Illinois man misses flight from Atlanta, found dead in Alabama

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John Combs (Photo obtained by WRSP-TV)

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A 24-year-old Illinois man who was supposed to be on a flight home from Atlanta was found dead just days later in Alabama.

In October 2024, while doing lineman work in Savannah, Georgia, following the hurricanes, John Combs found himself in the hospital.

According to a report by WRSP-TV, John called his father, Chris, and told him he felt he could not put his thoughts together.

"I couldn't ever imagine him sounding scared in any type of situation, but this had him scared," Chris told WRSP-TV. "You could tell that he felt alone. This was not his normal crew of guys that he worked with."

Chris said John was so shaken up by the ordeal that he made a plan to return home to Rochelle, Illinois on Oct. 4.

"He got in line at the [Atlanta] airport, checked that orange tool bag on. The bag flew, he didn’t. And what happened from there, I have no idea," Chris said.

Illinois man misses flight from Atlanta, reported dead days later

A witness, who was reportedly scheduled to be on John's flight on Oct. 4, said just before boarding, John stood up and gave the following eerie speech:

"My name is John Combs from Rochelle, Illinois. My whole life has been a lie. I'm no good at anything I do. I don't want to be a lineman anymore," WRSP-TV said the witness paraphrased.

Four days after that incident, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 196 labor union reported John missing.

Also on Oct. 8, the Montgomery police in Alabama reported a man being hit by a train the same day as the airport scene. They later identified the victim as John.

His family still questions how he could've ended up over 150 miles away from Hartsfield-Jackson. But on Oct. 26, they held a celebration of life to honor him.

The family didn't immediately piece together that the date they chose for his funeral had a much deeper tie.

This tragic story began decades earlier with John's great-grandfather, James Combs.

James Combs: The WWII 'ghost'

During World War II, James Combs served in the Navy. Following the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which ended Oct. 26, 1944, he was pronounced dead.

But, that wasn't true.

"They sent a card home saying he was killed in action and several months later, here he comes, walking across the yard," Chris Combs, James' grandson, told  WRSP-TV.

Chris' record of that day went on to suggest that James' mother, out of shock, slapped him in the face to make sure he wasn't a ghost. It was a miracle.

It's a story that James' great-grandson, John, heard many times.

When John was just six-years-old, James passed away on Oct. 26, 2006. That was 62 years from the day he was declared dead, and 18 years before John's funeral.

"I always looked up to my grandpa for the man that he was and his service to our country," John said in an interview with WNIJ radio for Veterans Day back in 2017.

Nearly seven years later, John would be reunited with his hero.

"He always said what he would give for an hour with him," Chris told WRSP-TV. "Now he’s got that, along with some other questions about different things that he’s now got the real answers to."

If you, or anyone you know, has information regarding the death of John Combs, please contact the Montgomery Police Department at 334-625-2651.

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (tel:18002738255). Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line)