Brainerd resident Marc Welzant has been missing for six months, and so far there haven't been any signs of what happened to him.
Welzant's family, with help from law enforcement and several K9s from the Central Lakes Search and Rescue, a volunteer-run K9 organization, plan to search for Welzant Saturday, April 25.
Anyone interested in helping with the search should meet at Kiwanis Park in Brainerd at 9:30 a.m. People volunteering to help search for Welzant are asked to dress appropriately and where good shoes.
Brainerd police said the search will take place in areas around the Mississippi River, near the group home where Welzant lived and near Ace Hardware.
Welzant was last seen about 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2014, by staff at the group home where he lived on the 1100 block of Beech Street in Brainerd. Store security video showed Welzant was at the Holiday Stationstore, 424 S. Sixth St., Brainerd about 2:50 p.m. on the day he went missing.
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Shortly after his disappearance, police received reports Welzant was possibly seen in downtown Brainerd, Oak Street and the Holiday Stationstore before possibly traveling to Kiwanis Park.
Brainerd police have conducted several K-9 searches, an aerial search and other ground searches along portions of the Mississippi River since Welzant went missing, but there have been no signs of the Brainerd man.
More than 100 people and law enforcement participated in an organized search for Welzant Oct. 30, 2014, in the areas of Kiwanis Park to the Buster Dog Park, back by the Buffalo Hills Trail, behind the Brainerd water plant, as well as the woods between the Mississippi River and Central Lakes College. Searches were conducted along both sides of the river in the wooded and brushy terrain. Nothing was found.
A few weeks ago about a dozen Central Lakes College (CLC) criminal justice students, along with their instructor Gae Davis, looked for Welzant on Buffalo Hills Trail.
Welzant is described as a white male, about 5 feet, 2 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing dark sweat pants, a dark green jacket and tennis shoes. Welzant weighs anywhere from 160 to 200 pounds and has a pear-shaped body appearance.
Welzant's family describes him as walking with a slight limp.
The family still has a $10,000 reward up for information leading to Welzant's whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call the Brainerd Police Department at 829-2805.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl .
