Let me try this again.

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/19259250/friends-search-for-local-missing-artist

However I live on the other side of Nashville (Dickson/Fairview area).

Do you know where the supposed construction site is located? I have an aunt who accidentally drove off the side of Monteagle Mtn. back in the '60's. A passer-by happened to see the sun catch metal 1/2 way down the mountain & the found her alive 5 days later! I bring this up because TN is so heavily wooded & brushy that it is easy for a vehicle to go off a road & be camouflaged by the foliage. If the destination is known, then searchers could intensify efforts along that path between DG & the site. I certainly hope he is found soon!

Edit: I am going to post this in the TN site here for you, too.

I used to live there, too, and agree that it is difficult to see things in those woods. The main problem with the search is that we have no idea where to begin. No one knows the name of the older man he was supposed to have gone with, nor where this supposed house is being built. Without knowing that, we don't know in what direction they headed.

Honestly, I think the police need to upgrade this to a criminal investigation at this point. He was obviously WITH someone because he truck has been found in town. If no one else has been reported missing by now, then what gives? He had to have been with someone, and it looks like whoever it was is NOT missing. That's too fishy. If they change it to a criminal case, then they will move on it, get phone records, etc.

I'm still hopeful, but it is waning...

I know this is a very small town, but could there be other video cameras in the area that might have caught who he was with?

yes, they've checked into that. No video camera there. They've checked into any possible videos around town, like at the bank, which he did visit last Tuesday, and so far, nothing. It's really hard to be so far away and unable to do much to help.

With his car left behind, he was in the other person's vehicle. So if there was an accident, they would both be missing...

I think it sounds awfully fishy. No one else has been reported missing. Thanks for the hug! I sure appreciate it.

please feel free to PM me. One person here has already done so, and it helps! I spoke on the phone with a local psychic in that area yesterday, Carole Kennedy. Carole has helped Nashville authorities solve some criminal cases and has a good rep. The information I received from the person here corroborated what Carole told me. So, THANK YOU!

Anything that comes to you, no matter how trivial it may seem, please, please pass it on to me! We are getting desperate to find David at this point. It has been a week now.

Love,
Silver

I hope her info gave you hope. She is truly gifted.

I had chills the whole time I was speaking with her on the phone. Powerful. We are using the info she gave us.

This one has David's brother and 2 of his sisters (and his dog) in it.

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/19277879/search-continues-for-missing-watertown-man

Also sending prayers and white light to family and other loved ones who are going through this ordeal.

She is going to visit Laura & Donnie's farm where David lived, and also go to where he left his car.

They had search & rescue dogs out today, but all they were able to tell is the he definitely did leave there with someone. The trail was too old and muddied to get a direction.

Please... pray, send energy... time is running out. We need to find him!

for protection, strength and hope. Sending vibes to you and yours, you're all in my prayers.

They are mounting what sounds to be a massive search tomorrow (well, actually, today, Saturday) with search & rescue dogs, 4-wheelers, 4-wheel drives, and lots of folks on foot. Carole Kennedy, the psychic, pointed them in the direction of Cedars of Lebanon State Park, so they are going to concentrate efforts there, but are going to be searching any and everywhere possible. This countryside is full of ravines and is difficult to see into even from the air, which they have also been doing from small planes. Carole Kennedy had told me on the phone that we "MUST find him within 2 weeks." It will be 2 weeks this Wednesday.

We are all growing weary, and those on the ground in Tennessee especially, so the energy boost is much welcomed. People are exhausted and still have turned up practically nothing. Pray for David. Pray for the searchers. Pray that the search on Saturday is a fruitful one and that they find him.

Blessings...

To personalize this request a bit, here are some pix of David and of his ultra-cool house he built himself. Yes, it's a hobbit house!

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

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What a magnificent soul and what a beautiful sanctuary he created!!!

Please, please keep us posted. Ongoing prayers, good vibes, hugs of support on the way....

Much appreciated.

