John Lima disappeared October 28, 2005, from Middleton and Salem Harbor. His family and Essex County authorities are seeking tips on his whereabouts. This Fox 25 News segment features interviews with his mother Maria and sister Liz, and DA John Blodgett.
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This is a case that's baffled investigators for more than 2 years now. John Lima vanished in October 2005. His car was found in his driveway. His personal items were left neatly on top of his bed. But to this day, no one knows if John Lima ran off or if he's the victim of foul play. In and around Middleton and Salem, authorities think the answer to a 2-year-old puzzle might lie in the marshes of Middleton or the waters of Salem Harbor.
The circumstances surrounding that case are still a mystery today.
And it is in Middleton that a family struggles every single day trying to answer a basic question. They are looking for John Lima.
Where is he? You know, why isn't something turned up?
Something happened to him, but still I have that hope.
John Lima was 26 years old on October 28, 2005, the day he vanished. At the time, Lima Lima was living at home with his parents. John struggled with drugs, and his mother Maria did all she could to help him.
A disease you can control with drugs, it's very— it's, it's bad on him and the family. The family suffered with—
he always knew that my parents still loved him no matter what. He had a place to live, he had a place to stay. He didn't need to choose that kind of a life.
The night John Lima disappeared, he told his family he was going out to Salem for Halloween festivities. Then he headed to Chelsea to his girlfriend's house at about 1 o'clock in the morning. At about 2 o'clock in the morning on October 28th, Maria thought she heard her son's car pull in the driveway.
I heard like a car slamming, you know, like a car slamming, the door closing. So I got up, I went to the window, and I saw his car. And I, you know, for me, I said, "Oh, okay, he's home." You know, I got the relief he was home. And I didn't worry more because I didn't have nothing to worry about. I went to sleep.
I said, "Good, he's home." But there was plenty to worry about. The next morning, the family found John's things, a sweatshirt, his car keys, his wallet, neatly placed on top of his unmade bed. The car was parked out in the driveway, but there was no sign of John or his cell phone. The family did find an open window.
And this window here facing the front of the house was wide open with the screen pushed out. So it— if he had used the window, he would have gone out that way to meet somebody at the front.
John Lima completely disappeared. Essex County DA John Blodgett tells me this is a very frustrating case.
We've conducted numerous interviews, Bob, with associates of his. With people who we believe may have been with him just prior to his disappearance. Again, it's very murky in terms of the information and details to where he was.
John's mother Maria and his sister Liz know exactly how difficult this case is. Maria has tried to talk to the people who were with her son in the hours before he vanished.
I go to their houses and I talk to them and I try to get information and they seem like they afraid, you know, are they afraid or They're not telling the truth. Oh, they're not telling the truth. Somebody knows. Somebody knows what happened to John.
Somebody's hiding something. That's what we think. Somebody's covering up something. Something bad has happened to John and we're just begging for someone to come forward.
In the summer of 2006, authorities developed brand new information in this case and it brought them right here to the waters of Salem Harbor. Now, dive teams searched this area— but they found nothing. More state police teams with cadaver dogs searched the 100 acres behind John Lima's house. They found nothing. The DA tells me he's not giving up.
We have a commitment, and we owe it to them to do the best we can based on what we have to find him if we can.
For now, John's family is fearing the worst. They desperately need new information.
All the pieces that we have lead nowhere, and if somebody brings something forward that that can at least maybe finish a puzzle in one direction, that would help us tremendously.
I know him. If he was okay, I don't think he would be that kind of person, do that to us, you know. Stay away all this time without contact? No, it's not him. I still have some hope. It's on my heart. I don't think so.
If you have any information about the disappearance of John Lima, please contact Middleton Police. The number 978-774-4424. Your call could make a huge difference. Now to this week's Mass Most Wanted. Stoughton Police looking for this man after they say he robbed a Shell gas station at knifepoint. The suspect described as a white male between 5 feet 7 and 5 feet 10 inches tall. He weighs between 175 and 195 pounds. The man may have fled in a gray Kia Sportage with tinted windows and some aftermarket lighting. Stoughton police want to catch the suspect. If you think you know who he is, you're urged to contact Stoughton police. To take another look at this case or to report a tip online, go to massmostwanted.org. You can also go to our website, myfoxboston.com. We'll link you right over. And while you're at My Fox Boston, check out my blog. Just click on the blog tab. For New England's Unsolved, I'm Bob Ward, Fox 25 News.
