Missing Since: 1988-06-27 Location: Polk City, Florida
Goodmon was left his home in Polk City, Florida at 6:45 a.m. on June 27, 1988. He was reported missing when he failed to show up for work at his business, Day’s Lawn Mower in Lakeland, Florida. He usually opened the store at 7:30 a.m. His daughter, who worked at the store, arrived with other employees at 8:00 a.m. and he wasn’t there. A clerk at Grandma’s Pantry, a convenience store at State Road 33 and Mount Olive Road north of Lakeland, sold Goodmon beer and cigarettes at 9:00 a.m. the day of his disappearance. She recognized him because he was a regular customer. This is the last reported sighting of him; he has never been heard from again. The .357 magnum Ruger handgun Goodmon normally carried with him has never been found. There was no activity on his financial accounts after his disappearance, the accounts at his business showed no money missing, and he didn’t normally carry large amounts of cash. Goodmon’s vehicle was found abandoned in a rural area in Manatee County, Florida two months after he vanished. It had been partially stripped and vandalized, and was full of garbage. The car is described as a brown 1974 Ford Thunderbird with a maroon hood, a dark brown vinyl top and the Florida license plate number 746-AZJ. Authorities determined it had been there since late June, but it wasn’t towed until August. In 1993, Goodmon was declared legally dead. He lived with his wife and his eight-year-old grandson on Massachusetts Avenue in Lakeland at the time of his disappearance. He was very protective of his grandson and his family doesn’t believe he would have willingly abandoned the child. Goodmon’s case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Polk County Sheriff’s Office 863-298-6200 Source Information Florida Department of Law Enforcement The Lakeland Ledger The Doe Network NamUs Tampa Bay Online Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated March 18, 2018; picture added, medical conditions and details of disappearance updated.