Missing Man: John Spira - IL - 2/23/2007

[Linda]

Family worried about St. Charles resident


By ERIC SCHELKOPF

ST. CHARLES – The sister of a St. Charles man missing since Friday fears for his safety.

John Spira, 45, has been missing since Friday afternoon, said his sister, Stephanie McNeil, who lives in Phoenix.

“Something’s up,” McNeil said Sunday. “He wouldn’t have just left. This is not like him.”

Spira last was seen at 5:30 p.m. Friday, when he took his truck to a shop to be detailed. McNeil said she did not know where her brother took the truck.

“He had just made plans to have dinner with someone,” McNeil said. “I have no idea where he might be.”

Spira owns Universal Cable Construction, on County Farm Road in unincorporated West Chicago.

He also is lead guitarist in the band Rabble Rousers, and was supposed to play with the group Saturday at Jason’s Steakhouse in Montgomery.

“He would never have missed playing with his band,” McNeil said.
Kane County Chronicle - Family worried about St. Charles resident


Print a poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_JohnSpira.pdf

[Linda]

Police searching for missing man

Published February 27, 2007

ST. CHARLES -- Police are searching for a St. Charles musician who was last seen Friday afternoon at his day job.

The family of John Spira, 45, of the 3000 block of King Richard Circle said the unexplained disappearance is out of character.

"He is never out of touch," said his brother, Tom Spira of Chicago.

John Spira is a blues guitarist who goes by the stage name Chicago Johnny and who plays in the Rabble Rousers. Relatives said Spira missed a scheduled performance Saturday night in Montgomery.
Chicago Tribune news | Registration

[Linda]

Guitarist 'Chicago Johnny' Missing Since Friday
Family: Unexplained Disappearance Out Of Character

POSTED: 1:54 pm CST February 27, 2007
UPDATED: 2:03 pm CST February 27, 2007

ST. CHARLES, Ill. -- Police in St. Charles continue their search for a local blues guitarist who has been missing since Friday.

John Spira, of the 3000 block of King Richard Circle in St. Charles, was last seen at his DuPage County business office at about 5:30 p.m. He was to meet a friend for dinner in Oak Brook at 8 p.m., but never showed up.

Spira's family said the unexplained absence is out of character for the 45-year-old musician who goes by the stage name of Chicago Johnny and plays in the band called the Rabble Rousers.

[Linda]

Family In Agony Over Blues Guitarist's Disappearance
Loved Ones Plan To Search For John Spira This Saturday

POSTED: 7:05 pm CST March 1, 2007
UPDATED: 7:28 pm CST March 1, 2007

ST. CHARLES, Ill. -- St. Charles police are searching for a local blues guitarist who has been missing for days.

John Spira, 45, was last seen Friday, and now, police and Spira's family are asking for the public's help.

Spira's brother, Tom and his wife, sister, and friends have been searching in snowy fields for their loved one.

"It's been agonizing," Tom Spira said. "It's hard to concentrate at work and it's tough on the family."

A local char house owner gets teary eyed when he talked about Spira's mysterious disappearance.

"He's very outgoing," Brian Toska said. "He never exchanged any bad words."

The well known blues musician had gig last Saturday, but he never showed up. That concerned his band mates and family.

"It's one thing if he missed dinner, but a live performance he has never missed in all the years he's been playing," Spira's brother said.
Family In Agony Over Blues Guitarist's Disappearance - News

[Linda]

Family, friends search for missing man

By ERIC SCHELKOPF - eschelkopf@kcchronicle.com

ST. CHARLES – John M. Spira’s family and friends found no clues into the St. Charles man’s disappearance
after a Thursday search near his West Chicago business.

“I have no idea where he might be,” said his sister, Stephanie McNeil. “Everybody who knew my brother liked him a lot. There’s a lot of concern.”

Checks of his credit card and banking accounts revealed no recent transactions, McNeil said.

