It looked like an ordinary camp site -- much like any other that is used by numerous deer hunters in the area. It appeared that someone had simply been there and then left, with no indications of foul play.
This is one of the puzzling pieces of information surrounding the disappearance of a St. Francois County man from Stoddard County.
According to the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department, Kenneth Allen Willard, 53, of Bismarck, left his home for a hunting trip in Stoddard County on Oct. 20, 2014, and was expected to return five days later. He was last seen by his daughter on Oct. 24, at the Arab Station Convenience Store at the junction of Highway 51 and Highway C, in Zalma.
"This is an open case and we are pursuing all leads," Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner commented. "We have received some calls from people who think they may have seen him, and we're pursuing every lead that we get."
According to Stoddard County Sheriff's Department Detective Andy Holden, Willard's disappearance has been narrowed down to approximately Oct. 27 or 28.
"He was actually reported missing on Dec. 14," Holden explained. "So we were about six weeks out from when he actually went missing when we got the report."
According to both Hefner and Holden, Willard's wife and other family members explained that he had a history of disappearing for a few weeks at a time without letting anyone know.
"That's the reason for their delay in reporting it," Hefner said.
Holden explained that he has been able to find when Willard's cell phone was last used, as well as the last time his debit card was used.
"What we know is that either the day he went missing, or the day before, he struck a deer near Puxico, drove to the Puxico Police Department, and reported it, and then left and went back to his camp," Holden said. "His vehicle was found, and there were no signs of any kind of struggle at the camp. I inspected everything and nothing really looks out of the ordinary."
The camp where Willard had been staying is in the northern part of Stoddard County, and according to Holden, is densely wooded and has a lot of hills.
"It is possible that he could have been out there and just hadn't been spotted yet," Holden remarked. "We just don't know at this point."
Willard was last described as wearing a hat, jeans, pocket t-shirt and work boots. He has a scar on his abdomen.
Holden went on to explain that, while foul play is not suspected in Willard's disappearance, law enforcement is not ruling out the possibility.
"We don't want to speculate," Holden remarked. "At this point, we just want to follow up on our leads and, hopefully, find him."
Anyone who believes they may know the whereabouts of Willard is encouraged to immediately contact Holden at 573-568-4654.