On December 30, 1988, John Warren Deetz, a 38-year-old truck driver from Fulton, Illinois, disappeared from Spokane Valley, Washington. Deetz, who worked for Westside Transport, had just completed a delivery to the West Coast Grocery Company. Following the delivery, he made two phone calls from the Broadway Truck Stop in Spokane. One call was to his employer, and the other was to his wife, whom he told he would be home soon. That was the last time anyone heard from John Deetz. He was described as a responsible man dedicated to his family and his job. He had three children and was not known to have any reason to voluntarily disappear.
The initial investigation discovered Deetz's empty trailer at the truck stop, but he and his brand-new tractor-trailer, valued at $100,000, were gone. His trucking supervisor reported him missing. For years, the case yielded few leads.
However, a significant break came when, less than two years after his disappearance, a man named Ralph Howard Benson was seen driving Deetz's truck, which had been repainted. In early 1991, authorities found the stolen tractor on a property owned by Benson in the Los Angeles, California area. A search of Benson's home in Washington also uncovered the 1988 license plate from Deetz's rig, which appeared to be new and unweathered.
Investigators believe Benson, a self-employed long-haul trucker, operated a 'chop shop,' where he would dismantle stolen tractor-trailers and sell the parts. Despite the evidence connecting him to Deetz's truck, Benson was never charged in relation to his disappearance. Benson was considered a person of interest in Deetz's case and other unsolved crimes. In 2003, Benson was convicted for the murder of a Washington state fuel tax auditor, whom he had shot and dismembered. Ralph Howard Benson died in prison in September 2004, taking any potential knowledge of John Deetz's fate with him. John Deetz was legally declared dead, but his body has never been found, and his case remains an unsolved mystery with foul play strongly suspected. His family continues to hope for answers and closure in his disappearance.Last Seen: Dec 30, 1988