Spira, 45, of the 3000 block of King Richard Circle, last was seen about 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at his business, Universal Cable Construction, on County Farm Road in unincorporated West Chicago.

Friends and family searched fields and a forest preserve near his business. St. Charles police also searched near his business on Thursday.

McNeil said family and friends plan another search of the area at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“We want all the people who can help to come out,” McNeil said.

They are also distributing fliers in downtown St. Charles and elsewhere.

Spira is also a musician was supposed to play with his band, Rabble Rousers, on Feb. 24 at Jason’s Steakhouse in Montgomery. The next day, family members filed a missing-person’s report with St. Charles police.

Police have said Spira’s two vehicles were both accounted for and that there were no signs of foul play at his home or his business. Except for a description of Spira, police have not released many details.
Kane County Chronicle - Family, friends search for missing man

[Linda]

Candlelight vigil slated for missing musician

By James Kimberly
Tribune staff writer
Published March 9, 2007

John Spira worked late one Friday night, set up a dinner date with a friend, then disappeared.

That was Feb. 23. The whereabouts and fate of the 45-year-old St. Charles musician and businessman remain a mystery, worrying friends and family.

"It's really indescribable. Now, I really understand how you have to find them and get that closure," said Spira's sister, Stephanie McNeil, who lives in Arizona. "It's going to be hard to go back to Phoenix without finding my brother."

McNeil said about 40 people searched for Spira in the wooded area near his business in unincorporated DuPage County a day after he was last heard from.

Family and friends have scheduled a candlelight vigil Saturday at 6 p.m. at Brian's Charhouse, 27W371 North Ave. in West Chicago.

The place is a favorite haunt of Spira, a talented blues guitarist who often plays at the restaurant with a group called the Rabble Rousers. He goes by the stage name Chicago Johnny and the group plays "hot-rod rock and blues," according to the band's Web site.

Spira's passion for music began as an adolescent in Winnetka. He has played on the stages of some of Chicago's best-known venues, such as Buddy Guy's Legends and Kingston Mines, his family said.

By day, Spira worked at Universal Cable Construction, a company he co-founded. His co-workers at Universal Cable were the last ones to see him.

Family and friends said co-workers left Spira at about 7 p.m. on Feb. 23. He called a friend from his cell phone at 7:09 p.m. and arranged to meet her for dinner at 8:30 p.m. in Oak Brook. Spira never showed up at the restaurant.

It was very uncharacteristic for Spira, who was fond of saying, "If you can be 10 minutes late, you can be 10 minutes early."

"He's a very predictable person," said another friend, Renata Bielskis of Naperville. "He ate the same breakfast every morning. Two eggs over medium, hash browns, white toast and bacon."

Bielskis said she was concerned when she learned Spira did not keep the dinner date. She became fearful when he failed to show up for a Rabble Rousers show in Montgomery.

"He has never missed a gig," Bielskis said.

Spira's truck was found in the back lot of Universal Cable, which is off County Farm Road near West Chicago. St. Charles police, investigating the disappearance with DuPage County sheriff's police, said there were no signs of foul play at the business or at Spira's home, in the 3000 block of King Richard Circle.

"It's still an ongoing investigation," St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain said Thursday. "We're continuing to be very thorough."
Chicago Tribune news | Registration

[Linda]

March 09, 2007 07:33 PM Eastern Time

John Spira/Chicago Johnny Candlelight Vigil Announced
Saturday, March 10 at 6:00 PM in West Chicago, IL.

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The media and the public are invited to attend a candlelight vigil on behalf of John Spira, a successful businessman, local blues guitarist (Chicago Johnny) and U.S. Army veteran who has been missing since February 23, 2007. Detailed information and photos on John are available at John Spira - Chicago Johnny Is Missing: Help Find Him! and his Weblog site at John Spira’s Weblog

When: March 10, 2007 at 6:00 p.m.

