BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Six years after Jonathan Coleman vanished his family is still searching for answers — and still waiting to bring him home.

Coleman, an Inez man with deep ties to the Wolf Creek community, was reported missing Jan. 24, 2020. Known as “Red” to family and friends, he would be 51 now.

He was last seen in the area of the bridge over the Big Sandy River connecting Louisa and Fort Gay, West Virginia. The family member who filed the initial report said Coleman had been dropped off at a friend’s house in Fort Gay that day.

Michael Calloway, Coleman’s nephew, said the last reported sighting came after his uncle’s photo began circulating publicly. A local barber recognized Coleman and contacted police, he said.

Since then, there has been no confirmed contact.

Coleman was 6-foot-1 and weighed about 165 pounds. He had red hair, blue eyes, and was known for wearing a ball cap and wire-rimmed prescription glasses. He had a tattoo of a panther on his ankle.

At the time of his disappearance, Coleman was temporarily staying with family on Wolf Creek. He was not married and had no children, and relatives say it is unthinkable that he would have left without contacting those closest to him.

“We were close all my life,” Calloway said. “Jonathan was my uncle on my mother’s side, and he practically lived with us during my younger years up until my mom passed away. I still got to see him quite a bit after that, and we talked often. I know he would have reached out to me if he were still alive. There’s no way he would have left us wondering and worrying. He loves me and I love him.”

Calloway said Coleman’s sister stayed in contact with the Louisa Police Department for several months after he disappeared, checking for updates and passing along information the family received.

One call involved a rumor that Coleman’s body had been seen in an abandoned house near Fort Gay. According to the family, law enforcement followed up on that tip but found nothing.

Calloway said the family was ultimately told Coleman was an adult and likely left on his own, but that police would contact them if any credible information suggested otherwise.

“We feel that because of some issues Jonathan had in the past while battling addiction, his case didn’t receive the attention it should have, or would have, had it been someone else who was missing,” Calloway said. “But at the time of his disappearance, he had entered and completed a rehabilitation/recovery program and was doing good. He was very proud of himself for not quitting and had a positive outlook for the future.”

He said the family wants people to remember Coleman as more than the struggles he faced.

“Everyone has a chapter of their life they want to forget. We don’t want anyone rattling skeletons in closets that we have shut and locked the door on,” Calloway said. “My uncle went through some rough times and struggled to find his way. But he still deserves to have his case investigated so that he can be brought back home to his family and have a final resting place. Everyone deserves that.”

Although the Martin County Sheriff’s Office was not the lead agency because the missing person report was filed in Lawrence County, Sheriff John Kirk said his department has pursued every tip it has received.

“We had calls from people claiming they had spotted Mr. Coleman at a residence on Fitch Branch and walking alongside Route 40 at the head of Tomahawk on two separate occasions,” Kirk said. “We thoroughly searched those areas, spoke with residents and did follow-ups, but no one ever admitted to seeing him and no evidence was discovered to back up the information. Whenever someone goes missing, we typically receive a considerable number of unfounded tips or rumors. We take each one seriously and investigate to see where it goes because all it takes is one viable piece of information to break a case wide-open.”

For Calloway, the hardest part is not knowing.

“He was the type of person who needed to feel wanted,” Calloway said. “And I miss him each and every day. All we want is to have him back. I know in my heart that he’s no longer alive, but until his remains are found and we can properly lay him to rest and have a place to go and visit him, there will be no peace for any of us.”

Anyone with information about Jonathan Coleman’s disappearance may contact the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department at 606-638-4368, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at 606-298-2828, or local law enforcement. Callers do not have to identify themselves.

VANISHED is an ongoing series examining unsolved disappearances, suspicious deaths and cold cases across the region.