William Farris Goodmon was 56 years old when he vanished on June 27, 1988, after leaving his Polk City, Florida, residence. He was reportedly on his way to work at his business, Day's Lawn Mower in Lakeland, a departure consistent with his daily routine. Goodmon was last seen wearing a red and white checkered button-down shirt, navy blue work pants, and light brown western-style boots.
Several months prior to his disappearance, he had sustained an injury to his nose that required medical attention. He was also known to carry a Ruger. 357 magnum handgun, which has never been recovered. About a year before he went missing, Goodmon had suffered a stroke and was in poor health.
The last confirmed sighting of Goodmon was at 9:00 a.m. on the day he disappeared, when a clerk at a convenience store on State Road 33 sold him beer and cigarettes. He never arrived at his business, where his daughter and other employees were waiting. Goodmon was driving a 1974 Ford Thunderbird that was brown with a dark brown vinyl top and a noticeably different wine-colored hood. The Florida license plate number was 746-AZJ. There was no activity on his financial accounts after his disappearance.
On August 13, 1988, Goodmon's Ford Thunderbird was discovered abandoned in a remote part of Manatee County. The vehicle had been partially stripped and was filled with garbage. An investigation determined that the car had likely been at that location since late June 1988, around the time Goodmon was reported missing. A search of the surrounding area yielded no physical evidence related to his disappearance. In 1993, William Goodmon was legally declared dead. His family does not believe he would have voluntarily disappeared, citing his close relationship with his eight-year-old grandson whom he was very protective of. His case remains unsolved.Last Seen: Jun 27, 1988
