In the early morning hours of September 3, 1975, 62-year-old Reuben Curtis Kinney was last seen in a rural area known as Goodwin Branch Hollow in Vanceburg, Kentucky. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a white male, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 140 pounds, with gray hair and hazel eyes. A notable physical characteristic was a limp resulting from a childhood leg fracture that had healed without proper medical attention.
Accounts suggest that prior to his disappearance, Kinney had suffered several strokes and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The circumstances of his disappearance began when he reportedly went to use an outhouse and never came back.
An extensive search of the area was launched following his disappearance, which included the use of scent dogs, but these efforts yielded no clues as to his whereabouts. The terrain in and around Goodwin Branch Hollow is rugged, which would have presented significant challenges to those searching for him. Over the years, the case grew cold due to a lack of any new leads or evidence. His family has been left without answers, and they have speculated that he may have become disoriented, wandered onto a neighboring property, and was tragically mistaken for an intruder. The Kentucky State Police were in charge of the investigation into his disappearance.
The disappearance of Reuben Curtis Kinney remains an unsolved and poignant mystery in Lewis County. Decades have passed since he was last seen, and with no witnesses to his disappearance and a scarcity of evidence, the case has remained stagnant. The official record of his disappearance is sparse on details, leaving a portrait of a man who seemingly vanished without a trace from a remote Kentucky hollow. His case is a somber reminder of the enduring pain and uncertainty that families of the missing often face, as they continue to hope for answers and closure in one of the area's most perplexing and long-standing missing persons cases.Last Seen: Sep 3, 1975
