Cops renew call for help finding St. Charles man missing 10 years

Ten years after a St. Charles man disappeared under “suspicious” circumstances, authorities in DuPage County are renewing a call for help from the public to figure out what happened to John Spira.

“Chicago Johnny” Spira was last seen Feb. 23, 2007, at Universal Cable Construction, a business he co-owned on County Farm Road near North Avenue in unincorporated West Chicago, according to his family and the DuPage County sheriff’s office.

He never showed up for a dinner planned with a friend that night, and missed a show with his band The Rabble Rousers the next night, sheriff’s police said. Spira was reported missing Feb. 25, 2007.

His car was found at Universal Cable, where he was “one of only two or three people” alone the night of the 23rd, according to police. Cell tower records show his phone remained active that night near the business.

Spira, who was 45 when he disappeared, also had a pilot’s license and regularly flew out of the DuPage Airport, where he helped run a venture called Flight Matrix.

He’s described as a 5-foot-8, 165-pound white man with brown hair and eyes, last seen wearing blue jeans, a black turtleneck sweater, black shoes and an olive-green aviator jacket.

Family members say he was a U.S. Army veteran, and remember him as a “mesmerizing” blues guitarist, and “an active, fun-loving guy with a straight-forward approach to life; loved, respected, and admired by all; always helping anyone in need.”

Anyone with information on Spira’s disappearance should call police at (630) 407-2323. Callers can remain anonymous.