John E. "Johnny" Baker Jr. was 37 years old when he was last seen in Bloomington, Indiana, on August 5, 2022. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a black Polo Sport shirt, black khaki pants, and black Puma tennis shoes with red logos and laces. He had several distinctive tattoos, including Celtic crosses on both inner forearms, Chinese symbols in red ink on his ribcage, a dragon on his left chest, and a cross on his right hand. Baker was last seen on foot walking into a wooded area near Meadows Hospital. An initial search for him the following day was hampered by the dense woods and tree lines.
For nearly two years, John Baker's whereabouts remained unknown, and his case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance were limited, leaving his family and investigators seeking answers. The Bloomington Police Department led the investigation into his disappearance. Friends and family remembered Johnny as someone who loved spending time on his motorcycle and enjoyed outdoor activities like fishing, camping, and mushroom hunting.
On March 26, 2025, a work crew clearing land for a housing development in the 1000 block of West Acuff Road in Bloomington discovered what they believed to be human remains. The Monroe County Coroner's Office was contacted, and with the assistance of a forensic anthropology team from the University of Indianapolis, the remains were recovered. Using dental records, the remains were positively identified as those of John E. Baker Jr. The coroner's office determined that his cause of death was suicide by a self-inflicted injury. The discovery brought a sad conclusion to the search for the man who had been missing for almost three years, providing a measure of closure to his family.
Last Seen: Aug 05, 2022
