12/31/2025
On January 31, 1993, 39-year-old attorney and former judge David Glenn Lewis was last seen in Amarillo, Texas under circumstances that would evolve into one of the most perplexing disappearances in modern American true-crime history - and certainly one of the top 10 most bizarre cases we have ever covered on this page. Lewis, a respected lawyer, college instructor, and devoted family man, seemed to vanish without warning on January 31, 1993. 
In the days before his disappearance, Lewis’s behavior was outwardly normal. On January 28, he left his law office early, claiming illness, bought gasoline with his credit card, and taught his evening class at Amarillo College—his last confirmed sighting in the local area.  The next day, his wife Karen and their young daughter left for a weekend trip to Dallas, intending to return in time for Super Bowl XXVII. Lewis stayed behind to record the game and enjoy the weekend at home. 
When his wife and daughter returned late on January 31, David was not home. Inside the house were unsettling clues: the VCR was recording the Super Bowl, two turkey sandwiches were in the refrigerator, and laundry lay in the washing machine. His wedding ring and watch sat neatly on the kitchen counter—objects he would normally wear.  Initially, Karen assumed he was watching the game with friends, but her concern grew when morning came and she learned he had missed two work appointments. 
On February 2, investigators located Lewis’s red Ford Explorer parked in front of the Potter County Courts Building in downtown Amarillo. Inside were his house and car keys tucked under the floor mat, along with his checkbook, driver’s license, and credit cards—items he typically kept with him.  Adding to the mystery, two airplane tickets had been purchased in his name around the time of his disappearance: one for a flight from Dallas to Amarillo on January 31, and another from Los Angeles to Dallas on February 1. Authorities could not confirm whether he had used either ticket. 
A Dallas taxi driver later reported transporting a man resembling Lewis from a hotel to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. That man paid in cash with a large roll of hundred-dollar bills and seemed nervous, according to the driver.  Another curious detail is that a deposit of $5,000 was made into Lewis’s joint bank account on January 30, though it was never determined who made the deposit or why. 
Despite these odd clues, local law enforcement eventually treated the case as a voluntary disappearance for lack of evidence of foul play. The abrupt disappearance left family and friends unsettled; Karen said Lewis had previously mentioned feeling threatened, though he never elaborated on those concerns. 
On February 1, 1993, nearly 1,600 miles from Amarillo, motorists on State Route 24 near Moxee, Washington spotted a man walking along the highway late at night. When they returned minutes later, he lay motionless in the roadway, having been struck by a vehicle in an apparent hit-and-run accident. A dark-colored Chevrolet Camaro was seen speeding away but never located.  The victim was dressed in military-style fatigues and work boots—clothing he was not known to wear—and carried no identification, although a distinctive pair of glasses found on the body would later become a key piece of evidence. 
For eleven years, the man remained a John Doe until 2004, when Washington State Patrol Detective Pat Ditter used emerging internet resources to match facial reconstructions with missing person reports, ultimately linking the victim to David Glenn Lewis. DNA testing confirmed the identity with a 99.91% probability using samples compared with Lewis’s mother. 
Despite finally knowing his fate, the central question still haunts investigators and the Lewis family: How and why did David Glenn Lewis travel from Texas to Washington? No definitive evidence has answered whether he left Amarillo voluntarily, was abducted, or was compelled by unknown forces. The hit-and-run that claimed his life—even if accidental—remains unexplained, and the case continues to intrigue true-crime aficionados and professionals alike. 
If you have information regarding this case, please contact the Amarillo Police Department at (806) 379-3400 or the Washington State Patrol – Cold Case Unit Detective Pat Ditter at (509) 249-6743.
