Vigil remembers Jacksonville man who disappeared 20 years ago

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A vigil was held Sunday afternoon to remember a man who disappeared 20 years ago from his Jacksonville home.

John Rowan Jr., a 34-year-old married father of two, vanished in February 2001.

Family members still want justice for Rowan and to finally put his body to rest.

During Sunday’s vigil at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, loved ones sang and read poems. A priest also conducted a short service.

Rowan’s mother, Margaret Peg Rowan, said a day doesn’t go by where she doesn’t think of her son.

“We just need to find him and bring him home,” she said. “Without a body, a weapon and direct evidence, there’s still -- you have to find a body to bring this case forward.”

Family members told News4Jax that they usually attend National Missing Persons Day, but that event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There were other families at the vigil that have also never found their loved ones.