Barbour Co. S.O. calls off search

Lt. David Morris, investigator for the Barbour County Sheriff's Office has suspended the search for a missing Clio man. Willie David Pugh, 27 years old, has been missing since Saturday January 14, 2012.  Mr. Pugh talked to his wife on the phone at 6:21 pm while en route to the Doster Community in southern Barbour County driving a blue 2003 Chevrolet Malibu.  No family members have seen or heard from Mr. Pugh since that time.  Lt. Morris said that the search began on Sunday January 15, 2012 and has continued until Sunday January 22, 2012.

Sheriff Upshaw stated that the search will resume when more definitive information is received to give his agency a reliable starting point to look for the missing man.  Sheriff Upshaw stated that the Doster Community is such a sparsely populated area that any further search at this time without that information is pointless.  Sheriff Upshaw stresses that the investigation will continue and that any information received will be followed up on.

Sheriff Upshaw said that hundreds of man hours and a search of an eight mile radius of the point where the victim's vehicle was located has been conducted.

At the request of the FBI, the Alabama Bureau Of Investigation and the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Panhandle Search and Rescue K9/Emotional First Aid Team (SWPANSAR) out of Cantonment, FL and Daphne, AL was on scene this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday to help the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office plan and organize the search. Members of the Pace, FL. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)  joined them in the search.

The K-9 teams are SWPANSAR, First Response Search team of Tallahassee, FL., SW K-9 Search and Rescue from Ft. Myers, FL., Shelly Burton of Tampa, FL. Nicole Prager from Vienna, Austria, Janet Wyatt from Sarasota, FL and Debbie Goebels of Montgomery, AL.

Ground Support: Barbour County Sheriff’s Office, Clio Police Department, Barbour County EMA, the FBI, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Dale County Sheriff’s air support, Monroe County EMA/Homeland Security, Monroe County Rescue Squad, the Red Cross, the Regional Land and Water Rescue, Barbour County Search and Rescue, Liberty County (FL) Search and Rescue,  Elamville, Clio, Louisville, Clayton and White Oak Shores Fire Departments, Ventress Prison tracking team, NAACP, volunteer citizens and Jean Hartzog. The Clayton Ambulance stood by at the command center to administer first aid if needed. Sheriff Andy Hughes and Chief Deputy Donald Valenza said that the Houston County Homeland Security mobile crime lab was on standby if needed.

Sheriff Upshaw wishes to thank all persons and organizations that assisted in the search and reminds people that the search was conducted by volunteers who took time away from their families and jobs to come to Barbour County to assist his agency.

Lt. Morris asked that if anyone who may have information to the whereabouts of Mr. Pugh saw and or talked to him on Saturday night to please call the Barbour County Sheriff's Office at (334) 775-3434.  Morris further stated that a person of interest, Willie Dickerson was taken into custody and interviewed concerning Mr. Pugh.  Mr. Dickerson stated that Mr. Pugh and him were together Saturday night January 14, 2012 and the last time he saw Mr. Pugh, he was leaving Dickerson's residence in the Doster Community at approximately 12;30 am on Sunday January 15, 2012, driving south on Hwy 51.  If anyone saw Mr. Dickerson or anyone else driving Mr. Pugh's vehicle Saturday night, please call the Barbour County Sheriff's Office.  Mr. Dickerson was picked up at the Barbour County Jail by Houston County deputies and placed in the Houston County Jail.  Lt. Morris further stated that the telephone records of Mr. Pugh and Mr. Dickerson have been subpoenaed for Saturday through Sunday, and all telephone calls from both subjects will be traced and investigated.  Lt. Morris thanks Alabama Bureau of Investigation agents, Jackie Hornsby, Kevin Souders and FBI agent Susan Hanson for their hands on assistance in the investigation.