He looks sad to me. In spite of his smile, there's a lot of sadness in his eyes. Is it possible that there were things going on in his life that no one knows about? I hope my post isn't insensitive, but I'm wondering if he didn't wonder off somewhere for reasons of his own.

about the sadness in his eyes. I see that, too, but wasn't sure if anyone else would. This could be for several reasons, one of which is that the photo was taken at a wedding. I sensed that perhaps he was reminiscing about his own wedding day over 40 years ago, and all the hope and joy of the day, but knowing that in his case, it didn't hold true. Sadness at being 60 and living alone maybe? I don't know... but I don't think it's the sort of sadness that would make him wander off. Had he done that, I have no doubt whatsoever that his dog would also be missing. There's also no way he could have wandered off alone from where his truck is parked in town without someone seeing him do it. He was WITH someone when he vanished. The K9 search & rescue dogs have confirmed that much. But no, you aren't being insensitive at all. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I send Love and Light that your dear friend will be found soon.

I have been reading about dowsing and there were several techniques for using dowsing to find missing people, objects and such.

Do you know anyone who has experience in dowsing? Perhaps this might be another avenue you could try to locate your friend.

Let me know if you'd like me to explain the techniques I have been reading about and I'll write them up for you. In the meantime I will continue to send to you, your friend and all those who know and love him!

There's probably even sold old-timers around there who dowze--at least for water.

ETA: and yes, there were searches all weekend, but so far, NOTHING has turned up. They will continue searching tomorrow.

Thank you for caring.

That's a very good suggestion, MMuffin.

I wanted to ask if anyone has taken his dog over to his truck? It seems to me that if anyone can find him, it might be his dog?

and I would think to his truck, too. He hasn't been able to tell them anything, either.

The search & rescue dogs they had out did indicate that he got out of his truck, went 7 or 8 feet and then the trail went cold, so they think that means he got into another vehicle--which is what everyone already thought had happened, so it just corroborated the working theory.

Thanks for your suggestion!

It helps so much just to know that people care.

Rock Quarry. Feel that not only did they visit the building site, but also looked at specific resources to be used in its construction. Since David was not only a stone mason, but an artist, they may have discussed specific stones & cutting methods. That area has incredible limestone formations readily available. It may not be a "regulation" quarry, but a place where rock would be quarried for the project. It looked like he had used cedar in his hobbit house. That area is one of the largest cedar groves in the world, they might have also gone to look at certain trees the gentleman (or David) wanted to incorporate. Got the feeling that they ventured outside that immediate area.

I realize this makes the search area much bigger, but I definitely got the rock quarry hit. My son is a geologist, I will ask him if he is aware of any such sites in that area.

Hope this is helpful & David is found soon!

I will pass this on. One of the things Carole Kennedy hit on when I spoke with her on the phone last week was a rock quarry. "Cedar" is an interesting hit as well. They have been searching in the area of Cedars of Lebanon State Park, due to other information from Carole.

So far, still nothing, though. We are all very frustrated. And angry. And sad.

and your family.

I hope he is found safe.

for your thoughts and prayers. It is so bizarre to have something like this happen to someone you love and have a personal connection to. We read about these things in the news, but we don't expect it to happen to us... but it is always someone's loved one, and they didn't expect it, either.

I may have gotten something about "boggy". Are there any local or nearby businesses with "Boggy" in the name?

There may be some connection to a tattoo shop or artist.

And does he have any connections in Florida?

My ex MIL did have a female friend that absolutely disappeared in the 80's. It's mind twisting.

but no, so far as I know, no tattoos. Not his style. Will pass on "boggy." There are connections in Florida, but any I know of are old friends who are aware of the situation. I do not believe he has been to Florida in many years.

I focused on the photos and sent you a note.

Thank you!

Things like this intrigue me so much. I hope that's not offensive. I often wish I could be part of the team searching/investigating for a person that has been missing..I would love to help in a 'boots on the ground' kind of way.

I've not been very in tune with things lately; so atm all I can add is my love and good wishes/vibes. Please keep us updated.

Update is below.

and it will be a HAPPY ending!

It is very difficult to stay positive at this point. I am hoping for the best, but expecting the worst...

There's not much to tell, unfortunately.

1.) People are still searching, both on land and by air. So far, nothing.

2.) The authorities have FINALLY decided to investigate it as a criminal case.

3.) This means that the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) is now involved, which means more manpower assigned to the case, but also means that detectives are now more close-mouthed with friends and family about what they know or don't know.

