3-year-old mystery deepens as missing man’s ATV — and his shoe — found in Tennessee
A Tennessee man who had more than a dozen surgeries for his persistent hip problems found refuge in riding his off-road vehicle.
“He was in so much pain, something like that took his mind off of it,” his dad, Reuben Hamby, told WBIR.
So when his son Kevin Hamby went missing in November 2017, the initial search focused on finding him and his beloved new mode of transportation, the TV station reported at the time.
But the off-road vehicle didn’t turn up for more than three years — until it was found deep in the woods of Morgan County on Monday, photos show.
The off-road RZR model vehicle with side-by-side seats was found “lodged against a tree” in a “remote and steep area near Pilot Mountain,” roughly 55 miles northwest of Knoxville, District Attorney General Russell Johnson wrote in a Facebook post.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said it also found Kevin Hamby’s shoe but no other signs of the missing man, deepening the mystery into his disappearance.
“Sheriff Potter is glad to have found the RZR and hopes that it and the search will provide clues to Kevin Hamby’s disappearance, but at the same time, realizes the new grief and questions that the discovery of the RZR may bring for Hamby’s family,” Johnson wrote on Facebook.
When did he disappear?
Kevin Hamby was 38 years old when he was last seen Nov. 14, 2017 in Lancing, an area roughly 5 miles from where his off-road vehicle was eventually found, according to multiple news outlets. Earlier that day, Hamby’s wife, Connie, reportedly had ridden the vehicle.
“She was cold and said she was going to warm up for awhile and he took off around 7 o’clock, or a little after, and that’s the last time we’ve heard from him,” Reuben Hamby said, according to WATE.
In the days after Kevin Hamby disappeared, search crews descended upon the land near his home, WVLT reported. Police dogs tried to track Kevin Hamby’s scent, and helicopters and drones scoured the rugged area from above — all to no avail.
“It’s been rough,” the missing man’s father said at the time, according to WBIR. “I think the way things are going it’s going to get a lot rougher because we haven’t found him. Haven’t found a trace. Nothing.”
Hamby walked with a limp after multiple hip surgeries, including one that left him with a large medical settlement, news outlets reported. He spent the money on relatives, according to his family.
The search continues
While crews called off the search days after Hamby went missing, the sheriff’s office continued its investigation, according to news outlets.
Three years later, a helicopter eventually spotted Hamby’s off-road vehicle after investigators conducted a new interview with a person — not identified publicly by police — who tipped off law enforcement about a possible location of the vehicle..
When Hamby’s off-road vehicle was discovered Monday, officials said they fanned out 100 yards in each direction. The search for more possible clues continued Tuesday morning with police dogs and metal detectors, Johnson wrote.
“There is much speculation about the scene, how the RZR ended up in the location, and for how long — as well as the ultimate question, what happened to Kevin Hamby,” the post said. “Authorities hope that their search and a close forensic examination of the RZR will yield answers.”
Kevin Hamby is described in news reports as 5 feet 11 inches with dark blue eyes, blonde hair and a tattoo of his last name. He was last seen wearing a baseball cap, jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, his family said.
Anyone with information about the missing persons case is asked to call the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office at 865-346-6262.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 1:27 PM with the headline "3-year-old mystery deepens as missing man’s ATV — and his shoe — found in Tennessee."
