John F. “Jay” Hickey was reported missing from Epsom, New Hampshire, in a case involving an elderly man with dementia who may have become confused and wandered away from his residence. Online records identify him as a 76-year-old White male at the time he went missing, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and 170 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. Some sources also note that he had a beard and mustache, and that he went by the nickname “Jay.”
There is uncertainty in the publicly available timeline. NamUs lists John Hickey as missing from Epsom with a date of last contact of December 1, 2023, while The Charley Project lists October 1, 2023, and local reporting stated that his family last saw him in October 2023. New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management lists him as missing as of February 27, 2024, and reported missing at age 76. Because the dates differ across online sources, the exact date he was last seen is not fully clear from public information.
Authorities believe Hickey may have walked away from his residence on Sanborn Hill Road in Epsom. His dementia is a significant concern, as multiple public sources describe him as vulnerable, easily confused, and possibly in a state of confusion when he disappeared. The circumstances described publicly suggest a deeply worrying situation in which an older man with cognitive impairment may have left home without the ability to safely navigate or seek help.
Local reporting described search efforts around the hilly, wooded area near his home. WMUR reported that New Hampshire State Police assisted Epsom police for multiple days and that K-9 cadaver dogs were used in the search area. The same reporting noted unanswered questions about the timeline, including when Hickey was last seen by family and when police were notified, emphasizing that the public information surrounding the early stages of the case was incomplete.
The Concord Monitor reported that Epsom police asked the public for help after a member of Hickey’s family raised concern with police. His family told authorities that he had dementia and had last been seen by them months earlier. The available public reports do not provide a confirmed explanation for what happened to him after he was last known to be in Epsom.
The Epsom Police Department is listed as the investigating agency. Public sources have asked anyone with information about John “Jay” Hickey’s whereabouts to contact Epsom police. His case remains a painful and urgent matter for those who know and love him, especially given his age, medical vulnerability, and the uncertainty surrounding when and how he disappeared.Last Seen: Dec 1, 2023
