June 20, 2022 | by Dylan Kelley

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and a University of North Florida Journalism class.

Shawn Glover had a big heart, not only for people he loved but for people he didn’t even know.

“If we were going down the street and somebody would be out with a cup, he would always drum up some money or some change to give them,” said his mother, Joann Carey.

The world has been without Shawn’s generous nature since 2019. He went missing in September and, though police presume that he’s dead, his body has never been found.

Shawn was tall and thin, with sandy brown hair, a long nose, and brown eyes. He was 30 years old and living in Stanton, Kentucky when he went missing.

Police have few clues as to where Shawn is or what exactly happened to him. He was last seen at the Clay City Inn in Clay City, Kentucky.

Shawn was diabetic and his insulin bag was found at the inn a few days after his disappearance.

A few weeks later, a fire was set at the house where Shawn was staying, and officials ruled it as arson. His remains were not found after the fire was contained.

The last day Shawn and his family were together, his mother made them all take a picture together with her: Shawn, his brother Steven, and Steven’s son. His mother had that picture printed on a pink t-shirt that she still wears to this day.

Shawn was a bright young man.

“It was crazy how he could see something be done and then learn how to do it really quickly,” said his brother, Steven Glover.

“Anything he attempted to do, it was like he could do it on his first try,” Joann said.

She remembers one time when the family went on vacation, Shawn couldn’t swim but he jumped in the pool anyway and just started swimming. The first time he rode his cousin’s dirt bike, he picked it up and rode it on the back wheel like he had been doing it forever.

Shawn was an adventurous child growing up. He used to find all different kinds of animals and bring them home to take care of in a cage at his mother’s house in the city.

“He’s never met a stranger,” Joann said.

Shawn could walk up and talk to people as if he had known them his whole life.

“He was a really funny kid and grown-up. He was constantly trying to make everyone laugh,” she said.

Shawn and his mother had a close relationship.

“He was a wonderful son. We talked on the phone just about every day. No matter where he was at, he would call me,” Joann said.

Shawn sent his mother cards for every one of her birthdays. There was nothing that they couldn’t talk about together, she says.

Shawn loved to go shopping with his mother. “About every weekend, we’d make our rounds in Lexington. We’d go in all the stores to try and find a bargain.” Joann said. After shopping, they would go out to eat.

Shawn would act as if he was the older brother despite being five years younger than Steven.

“He would always look out for me,” Steven said.

If there was ever an altercation involving his brother, Shawn would try and get in the middle of it to protect him. Even though he was smaller than most of the people the brothers knew growing up, he didn’t fear anyone.

The loss of Shawn has changed Steven’s perspective on life.

“I don’t trust anybody outside of my circle now and I’m always on guard,” he said. “It kind of darkened and took the good out of everything.”

His mother has struggled ever since Shawn went missing.

“Since Shawn’s passing it’s just like there’s a dark cloud every day when you wake up and go to bed,” Joann said. “Through the day, you never stop thinking about him.”

“I’ve always heard about missing people, but you never know what it’s like till you’ve been put in that situation. You never know the toll that it takes on the family,” Joann said.

“Anything we do, it’s like a sadness because there’s a loss in our atmosphere.”

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If you have any information on the unsolved murder of Shawn Glover, please call the Powell County Sheriff’s Office at (606) 663-2226

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