MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — If he wanted privacy, John Henry Mallouk found it off Conners Highway in Port Mayaca, not far from Lake Okeechobee. But far from many others.
Over the weekend, interest in the 78-year-old man was revived after his home burned down.
“There was no power to this building, so it wouldn’t have been electrical," said Sheriff John Budensiek.
Mallouk was not there. In fact, he hasn’t been seen anywhere in at least two years.
“This is a tantalizing case our detectives have been working with no real leads," said the sheriff.
A concerned relative reported Mallouk missing back in January 2023, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office went to search the home.

“We learned some history about him. He was a loner, he liked to gamble and he had been contributing sizable amounts of money to charities, mission organizations," said Sheriff Budensiek.
When detectives made that initial search of the home, they didn’t find any signs of a struggle or foul play. They found the premises undisturbed, and unlocked. There was food in the refrigerator and a cellphone on the counter.
While Mallouk talked about going to Africa on a mission trip, detectives say there’s evidence he hasn’t left the country. One theory: He never got very far from home in the first place.
“Where he fell in the water and drowned… did he have a heart attack and die of natural causes?" mused the sheriff.
Now the Martin County Sheriff's Office is looking into whether there's a connection between the missing man and the weekend fire.