John Jacob Barnhill, also known as Jay, was 62 years old when he was last seen in Mills, Wyoming, on September 10, 2019. Public missing-person listings describe him as a White male, 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 185 pounds, with graying black hair and brown eyes. He often wore his long hair in a ponytail secured with multiple hairbands, had a gray mustache and possibly a gray beard, and normally wore eyeglasses, though those were reportedly left behind. He also had a white scar on the right side of his torso near the ribs and a large mole on his back near the right shoulder blade.
On the day he disappeared, Barnhill reportedly told his live-in girlfriend that he was going out to run errands. After leaving home, he sent several text messages, but he did not return. His girlfriend reported him missing on September 12, 2019, beginning a search that soon focused on the Casper Mountain area of Natrona County.
Barnhill’s truck was found on September 14, 2019, near Sheepherder Hill and Casper Mountain. Reports describe the vehicle as being well off the roadway, in a sparsely populated area surrounded by private property and Bureau of Land Management land, and it appeared to have been driven through brush to reach that location. No sign of Barnhill was found at the scene.
Early reporting from K2 Radio stated that the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office was leading the search at that time and that Sgt. Sean Ellis said there was no evidence of foul play and no immediate reason to believe Barnhill was in physical danger. However, authorities did express concern about his medical condition, and Ellis said Barnhill had not returned to his truck since the Tuesday he disappeared.
At the time of his disappearance, Barnhill was reportedly wearing a “Bone Daddy” shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers, and a silver watch on his left wrist. The Charley Project classifies him as an endangered missing person and notes that he may have needed medical attention for unspecified reasons.
NamUs lists John Jacob Barnhill under missing person case MP60982, with his date of last contact recorded as September 10, 2019, from Mills, Wyoming. The available case data does not indicate that he has been found alive or located deceased, and public sources continue to describe the case as unresolved.
Barnhill’s disappearance remains a painful and unresolved case for those who know and love him. The known facts leave a deeply concerning picture: a man left home for ordinary errands, communicated afterward, and then vanished; days later, his truck was found in a remote area with no clear explanation of what happened next. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Mills Police Department or the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office.
Last Seen: Sep 10, 2019
