A 78-year-old man vanished two years ago - but his Florida home just went up in flames “deepening” the mystery of his disappearance, authorities said.
A blaze devoured an Okeechobee home on January 10 that was owned by John Henry Mallouk, who has been missing for nearly two years, Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and whether it has any connection to Mallouk’s in January 2023 disappearance, when a concerned relative reported him missing.
He hadn’t been seen or heard from since August 2022, sparking the sheriff’s office to launch an investigation into the matter, authorities said.
Investigators revisited the property after the fire to search for “any additional clues” that could lead to information about Mallouk’s disappearance.
When investigators first searched his property after the disapperance, they discovered no indicators of foul play.
“When detectives initially searched Mallouk’s home, they found no signs of struggle or foul play. The premises appeared untouched, with doors left unlocked, food still in the refrigerator, and a cell phone abandoned on the counter,” the sheriff’s office said.
Photos posted by the sheriff’s office captured an ash-covered, roofless home. Burned wood panels also surround a garage housing multiple cars, including a Chevrolet sedan what the Miami Herald identified as a 1955 red convertible Thunderbird.
Detectives are urging anyone with information about the fire or Mallouk’s whereabouts to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.
