15-year-old Michael Allen Dillard was last seen in Calvin, West Virginia on January 12, 2018. He disappeared after running into the wooded area behind his house for seemingly no reason.
Background
Michael Dillard was born on December 13, 2002. He was living with his adoptive parents in Calvin, West Virginia at the time of his disappearance. He spoke daily with his older sister who lived only a few miles away.
Michael struggled with depression, a condition for which he required daily medication. On December 19, 2017, Michael returned home after having spent nearly a year in a hospital that specializes in adolescents with mental health issues.
Disappearance
On January 12, 2018, Michael Dillard got off the school bus around 3:15 pm and went with his mother to visit his sister. He was described as “acting kind of down” and was not very talkative that afternoon.
This was a striking contrast from two days prior when Michael was said to be in a “really good mood” and told his sister he was having “the best day of his life” after he had spent time with a friend and gone to church.
Around 4:30 pm, Michael and his mother left his sister’s home and traveled back to their home in Calvin, West Virginia.
Upon return, Michael helped carry wood pellets from his mother’s car into the house, but when he was done Michael suddenly ran off behind the house, seemingly for no reason, and into a wooded area shortly before 5:00 pm.
Michael Dillard never returned home and hasn’t been heard from since.
His mother immediately called his father and sister to come home to help look for him, and by 5:00 pm they had called 911. He was reported missing to the West Virginia State Police when his family couldn’t find him.
Investigation
Michael was reportedly seen by a neighbor between 4:30 – 5:00 pm on the day he went missing, walking along Tioga Road in Craigsville, West Virginia, but authorities could not verify the sighting.
On the day he disappeared there was a storm coming, and temperatures dropped to 22 degrees below zero that evening.
Michael disappeared without his cell phone, and only had $2 in his pockets. His orange jacket, which was not muddy nor ripped, was found approximately 300 yards away from his home about a week and a half after his disappearance.
The jacket was found by Michael’s dog in an area that had previously been searched, in a direction opposite of where search dogs originally tracked his scent. Due to severe weather it may have been covered with snow during the initial search.
The jacket is the only piece of evidence that has ever been found in the search for Michael.
Whereabouts
Police found no evidence for foul play in Michael Dillard’s disappearance. A $3,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his discovery.
The circumstances of Michael Dillard’s disappearance remain unclear and his case is currently classified as missing. His case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
White male born on December 13, 2002. Michael has brown hair, hazel eyes, stands 5’5 tall, and weighs 133 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Michael has a scar above his left eye, a quarter-sized scar on top of his right hand and cutting scars on his arms. He left behind the prescription glasses he usually wears for his poor vision.
Clothing and accessories:
Michael was last seen wearing a nylon maroon t- shirt, red and black Deadpool socks, red Nike shoes, and blue jeans. He was wearing a 3” silver cross on a silver chain and may have been carrying a teen Bible and a pen light with him.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Michael Dillard please contact the POLICE OFFICE at West Virginia State Police at (304) 872-0800. Agency Case Number: 201800401
