William Farris Goodmon, a 56-year-old businessman from Polk City, Florida, disappeared on the morning of June 27, 1988. He was last seen leaving his home at approximately 6:45 a.m. to go to his business, Day's Lawn Mower, in nearby Lakeland. Goodmon, who typically opened his store at 7:30 a.m., never arrived. His daughter and other employees became concerned when they arrived at 8:00 a.m. to find the business closed. The last confirmed sighting of Goodmon was at 9:00 a.m.
on the day he vanished, when a clerk at Grandma's Pantry, a convenience store north of Lakeland, sold him beer and cigarettes. The clerk recognized him as a regular customer. He has not been seen or heard from since.
Two months after he went missing, Goodmon's brown 1974 Ford Thunderbird was discovered abandoned in a rural area of Manatee County, Florida. The vehicle, which had a distinctive maroon hood and a dark brown vinyl top, had been partially stripped, vandalized, and was filled with garbage. Authorities determined that the car had likely been at that location since late June but was not towed until August. A. 357 magnum Ruger handgun that Goodmon normally carried was never recovered. An investigation into his finances revealed no unusual activity in his personal or business accounts, and it was noted that he did not usually carry large sums of cash.
At the time of his disappearance, Goodmon resided in Lakeland with his wife and their eight-year-old grandson, for whom he was a protective figure. His family does not believe he would have voluntarily abandoned his grandson. Goodmon had suffered a stroke about a year prior to his disappearance and was reported to be in poor health. In 1993, five years after he was last seen, William Farris Goodmon was declared legally dead. His case remains an unsolved missing person investigation.Last Seen: Jun 27, 1988
