Missing
Kenneth Brent Patterson
Patterson, approximately 1986
Date and time person was reported missing : 07/15/1986
Missing location (approx) :
Church Hill, Tennessee
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 27 years old
Height / Weight : 5'10 - 6'0, 155 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Unknown, but he usually wears bandanas and sneakers.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Red hair, brown eyes. Patterson goes by his middle name, Brent. He has a red beard and his hair was collar-length at the time of his disappearance. He wears approximately a size 10 1/2 or 11 1/2 shoe.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Patterson was last seen in Church Hill, Tennessee on July 15, 1986. The next day, his slate blue 1972 Camaro was found wrecked on Goshen Valley Road just south of the Holston River bridge, two miles from Patterson's home. It had been traveling south when it ran off the road, hit a ditch, rolled over and finally came to rest on its wheels.
After the accident, the driver had driven the car into a field trying to leave the accident scene, but the Camaro got stuck on a fence. There was no blood or other signs of injury present, but Patterson's wallet and some other belongings were scattered on the ground nearby. There was no sign of him and he has never been heard from again.
Patterson is described as a wanderer who frequently hitchhiked or walked long distances, but he did keep in touch with his family. At first authorities believed he might have sustained a head injury in the crash and developed amnesia, but as time passed without his being located they began to consider other theories.
Since his disappearance, one of the suspects in his case has died and another is serving a lengthy term in federal prison for drug and weapons offenses. Foul play is suspected in Patterson's disappearance, which remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Hawkins County Sheriff's Office
423-272-4848
September 2021 updates and sources
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.
The Kingsport Times-News
The Rogersville Review
October 12, 2004. June 13, 2015; .
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
