Joshua Jerome Mahaffey

Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 10/12/1991

Missing Since:
Missing Since 10/12/1991
Missing From:
Missing From Centralia, Illinois
Classification:
Classification Endangered Missing
Gender:
Male
Race:
Race White
Date of Birth:
Date of Birth 06/02/1976 (48)
Age:
Age 15 years old
Height and Weight:
Height and Weight 5’2, 120 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description:
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Joshua’s two front teeth are capped and one of them is discolored. He has a dog bite scar on his left cheek. His nickname is Josh.
Details of Disappearance:
In October 1991, 15-year-old Joshua disappeared from his home in Centralia, Illinois, after arguing with his mom. He left with a friend. Although he’d run away before, this time he didn’t come back.

A friend, Terry Martin, is a key figure in the case. Witnesses say they saw Joshua with Martin and his girlfriend leaving a shopping center in a muddy car. Joshua wasn’t with them when they returned. Martin has a long criminal history, including assault and the rape of a child. While in prison, he reportedly confessed to killing a boy named Josh in 1991.

Another witness, Tonya Collins, claimed she saw Joshua tortured and killed in a satanic ritual. While she initially passed a lie detector test, she later failed one and her testimony about the burial site proved inaccurate. She also accused Martin of the murder.

Joshua and Martin had a complicated relationship. They’d committed a burglary together, and Joshua testified against Martin in court. There were also rumors of Joshua secretly dating Martin’s girlfriend.

Police suspect Joshua is dead, but they don’t know for sure what happened to him. Despite the various accusations and Martin’s criminal record, the case remains unsolved.

Agency:
Clinton County Sheriff’s Office 618-594-4555
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