An Elizabethton man has been missing 12 days and his family and friends are asking for help in finding him.
Matthew Wayne Bowers, 30, was last seen on Feb. 21 in Bristol, Va. Bowers is from Elizabethton but had recently been living across the state line in Bristol, Va.
Bowers suffers from a medical condition, which Detective Steve Crawford with the Bristol, Va., Police Department said makes finding him even more urgent.
“He is entered into NCIC (National Crime Information Center) as endangered and the reason for that is because he has medication he has to take every day and we have no way of knowing if he is taking that,” Crawford said. “We take that part very serious. We want to find him and make sure he is okay.”
Crawford, who is investigating Bowers’ disappearance, said police believe he left his home in his vehicle, a 2001 Maroon Chevrolet S10 Blazer with Tennessee license plate S46-28G.
“The car is not here so it is obviously with him,” Crawford said.
Family members who spoke with the Elizabethton Star said Bowers may have been headed to the Bristol, Tenn., or Piney Flats areas.
“He was said to have been having vehicle mechanical problems,” said Scott Bowers, brother of Matthew Bowers.
That was Sunday, Feb. 21. When the family hadn’t heard from Matthew in several days, his father filed a missing persons report with the Bristol, Va. Police Department on Feb. 26.
Matthew Wayne Bowers is described as being 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 160-170 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes.
“The family put out a call for help on Facebook and have been searching Sullivan, Washington and Unicoi county for him,” Scott Bowers said. “It’s been 10 days. His phone goes to voice mail and he missed seeing his son this past weekend. That would never happen under normal circumstances.”
Anyone with information on Matthew Bowers’ whereabouts is asked to call Bristol, Va. Police at 276-645-7400 or 276-645-7403.