HILLSBORO, Texas -- More than two years ago, John Terry left work, ran a few errands and then disappeared.
No one has seen or heard from the Hillsboro mechanic since.
“People loved John,” said his brother, Cody Terry. “He was just an excellent dad to his children. Those boys were his life and he would never just walk off and leave those children ever.”
Hill County Sheriff’s officials believe that John Terry was the victim of foul play. Recently, sheriff’s investigators sent evidence that had never been tested to the crime lab. They're hoping for a break in the case.
County Sheriff Rodney Watson put the case on the front burner after he took office in January.
“We’re really at a loss,” Watson said. “We really don’t know. We’re trying to find any possible leads we can get.”
Search teams will be out Saturday looking again for him. It’s the sixth time in recent weeks that they have done so.
On Oct. 17, 2014, the day he disappeared, John Terry dropped his children off at school and went to work. His ex-wife came by to pick up clothes for the children because they were spending the weekend with her.
“We had worked a little late just trying to get stuff done,” said Mark Carmona, general manager of Gene’s Automotive. “He just basically told me have a good weekend and I told him to do the same.”
Carmona’s wife, Haley, said he was in a good mood just like always. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
After work, John ran several errands. His final stop was at the Wal-Mart in Hillsboro. Surveillance footage shows John going in, buying food for his pets and then leaving in his SUV. The footage shows that he was alone at the time.
“It appears that he was going home to feed his dog and cat,” said April Stoll, crime scene manager of the Hill County Sheriff's Office.
That next day, his gray Jeep Compass was found on a rural county road in the farming community of Abbott in Hill County.
“It was strange that we would find it out here,” he said.
A neighbor spotted the SUV that morning and thought it looked odd. Later that morning, he contacted the police about it. The windows were rolled down. The keys were in the ignition. It was low on gas. John’s work shirt was in the front seat. The pet food was still in the back seat.
At first, Cody Terry said he thought maybe his brother had run out of gas or had gone to visit a friend in the area. He filled out the missing person’s report in the back seat of a deputy’s car.
But when days passed when John missed his eldest son's birthday party, Cody realized something was very wrong.
That was “something totally not like John,” he says.
Sheriff's investigators don't know if he made it home. They found blood splattered on the front door of his home.
Cody returned to the site where the SUV was found with News 8 on Friday. He hadn't been back since just after his brother disappeared. It was hard coming back.
“I just don’t like being here,” he said. “It’s just a reminder of that day he went missing.”
He thinks about his brother all the time. He laughs talking about his brother’s Tony Romo impression.
“He was just such a jokester,” he said, laughing at the memory.
“I pass by the exit every day and I just kind of shake my head and say a little pray and go on about my commute,” he said.
It was hard coming back.
“It hurts really bad even two and half years after,” he said.
The boys, now 9 and 10, are living with his ex-wife.
He misses his brother’s laugh, his smile and even just talking to him on the phone. He’s not holding out hope that his brother’s still alive. The family just wants to be able to bury John and find out who would do him harm.
Family and friends have raised enough money to a $10,000 reward who has information about his whereabouts. Anyone with information about the case can contact the Hill County Sheriff’s Office at 254-582-5313.