On Mother’s Day, May 11, 1997, Gregg and Debra Mann got a phone call at their home in Wichita Falls, Texas. Their son’s fiancée, Carrie, wanted to know if they had seen 20-year-old Gregory “Keith” Mann Jr. She had arrived at Keith’s new apartment to move in, but his work clothes were on the floor and his bed didn’t look slept in. That same morning, a red Ford Mustang with dealership tags had been parked in the church lot next door to Gregg and Debra’s house, in the exact spot where Keith used to park.
Keith seemingly had it all. A new apartment, a good job selling cars and a fiancée who was about to move in. But the night before she arrived, Keith told friends he had a secret meeting just after midnight. He has never been seen again…
In this episode of Crime Junkie, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat examine the 1997 disappearance of Keith Mann and the question that has gone unanswered for nearly 30 years: Who was Keith meeting at 12:15 a.m.?
You’ll hear about the red Ford Mustang Keith borrowed from Ron Roberts Ford, the cassette tape left partially ejected in the player, the driver’s seat pushed back farther than Keith ever kept it, Keith’s final night out with friends Chris and Michelle, the February 2021 excavation of an abandoned car wash lot on Southwest Parkway, and the police records Audiochuck obtained that came back almost entirely redacted.
Police didn’t think it looked like a crime scene. When Gregg reported Keith missing the morning after Mother’s Day, the responding officer told the family Keith was young and they were worrying too early. The Mustang went back to the dealership without any forensic processing. But the salesman who picked it up noticed something strange. He didn’t have to move the seat back. At 5’7″, Keith usually drove with the seat pulled close to the steering wheel.
When Chris asked who Keith was meeting, Keith just smiled and shrugged. They watched him walk toward his apartment, but never saw him go inside. Around 1 a.m., Keith’s sister heard what may have been a car door slam near the church parking lot.
Then the case went cold. Keith left behind money in his bank account and two commission checks he knew were coming, and detectives don’t believe he walked away. His parents believe he may be buried under concrete, possibly at a Ron Roberts Ford location that was under construction near his apartment in 1997.
Then a name surfaced in the police file. One of the few details left unredacted was a 2007 recorded jail call involving Gary Price, a former Ron Roberts Ford mechanic with a criminal history. Cold case Detective Whited told Crime Junkie that Gary was a person of interest in the initial investigation, but nothing in the records connects him to Keith’s disappearance. When Crime Junkie’s reporter reached Gary by phone, he said he had left the dealership before Keith started working there.
Keith Mann was a 20-year-old car salesman who had moved to Texas to play baseball. He had just gotten engaged to Carrie, and he sold two cars on his final shift. His father, Gregg, and stepmother, Debra, have spent nearly three decades searching for him, and they’re hoping to hear from anyone who knew Keith in 1997 and 1998.
And there’s still one question at the center of it all. If Keith’s meeting really happened, who was he meeting, and why have they never come forward?
——–
Follow Crime Junkie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimejunkiepodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeJunkiePodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrimeJunkiePod
Crime Junkie is created anAmerican Idol Contestant Arrested For Murder!? The Case Of Ashley Flynn d hosted by Ashley Flowers.
About Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of Audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.
Follow Ashley:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ash_flowers
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyflowers.af/
Check out these other great crime channels:
@annieelise “She’s Dead, I Killed Her”: Killer Confesses to 3 Murders in 30 Seconds | The Cola Beale Tapes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkK4fO2nVlI
@kallmekris The Russian Sleep Experiment Deep Dive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA4OaZUF2pM
@KendallRae Caleb Flynn Found GUILTY… Deep Diving The Ashley Flynn Murder Trial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqawO7aiwsk
@bellafiori The Vallow-Daybell Murders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3sUBP1xCe8
Watch Crime Junkie true crime podcast dedicated to covering the cases we just can’t get out of our heads. Every Monday, host Ashley Flowers on SloppBoxx.Com.
+ There are no comments
Add yours