Reeves Johnson - Maine Missing Person, 1983

There is now a $6,000 reward being offered for information

Reeves K. Johnson III was last seen on Thursday, February 3rd, 1983 leaving his work shift as a welder at Donnelly Manufacturing in Exeter, NH. At the time, he was living in Jewett Court across the state line in nearby Kittery, Maine. Reeves missed a few scheduled phone calls with family, and was reported missing the following week. During this time (and over the course of the next few weeks), his bank account was drained using personal checks through several large purchases that were out of character for him. Three weeks later, on Thursday February 24th, his parents encountered an unknown man at the Post Office with the key to Reeves’ mailbox attempting to steal his final check from Donnelly. To this day, the man is still unknown and Reeves hasn’t been seen by anyone who knew him since leaving his shift at Donnelly. The case remained dormant until October of 2021 when Detective Brian Cummer put out a call to action for information, trying to piece together this mystery and give the family answers.

Key locations: Kittery, ME, and Portsmouth and Exeter, NH.

Murder, She Told is working with the Kittery PD to solve the mystery of what happened to Reeves.

UPDATE 2024: A new episode called Inside the Investigation was released that details Reeves’ story and the case, and goes behind the scenes with the latest information and updates uncovered in the case.

ORIGINAL EPISODE: This special edition episode started it all, and was produced in November, 2021. It includes the full case file, and in depth interviews with the family and Detective Brian Cummer.

How can you help?

Share, share, share!

Finding closure and solving a 40-year-old missing persons case takes a community, and we couldn’t do this without you! You never know who you might be connected to on social media, so sharing this page or Reeves’ story is key to helping us solve this mystery. You might not have known Reeves or know anything about this case, but you never know who you DO know that might.

This is what we need:

• We’d love to talk to any friends who knew Reeves or anyone who remembers him in Kittery. We want to know more about his life in Maine.

• Who is Cheryl? Reeves was dating a woman named Cheryl in 1978, and we’d love to locate and talk to her. We don’t have a last name, and she is not a suspect. She’d most likely be in her late 60’s to early 80’s today. Do you know anyone named Cheryl who lived in the seacoast area and was 20’s or early 30’s in 1978? Forward this blog and see if the name Reeves rings a bell.

• Co-workers at Donnelly Manufacturing in Exeter, NH who remember him. He was there roughly 1978 until his disappearance in February 1983.

• He also worked at Borderline Restaurant across from the Kittery Trading Post in 1981. Does anyone remember him there?

• Identify the mystery red hat man. He may have ties to Portsmouth, NH. Is there anything recognizable in the photo?

Other important links:

• Share Reeves’ story on your social media.

• Follow the Reeves Johnson Facebook page

DOWNLOAD and share Reeves’ missing persons poster

Please reach out and contact me with any questions you might have or for media inquiries.

Past Live Events and Updates

June 4, 2022: Murder, She Told and the Kittery Police Dept co-hosted a live event at the Star Theater at the Kittery Community Center. It started out with a reading of Reeves’ story followed by a panel that included myself (Kristen Seavey), Sally Swartz and Hugh Johnson (Reeves’ siblings), and Detective Brian Cummer and Chief Richter of the Kittery PD. We broke for lunch, and then the Chief announced a $6,000 reward for information.

We would like to thank the community for coming out to support and to the press for helping us keep Reeves’ name out there.

June 18, 2022: Murder, She Told organized a street team at the Kittery Block Party to hand out flyers and connect with the community about Reeves. It was a great turnout!

August 27, 2022: Kristen presented a panel at the True Crime Podcast Festival in Dallas, TX on Reeves’ case.

February 2023: For the 40th anniversary, Season of Justice, a non-profit that helps support families and law enforcement to solve cold cases partnered with us to sponsor a full and half page ad run in the Portsmouth Herald.

August 2023: Kittery PD and Murder, She Told released the first major update: we are seeking to identify a woman named Cheryl who dated Reeves in at least 1978. We just want to talk with her and see if she has any information that can help answer questions, but we don’t know who she is. She isn’t a suspect, and she was most likely 20’s to 30’s in 1978 and lived in the seacoast area.

If you have any information on Reeves Johnson or if you knew him, we would love to hear from you! Please reach out to Detective Brian Cummer at bcummer@kitterypolice.com or the Kittery Police Dept at (207) 439-1638. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Seacoast Crime Stoppers.

No piece of information is too small. You have the power to make a difference in this case.