4.) The TBI is putting together a reward poster (don't know whose money is involved), which should be released in a few days.

5.) A 5-minute cell phone video from the night that David first met the "old man" at a music event at Lulu's in Watertown just turned up today. NO ONE but the owner of the video and her friend have seen this video yet. We are hoping it yields the identity of the "old man" who wanted David to do some stone work for him.

6.) Someone has contacted Nancy Grace to see if she is interested in doing a story on this. As much as I generally detest Nancy Grace, if it might help, I'm all for it. At least it would help get the word out.

That's really IT. I guess that's quite a lot, but the bottom line is that David is STILL missing and we are STILL batting zero as far as any concrete leads.

Thank you all for caring. It means a lot to me.

~ Silver

I'm so sorry it has taken the authorities so long to treat it as a criminal case.

Hopefully the video will provide a solid lead...

I'm hoping there's something in the video, too! No word on that yet, though.

Still checking in and sending good vibes.

and soon.

Sending love to all

Much appreciated.

I'm so sorry to hear this!!!1 Of course I will keep him in my thoughts and send energy!

to both David and you too Silver.

Please take care of yourself.

I'm hanging in here... the "not knowing" is the hardest part, I think. At least it is the hardest part right now...

I was thinking of you and wondering if there was an update.

I wish I could say "Yes" to your question, but we are still stumbling blind here. There is just NOTHING to go on. Lessons here: always tell someone where you're going and who you're going with, and as much as some detest modern technology, it has its uses. If David would have gotten over his technophobia and carried a cell phone, there's a chance he might have either been able to call for help, or the phone could have helped searchers locate him. But as it is, there is still just nothing to report.

There are rewards for info now, and people are going to send out mailers to every house in several counties (they raised money to do this with). Maybe those things will help.

Someone HAS to know something. Someone is not talking. That's my feeling. He was not alone. He left his truck parked and went with SOMEONE. That person has not been reported missing. Someone knows something. Whoever this is who KNOWS what happened needs to do the right thing and come forward. Even an anonymous tip would be preferable to silence.

That is such a small community, everyone knows everyone else, basically. These small Southern towns are full of nosy, busy-bodies with nothing else to do but watch what's happening....even the most insignificant goings-on. If David was a "for'ner 'round those parts", then he would have been under even closer scrutiny.


1) Do they know what time he met this gentlemen at DG?

Unless it was in the very early hours, there would have been people about who would have seen them.

Obviously he communicated w/someone about this meeting. I would be investigating that/those party(ies) more.

Flashy jewelry, expensive clothes/car, tools, life ins., etc.? Or something else they wanted?

Was he dating someone; someone he might not have known well enough to suspect any danger existed?

Used as a "slave" for free work?

It's a teeny-tiny town. Everybody knows everybody else. No one there has any idea who this old man he was talking to might be. Or at least, no one who's talking.

These are good questions. I'll try to comment and answer them as best I can.

1) Do they know what time he met this gentlemen at DG?
Unless it was in the very early hours, there would have been people about who would have seen them.

The meeting was set to be around noon. None of the DG employees recall seeing anything, and their security camera didn't cover the part of the parking lot where he parked his truck.

2) How did you know he was going to do this?
Obviously he communicated w/someone about this meeting. I would be investigating that/those party(ies) more.

We know that this is what he was going to do because he told Laura and Donnie, whose farm is where he lives (or lived). He has breakfast with them every morning. They knew that he was going to meet either the old man, or the contractor the old man hired to build the house, because he told them that. They are good friends of both David and I. They are impeccable, nothing questionable about either of them at all. He also told this to a woman in Michigan who is a mutual friend. She had expected him to arrive at her home sometime that evening. He was leaving for Michigan right after taking care of this business. He had originally been going to leave earlier, but told her he would be delayed because of this meeting.

3) Would someone have "set him up" because they suspected he had $?
Flashy jewelry, expensive clothes/car, tools, life ins., etc.? Or something else they wanted?

