Authorities ask public's help in finding Dowell man

DOWELL - Local authorities are asking for your help to locate William Stroud, 43, of Dowell.

Stroud was reported missing on Thursday, Jan. 17. An extensive search has been conducted of the area surrounding Campbell Pond in rural Perry and Jackson counties. The search was conducted on Friday by Conservation Police, Perry and Jackson County Sheriff's Offices, Du Quoin Police Department, Perry and Franklin County Emergency and Disaster agencies, Department of Natural Resources, and friends of the Stroud family.

Agencies used drones to fly several miles of the area scanning for Stroud. The area is severely flooded and a walking land search was not practical. It is not known if Stroud remains in that area.

After several days of investigation, it was determined that Stroud may have been a passenger in a car that led Perry County Sheriff's deputies on a chase into the Campbell Pond area off Campbell Road. The driver and the passenger of the vehicle fled on foot from police. Law enforcement attempted to locate those individuals on that evening. A K-9 team was deployed to locate the subjects. Attempts made were unproductive and the subjects were not located.

It was not until later through several sources where law enforcement was able to get a potential identity of the driver and passenger. The driver is suspected to have been Stanley Rector of Dowell.

Sources have been able to advise law enforcement that they have had contact with Rector. Attempts have been made to contact him to speak about the whereabouts of Stroud with no success. Family members of Stroud have not heard from him which led them to report him missing with the Du Quoin Police Department.

Authorities are asking if you have had contact with Stroud since Sunday, Jan. 13, to please contact the Du Quoin Police Department or the Perry County Sheriff's Office.