John Len Taylor was a 48-year-old man who disappeared from Gary, Indiana, on May 21, 1999. On the day he went missing, he was at his girlfriend's residence, where he reportedly had an argument with someone. Following the disagreement, he stated he was going for a walk to get some fresh air and was last seen walking in the vicinity of the 3900 block of Adams Street.
John was known to enjoy walking and had a regular route he would take between Glen Park and the Dorie Miller housing projects, which was near Broadway and 21st Avenue where his girlfriend lived. He reportedly enjoyed these walks so much that he would decline offers for rides. When he left for his walk on that May evening, he never returned and has not been heard from since.
At the time of his disappearance, John was described as a Black male with black hair and brown eyes, standing at 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds. He had distinct surgical scars on his abdomen and the back of his neck. He wore glasses with wire frames. On the day he was last seen, he was wearing a blue jacket, a multi-colored or blue and white shirt, and blue or gray pants. He was also wearing a silver watch. His case is classified as an endangered missing person, in part due to a violent incident that occurred the year prior to his disappearance.
A disturbing element of John's story is that in 1998, he was shot from behind during one of his walks and left for dead. He survived the attack but required surgery, which resulted in ongoing medical problems. The person who shot him was never identified. Authorities have suspected that foul play was involved in his disappearance, but it remains unclear if the 1998 shooting is connected to his vanishing a year later. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unresolved, and the Gary Police Department continues to list him as a missing person. The investigation into what happened to John Len Taylor after he went for a walk on that spring day in 1999 has unfortunately grown cold over the decades, leaving his loved ones without answers.Last Seen: May 21, 1999
