KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – It’s been almost six months since a Tri-Cities man who was scheduled to take a bus from Knoxville to Johnson City disappeared.
Jeremy Stout had a ticket for a Greyhound bus on May 7 that Knoxville police said was used, but they can’t confirm whether or not he actually got on the bus.
Stout was supposed to be going to the Johnson City stop, but investigators said he did not get off the bus in Johnson City or Greeneville that night.
It’s been almost six months since Stout has picked up a call from his family, but they’re still paying for his phone plan hoping one day they’ll get an answer.
“There’s no doubt in our mind that he was coming this way,” father Jeff Stout said. “He wouldn’t have missed that bus on his own free will. He absolutely wanted to come home, he wanted to see his family.”
Years ago, Stout was a student and an athlete at Daniel Boone High School.
His parents said he’s struggled with addiction but seemed to be getting back on his feet. They said he was working multiple jobs in Knoxville and set to move into a halfway house in Kingsport at the time of his disappearance.
“Maybe just call it dad’s intuition,” Jeff Stout said. “But I got a sick feeling that night before I ever knew that he was not on the bus or that anything had happened.”
Stout’s parents suspect their son was met with foul play. Knoxville police said in an e-mail Wednesday that all signs indicate Stout is still somewhere in Knoxville, but he has not been seen or heard from since the night of May 7.
“They’re trying to get someone to open up and say something though because they’re not having very good luck,” mother Lisa Stout said.
Knoxville police said Jeremy Stout may have stayed in an East Knoxville hotel the night before he was supposed to leave. They are looking for more information about where he stayed the night before he disappeared.
The Stouts said they’ve been in contact with investigators in the last week, who are still conducting interviews in the active investigation. The Stouts think someone in East Tennessee knows what happened, and they are praying for that information to be brought to light.
“Just anybody listening, it’s our son,” Jeff Stout said. “He’s 38 years old but you know parents still hurt. His siblings, he has two brothers and a sister, several nieces, nephews, and we want him back.”
The East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that can help this case be solved, and Jeremy Stout’s parents said they and another person have pledged an additional $2,000.
If you have any information about the case or want to leave a tip, contact Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165.