Where: Brian's Charhouse located at 27W371 North Ave., West Chicago, IL. PHONE: (630) 876-2000 http://brians-charhouse.com/

Why: In an effort to bring together all those who love and care about John, there will be a candlelight vigil on March 10th at 6:00 p.m.

Background:

John Michael Spira, 45 years old, 5'8", 165 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes. He has been missing since Friday, February 23, 2007, 7:00 pm. from West Chicago, Illinois.

Last seen wearing blue jeans, black turtleneck sweater, black shoes, olive green aviator jacket.

About John:

St. Charles, Illinois, resident and homeowner in the Kingswood subdivision, active in community matters.

Successful business owner of a utility construction firm, Universal Cable Construction, Inc. in West Chicago, Illinois.
Private pilot.

U.S. Army veteran, he was a tank driver stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, 1979-early 1980’s.
Champion cross-country ski racer and pole vaulted in his school days.

Builder, electronics and machinery aficionado, racecar builder and driver.

Music is his passion; John is an accomplished guitar and slide-guitar player who for 30 years has been mesmerizing listeners with his hard-driving, soulful blues. (For the last 4 years with the Rabble Rousers Band, (THE RABBLE ROUSERS BAND)

To report information call St. Charles Police Det. Troy Peacock at (630) 377-4435 or DuPage County Sheriff’s Investigation Commander Mark Edwards at (630) 407-2321.

Family offers a reward leading up to Spira's safe return.
John Spira/Chicago Johnny Candlelight Vigil Announced Saturday, March 10 at 6:00 PM in West Chicago, IL.

[Linda]

Vigil tonight for missing musician
'There's no way he would voluntarily leave'

March 10, 2007
By DAVID GARBE Staff Writer

The family of a business owner and locally known blues musician who disappeared two weeks ago are organizing a candlelight vigil tonight in West Chicago.

Family and friends said the vigil -- set for 6 p.m. at Brian's Charhouse restaurant at 27W371 North Ave. -- is meant to remind people to keep looking and hoping for John Spira, a 45-year-old St. Charles man who vanished on Feb. 23.

"We don't want people to forget," said his sister, Stephanie McNeil. "We don't want people to stop caring."

Spira was last seen by the employees at his company, Universal Cable Construction, a utility cable company he founded in 1991 in West Chicago.

The night he disappeared, a Friday, he had arranged to meet a friend later for dinner but never showed up.

The next night, Spira also missed a gig that his band was scheduled to play at Jason's Steakhouse in Montgomery.

That was unprecedented for Spira, who as the lead guitarist for The Rabble Rousers blues band plays throughout the Chicago area.

The next morning, his family filed missing-person reports with St. Charles police and the DuPage County sheriff, saying it was completely out of character for Spira to go missing without contacting anyone.

Her brother had never dropped out of touch before, McNeil said, and she could see no reason why he would now.

"He had too many good things going on in his life," she said, from his thriving company to musical gigs scheduled often several times a week. His mother had also just begun to recover from a serious surgery.

"There's just no way he would voluntarily leave all that," his sister said.

The police investigation found no signs of foul play -- indeed, no evidence of anything. His home, office and vehicles all showed no sign of criminal activity, said St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain.

Police found nothing during a search of the area of Spira's business on County Farm Road. Dozens of Spira's friends and family also have searched for him in a variety of Fox Valley locations.

"The family and all the agencies involved are doing all they can," McCurtain said.

Although they suspect something bad has happened, the family said the uncertainty is torture.

[Linda]

Family Website:
John Spira - Chicago Johnny Is Missing: Help Find Him!

[Linda]

Search still on for man

Two weeks after John Spira’s disappearance, Stephanie McNeil still has no idea where her brother is.

However, she is convinced that someone took the St. Charles man against his will.

“Somebody must have taken him somewhere,” McNeil said. “His car was still at his office.”

St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain would not say whether police had any leads in the case, which began when Spira was last seen Feb. 23.

