Montgomery man who disappeared is found murdered in an unused grain silo In the crisp late autumn of 2003, the Highley family gathered for Thanksgiving, unaware that it would be the last holiday spent with 33-year-old Mont F. Highley IV. A true son of the South, Mont was known for his love of the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing on his family's property in Shorter, Alabama, a place they called 'the farm.' On the evening of November 28, 2003, Mont left his parents' home in Montgomery to head to the farm, with plans to hunt with his father the following day.
This would be the last time his family saw him alive. When his father arrived at the farm on November 29th, he found the gate and the door to the mobile home ajar, with the lights and television still on, but Mont and his Chevrolet Tahoe were gone.
Initially, his father assumed he had gone to watch the Alabama football game with friends. The concern grew when, on November 30th, a neighbor, Dale Segrest, reported that Mont's Tahoe was parked on his property, just a few miles from the Highley's farm. Inside the vehicle were Mont's wallet containing $200, his keys in the ignition, his hunting rifle, and his briefcase, with no signs of a struggle. A massive search effort was launched, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, family, friends, and volunteers who scoured the area for weeks. Search dogs tracked his scent from the farm to the Segrest's property and then across the road before the trail went cold.
The search came to a grim end on January 14, 2004, when the son of a local restaurant owner discovered Mont Highley IV's body inside an unused grain silo behind the Back Forty Restaurant, not far from where his vehicle had been found. The discovery was unsettling as the silo was just outside the original search boundaries. An autopsy later confirmed his identity through dental records. Adding to the mystery, Mont was found wearing his expensive watch, and a pair of pants were found neatly folded on his body.
Despite the investigation and the presentation of evidence to two grand juries, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the murder of Mont Highley IV. The case grew cold, leaving his family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. In August 2004, the governor of Alabama offered a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, publicly classifying the case as a murder for the first time. To this day, no person of interest has been publicly named, and the case remains an unsolved mystery. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation continues to list the case as an active and open investigation.
