'People just don't disappear without a trace,” Johnson said. His ex-wife acknowledges that in his mental state, it is possible Justin harmed himself or wandered off and succumbed to the elements. He sounded really scared.”ĭenlinger said police have found no evidence that Justin met with some sort of foul play. and told me that whatever happens to him, he wanted me to know he would never hurt himself. 'He thought we were in danger, too, and wanted to make sure we were safe.

The last phone call Justin made before he disappeared was to her, Johnson said. Johnson said she also tried to get help for Justin by getting him admitted to the hospital, but it didn't pan out. He was with us every day for the week before he went missing.” 'So my daughter and I kept him with us as much as possible. 'We actually noticed signs of depression,” Johnson said. That said, in the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Johnson said she and her daughter noticed he had become increasingly paranoid and unstable. Johnson said Justin has no history of mental illness and she only recently learned he had abused drugs on occasion. His behavior also was consistent with the possible abuse of methamphetamine. 'He believed he was in danger - that he was being followed.”ĭenlinger expressed concern Justin might have been experiencing some sort of mental health crisis. 'The people we talked to said he sounded paranoid and was not making a lot of sense,” Denlinger said. A cousin sent an Uber to pick Justin up, Johnson said, but he never got into the car. Johnson said she also hired people to fly drones along the river, hoping they might find something.īefore he disappeared, Denlinger said Justin made several phone calls looking for someone to pick him up. 'Unfortunately, there is not much more information other than what we already know,” Denlinger said.ĭenlinger said officers walked the area around the Wilson Avenue Hy-Vee and possible routes Johnson could have taken, and the fire department searched the riverbanks near Czech Village and Mount Trashmore. She has since been in regular contact with Investigator Matt Denlinger. Johnson said she reported Justin missing to the Cedar Rapids Police Department on Nov. 'He would never just up and leave our daughter,” she said. That, Johnson said, is one of the reasons she is so worried about Justin's disappearance. 'He loves our daughter, and he tried hard to be a good dad. 'He just couldn't hold things together,” she said.īut there was one thing she could count on, and that was his fierce devotion to their daughter. Over the years, Johnson said her ex-husband has struggled to find stable work and housing. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates.

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