“It’s an ongoing investigation,” McCurtain said.

Police have said that Spira’s two vehicles both were accounted for and that there were no signs of foul play at his home or his business.

Today, McNeil and Spira’s friends will pray for his safe return during a candlelight vigil at Brian’s Charhouse, 27W371 North Ave., West Chicago. The vigil will start at 6 p.m.

The restaurant is located near Spira’s business, Universal Cable Construction, on County Farm Road in unincorporated West Chicago.

The 45-year-old was last seen about 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at his business.

 Spira and his band, Rabble Rousers, also regularly performed at Brian’s Charhouse.

“We want to keep people thinking about John and finding him,” McNeil said.

Checks of his credit card and banking accounts revealed no recent transactions, McNeil said.

Friends and family have searched fields and a forest preserve near his business for any clues into his disappearance.

So far, they have come up empty, as did a flyover of his business conducted last week by St. Charles and state police.
Kane County Chronicle - Search still on for man

[Linda]

St. Charles Sun :: News :: Vigil held for missing St. Charles man

Vigil held for missing St. Charles man

March 14, 2007
By DAVID GARBE Staff Writer

The family of a business owner and locally known blues musician who disappeared two weeks ago organized a candlelight vigil Saturday in West Chicago.

The vigil at Brian's Charhouse restaurant, 27W371 North Ave., was intended to remind people to keep looking and hoping for John Spira, a 45-year-old St. Charles man who vanished on Feb. 23.

"We don't want people to forget," said his sister, Stephanie McNeil. "We don't want people to stop caring."

Spira was last seen by the employees at his company, Universal Cable Construction, a utility cable company he founded in 1991 in West Chicago.
The night he disappeared, a Friday, he had arranged to meet a friend later for dinner but never showed up.

The next night, Spira also missed a gig that his band was scheduled to play at Jason's Steakhouse in Montgomery.

That was unprecedented for Spira, who as the lead guitarist for The Rabble Rousers blues band plays throughout the Chicago area.

The next morning, his family filed missing-person reports with St. Charles police and the DuPage County sheriff, saying it was completely out of character for Spira to go missing without contacting anyone.

Her brother had never dropped out of touch before, McNeil said.

"He had too many good things going on in his life," she said, from his thriving company to musical gigs scheduled often several times a week.

Although they suspect something bad has happened, the family said the uncertainty is torture.

"We're trying to keep busy looking for him rather than thinking about what happened to him," said McNeil.

Anonymous tips can be left with St. Charles police at (866) 378-4267. Tips can also be directed to St. Charles Detective Troy Peacock at (630) 377-4435 or DuPage County Sheriff's Investigation Cmdr. Mark Edwards at (630) 407-2321.

[Linda]

National Center for Missing Adults (NCMA)

Endangered Missing Adult

If you believe you have any information regarding this case that will be helpful in this investigation please contact:
St. Charles Police Department at (630) 443-3731

 Name:  John Michael Spira
 
Classification:  Endangered Missing Adult  
Alias / Nickname:  Chicago Johnny  
Date of Birth:  1961-09-24  
Date Missing:  2007-02-23  
From City/State:  Chicago, IL  
Missing From (Country):  USA  
Age at Time of Disappearance:  45  
Gender:  Male  
Race:  White  
Height:  68 inches  
Weight:  160 pounds  
Hair Color:  Brown  
Hair (Other):  Balding.  
Eye Color:  Hazel  
Complexion:  Light  
Clothing:  Black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, black shoes, olive green flight jacket.  
Jewelry:  "Rolex" watch.  

Circumstances of Disappearance:  Unknown. John was last seen at approximately 5:30pm at his office in the vicinity of North Ave. and Country Farm Rd. in West Chicago, IL. His last cellphone call was made at approximately 7:00pm. He was supposed to meet someone for dinner and never showed. His truck was located still parked at the office.  

