10 things about Montgomery, Alabama native Kyle Clinkscales

Kyle Wade Clinkscales was an American man born in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. The city was named for military officer Richard Montgomery, who died on December 31, 1775 at age 36.

BREAKING: Car and human bones with ID of missing college student found after 45 years. Pulled from creek in Alabama. Then 22 yo Kyle Clinkscales disappeared after leaving work in La Grange, GA driving home to Auburn, AL in Jan. 1976 pic.twitter.com/wl3vEww6QF

— Steve Gehlbach (@SteveGWSB) December 8, 2021

BIOGRAPHY

Clinkscales was a student at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Here are 10 more things about him:

1. He is the only child of John Dixon Clinkscales and Mary Louise Davenport Clinkscales.
2. His paternal grandparents are John Wilks Clinkscales and Mary Louise Davenport Clinkscales.
3. His maternal grandparents are James Sexton Davenport and Essie Conola Paris Davenport.
4. He studied business at Auburn University.
5. While attending Auburn University, he worked as a part-time bartender at the Moose Club in LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia, USA.
6. He was 22 years old when he went missing on the evening of January 27, 1976.
7. In 1981, his father published a book about his disappearance.
8. His father died in 2007 and his mother died in 2021 without knowing what happened to him.
9. In 2021, his remains were found.
10. In 2023, authorities confirmed his identity without determining his cause of death.

TIMELINE

Kyle was 6’0″ tall. His registered weight was 156 pounds.

1950s

• On January 9, 1956, his grandfather James died in Calhoun County, Alabama at age 78.

1960s

• In 1962, he and his parents moved to LaGrange.

1970s

• In September 1974, he entered Auburn University.
• On October 2, 1975, he turned 22.
• At around 11:00 p.m. on January 27, 1976, he left the Moose Club and planned to drive back to Auburn University but he never arrived there. That evening, he was supposed to give Ray Hyde some money and after an argument, Hyde fatally shot him, according to Jimmy Earl “Slim” Jones. Jeanne Pawlak Johnson was allegedly with him when he was fatally shot that evening.
• On February 1, 1976, his parents reported him missing to police in Auburn and LaGrange. His white two-door 1974 Ford Pinto Runabout was also missing.

1980s

• On November 15, 1986, his grandfather John died in Talladega at age 88.

1990s

• In 1996, investigators received information from someone who said they overheard Hyde and Jones talking about his death. Hyde was taken into custody for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

2000s

• In July 2001, Hyde died.
• On December 20, 2001, his grandmother Essie died at Regional Medical Center in Oxford, Alabama at age 94.
• In April 2005, Jones was charged with concealing his death, hindering the apprehension of a criminal and two counts of giving false statements and concealment of the facts. Jones acknowledged helping move his body shortly after his death.
• In June 2005, Johnson was arrested and charged with concealing his death, giving false statements and obstruction. 
• In May 2006, Jones pleaded guilty in Georgia to giving false information to law enforcement officers regarding his murder and was sentenced to prison and incarcerated from September 2007 until January 2013.
• On May 13, 2007, his father died from a heart attack at West Georgia Medical Center in LaGrange at age 82.

2020s

• On January 19, 2021, his mother died at Wellstar West Georgia Hospice in LaGrange at age 92.
• On December 7, 2021, his 1974 Ford Pinto Runabout was found submerged in a creek in LaFayette, Chambers County, Alabama. Inside the car were human bones and his identification and credit cards and other personal items.
• On February 19, 2023, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the bones found on December 7, 2021 belonged to him.