King was last seen in West Finley Township, Pennsylvania on December 3, 2008. A friend dropped him off at his home in the 100 block of Jake Hill Road at 8:30 p.m. He has never been heard from again. King was holding his niece's rent money and was supposed to attend a relative's birthday party in few days. On December 6, when he didn't show up at the party, his family reported him missing. The police searched King's residence on December 9. Nothing appeared to be missing except his blood pressure medicine. He lived alone at the time of his disappearance.

An unidentified car was observed on King's property on December 4, but police haven't determined whether it had anything to do with his disappearance. They also investigated reports that King left with a friend who is a long-haul trucker.

King's niece, Misty Blue Morrison, was arrested on weapons charges in late December. She has a felony conviction in Iowa and isn't legally allowed to own guns, but police found several firearms at her residence. One of them, a handgun, was identified as the gun King normally carried with him. Authorities haven't identified Morrison as a suspect in King's disappearance. She is awaiting trial on the gun charges and other charges.

The circumstances of King's disappearance are unclear. His case remains unsolved.