Investigative Agency:  St. Charles Police Department  
Phone:  (630) 443-3731  
Investigative Case #:  072690  

[Linda]

[Linda]

Living in ‘limbo’

By KATE THAYER - kthayer@kcchronicle.com

Hope can be a powerful emotion, but it also can fade.    Either way, it’s present in the minds of the families searching for missing loved ones.

In the first three months of 2007, two Kane County men have joined the more than 50,000 active missing-persons cases across the nation, according to the National Center for Missing Adults.

The families of John Spira and Bradley Olsen continue to publicize their stories and actively search for them. While fearing the worst, they continue to hope that their loved ones will safely return.

For an Aurora mother, those feelings have continued for nearly four years.

Mental-health professionals say a family’s feelings of hope might conflict with reality when coping with a disappearance.

Head vs. heart

Stephanie McNeil has spent the past four weeks wondering where her brother is. John Spira, 45, of St. Charles last was seen Feb. 23 at his office in West Chicago.

Spira’s family has conducted searches, posted fliers, and contacted media outlets.

When McNeil heard that her brother was missing, she said, she immediately thought that foul play must be involved. Still, McNeil said, she clung to some hope that he might be OK.

“I knew in my head, but in my heart somewhere there’s a tinge of hope,” she said.

For now, McNeil and her family continue to search for her brother, and any information about his disappearance.

“The biggest thing is to keep the word out there and ... to keep people searching and to not forget,” she said. “That’s all I know to do.”

After coming home to help the rest of her family look for her brother, McNeil had to return home to Phoenix.

“I can’t be out walking around,” she said. “That’s killing me.”

McNeil continues to stay active in the search by working with national online databases and staying in contact with police.

Keeping busy is key.

“I have to keep busy and keep proactive,” McNeil said. “We all deal with it the best way we know how.”

Seeking closure

Sue Olsen of Maple Park said she was searching for closure as much as she was searching for son, Bradley Olsen. He’s been missing since Jan. 19 when he last was seen at a DeKalb bar.

The family has directed two searches, using a helicopter and all-terrain vehicles. They searched through forest preserves, in ditches and remote areas.

Sue Olsen said she knows her son has been harmed.

“We were never out of contact for more than a 48-hour period,” she said.

Sue Olsen also knows that finding him could be difficult, but she needs to keep searching.

“If I find him, I’ll have closure,” she said. “We’re preparing ourselves for the worst.”

At the same time, she understands how some families might believe their missing loved one might return safely.

“I’ll always be looking. We’re looking wherever we go,” she said.
Kane County Chronicle - Living in ‘limbo’

[Linda]

Missing man’s kin cries out

By ERIC SCHELKOPF - eschelkopf@kcchronicle.com

ST. CHARLES – Stephanie McNeil just wants to know what happened to her brother.

“Every day, I wake up and hope today is the day,” McNeil said.

Her brother, John Spira, 45, of St. Charles, last was seen Feb. 23 at his office in unincorporated West Chicago.

McNeil said she believed that state laws hampered how police were investigating the case, so she was writing to state and national legislators in an attempt to get the laws changed.

“While the police have assured me they are doing everything they can to find John, they are limited in their investigative abilities because an adult has the right to disappear,” McNeil states in the letter. “These cases must be investigated with the necessary sense of urgency they require without forcing the families to have to convince [sometimes to no avail] the police that their loved ones did not voluntarily disappear.”

She said that missing-persons cases should “immediately” be investigated as a crime.

“If this were so, perhaps the police would have more power to take the necessary steps to investigate,” McNeil said.

McNeil also suggested setting up an Amber Alert for missing adults, similar to what is in place for missing children.

“I feel that something needs to change in the way adult missing investigative cases are handled,” McNeil said.

St. Charles police spokesman Paul McCurtain defended the department’s handling of the case.
Kane County Chronicle - Local News and Video for Kane County, Illinois - Missing man’s kin cries out