On Sept. 2 at approximately 8:30 p.m., David Welch, 54, of Manhattan, left his home in a maroon Pontiac Montana van with Kansas license plates without expressing to friends or family where he was going. When they became concerned and alerted authorities, the Riley County Police Department was contacted and checked surrounding Manhattan areas for Welch but was unsuccessful in locating him. At the time of the initial call to police, there was no reason to believe that he was in danger.
On Sept. 3, police were contacted by Welch’s family again with the information that he had yet to return home. At the time, officers confirmed that there was no reason to believe Welch was currently in danger of harm or had known medical issues that may cause him to be in danger. Riley County police notified law enforcement agencies in areas around the country where it was possible that Welch may have gone.
A police report for missing persons was filed on Sept. 6. Riley County police briefed the local media of the report on Sept. 9. As of Sept. 18, Welch is still considered missing. Those with information are encouraged to contact the Riley County Police Department at 785-537-2112.
The information in this report was gathered from a press release by Kansas Missing and Unsolved.