Mr. Carlson has been located. He was found in a locked closet at the Southtowne facility. He is alive and healthy.
Thanks are due to the public and Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and rescue. There were many people who searched.
The Communications Center received a call from Southtowne Living located at 360 W 28th Ave at approximately 1:37 p.m. yesterday to advise that Walter Carlson had gone missing. Officers responded, took a missing person report and did an area check. As time passed and Carlson still had not been located, the search intensified. Several units were called in to assist in the search. The media was notified and social media also deployed.
Violent Crimes took lead on the investigation while LCSO Search and Rescue responded to coordinate the search. There were approximately 50 people involved in the search including approximately 30 Search and Rescue volunteers from LCSO with two tracking dogs, 10 to 15 EPD Patrol units, EPD Violent Crimes Unit, and EPD K-9, as well as numerous public members who searched on their own. The Communications Center provided a dispatcher to help coordinate time lines and communications.
By 3 a.m., an extensive grid search had been completed out to .7 miles from the incident location. In addition, the heavily vegetated areas surrounding that had also been searched. ###