Kittery police have released new information they hope will jog the public’s memory to help solve the 1983 missing persons case involving Reeves K. Johnson III.

“We just need more eyes on the story,” Det. Brian Cummer said.

“Someone has to remember Reeves, and they might know something and not even realize it's part of this puzzle.”

Johnson was 31 when he was last seen on Feb. 3, 1983. Around the time of his disappearance, his bank account was emptied and belongings removed from his home.  

Police at the time investigated but were unable to find out what happened to Johnson.

In October 2021, Cummer reopened the case and has been investigating it ever since. Current evidence suggests at least one other person was involved in Johnson’s disappearance.

Now, police think they’ve learned a little more about Johnson’s life in the years leading up to his disappearance, according to a statement from the presenters of “Murder, She Told,” a Maine-based true-crime podcast that has collaborated with Cummer since the case was reopened.

According to the statement, police and the podcasters have been working to digitize key documents, including letters, associated with the case. Through their work, investigators have discovered that Johnson may have had a girlfriend around the time of his disappearance. 

Police have little information about her other than her first name, Cheryl. She may have had a child at the time and lived in the Kittery area. They dated as early as 1978, and she was in her 20s or early 30s at the time. Police estimate she could be anywhere from 65 to 80 years old today.  

Police stress she is not a suspect but hope she can answer some questions.

Police have also discovered more about Johnson’s employment. At the time of his disappearance, he was working as a welder at Donnelly Manufacturing in Exeter, N.H., but now police know he also worked as a dishwasher in 1981 at a restaurant called Borderline.

The restaurant was in Kittery, across the street from the Kittery Trading Post. It officially closed in 1982 but was also known in later years as Dragon Seed and Captain’s Table. Cummer said he wanted to find anyone who worked with Johnson there and might have known him.

“Every clue is one step closer to figuring out what happened to Reeves,” Cummer said. “There are people who care about him who have had to live without knowing for the past 40 years. No piece of information is too small.” 

Police have offered a $6,000 reward for information that leads to Johnson’s recovery or whereabouts. Anyone with information can contact the Kittery Police Department at 207-439-1638 or email Cummer at bcummer@kitterypolice.com.