Missing
John J. Markley Jr.
John, approximately 1995
Date and time person was reported missing : 12/15/1995
Missing location (approx) :
Bristolville, Ohio
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 07/08/1959 (62)
Age at the time of disappearance: 36 years old
Height / Weight : 5'10, 150 - 170 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Brown hair, green eyes. John has a mole and a scar on his back and a scar on his right forearm. Some Age at the time of disappearance: ncies give his name as "Johnny."
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : John was last seen with his wife of sixteen years, Shelly Markley, at their home on Greenville Road in rural Bristolville, Ohio on December 15, 1995. Their five children went to school in the morning and when they returned that afternoon, the house was unlocked and their parents were gone. The Markleys' red and silver 1990 Chevrolet pickup was missing also, and there was no note.
Upstairs in the Markley's residence, their gun cabinet was found open. It was normally kept shut and locked at all times. A small safe in the master bedroom was also open, with birth certificates and other papers scattered around the room. The beds were unmade, and some of John and Shelly's clothes were on top of their bed. A coffeepot in the kitchen was still cooking and had nearly boiled dry.
John's wristwatch, which he normally wore all the time, was on a shelf above the stove. Shelly's cigarettes, cigarette case and lighter were on the kitchen counter. She normally took her cigarettes with her whenever she left the house. In the garAge at the time of disappearance: , the tarps that normally covered John's 1978 Corvette were missing. He never left the car uncovered.
The Markley children initially believed their parents would return in a short time. John's twin sister died of cancer two days before he and Shelly disappeared. Calling hours at the funeral home were at 5:30 p.m. the day they went missing, and the funeral was scheduled for the day after. John was very distraught over his sister's death and planned to go to the funeral home with his children.
The children went to their aunt and uncle's nearby and waited for their parents to return. They went to the funeral home without John and Shelly after the couple did not arrive home. Their aunt and uncle reported John and Shelly's disappearance to the police at 12:30 a.m. the next day.
John's missing truck was later found locked and abandoned in the parking lot of a store in Bristolville, Ohio, ten miles from his home. The keys were missing. Inside the cab was the couple's cellular phone, and in the bed of the truck was a tire for a semitrailer truck and the tarps that had been taken off the Corvette.
The last transaction made on the Markleys' checking account was at 10:36 a.m. on the day of their disappearances, two hours after their children last saw them. A personal check for $1,000, made out to cash and signed by Shelly, was cashed at the Bank One in Bloomfield, Ohio, leaving an $865 balance in the account.
The bank teller at the drive-through window stated she remembered seeing the Markleys pull up in their pickup. John was driving and Shelly was seated between her husband and another man, whom the teller was unable to identify or describe.
John was employed as an independent truck driver at the time of his disappearance. He had no criminal record and no life insurance, and his and Shelly's home was fully paid for. They left behind a freezer they had stocked full of food for the coming winter.
One of John's coworkers claimed to have been holding them for a $10,000 ransom, but authorities later decided the man was an opportunist who had not been involved in the Markleys' disappearances. He was charged with extortion.
John and Shelly's cases remain unsolved. Foul play is suspected.
Other information and links : ncy
Trumbull County Sheriff's Department
330-675-2540
September 2021 updates and sources
The Doe Network
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Ohio Attorney General's Office
The Missing Network
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
