WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department Police Chief Brad Wells is leading a search today of an area near Illinois Route 3 close to where Vernon L. Law, missing since July 21, 2022, was last seen.

Vernon L. LawThose involved in the search with dogs were seen close to the Colman’s Country Campers area at 2 Fun Lane, Hartford, and that vicinity.

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On July 27th, 2022, the Wood River Police Department received notification that a male subject, identified as Vernon L. Law, was last seen on July 21, 2022, at 2:40 p.m., by a coworker, departing Economy Boat Store, 200 S. Amoco Road, Wood River. Vernon L. Law worked as a deckhand on the riverboat "Kevin Michael.”

Law left property on the boat. His wallet and identification were not left behind. He possibly left with these items in his possession. Vernon is from Chester, Illinois, with associates in Columbia, Illinois, and O’Fallon, Missouri.

Vernon L. Law was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots. A check of his cellphone has been conducted. The last time his phone was active was on July 21st, 2022, at approximately 2:40 p.m., in Wood River, Illinois.

Investigators with the Wood River Police Department found a video of Vernon L. Law walking southbound on Illinois Route #3 in Hartford Illinois, towards Interstate 270, on the same date, at approximately 3 p.m.

This is Vernon Law’s description:

WHITE/MALE

HEIGHT: 5’11"

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WEIGHT: APPROXIMATELY 180 POUNDS

BROWN HAIR

BROWN EYES

NUMEROUS TATTOOS ON BOTH ARMS

Wells said his department has been in constant contact with Law’s family and they had knowledge the search was being done today.

To date, Wells said there has been no contact with the family by Law or any other way to pinpoint his whereabouts.

“We are just more or less doing our due diligence to see if he might be in that area, but we have nothing definite that says something happened while he was walking down Route 3. We do have him on camera shortly after his last known activity, so that is why we are searching in that area.”

If anyone knows the whereabouts of Vernon L. Law, please contact the Wood River Police Department at (618) 251-3114 or your local law enforcement.

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