This is possible. I have considered a set up. He didn't have much money on him, maybe a few hundred for the trip to Michigan, but that could have been a lot to someone. There was nothing flashy about David. No fancy clothes, no jewelry, no expensive cars, no fancy tools, and I am sure he had no life insurance, either. He lived a very simple, back-to-the-land sort of life. He didn't even have an indoor toilet (because he didn't want it). Instead, he had a fancy outhouse with carpet and skylights. Think simple living. Nothing flashy in any way. Something else they wanted? Maybe. I can't figure out what that might be, though.

4) Could there have been a "love interest" involved?
Was he dating someone; someone he might not have known well enough to suspect any danger existed?

Possibly. A woman from a previous relationship had been trying to contact him. She is known to have violent tendencies, BUT the police say they have investigated her and she has been cleared. I don't know how well they did their job but they say she is not involved. I am still not so sure about that. He wasn't dating anyone currently. To be honest, my first gut reaction was that a woman was involved somehow.

5) Could he be held hostage?
Used as a "slave" for free work?

I've wondered about this, too. This is one of the few scenarios I can come up with in which he might still stand a chance of being found alive. But WHY? And by WHOM? It is hard to envision. But there are plenty of nutcases out there. Who knows...

6) Could this "story" be a ruse to throw investigators off the trail?

The idea of a ruse has come to me more than once. The old man is KEY here. Who is he? Was he setting David up for something? This idea goes back to the idea of a set up, too. Was the whole thing a ruse to get him off by himself with someone pretending to be the contractor? But WHY? Over a woman? Over the few hundred bucks he had in his wallet?

Nothing makes any real sense.

I have resigned myself to the idea that we may never know... that is very difficult to come to terms with, but it may be the reality.

Since the friends are impeccable, could there have been someone else "in their circle", (another guest, handyman, etc.) who might have been involved?

Who in TN would have known he was going to MI, besides the friends who owned the farm?
Someone could have seen him withdrawing $ & followed him. When & where did that happen?

I'm w/you....there is a stinking fish in Watertown!
I don't mean to sound negative, but the small town police are less than effective in many of these cases (most are Barneys w/very few Andys! Many are just not too bright, sad to say). Unless you are connected to one of the big shots in town, they don't expend much energy. And they simply don't have the resources & often lack the training to do effective investigation work. These incidences are so rare, they simply don't have any experience w/them. Unfortunately, small town folk will also "cover" for each other, especially when a "for'ner" is involved. There still prevails an "us against them" mentality in these tiny Southern towns.

My feeling is there will be a resolution eventually. It may be months, but the story will be revealed.
Until then, still holding out hope for you & him......

Yep, I lived in that area for 20 years. The local cops did basically NOTHING until the Nashville news media picked up the story. He wasn't "local," he wasn't kin to anyone they knew, so they didn't much care. When the media got involved, the sheriff's department got involved, too. And now, that they FINALLY decided to treat it like a criminal case a couple of weeks ago, the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) are involved. I figure they are at least a bit more professional, more well-trained, and have more tools to work with. But so far, none of them have turned up a darn thing worth truly investigating.

One thing they were onto a couple of weeks ago was this poor couple David recently built a koi pond for. They are good friends with David, and there was no reason we could see to suspect them, but the local cops accused them of killing him and burying him in the pond. WTH? This turned out to be NOT the case, as we figured, but they spent a good deal of time frightening these poor people (who, of course, are outsiders in their eyes), and ignoring leads others closer to the situation were trying to get them to pursue (like the old girlfriend, and another local lowlife who was actually going around bragging that he'd killed David--good grief! bragging? really?--but now they say both of them "check out&quot .

And yes, I definitely feel that the clannish mentality is playing a part. They are protecting their own. Someone knows something and isn't talking because it would implicate kinfolks or some such. This "us and them" thing is prevalent there. It's like there are two communities: the born-and-raised-there locals (which includes Bible-thumpers, lowlife rednecks, and a few otherwise good-hearted and decent folks) and the outsiders, the "for'ners" (whom most see as librul hippie artist Yankees). There's some crossover, but not a whole lot. So, yeah, some local politics and associated crap has been a part of this all along.

I have this image in my head of some hunter finding him once the leaves fall and hunting season starts up. I hope I'm wrong, but that is an image that keeps popping up. It's very difficult to find anything in the woods there in the summer because of all the lush growth. It's just too dense.

As for others in the circle of friends, there just doesn't seem to be much there to investigate.

