A doctor in the Missouri Ozarks went missing for over a week until his body was found in an Arkansas lake. But the case remains mysterious as investigators have released few details to his family or the public.
Dr. John Forsyth, 49, was last seen alive on May 21, when security cameras in the parking lot of a public pool in Cassville show him getting into another vehicle after leaving his own car unlocked with his wallet, two phones, a laptop, and other items inside. That's according to his brother, Richard Forsyth, who added that the doctor had texted his new fiancée that morning, saying he would see her soon.
His car was found later that day. Investigators haven't said who was driving the other vehicle.
A search began after the emergency room physician didn't show up for his May 21 shift at Mercy Hospital in Cassville. There was no sign of Forsyth until a kayaker noticed his body in Arkansas on May 30 at Beaver Lake, some 20 miles from his last known location.
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His body had an apparent gunshot wound, authorities in Arkansas said. Although Benton County Coroner Daniel Oxford said an autopsy was completed Thursday, the results won't be released until the investigation ends.
His family rejects any suggestion he took his own life. Richard Forsyth told The Daily Beast that the doctor's behavior was unusual. "He wouldn't miss a shift even if his eyeballs were hanging out of their sockets," he said. "It was an immediate red flag."
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Other family members said John Forsyth was a devoted father to his eight kids and seemed happier than he'd been in a long time. They said he never missed a day of work and would often sleep in an RV outside the hospital when he was on call.
Dr. Forsyth, who studied mathematics as an undergraduate, founded a decentralized cryptocurrency called Onfo, Forbes reported in 2020.
"It became obvious to me that math-based currencies (like Bitcoin) would eventually supplant sovereign notes. I mined Bitcoin and Litecoin very early on and held onto them," he told Forbes. "The massive appreciation of those assets allowed me to invest in other cryptocurrency technology which ultimately led to the development of Onfo, a platform that helps people earn money through network mining."
Authorities have not said whether they believe Forsyth was killed or took his own life. Initially, when Forsyth's empty car was found, investigators said there were no signs of foul play. But that was before the body was found. Shannon Jenkins, the Benton County Sheriff's Department spokesperson, said Friday that "there is no immediate threat to the public," but declined to provide more details. She said no further information would be released until the investigation is completed.
It's also unclear what Forsyth's connection might be to the second vehicle seen on the surveillance video. Authorities have not confirmed any information about the video, including if it was taken before or after Forsyth may have texted his fiancée.
There's also no information on how Forsyth got from Cassville to Beaver Lake, when and where he died, or if investigators have found a weapon.
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Forsyth was born in Idaho in 1974, according to online records. He was the third of seven children, his sister Gina Forsyth-Farlaino said.
Newly engaged, Forsyth was also recently divorced. On May 10 of this year, a judge ordered Forsyth to pay his ex-wife $3,999 in child support a month, plus another $15,000 a month.
Missouri court records show he was married and divorced twice to the same woman between 1995 and 2022. Both his brother and Ryan Ricketts, his ex-wife's divorce attorney, said the split was amicable. The pair initially married in Clark County, Nevada. He filed for divorce in April 2019 but the couple remarried in July 2020 in Greene County, Missouri. Court records show that the woman filed a second divorce petition in April 2022, in Lawrence County, Missouri.
His former wife lives in Idaho and was given custody of the couple's minor children. Still, John Forsyth continued to have a strong relationship with them, his brother and the woman's divorce attorney said.
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Forsyth's ex-wife did not wish to be interviewed. "She is just devastated and — I mean, just shocked," Ricketts said. "She never saw any of this kind of thing coming."
