Family, friends and community volunteers are gathering this weekend for a massive search in hopes of finding Patrick Chapman, a 34-year-old Missouri father who has been missing since Mother’s Day.
“We hope the search will lead to some answers,” said Jen Newbury to Dateline. “It was nine long months. We need to know what happened. “
Jen, who lives in his hometown of St. Charles, Missouri, is Patrick’s ex-wife and the mother of his 11-year-old son. The two remained friends long after the end of their six-year marriage 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 saw or spoke to Patrick was on May 10, 2020 – Mother’s Day.
“He sent me a Happy Mother’s Day message,” recalled Jen. “Then he started asking me about Jackson’s Chromebook.”
Jen explained that Patrick was telling her that someone had withdrawn money from his account and that he was unable to access it on his phone, so he needed his son’s laptop. Later that morning, he went to Jen’s house and asked again for the laptop.
“I thought maybe he was accusing our son of taking money out of his laptop account – but I overreacted,” said Jen. “He looked upset and confused. But I told him to leave. It’s the last time I see you. “
Jen told Dateline that Patrick texted a friend of the family and asked to stay with them, about three hours away, near Mill Spring, Missouri. He dated his daughter for a brief period and sometimes stayed with them from time to time, if necessary.
Patrick arrived at the family friend’s house around ten o’clock on the night of May 10. The next morning, Patrick and the 1995 Escort Station Wagon truck he drove were gone.
Jen told Dateline that Patrick, who worked as a tow truck driver, was known for surfing or camping, so it was believed that he had just moved to a different location. But when no one heard from him in the weeks that followed, the family friend reported his disappearance to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office on May 30.
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.
Officer Wilson told Dateline that the Escort Station Wagon was found in a rural part of the county, in the Mark Twain National Forest, less than two miles from where he was last seen, on a 4-wheel drive. The car had serious damage to the bumper and the four tires were flat.
“It is a very rural area,” explained Trooper Wilson. “There was no cell service, absolutely none. There is no way to ping his phone. “
Patrick’s family told Dateline that Patrick’s wallet, containing his identity, bank card and medicine, was found inside the car. However, his cell phone and car keys were nowhere to be found.
Officer Wilson told Dateline that several network searches were conducted over the course of several months after Patrick’s disappearance. In addition to the search teams, teams of cadaver dogs were brought in to search.
Officer Wilson said the teams searched the area where Patrick’s car was found, along with other areas where he could have gone camping or slept in his car. But neither team found anything in connection with Patrick’s disappearance.
Many of Patrick’s loved ones, including Jen and Patrick’s sister, Megan Ryan, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, have come to Wayne County to search for him dozens of times.
“I know I made at least 17 trips,” said Jen to Dateline. “We never deal with that, with a missing person. We are learning as we go along. “
Jen added that those looking for the rural area where Patrick’s car was found had to invest in hiking and snow equipment to cross the rugged terrain.
“It’s not a walk in the park,” said Jen. “You have to be prepared.”
Patrick’s sister, Megan, told Dateline that they really only had the area where Patrick’s car was found as a starting point, but they want to make sure they cover everything they can before heading to another area.
“We hope the search this weekend will eliminate that area,” said Megan. “We want to make sure that we pass through this area with a fine comb and we know without a doubt that it is not there.”
The next search for Patrick is scheduled for February 20-21, 2021 in Mill Spring, Missouri. More information can be found here.
But a winter storm can disrupt your plans. The storm started today and is expected to pour 6-12 inches of snow and ice into the county. Officer Wilson, who plans to be on the hunt this weekend, told Dateline that it can be too treacherous and dangerous for the crews to continue.
A search and rescue team is also scheduled to join the hundreds of volunteers, but organizers continue to ask those who have access to canoes, drones, boats, jet skis, any equipment that can help with their searches.
Jen and Megan told Dateline that the idea that Patrick could have taken off to start a new life – or possibly even taken his own life, came up, but they don’t believe this is what happened.
“He would never have left his son,” said Jen. “That boy was everything to him.”
Jen told Dateline that she doesn’t 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 don’t find him in the area, close to where his car was found,” said Jen. “So, there is definitely a dirty game.”
Officer Wilson told Dateline that, at this point, Patrick’s case is nothing more than a case of missing persons.
“There is always a chance of being a homicide or suicide, but now it is a case of a missing person and we are doing the best we can 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 if he is no longer with us, we want him at home,” said Jen. “His father died in 2010. We would like to bring Pat home and bury him next to his father – so that he is not out there somewhere alone.”
They hope to have some answers by Patrick’s 35th birthday, on February 24. But, in any case, they intend to honor him with a balloon launch and a prayer for peace.
Family and friends are offering a $ 3,000 reward for information leading to Patrick’s whereabouts. A billboard with Patrick’s photo and information is expected to be displayed along Highway 55 soon. A Facebook page “Help us find Patrick Chapman” and the Facebook group “Bring Patrick Chapman Home” were created to discuss Patrick’s case, provide information for future research and, hopefully, provide tips.
“Any information helps,” Jen told Dateline. “We are doing everything we can to find him. Hopefully, someone who knows something will help us perform. “
Patrick is described as being 5’6 ”tall and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. His tattoos include the word “Chapman” vertically on his right forearm, a circular saw blade or image of the sun between his shoulder blades and a cross on his shoulder blade.
Anyone with information about Patrick’s whereabouts should call Wayne County Sheriff’s office at (573) 224-3219.