A Bowie County Sheriff's Office lieutenant located the pickup of a man reported missing from Benbrook, Texas, at a Maud gas station three weeks ago, according to reports.
The man seen exiting the truck told police he was given permission to drive it and has been interviewed by BCSO and Benbrook police investigators.
Benbrook Police Cmdr. David Babcock said the department began looking for Chaney Ray Hawthorne, 21, on August 26 after Hawthorne was reported as missing by a female family member.
On Aug. 31-nearly a week later-Lt. Brent Caudle with BCSO saw the truck parked on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 67 near Farm to Market Road 2149, according to a police report. Caudle said in the report that he stopped to check on the vehicle and any possible occupants, but there were none.
"I learned the vehicle was unoccupied, however, the hood was warm to the touch," Caudle said in a report.
After checking the registration, Caudle found out the vehicle belonged to Hawthorne, who had already been reported missing. The vehicle was locked, and Caudle said he searched the area but found no signs of anyone.
"Within a few minutes, dispatch advised of a suspicious person call in the 7000 block of U.S. (Highway) 67 East, in which two subjects approached a residence claiming they had run out of gas along U.S. 67," Caudle said. The caller told police the two men kept walking east on U.S. 67.
Caudle went to try to locate the two men in an effort to try to locate the missing person associated with the truck, according to a report. All other units were busy at the time, he said.
Caudle went back to the area where the truck was, only to discover it to be gone, he said.
"I relocated to the Maud area and, within minutes, I located the vehicle as it pulled into the Day and Nite Store, located at 414 Broadway," Caudle said. "The vehicle pulled up to the fuel pumps and a white male exited."
This man was identified as Nicholas Ryan Hester, 27.
"Hester was extremely nervous and was informed of why I was making contact with him," Caudle said. "The more I spoke with Hester, the more nervous he became."
Caudle said Hester was found to have two probation violation warrants for his arrest. As Hester was searched, police found a "cylindrical glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine" under Hester's shirt. A green Crown Royal bag was found tied to a drawstring inside Hester's sweatpants, according to a report.
Contents of the Crown Royal bag included "miscellaneous paraphernalia items, a broken watch, a ladies earring, two sales receipts, an insurance document belonging to the truck and a drivers license issued to Chaney Ray Hawthorne," the report said.
Hester allegedly told Caudle that Hawthorne gave him permission to drive the truck and that he was in possession of those documents because Hawthorne had given them to him to keep.
"I inquired about Hawthorne's whereabouts and Hester stated that he and Hawthorne were together earlier when Hawthorne's truck ran out of gas on U.S. 67," Caudle wrote in a report. "Hester advised the two walked towards Redwater where they met friends at (a residence in Redwater)."
Hester said that his friend gave him a gallon of gas and took him back to the truck to put fuel in the tank. Hester said he then drove towards Maud and stopped at the store where Caudle made contact with him, according to the report.
"Hester advised prior to being driven back to Hawthorne's truck, his friend dropped Hawthorne off at the low water bridge south of Redwater, where he was planning to fish and search for arrowheads," Caudle wrote. "When I initially drove from Hawthorne's truck to the suspicious person call, I remember seeing a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction that most likely was the means of transportation of Hester making it back to the vehicle prior to me returning."
Hester was taken to Bi-State and booked into jail for the probation violations and possession of drug paraphernalia, which is a Class C misdemeanor, according to reports. It was suggested that Hawthorne may have been using drugs, including "some type of acid," the report said.
Bowie County Sheriff's Office has been in contact with detectives in Benbrook, Texas, police said.
"As far as interviewing the people that have been around them, we have spoken with everybody that we can," Babcock said.
For the last couple of weeks, a detective has come to Bowie County and Hester was interviewed, too.
Babcock said some have suggested that Hawthorne doesn't want to be found. So far there have been no "obvious indicators" that have raised suspicions in the case, he said and sometimes people choose to disappear from their loved ones for an extended period of time.
"You just don't know in these situations," Babcock said. "It's still under investigation, (and) we are in contact with Bowie County."
"Everything that can be done has been done."
Hawthorne, or anyone with information on Hawthorne's whereabouts can contact Benbrook Police Department at 817-249-2752.