John "Doe", Missing, April 2006 FL.
Deputies Searching for Elderly Man Missing in Woods By Gabrielle Finley The Ledger Published Saturday, April 8, 2006 Deputies are hunting for an ill elderly man, who disappeared under bizarre circumstances in a wooded area outside of Bartow Saturday morning, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reported. The elderly man, who appeared to be in his 60s and identified himself as ``John,'' was last seen headed into the woods off Spirit Lake Road and near Millsite Lake, according to a Heartland Crime Stoppers release. The elderly man has gray hair and was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, the release said. Here's what happened, according to the Sheriff's Office: An off-duty firefighter noticed the ill elderly man at a convenience store at Grady Polk and Spirit Lake roads at about 8:30 a.m., said sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers. The firefighter took the man's pulse, which was weak, and immediately called for an ambulance, Rodgers said. But the man refused to wait for paramedics and instead got in a friend's Cadillac that was supposed to take him to the hospital, Rodgers said. Five minutes later, the firefighter spotted the Cadillac, carrying the elderly man, stopped on the side of Spirit Lake Road and asked the driver what happened, Rodgers said. The driver, whose identity is unknown, told the firefighter that the elderly man wanted to walk out into the woods, Rodgers said. When the firefighter took off into the woods to look for the man, the driver said, ``I'll be right back'' and drove away. Deputies are scouring the woods with all-terrain vehicle, helicopters and hunting dogs looking for the missing man and the driver of the Cadillac, Rodgers said. If anyone knows who or where either of these men are please contact the Sheriff's Office at 1-800-226-0344. http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060408/BREAKING/60408011

Published Sunday, April 9, 2006 Man Missing in Bartow Woods The elderly man was dropped off by the driver of a Cadillac, according to police. By Gabrielle Finley The Ledger BARTOW -- An all-day search continued late Saturday for an elderly man, apparently ill, who disappeared under bizarre circumstances in a wooded area outside of Bartow on Saturday morning, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reported. The elderly man, who appeared to be in his 60s and identified himself as "John," was last seen headed into the woods off Spirit Lake Road near Millsite Lake, according to a Heartland Crime Stoppers press release. The man has gray hair and was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, the release stated. Here's what happened, according to the Sheriff's Office: An off-duty firefighter noticed the man at a convenience store at Grady Polk and Spirit Lake roads about 8:30 a.m., said sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers. The firefighter took the man's pulse, which was weak, and immediately called for an ambulance, Rodgers said. But the man refused to wait for paramedics and instead got in a friend's Cadillac that was supposed to take him to the hospital, Rodgers said. Five minutes later, the firefighter spotted the Cadillac stopped on the side of Spirit Lake Road and asked the driver what happened, Rodgers said. The driver, whose identity is unknown, told the firefighter the elderly man wanted to walk out into the woods, Rodgers said. When the firefighter took off into the woods to look for the man, the driver said, "I'll be right back" and drove away. Deputies scoured the woods throughout the day with all-terrain vehicles, helicopters and hunting dogs looking for the missing man and the driver of the Cadillac, Rodgers said. At nightfall, deputies used helicopters with technology that could detect heat, or a person's body temperature, in the woods, but still didn't find the elderly man, Rodgers said. The driver of the Cadillac was not located either, Rodgers said. If anyone knows who or where either of these men are, they're asked to contact the Sheriff's Office at 1-800-226-0344. Gabrielle Finley can be reached at gabrielle.finley@theledger.com or 863-802-7590. http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060409/NEWS/604090362/1134

Published Monday, April 10, 2006 BARTOW Man Who Went Into Woods Still Missing Sheriff's deputies searched again Sunday for a man who apparently disappeared in a wooded area near Millsite Lake on Saturday morning. The did not discover any new information, Polk County Sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said. An off-duty firefighter spotted the man at a convenience store at Grady Polk and Spirit Lake roads Saturday about 8:30 a.m., according to Rodgers. He took the man's pulse, which was weak, and then called for an ambulance. The man, described as white with gray hair and possibly in his 60s, refused to wait for an ambulance and left with a man in a Cadillac. About five minutes later, the firefighter saw the Cadillac stopped on the side of Spirit Lake Road, and the Cadillac driver told him the elderly man went for a walk in the woods. Then the driver sped off. The Sheriff's Office contacted people in the area with a recorded telephone message. But nobody came forward with any information about the man, his identity or where he might be, officials said. http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS/604100381/1134