State and local police searching for missing Saugus man who was last seen in July

SAUGUS, Mass. — State and local police are searching for 53-year-old John Lawler, who has been missing from the town of Saugus since July 14.

Nearly two months later, no one has seen or heard from him.

And as each day passes, his family grows more concerned.

“I’m very devastated for my children, my children are devastated,” Barbara Hubbard to me in a Zoom interview.

Barbara Hubbard is John’s former partner and the mother to three of his four adult children.

Barbara lost contact with John decades ago, but she, like others in his life, is desperate for answers.

“Right now, it’s all we can live. It’s all I can think about. I’ve missed work, I’ve missed sleep,” Hubbard said.

On Wednesday, Mass State Police dive and search teams looked for John Lawler during routine training in the areas of Hawkes and Walden Ponds near Route 1.

The area is close to the Salvation Army Rehab Facility where John was living until mid-July.

It is also close to the Walgreens where security cameras caught these final pictures of John, carrying a fishing rod on July 14th.

John left behind his cellphone.

But before he disappeared, John withdrew a large amount of cash from a bank account.

“What is the concern that your family has knowing that he took that kind of money out of the bank?” I asked Barbara Hubbard.

“My big concern is that he was talking about it. People have done things for a lot less than that. People have killed over a pack of cigarettes; you don’t know, you just don’t know,” she said.

John Lawler’s family refuses to give up the search.

Barbara Hubbard is hoping John’s children will soon have some answers.

“I think he either got hurt or someone hurt him. I don’t believe that he took off,” Hubbard said. “It’s going to hurt if we find out he’s gone but at least it will give them closure.”

Contact Saugus Police at 781-941-1199 if you can help.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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