John Thomas Mestayer Missing from East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana age 23

Case Description

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John Thomas Mestayer, a 23-year-old graduate student at Louisiana State University, has been missing since April 9, 1985, from East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. On that day, Mestayer was by the Mississippi River with his dog. Eyewitness accounts state that he was throwing a rubber baton for his dog to retrieve from the water. The dog became caught in the strong river current against a barge, prompting Mestayer to enter the water in an attempt to rescue it.

Tragically, Mestayer himself ...Read More
Last Seen: Apr 09, 1985

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John Thomas Mestayer

Victim Details

Created

Jan 27, 2026

Case Added

Jan 27, 2026

Firstname

John

Lastname

Thomas Mestayer

Current Age

23

Age At Disappearance

23

Height

6'1 inches

Weight

165 lbs

Ethnicity

White

Gender

Male

Notes

Mestayer was last seen in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana on April 9, 1985. He was out with his dog, throwing a rubber baton in the Mississippi River for the dog to catch, when the dog caught caught in the current against a barge. He went into the river to help the dog and got in trouble himself, and the current sucked him under the barge and he disappeared. He is presumed drowned, but his body was never found. Mestayer was married and a graduate student in geology at Louisiana State University at the time of his disappearance.

Last Seen

Apr 09, 1985

City

East Baton Rouge Parish

State

Louisiana

Zip Code

East Baton Rouge Parish

Vehicles

4

Agency Name

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office

Agency Phone

225-329-5061

Last Updated

01/27/2026

John Thomas Mestayer
Missing

Case Description

Links to Additional Sources (2)

Victim Details

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