Missing McLoud Man's Vehicle Found In Mayes County

Winter weather is putting the search for a missing McLoud man on hold.

The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office says Wesley Stillsmoking’s car was located Sunday night.

He was reported missing from McLoud on October 13th, and a Silver Alert was issued a few days later.

Sheriff Mike Reed says the search is being put on hold until Tuesday morning because of the thick brush, steep terrain, and rocks, mixed with the snowy conditions.  He says he doesn’t want to risk any of the searchers getting hurt.

The search for Stillsmoking turned to the Cedar Crest area of Mayes County when he was spotted on a trail camera in the area near Locust Grove.  Stillsmoking was caught on the trail camera on October 12th, but the camera’s owner didn’t see the photo until two weeks later.

After days of searching, Stillsmoking’s car was located a mile away from where he was seen on the camera.

11/3/2018 Related Story: Search Continues For Missing Man In Mayes County, Search Teams Asking For Volunteers

Sheriff Reed says it appears that Stillsmoking drove into the brush next to a road and then walked away.

“There was kind of an old logging road.  He had drove off down in it and got stuck and kind of slid a little bit sideways off the logging road,” said Reed.  “There was no rhyme or reason why he was where he was at or where his vehicle was where it was at.  There was absolutely no rhyme or reason why he was over a mile walking down an old road when he was on the trail cam.”

Sheriff Reed says he believes this is now a recovery mission rather than a rescue because of how much time has passed.

Searchers will be using helicopters, drones, cadaver dogs, and more than 50 men to search the two-square-mile area.

“It just makes no sense, which leads us to believe he wasn’t thinking in his right, cognitive mind, making decisions that were prudent at the time it took place,” stated Reed.  “I choose to always hope and I am going to hope with the family as much as I can.”

Several dozen people plan to be out Tuesday morning to continue the search for Stillsmoking.