John Paul, Sr.

John Lee Paul (born Johan Leendert Paul, , on March 12, 1939, disappeared in 2001) is or was an American fugitive, suspected double murderer, and former racing driver known as John Paul Sr. in the motorsport scene. In 1982 he and his son John Paul Jr. (1960–2020) won both U.S. classic endurance races, 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. After his racing career he served a fifteen-year prison sentence for a variety of crimes including drug trafficking and shooting a federal witness. In 2001, he disappeared on his boat while being sought for questioning by officials regarding the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. Paul's status is unknown.

Early life Paul emigrated to the United States from the Netherlands in 1956 with his family, settling in Muncie, Indiana, and legally changing his name to John Lee Paul. He attended Ball State University and then received a scholarship to Harvard University, where he received a master's degree in business. He became a successful mutual fund manager, and a millionaire. This followed his class win in the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier that season.

In 1979, Paul won the Trans-Am Series race at Mosport by a margin of 33 seconds. He would win a total of six races, en route to winning the Trans-Am title. He had already won the World Challenge for Endurance Drivers title the season before. In 1980, Paul began teaming with his son, and on May 26 Paul remarried to Chalice Alford, holding the ceremony on the infield at Lime Rock Park.

Father and son paired up again to win the Road America Pabst 500. Paul Sr. finished second in the IMSA GT series. In 1980 he won the World Challenge for Endurance Drivers by just four points over British driver John Fitzpatrick. He competed mainly in his specially modified Porsche 935s prepared by his own team, JLP Racing, operating out of Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Disappearance and suspected murder of Chalice Paul Chalice Alford Barnett, then 32, wed professional race car driver John Paul Sr. on May 26, 1980, at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, Connecticut. She went to Palm Beach, Florida, at the end of 1980, leaving John behind in Roswell, Georgia, and the two split up within a year. She purportedly vanished in Key West, Florida, during the summer of 1981. Chalice Paul was cast to be in a Burt Reynolds film, Sharky's Machine, being filmed in Atlanta in the summer of 1981. John paid her a visit in Atlanta and persuaded her to accompany him on a quick second honeymoon to Key West, Florida, before her filming. She vanished sometime that summer of 1981 at 33 but John never bothered to contact her family about her disappearance.

John asserted that she left on her own accord. In 1982, when John could be reached in Atlanta by phone, he claimed that he had left Chalice in Key West. While John was still legally wed to Chalice, he married Jeanette Hope Ruben Haywood, the sister of racer Hurley Haywood. In Atlanta, she initially filed for divorce, then ten days later she withdrew it and re-filed for alimony. Chalice was last seen alive boarding a plane to go to Florida from Atlanta, Georgia, and she remains missing. Carson had been given immunity in a drug trafficking case. He testified that Paul Sr. had approached him, ordered him into the trunk of his car, and shot at him five times when he fled rather than comply. Paul then fled when a companion of Carson's began shouting. Paul was apprehended by Swiss authorities in January 1985, served a six-month sentence in Switzerland for using a false passport, and was extradited back to the United States in March 1986. At the same time, Paul Jr. pleaded guilty to racketeering and received a five-year sentence. He had refused to testify against his father, who had been indicted as the ringleader of a drug trafficking ring that also included his father, Lee. On June 4, 1986, Paul Sr. pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and received a sentence of twenty years, later expanded to twenty-five years after additional sentences were added.

Attempted escape On March 10, 1987, Paul and another inmate unsuccessfully attempted to escape from prison by spraying a mixture of hot sauce and Pine Sol in a guard's face, then scaling a 12-foot fence. The guard recovered and fired two shots, scaring the inmates into surrendering. There was a stolen pickup truck in the parking lot that authorities suspect was for the two inmates. Paul served his sentence in USP Leavenworth. Paul was paroled on July 2, 1999.

Disappearance and suspected murder of Colleen Wood Shortly following release from prison in 1999, Paul met an office manager named Colleen Wood. Wood moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Ohio in the late 1990s. She was employed as an office manager at Lighthouse Point Marina. She would shortly leave her job, sell her condominium and move in with Paul on his 55-foot schooner to embark on a planned five-year around-the-world boating trip. He renamed the vessel The Diamond Girl (she was originally named The Island Girl) in early 2000. In April 2001, Wood's family informed Florida authorities that she was missing. Paul was interviewed by investigators in May 2001, but no charges were filed. The FBI wish to question him about Wood's disappearance, although they have no new leads.

Racing record

Career highlights

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Class No Tyres Car Team Co-Drivers Laps Pos. ClassPos. 1978 IMSA+2.5 90 Porsche 935/77A Dick Barbour Racing Brian Redman Dick Barbour 337 5th 1st 1980 IMSA 73 Porsche 935 JLP-2 J.L.P. Racing Guy Edwards John Paul Jr. 312 9th 2nd 1982 IMSA GTX 72 Ferrari 512BB LM N.A.R.T. Alain Cudini John Morton 306 9th 4th

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results Year Class No Tyres Car Team Co-Drivers Laps Pos. ClassPos. 1977 GTO 38 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR John Paul Sr. John O'Steen John Graves Bob Hagestad 13DNF Engines 1978 GTO 33 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR JLP Racing Bonky Fernandez 233 4th1st 1979 GTX 18 Porsche 935 JLP-1 JLP Racing Al Holbert 176DNFTransmission 1980 GTX 09 Porsche 935/77A Thunderbird Swap Shop Preston Henn Al Holbert 239 4th 4th 1981 GTX 8 Porsche 935 JLP-3 JLP Racing John Paul Jr. 40DNF Suspension 1982 GTP 18 Porsche 935 JLP-3 JLP Racing John Paul Jr. 2441st