The Howell County Sheriff’s Office continues to try to find rural West Plains resident Daniel Devins, 35, who was reported missing Aug. 18, having last been seen leaving his home on foot, traveling near Private Road 6449 off of K Highway, about half a mile northeast of Fairview School.
He left at about 6 p.m. Aug. 18, and his direction of travel was not known, said authorities.
Residents of the Fairview area and nearby are asked to review any outdoor video cameras to see if they may have caught footage of him.
He is described as a white man, standing at 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 190 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes, and was reportedly last seen wearing a black T-shirt, black shoes and blue shorts with yellow trim.
Anyone who believes they may have footage of him on their cameras or who recalls seeing Daniels since the evening of Aug. 18 is asked to call the sheriff’s office, 417-256-2544.
Authorities note Daniels is known to frequent the Springfield area.
A 17-year-old girl reported missing the day prior, Abby Lawless, was found safe and returned to her family last week, authorities reported.
At present, Howell County and West Plains law enforcement are investigating eight other cases involving missing people: Sandra Bennett, 61 at the time of her disappearance from Caulfield, April 8, 2021; Hailee Renae Chastain, 25 at the time of her disappearance from Whitter, Calif., May 7, 2023; Kermit Collins, 58 at the time of his disappearance form West Plains, May 4, 2017; Falecia Gutierrez, 35 at the time of her disappearance from West Plains, Dec. 9, 2023; Robert Huddleson, 66 at the time of his disappearance July 27, 2017; Danny Roberts, 32 at the time of his disappearance from West Plains, June 14, 1995; Limon Little, 49 at the time of his disappearance from West Plains, Dec. 15, 2020; and Ira Briscoe, 25 at the time of his disappearance from West Plains Dec. 17, 2020.
The Howell County Sheriff’s Office reported that on Aug. 10, skeletal remains were found, exhumed Thursday, and identification through the Missouri State Highway Patrol laboratory is pending. While Howell County authorities did not give any information in their initial release as to where the remains were located or to whom they might belong, the Spring River Chronicle, based in Hardy, Ark., reported on Friday that “two sets of human skeletal remains” were found in a cistern on a property in Lanton with assistance from investigators with the Fulton and Sharp county sheriff’s offices in Arkansas.
Howell County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Angela Conboy confirmed to the Quill that two sets of remains were found in a cistern several miles from Briscoe’s home, and identification is pending.
Anyone with information about Daniels’ whereabouts, or those of any other missing person, should immediately dial 911 or call the Howell County Sheriff’s Office, 417-256-2544.