He took money out of the bank on Monday or Tuesday, not sure which, for the trip to Michigan. Anyone close to him knew he was going. It's possible someone saw him do that, and got it in their head to rob him, but why wait til Wednesday? I dunno. The security cameras at the bank revealed nothing that looked suspicious.

Since you lived there, you know the "local landscape" & nailed it quite accurately. Since they went after the koi pond folks so vehemently that raises a HUGE red flag to me that they know what happened & are protecting their own. "Whose the lowlife's DADDY?" That will be another indicator of what the real deal might be.

I love the South (weather, beauty, good people), but this is where it all goes to the dogs. This protecting "our" people just sours the milk, since many of "our" people are not worth protecting--just the opposite.
It's never made sense to me, but then I've been on that "for'ner" side of the fence (& still am after 30 yrs!) even tho I'm from TN! Just not from "here".

Still holding out hope & keeping my intuition on high alert. Don't give up on this, it will all come out sometime.

"Who's yer DADDY?" Big one there.

And yes, unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean. In these small towns, if you weren't born and raised in THAT community, you are, and forever will be, an outsider: "them." It doesn't matter how much you try to fit in, how involved you get in the community, what kind of person you are. In all that 20 years I lived there -- and I was involved with that community on many levels and did all kinds of volunteer work -- not once, never ever, did even ONE local person try to be my friend, invite me over for dinner, or even just something simple like going shopping together or out to lunch. I'm also a Southerner, but like you, I just was not from there.

I also love the South and miss many things about it... those lush, green hills, fireflies, the sounds of a summer night, the slower pace of life, the good and decent people (and there are some), but I don't miss this attitude we're talking about. My apologies to any Southerners reading--southerncrone and I are both Southerners, too--but after 20 years, I couldn't take it any more. It's a big part of why I left. My daughter still carries emotional scars from how they treated her. Had I realized what was happening to her, I would have left sooner.

So, yeah, I agree. I think the "investigation" has been bogus from the start. Someone--probably several "someones"--knows something. There's a gay community in the area, and several years ago, one of these men was murdered. He was eventually found, although it took a while. I don't think they ever found the killer(s), though. I seriously doubt that they even seriously tried. Just as in David's case, he wasn't one of them. Now, if his DADDY had been somebody known, they'd have moved mountains to find him and bring his killers to justice (regardless of his gender identity). Kin is everything.

OK... rant off. Sorry.

You echo my experience to a T. If my husband's family (whom we are estranged from) hadn't been such big wigs here for generations, my experience would probably have been worse. I'm convinced I was only hired to teach here because of my married last name. It's like they've never recovered from the Carpetbaggers after the Civil War.

I've thought seriously about moving out, too. My husband (a real homebody) has even talked of it because TN has gotten so RED. Though I don't believe he would ever actually do it. I'm hoping to find a job where I travel, just to get out of here some....a reprieve so to speak.

I'm so sorry for your daughter. As a teacher, I witnessed first-hand how the kids "from elsewhere" were treated. If they were from some perceived "glamorous" place, like CA or FL or HI, then they became a celebrity, like a circus attraction. Otherwise, they were held at arms distance....never allowed to fully integrate. Just like the adults were treated. This is learned behavior from waaaaay back. I hope she can put it behind her & live a fulfilling life now. Tell her I said: "It was them w/the problems & NOT HER!" But I'm sure she realizes that by now, if she's been gone from here very long.

The earlier unsolved murder of the gay guy, were you referring to Short Mtn. or is there another gay community in that area?

Holding out hope.

that lets you travel,sc! It does help to get away, even if just for a while.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps.

Yeah, my daughter knows that in her head, but she still deals with it emotionally. Thank you for those words, though. The kicker for her is that she was "born and raised" there, just like them so far as she could figure, but her family wasn't, so she was still treated differently.

The gay community I was speaking of is an offshoot of Short Mtn., called Ida, that's way up at the head of Dry Creek in Dowelltown. We used to call this place Whippoorwill Hollow. It is so gorgeous. There's a waterfall up there that is breathtaking. (I used to live in one of the houses up there way back when... my daughter was conceived in that house.) It's not as big or as well-known as Short Mtn., but it's part of the same group of people. Way back then, Short Mtn. was a commune, just not a gay commune. I remember all kinds of people who lived there. I know the story of the place going way back to the early 70s. Interesting stuff.

