Ted Cohen contributed to this article.
The Maine Warden Service is mounting a search operation on Saturday looking for a Franklin man who went missing in 2017.
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Russell Burnett, 47, of Franklin, was first reported missing to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department on February 23, 2017.
He was last seen near his residence at 323 Eastbrook Road in Franklin two days before he was reported gone.
Authorities believe he left home on foot with his dog. The investigation was deemed complicated, and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit took the lead.
Law enforcement have conducted multiple searches around the surrounding property and residence to no avail.
The Maine Warden Service will launch another ground search in Eastbrook on May 2. The operation is a routine search of a high-probability area.
It is not clear why an investigation is being conducted now, and law enforcement did not specify whether foul play is believed to be involved, but the involvement of the Major Crimes Unit suggests that they are investigating that possibility.
The public is not being asked to assist with the search.
Anyone with information should call Det. Dana Austin at 207-973-3700.
DisappearedBlog quoted one of Burnett’s friends as saying he “‘had been acting a bit strange before he went missing, saying he was scared to be alone.’
“Both of his parents had cancer, and the anniversary of his 20-year-old son’s death was approaching,” the website says. “He may have been suffering from mental illness.”
Burnett had a doctor’s appointment scheduled that day, but when his ride came to pick him up at 10:00 a.m they discovered both he and his dog missing, DisappearedBlog says.
It appears he did return home after leaving his neighbor’s house, since his cell phone, phone charger, and jacket were found inside.
But Russell and Bev were nowhere to be found.
After waiting two days to see if he’d return home, his cousins reported him missing to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Searches of the area with the help of helicopters turned up no clues as to Burnett’s whereabouts.
He did not have a bank account and left his cell phone behind at home, so there was no way to track him.
Two weeks after Burnett went missing, his dog Bev showed up in the front yard of his neighbor’s home.
The dog appeared to be in good condition and well fed, indicating someone had been taking care of it.
The independent search website described Russell as having blonde hair, hazel eyes, standing 5 ‘7” and weighing 155 pounds. He has tattoos on both arms, and the phrase “If found return to Hog Bay” on his calf.
Hog Bay Shores is located in Hancock County, along the scoast just outside Franklin.
