Dark Downeast – The Disappearance of Wilfred "Butch" King III (Vermont)

Podcast: Dark Downeast
Host: Kylie Low
Episode Date: October 9, 2025
Topic: The unsolved disappearance of Wilfred "Butch" King III, a father and businessman who vanished from Essex Junction, Vermont, in 1980.

Episode Overview

This episode of Dark Downeast examines the 45-year-old cold case of Wilfred "Butch" King III, whose mysterious disappearance in Vermont remains unsolved. Host Kylie Low delves into Butch’s personal and family background, the events surrounding his disappearance, the immediate and ongoing investigations, and the suspicions and legal disputes that followed, exploring the heartbreak, suspicion, and ongoing fight for justice felt by Butch’s family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Butch King’s Life and Family (03:02–12:30)

• Born April 22, 1943, second of six children in a family from Essex Junction, Vermont.
• Family ran King Paving Co.; Butch left school to join the family business and later worked as a carpenter.
• At 19, built a home on a plot next to his parents. Married Diane Irish in 1966; they had three children.
• Life changed after a devastating car accident in 1978 left Butch disabled and reliant on crutches, following months in a coma and years of rehabilitation.

Quote:
"Butch's determination and daily practice allowed him to get around on his own again, first with a wheelchair and then by walking with two crutches." (10:12, Kylie Low)

2. The Night of the Disappearance (01:20–06:40)

• October 24, 1980: Butch spends the afternoon hunting and awaits an important, unidentified phone call.
• Leaves his house around 7pm in a distinctive blue and white Chevrolet Blazer with a yellow plow and light, telling family he’s meeting friends.
• The next morning, hunters find Butch’s bloodied crutches in a field; one boot is also found nearby.

Quote:
"Despite years and years of investigation, what happened on the night of October 24, 1980, remains a mystery." (01:15, Kylie Low)

3. Immediate Aftermath & Early Investigation (06:40–16:40)

• Police investigation led by Officer Clayton Wood and later Detective Sgt. Robert Yando, viewed missing status as suspicious due to Butch’s disability and personal threats he’d received.
• Butch’s truck found abandoned in Williston three weeks later; potential sightings after disappearance but nothing confirmed.
• Butch’s parents suspect foul play from the start, fearing for his safety due to threats.

Quote:
"He needed those metal crutches to walk since recovering from being hit by a car two years earlier." (05:45, Kylie Low)

4. Complex Family Tensions and Legal Disputes (16:41–26:55)

• Butch and Diane’s marriage falters after the accident; they proceed through a tense divorce in 1980, not completed before his disappearance.
• Diane, the estranged wife, quickly moves back into Butch’s home, liquidates family assets, refuses to cooperate with police or take a polygraph.
• Multiple boyfriends move into the house; property is damaged or sold. Joey, the eldest son, clashed with his mother and is eventually sued by Diane for removing and protecting family valuables.

Quote:
"Sergeant Yando attributed the lack of progress in Butch's case to Diane. Her blatant lack of cooperation with police was a frustrating roadblock." (18:50, Kylie Low)

Quote:
"In court, Joey went on to say that his mother asked him once not to call the police about her, quote, friends..." (23:44, Kylie Low)

5. Unresolved Leads and Forensic Searches (28:01–34:30)

• Police follow tips leading to extensive searches, including of the Intervale floodplain using trained cadaver dogs: only animal bones are found.
• Additional searches at sites linked to Diane’s boyfriends yield clothing items, but nothing is matched to Butch.
• Diane continues her legal battle over Butch’s property, seeking to be declared the sole owner after his presumed death, but is opposed by son Joey on grounds of suspected involvement.

Quote:
"The legal battle between Diane and Butch's father and her own son, paired with her refusal to cooperate with the investigation... cast tremendous suspicion over her intentions and possible involvement." (33:14, Kylie Low)

6. The Family’s Unending Search and Legacy (34:31–37:12)

• Family, especially Butch’s mother Lillian, fights for years to keep his memory alive and seeks closure.
• With Diane still refusing interviews but consistently denying involvement, the case grows colder as years pass and older family members pass away without answers.
• Butch’s children eventually inherit the house; the family paving business is renamed in his honor.

Quote:
"It's important to her that Butch's name is somewhere so he at least can be remembered as a person." (36:36, Kylie Low)

Quote:
"I could die with a free heart, it wouldn't be so heavy." (37:48, Lillian King, via Kylie Low)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Family’s Pain and Frustration
  “My heart still wants to know what happened to Butch.” (37:22, Lillian King via Facebook)
• On Diane’s Behavior
  “The only evidence against Diane is circumstantial. The things she had to gain and her persistence to make those things, particularly the house, hers alone. But there is no hard evidence...” (38:52, Kylie Low)
• The Wedding Poem
  “Dear dad, the music is playing, the procession has begun, and here we are, dad, your two sons walking your daughter down the aisle as one.” (36:12, Kylie Low quoting Butch's daughter)
• Sorrow and Hopes for Answers
  “She said it would be amazing to give Lillian peace of mind before she passes away by getting answers about what happened to Butch.” (37:02, Kylie Low)

Key Timeline & Timestamps

• Butch’s last known actions & disappearance – 01:20–07:30
• Discovery of Bloodied Crutches – 05:30
• Truck found abandoned (Williston) – 13:35
• Legal disputes begin (Diane vs. Joey & Wilfred Jr.) – 20:15–26:10
• Police searches (Intervale, wells, gravel pit) – 28:01–31:45
• Court declares Butch presumed dead (1994) – 34:04
• Butch’s gravestone and family remembrance – 36:00–37:22

Conclusion

Forty-five years after Wilfred "Butch" King III’s disappearance, the mystery endures—a convergence of personal tragedy, family fracture, and unresolved questions. While suspicion lingered over Diane King’s motives and actions, neither she nor anyone else was ever charged or officially implicated. Despite decades of searching and advocacy, Butch’s family still longs for truth and closure.

If you have information on this case, please contact Essex Police at 802-878-8331.

Resources & Further Reading

Full episode transcript and sources can be found at darkdowneast.com.

Note: This summary strives to maintain the tone, empathy, and detail present in Kylie Low’s storytelling, keeping the human experience at the center, as is the mission of Dark Downeast.