HOUSTON — The family of a missing Dayton man is begging for leads on the one-year anniversary of his disappearance.
Steven Dean, 34, went missing on Aug. 15, 2019. He was working as an oilfield inspector, when he did not show up for work one day, a coworker told Dean's mother, Jessie Herbert.
Herbert said Dean was living in a mobile home park in Liberty County before he went missing. Police said there were no signs of forced entry to his home; nothing was stolen; and there are no signs to indicate any type of violence or foul play.
"We have no evidence or corroborated information which suggests foul play is involved with the disappearance of Mr. Steven Dean," said Dayton Police Chief Robert Vine.
Police said Steven's cell phone was found shortly after he disappeared, but his car and all his belongings were found at his home.
“I know something is wrong," said Herbert. “I just know there’s no way Steven would be gone this long and not contact me and leave all his stuff behind."
Police say a witness identified Dean at a parking lot of a local business near Dean's home around the time he went missing. His mother does not believe the man on the video is her son.
“We share the frustration with the family, that there’s no information that we’ve followed up on that would provide a direction where we should look," Vine said. “We’ve followed every lead we’ve had, which has been very few.”
Texas Center for the Missing reached out to NAMUS to enter the DNA. Due to pandemic, NAMUS briefly stopped collecting DNA because they couldn’t swab people’s inside mouth. But now, they started again, and the family’s DNA has been entered.
Texas EquuSearch combed a nearby wooded area, but found no sign of Dean.
On Saturday, friends of Dean gathered in Dayton for a balloon release, and to kick off a digital billboard campaign through the Texas Center for the Missing that will run for one month in hopes of raising awareness and new leads in the case.
“Steven has the biggest heart," said Herbert. “If somebody needed help, he’d be the first one there.”
The Army veteran was divorced, and did not have any children.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s 4 or 34, he’s still my baby boy," his mother said. "I will look for him until my last breath."
Police say Dean is 5 feet 10 inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Dean or has knowledge about his disappearance, they are encouraged to contact Detective Terry Dale with Dayton Police Department at (936) 258-7621.