In 1994, a Grateful Dead fan by the name of “John” went missing from his family. In 2016, they were reunited.
According to a new story published in the New Haven Independent, a heartwarming family reunion took place this week, connecting the missing fan with his family after 22 years. It all started when “John” walked into the New Haven Police Department last Saturday, attempting to turn himself in for an outstanding warrant. While the query for that warrant was in the system, a Putnam County sheriff who knew John’s family happened to notice it.
The next few days were spent by the NHPD looking for John, who they had released to the city’s shelter programs. By this time, those officers had been made aware of the missing persons case. John’s family believed that he had gotten involved with an illegal marijuana operation in North Carolina, and stayed hidden for all these years out of fear.
John’s mother gave the NHPD a 22-year-old photograph, and, once they found John, they showed it to him. He immediately recognized the younger version of himself, and soon after his family was summoned for the family reunion.
Thus, 22 years after he went missing, this Grateful Dead fan finally found his way back home. What a story!