West Hartford Teen Listed as Missing in West Virginia
Johnathan "Johnny" Benjamin-Adams is listed as missing from West Virginia where he was staying with extended family. Courtesy photo
Johnathan ‘Johnny’ Benjamin-Adams was reported missing on July 12, 2020, from Hampshire County, WV.
Johnathan “Johnny” Benjamin-Adams is listed as missing from West Virgina where he was staying with extended family. Courtesy photo
By Ronni Newton
Johnathan “Johnny” Benjamin-Adams, 14, a West Hartford resident, has been reported missing by his extended family with whom he was staying in the Golden Acres area near Augusta in Hampshire County, WV.
Johnny graduated this year from King Philip Middle School in West Hartford and has participated in the West Hartford Youth Baseball and Basketball leagues.
Johnathan “Johnny” Benjamin-Adams is listed as missing from West Virginia where he was staying with extended family. Courtesy photo
Johnny was reported missing at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, and had last been seen the previous evening and discovered missing early Sunday morning. His family has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts and discovery, according to a Facebook post from the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office.
Johnny is described as 5-feet 2-inches tall, 96 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. There is no description available of the clothing he is wearing, but according to the sheriff’s office he is not believed to be in possession of his cellphone or any other electronic devices.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office at 304-822-3894. Anonymous tips can also be left on the office website, hampshirecountysheriffwv.com.
The Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office posted the following information on Facebook at 10:15 p.m.:
“The investigation is still continuing in the case of missing 14 year old Jonathan Benjamin-Adams. Law Enforcement agencies joined together this morning to conduct a thorough grid search of an area surrounding the home of Johnny’s relative, located near the Golden Acres Subdivision, off North River Road in Augusta, WV. An area of approximately 130 acres was thoroughly searched by foot and with the assistance of a bloodhound K-9 unit from Frederick County, VA. This search has not turned up any valuable clues in the juvenile’s disappearance. A dive team from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office spent several hours using special sonar equipment to scan the lake of Golden Acres, with no positive results.
“Assisting in today’s investigative activity were approximately 40 personnel from the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, Romney Town Police, WV Natural Resource Police, Hampshire County Deputy Reserves, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hampshire County GIS, Hampshire County Office of Emergency Management, Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, and the WV State Fire Marshal’s Office. Investigators have also been in contact with the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children.”
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Johnathan “Johnny” Benjamin-Adams is listed as missing in West Virginia where he was staying with extended family. Courtesy photo
Ronni Newton – OMG – Ronnie – can we get a suggestion from anyone in authority as to what we as a community – or as individuals, can do to help find this boy?
Barbara Belmont
This seems urgent enough for the town or WeHa.com to send a town-wide email alert in case a friend or other might know something that could help. I think this story being far down in the newsletter could easily get missed by many and definitely by those who don’t get these. The family must be absolutely panicked at this point!!! Thank you, Ronni.
Hi Maureen! The newsletter order is based on the date/time when the story was posted, so that’s why it is located in that particular space. It was very widely shared on social media (on the We-Ha.com Facebook page and from there there were more than 500 shares, and on our Twitter account), and I sent it to some TV station friends as well and I know it has been on WFSB. My story alone has had thousands of page views.
Thank you, Ronni! There’s no one more efficient in getting West Hartford news out to the local masses.
[…] had been reported missing Sunday from the home of relatives in Hampshire County, WV, where he had been visiting for the past few months and was due to return home to West Hartford […]
[…] was reported missing Sunday, July 12, and an extensive search of about 130 acres of land was launched. Several FBI departments – local […]