and John did purchase fuel, but they did not return to the home. Sandra’s mother reported both of them missing at about 10:00 p.m. that night. The following day, Sandra’s car was found at the Centennial Beach parking lot near the Missouri River in Bismarck. The car reportedly had the driver’s side door open, the keys in the ignition, and Sandra’s purse on the front seat with its contents undisturbed. Investigators searched the beach and river area, and a shoe that may have belonged to John was reportedly found, but severe weather and strong river currents limited the search.
The circumstances have remained deeply painful for John’s family and for those who have followed the case. John was only a kindergartner-aged child when he vanished alongside his mother, and the available public information leaves many questions unanswered. Online listings from NCMEC, NamUs, and state cold case resources continue to associate the investigation with the Bismarck Police Department, which is listed as the agency to contact with information. NCMEC also lists its 24-hour call center, 1-800-843-5678, for tips related to John’s case.Last Seen: Nov 16, 1996
