A man from the Rochester area has been missing since March 9, and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for information.
Stephen Barton, 54, disappeared from his home in the 7600 block of Scatterview Lane SW, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. His family reported him missing, saying he was last seen the previous evening and was believed to have been home the following morning.
TCSO and Washington State Patrol conducted a search of the property and located Barton’s vehicles, but Barton was nowhere to be found. He’s described as being 5-foot-8 with brown hair and brown eyes.
Sheriff’s Lt. Cameron Simper said Barton’s phone and wallet were left behind, and his disappearance is suspicious in nature. He said detectives are reviewing data from Barton’s cell phone, as well as his wife and son’s phones.
Simper said WSP search dogs have been deployed on the property, as well as flares that detect heat and dive teams to scope out ponds, but nothing has been found. However, Simper said Barton’s property is large and, combined with a neighboring property, is more than 1,000 acres.
Simper said additional search teams with dogs will be deployed soon, and the Sheriff’s Office will release an updated flier once detectives have finished analyzing phone data. Anyone with information regarding Barton’s whereabouts is being asked to contact the dispatch center at 360-704-2740.
