Jeremy Stout is 37 years old. He was reported as a missing person on May 7, 2022.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn — It’s been nine days since the Knoxville Police Department reported Jeremy Stout as a missing person.
Investigators believe he may have disappeared from the Greyhound bus stop off of Cherry Street.
Within the last 24 hours, Jeremy’s parents Lisa and Jeff drove down from Kingsport to contribute to the search efforts. They hung missing persons posters on Cherry Street and Magnolia Avenue to raise awareness for their missing son. The couple also offered a $3,000 reward for anyone who is able to bring their son home.
Jeremy has not contacted his parents since Saturday, May 7 at 5:37 pm. The Saturday before Mother’s day. That’s when his parents knew something happened to him.
“He always let everybody know he loved his mama,” Lisa said.
She said the two of them texted back and forth most days and called each other frequently.
“He calls me so much and texts me. He’ll just send me out of the blue, ‘I love you mama,’” Lisa said.
Jeremy kept a close relationship with his family, even through his struggles with addiction and journey through rehab.
“I never gave up on him no matter what situation, I was always there for him and he knew he could rely on me,” Lisa said.
That’s why going home for Mother’s Day was such a big deal for Jeremy. His parents said he was so excited. Jeremy was supposed to catch a Greyhound bus from Knoxville to Johnson City, then from there to Kingsport. However, nobody definitively knows whether or not he ever got on the bus. Nobody has been able to get a hold of him or track down his location.
“He has not had any contact whatsoever with anybody,” Lisa said.
Jeremy’s phone went off the grid at 5:37 pm. His last call was to his mom.
The Greyhound bus station in Johnson City was able to confirm through security surveillance cameras that he did not get off the bus.
According to KPS, “It’s still unknown if he ever actually got on the bus. Investigators have not been able to make that determination.”
Jeremy’s dad is confident his son wouldn’t have missed the bus, unless something or someone prevented him from doing so.
“We know beyond the shadow of the doubt that he would have gotten on that bus. There’s no question in our mind,” Jeff said.
However, one interesting element of the case is that Jeremy’s bus ticket was used.
Greyhound does not check the identification of passengers, so police can’t confirm whether or not the rider was Jeremy Stout.
Now, Jeff and Lisa are tracing Jeremy’s steps, trying to figure out if something could have gone wrong along the way. That means talking to people on the street, collecting phone records and credit card transaction reports.
“The last bit of information that we have revolves around the Magnolia Street KFC, and the Dollar Tree where he made some purchases preparing for his trip,” Jeff said.
The family walked to those locations, hanging signs and testing theories.
They believe Jeremy may have walked from that area to the Cherry Street Greyhound stop. They researched the reputation of this stop’s location.
“I know that I would not feel safe at this bus stop right here with the conditions as they are,” Jeff said.
Lisa agreed.
“This particular stop [Jeremy] was on… It’s late at night and this is not a safe town section at all,” Lisa said.
It’s not the first time Greyhound heard these concerns. WBIR recently reported earlier this week that city officials were working with the bus line to establish a safer alternative.
But, with every passing day, Jeremy’s parents are losing their hope.
“At this point in time, we’re not expecting a good outcome,” Jeff said.
“Whether it’s good or bad, I need some closure,” Lisa said.
Anyone with information regarding Jeremy Stout’s whereabouts should contact East Tennessee valley Crime stoppers at 865-215-7165 or visit their website to submit a tip.