Family, friends and community volunteers are gathering this weekend for a massive search in hopes of finding Patrick Chapman, a 34-year-old father from Missouri who has been missing since Mother’s Day.
“We hope the search leads to some answers,” Jen Newbury told Dateline. ‘It’s been nine months. We need to know what happened. ”
Jen, who lives in their hometown of St. Charles, Missouri, lives, is Patrick’s ex-wife and the mother of their 11-year-old son. The two remained friends long after their six-year marriage ended in 2011.
‘Every time I look at him [Jackson]”Every time I see his face, it kills me,” Jen. “He needs his father. And we need answers. ”
The last time Jen Patrick saw or even spoke to him was on May 10, 2020 – Mother’s Day.
“He texted me Happy Mother’s Day,” Jen recalls. “Then he asked me about Jackson’s Chromebook.”
Jen explained that Patrick had told her that someone had taken money out of his account and that he could not access it on his phone, so he needed his son’s laptop. Later that morning, he went to Jen’s house and asked for the laptop again.
“I thought he might be accusing our son of taking money from his laptop account – but I overreacted,” Jen said. He looked upset and confused. But I told him to go. This is the last time I’ve ever seen him. ‘
Jen told Dateline that Patrick sent a family friend and asked to stay with them, about three hours away near Mill Spring, Missouri. He briefly dated their daughter and would occasionally stay at their home from time to time if necessary.
Patrick arrived at the family friend’s home around 10pm on the evening of May 10th. By the next morning, Patrick and the burgundy Escort Station Wagon were gone in 1995, both of them.
Jen told Dateline that Patrick, who worked as a tow truck driver, was known to be sitting on the couch or going camping, and it is believed he had just moved to another location. But when no one heard from him for the next few weeks, the family friend reported him to the sheriff at Wayne County on May 30th.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. JT Wilson, who has been assisting the sheriff’s office since mid-June 2020 after Patrick’s car was found abandoned.
Trooper Wilson told Dateline that the Escort Station Wagon was found on a four-wheel drive trail in a rural part of the province, in the Mark Twain National Forest, less than two miles from where he was last seen. The car had serious damage to the bumper and all four tires were flat.
“It’s a very rural area,” Trooper Wilson explained. “There was no cell service, absolutely nothing. No way to even ping his phone. ”
Patrick’s family told Dateline that Patrick’s wallet with his ID and bank card, medicine, was found in the car. However, his cellphone and car keys were nowhere to be found.
Trooper Wilson told Dateline that several searches were conducted within a few months of Patrick’s disappearance. In addition to the search teams, cadet dog teams were brought in to search.
Trooper Wilson said the crew searched the area where Patrick’s car was found, along with other areas where he had previously camped or slept in his car. But none of the teams found anything related to Patrick’s disappearance.
Many of Patrick’s loved ones, including Jen and Patrick’s sister, Megan Ryan, who lived in St. Louis, Missouri. Louis, Missouri, lives, has been to Wayne County dozens of times to look for him.
“I know I’ve traveled at least 17 times,” Jen told Dateline. ‘We’ve never dealt with a missing person before. We learn as we go. ”
Jen added that those who searched the rural area where Patrick’s car was found had to invest in hiking gear and snowshoes to get through the rough terrain.
“It’s not a walk in the park,” Jen said. “You have to be prepared.”
Patrick’s sister, Megan, told Dateline that they actually only had the area where Patrick’s car was found as a point of departure, but wanted to make sure they covered everything in their power before moving to another area.
“We hope the search will eliminate the area this weekend,” Megan said. “We want to make sure we went through the area with a fine tooth comb and no doubt know he is not there.”
The next search for Patrick is scheduled for February 20 and 21, 2021 in Mill Spring, Missouri. More information can be found here.
But a winter storm could hamper their plans. The storm started today and is expected to dump 6-12 inches of snow and ice on the land. Trooper Wilson, who plans to be at the search this weekend, told Dateline it could be too treacherous and unsafe for the crew.
A search and rescue team is also scheduled to join the hundreds of volunteers, but organizers are still asking those with access to canoes, drones, boats, jet skis and any equipment that could help their search.
Both Jen and Megan told Dateline that the idea that Patrick could start a new life – or possibly even take his own life – came up, but they do not believe it happened.
“He would never have left his son,” Jen said. “That child was everything to him.”
Jen told Dateline that she did not think Patrick would have left without the medication left in his car or the money from his stimulus check in his bank account.
“If we do not find him in the area, near the place where his car was found,” Jen said. “Then there is definitely foul play.”
Trooper Wilson told Dateline that Patrick’s case at the moment is nothing more than a missing case.
“There’s always a chance it could be a murder or a suicide, but it’s currently a case for missing persons and we’re doing our best to find him.”
Nine months have passed since Patrick’s disappearance and his loved ones are struggling with the idea that their continued search for him is now more of a recovery effort than a rescue.
“Even though he is no longer with us, we want him at home,” Jen said. “His father died in 2010. We would like to bring Pat home and bury him next to his father. So he is not alone there. ‘
They hope to have some answers by the time Patrick’s 35th birthday arrives on February 24th. But whatever it is, they intend to honor him with a balloon release and a prayer for peace.
Family and friends are offering a $ 3,000 reward for information leading them to Patrick’s location. A billboard with Patrick’s photo and information is expected to be on Highway 55 soon. A Facebook page “Help Us Find Patrick Chapman” and the Facebook group “Bring Patrick Chapman Home” have been created to discuss Patrick’s case, provide information for future searches and hopefully bring in tips.
“Any information helps,” Jen told Dateline. ‘We’re doing everything we can to find him. Hopefully someone who knows something will help us by coming forward. ”
Patrick is described as 5’6 ”tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. His tattoo contains the word “Chapman” vertically in the lower right forearm, a circular saw blade or a sun statue between his shoulder blades and a cross on the shoulder blade.
Anyone with information on Patrick’s whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff of Wayne County at (573) 224-3219.