Michael Keith Gorley, a 38-year-old man from Stanford, Kentucky, was last seen on May 17, 2015. He disappeared after leaving a friend’s house on foot, heading toward Junction City. Born on December 22, 1976, to Sandra Hasty, Michael was living with his mother on McKinney Ridge Road at the time of his disappearance.
Just five days prior, Michael had been released from jail following a traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of four individuals on drug trafficking charges. Although a grand jury failed to indict him and another individual, the two others from the car were convicted. On the morning of May 17, Michael informed his mother he was visiting a friend and left home in a gray 2001 Ford Explorer.
Between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m., two women visited Sandra’s home, claiming that Michael’s vehicle had been driven into a pond on Wilderness Trail Road and needed to be removed. Upon arriving at the scene, Sandra found the vehicle partially in the water but no sign of Michael.
After retrieving the truck, Sandra began reaching out to friends for information. Between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m., Michael was last seen at a friend’s residence on Knob Lick Road, but when his mother called later that evening, she was told he had not yet left. When Michael failed to return home that night, Sandra and his sister went to the house and discovered Michael’s hat and shoes on the porch, but no sign of him.
After failing to locate him, Sandra flagged down a State Trooper to report Michael missing. Initially, authorities dismissed the case, assuming he could be off on his own, but Sandra knew her son wouldn’t go anywhere without his shoes. “My son didn’t go anywhere barefoot,” she remarked in 2023.
In the following days, Michael’s family conducted their own search efforts, walking the surrounding roads, while police assistance remained minimal. Although Sandra preserved his shoes and hat as potential evidence, they were not collected until Detective Frank Thornberry took on the case six months later.
Detective Thornberry has since interviewed over 50 individuals but noted the case’s difficulty due to the absence of remains. Michael’s family suspects foul play, believing he may have been murdered by individuals he considered friends. Sandra has suggested that Michael’s truck was driven to the pond by those responsible for his disappearance to destroy evidence.
To further the investigation, Michael’s family has engaged a private investigator independent of the State Police. Despite ongoing efforts, no arrests have been made, and the circumstances of Michael Gorley’s disappearance remain unresolved. His case is classified as endangered missing.
Description:
Michael is a white male, standing between 5’10” and 6’0” tall and weighing around 230 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, along with a goatee at the time of his disappearance. Michael has distinctive scars and tattoos, including “Gorley” in blue ink on his upper right arm, and various other markings on his forearms, chest, and calf.
At the time he vanished, Michael was wearing blue and white Hawaiian-print swim trunks, black Crocs, and a camouflage print hat featuring the “Team Realtree” logo.
Investigating Agency:
Anyone with information regarding Michael Gorley’s disappearance is urged to contact the Kentucky State Police at (859) 623-2404.
