On February 9, 1989, Dock Thompson Sr., 49, and his son, Dock Thompson Jr., vanished from Tallahassee, Florida, under suspicious circumstances. The father and son were last seen at their Texaco service station located in the 1200 block of Jackson Bluff Road. The last known person to see them was a Tallahassee contractor named Robert Lee Lindsey.
The disappearance is believed to be linked to a significant financial dispute between Dock Sr. and Lindsey. Thompson Sr.
had previously loaned Lindsey $25,000. Lindsey's attempts to repay the loan with checks had failed, as $5,000 worth of them bounced, leading to his arrest. On the day of the disappearance, Lindsey went to the Thompsons' service station and offered to repay the full amount if Dock Sr. would accompany him. Dock Sr. agreed and left with Lindsey in his van.
Later that day, Lindsey returned to the gas station alone and informed Dock Jr. that his signature was required on some loan documents. Dock Jr. then left with Lindsey. Lindsey later claimed that he dropped both men off at the corner of Circle Drive and Highway 90 in Quincy, Florida. However, neither Dock Sr. nor his son have been seen or heard from since. A few hours after leaving with Dock Jr., Lindsey returned to the service station once more to state that the Thompsons would not be coming back to work that day.
Friends and family described the Thompsons as a close-knit, religious family, and characterized Dock Sr. as a good husband and father. While he had a police record, he had not been arrested since 1975. He was known in the community for his "monetarily aggressive attitude" and typically traveled armed and with company. Associates of Dock Sr. find it uncharacteristic that he would have gotten into Lindsey's van without having some control of the situation.
Authorities suspect foul play in the disappearance of the Thompsons and believe Lindsey knows more than he has revealed. A private detective who looked into the case has suggested their bodies may have been disposed of in a mine shaft in the Quincy or Gretna, Florida areas. Despite the ongoing investigation and the identification of a person of interest, the case of Dock Thompson Sr. and Dock Thompson Jr. remains unsolved.Last Seen: Feb 9, 1989
