Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 01/24/1978

Missing Since:

Missing Since 01/24/1978

Missing From:

Missing From Waterloo, Iowa

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Male

Race:

Race White

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 08/16/1955 (69)

Age:

Age 22 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 5’11, 140 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Clothing/Jewelry Description A short burnt orange leather jacket, a blue sweater, dark blue corduroy pants and brown shoes with the word “GASS” written on the soles.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Kirchhoff has several fillings in his teeth and possibly other dental work as well. His nickname is Steven and some accounts spell his last name “Kirchhoff.”

Details of Disappearance:

John Kirchhoff vanished from Waterloo, Iowa on January 24, 1978. He was last seen between 1 pm and 5 pm near Maxwell Street, a short distance from his parents’ home. Someone nearby heard a commotion and a man shouting, “Oh God, don’t do this to me!” It’s unclear if this was connected to Kirchhoff’s disappearance.

Kirchhoff was a drug dealer, and police believe his disappearance might be drug-related. He had about $8,000 on him, so robbery and murder are possibilities. His car was found soon after at a nearby factory.

Another missing man, Richard Forsyth, might be linked to the case. Rumors say Forsyth was seen carrying something wrapped in a rug the day after Kirchhoff disappeared. The next day, Forsyth bought a Cadillac with $2,000 in $100 bills, his face bruised and bloody. He claimed he’d fallen on a bottle. He then left town, eventually ending up in Arizona. When police investigated, he was gone.

Later, the Cadillac was found in North Dakota. A man claiming to be “David Gates” left it in storage. On the same day, a man calling himself “Richard Steves” briefly rented a room, then disappeared. Kirchhoff’s parents suspect Forsyth and “Steves” are the same person, but this wasn’t confirmed. The possibility of Forsyth fleeing to Canada was explored. The Cadillac had bloodstains, but they didn’t match Kirchhoff’s blood. Forsyth himself went missing in 1979.

In 2003, police searched a farm once owned by a known large-scale drug dealer, Lonnie Luloff, but found nothing. Although Luloff had a criminal record, he wasn’t considered a suspect.

Kirchhoff was a good student, had a job (though recently laid off), a new house, and a young child. His disappearance remains a mystery. Both Kirchhoff’s and Forsyth’s disappearances are unsolved.

Agency:

Waterloo Police Department 319-291-4345

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