Trail goes cold in search for missing cancer patient last seen in Hernando County: 'Vanished into thin air'
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - The family of a missing Georgia man, who was last seen in Hernando County, wants answers.
David Brown, 69, was visiting his brother in Hernando County. Brown was last seen Aug. 13 near Batten Rd. in Brooksville.
"He loves his family. He loves the outdoors," Amy Brown, David’s wife of almost 27 years, said. "He's a sweetheart. Everybody loves him. He doesn't have an enemy."
Pictured: David and Carl Brown
Amy Brown told FOX 13 that her husband was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer last spring. Earlier this month, she brought him down to Hernando County to spend time with his brother, Carl.
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On Aug. 13, David Brown wanted to walk to a special tree to pray, according to his wife. She added that the trail to the tree was blocked, so Carl temporarily left David to go get equipment to remove it.
David Brown disappeared while looking for a tree in Hernando County that he wanted to pray by.
"That was the last time we saw him," Amy Brown said.
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Search efforts began later that day with aviation, drone, and K-9 teams combing the area for signs of the 69-year-old man. For the next five days, helicopters, horses, and all-terrain vehicles flooded the area.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office was posting regular updates about the search on Facebook, which is where the sheriff said investigators reviewed security video from nearby homes that recorded David Brown walking in the area without shoes.
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Amy Brown told FOX 13 that Ring video captured her husband knocking on a woman’s door, asking for directions to the tree.
David Brown was spotted on surveillance video walking without shoes.
"I don't know if he got lost and he's hurt and he's lying in the woods somewhere," Amy Brown shared. "There's a possibility that somebody may have given him a ride. I don't know. I'm really baffled by all this. I think he would try his best to get back to us because he loves his family."
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On Monday, HCSO announced it stopped all active searches for David Brown but is continuing to analyze evidence this week.
On Thursday, the group, We Are The Essentials, told FOX 13 they’ve been searching for David Brown over the last two days.
Pictured: David and Amy Brown
"It's just so bizarre that he just vanished into thin air. And the trail, you know, just kind of went cold," Amy Brown said.
Anyone who sees or has seen David Brown or who has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact HCSO at 352-754-6830 or 911 in an emergency.
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