Anyhow, thanks for sharing with me, and for making me think about those old memories.

Glad to rekindle your "good" memories of TN.

The area you speak of is very pretty, I was not aware of the Ida community, though.

while reading your excellent summary. Did he have a computer? Perhaps he made the meeting arrangements via email?
craigslist?

You said he didn't have a cell phone. What instrument did he use to contact people? Land line?

I keep reading, someone knows something. I'm going to concentrate my focus on that.

Good thinking, but nope... no cell phone, no computer, not even a TV. He just didn't want them. So, no craigslist. This was just a random chance encounter with the old man, from what I understand, that set it all in motion. If he called the old man or the contractor, it would have been from Laura and Donnie's landline. Those phone records have been checked, and there were no such phone calls made. It was all set up via personal contact, I believe.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for offering ideas. You're right: someone knows something. We need that person to get a fit of conscience and do the right thing.

all my life, I wonder if there's any chance this man could have had an unexpected change in this health, and perhaps lost his ID. I know police would routinely check hospitals, but this came to my mind.

but Donnie is a local ER doctor, so he has connections in the local healthcare industry. One of the first things he did was to call around to hospitals. And now that it's a criminal case, healthcare workers are required to report any unidentified patients (or John Does) to the police. Nothing there, either. It is SO frustrating. But thanks for your thoughts.

Mnemosyne. We are all just so exhausted at this point. Frustrated and emotionally exhausted. Hugs help!

She finally called me. There was a home invasion at a friend's place she was house sitting and she was brutally raped. Took off out of fear for her life.

I understand that kind of worry.

I'm glad you finally found her! That must have been horrible to go through. :hugs:

We are still dealing with the repercussions 16 years later. She is an amazing young woman, now running a free clinic in a rural city.

My heart goes out to you and all who love him.

I can only imagine how that must have felt, though.

hope you are holding up alright.

Carole (psychic in TN) called my friends in Tennessee Friday morning. She has received new information that she feels pretty confidant about, so she is going to Watertown on Monday to meet with folks there and see if they can help her follow up on what she's getting. That's about all I know. Carole didn't give out a whole lot over the phone. She wants to come and pursue what she's getting in person. We should know by late Monday if there's anything to it.

If you're up for it and want to help, I guess sending energy on Monday sure couldn't hurt. We need this to open up, we need the dark clouds to lift, we need the light to shine, we need to see clearly.

I keep coming back here to check if there is any news.
I hope that Monday brings good news and I will continue to send positive energy and ramp it up Sunday night into Monday.

Carole will not waste your time or hers, if she doesn't have something she feels is strong info.
Soooo hoping some answers come from this!!!!

Carole made it clear to my friends that she is coming on Monday, and that she intends to try to follow up on her latest impressions, with or without their help. Of course, they are quite willing to help, but the fact that Carole feels so strongly about this is a good indication, IMO. Like you said, she would not be wasting her time or theirs on this if she did not feel she really has something. She isn't getting anything out of this in terms of compensation. She is volunteering to do this. She is working on this case out of the goodness of her heart and her compassion. I am also hoping that we get some answers!

She has made her money over the years & I believe she does quite a bit of this work now to "give back".

She's a Scorpio, so this type of "detective work" is a natural part of her destiny.

I know what you mean... my hubby is also a Scorpio and he applied that "detective" energy toward archaeology for many years.

SG, I am so very sorry you are dealing with this. I simply cannot imagine how awful it must feel. Please know that you and your family have my support and love.




Laura

Your support means a lot to me. This entire community has been so very supportive. So many of you have messaged me privately as well as posting here. I thank you all so much for being such a caring and compassionate community.

The meeting with Carole Kennedy had to be postponed because it was pouring rain in the area on Monday. As I understand it, the meeting will take place sometime later this week. I'll post if there is any news.

Thank you all so much for following this thread, for your compassion, prayers, light, well wishes, and love.

Blessings,
Silver

Still thinking of your friend.

Still have your friend in mind.

still thinking about your friend. Hope you have some news to share soon.