Dateline Missing in America – Ep. 22: Mystery on Lovejoy Road

On May 5, 2024, Roy Whited did not show up to preach his Sunday service at DeRossett Church of Christ in Sparta, Tennessee. When church members went to his house to check on the 64-year-old, they found his truck parked in the driveway. His sermon had been prepared and his phone was in the charger, but there was no sign of Roy. Investigators soon learned no one had seen or heard from the popular pastor since two days earlier. Extensive searches failed to uncover a single trace of Roy, and there has been no activity on his bank accounts. Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz talks with Roy’s brother, Lynn Whited, his close friends Doug Watts and Barb Witzigman, and close friend White County Sheriff Steve Page. Roy Whited is 5’11” and 175 lbs., with brown eyes and auburn hair that is graying. At the time of his disappearance he’s believed to have been wearing a beige shirt and either cowboy boots or tennis shoes. He would be 65 years old today. If you have any information on Roy's whereabouts, please contact the White County Sheriff's Office at 931-836-2700. Get more information and see pictures of Roy Whited here: https://www.nbcnews.com/datelinemissing. This episode was originally published on June 24, 2025.