Authorities suspend ground search for missing Jacinto man
Jun. 28—CORINTH — The search for a missing Alcorn County man and his dog changed Tuesday as it entered its seventh day.
Alcorn County Sheriff Ben Caldwell announced late Tuesday afternoon that he has suspended the ground search for Foye Wade Davis, 77, of Corinth, and his dog, a brindle boxer. The two were last seen setting off on their daily walk on June 22 at around 9:30 a.m. They were headed north along Alcorn County Road 343 in the Jacinto community.
Authorities focused on a 2-mile radius of the last spot Davis was seen. Over the past seven days, Caldwell said around 2,000 acres were covered with searchers walking more that 3,000 foot miles walking. There were also teams on horseback plus drones, helicopters and planes circling the area for a week.
"We still haven't located him or his dog," Caldwell said. "There has been no sign of them since last Wednesday morning."
While the ground search has ended, the sheriff said "the investigation will continue until he is found."
Davis is described as a white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds, with white hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing dark blue jeans, a checked short sleeve shirt, and brown New Balance tennis shoes.
The terrain of that section of south Alcorn County made the ground search process harder.
"It's heavily wooded. There are lots of hills and hollows, but he knows the terrain well," Caldwell said. "He walks it every day following paths or old logging trails to come out somewhere down the road. Talking to folks, his morning walks could be anywhere from a couple of miles to 5 miles."
Because his walks varied, authorities are unsure where he went missing from. The search started with a 2-mile radius of the house. Shortly after he was reported missing, officials found fresh footprints in the area where he was last seen. Over the last seven days, that primary search area has been covered and recovered.
Caldwell said they do not know if someone picked up Davis and the dog, or if he got disoriented or was injured.
"Talking with the family, the dog was loyal. We feel if he (Davis) got hurt, the dog would stay with him," Caldwell said.
The sheriff said they are still treating as a search for a missing person, even though Davis has been missing for seven days and temperatures last week soared to near triple digits
"He was in excellent physical condition. He very rarely stayed in the house," Caldwell said. "He was a former mechanic and still worked in a shop without air conditioning. He was used to the heat."
While Davis and his dog have been without food or water for a week, the sheriff said searchers found evidence that the countryside could provide water and food.
"There are a lot of springs in that area and I have seen more blackberries out there than I ever have," Caldwell said.
If anyone has seen Foye Davis or has any information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Alcorn Alcorn County Sheriff's Office at 662-286-5521.
