KINGFIELD – Family members, friends and members of law enforcement are searching for a 15-year-old boy that has been missing from his home since Monday morning.
Sheriff Scott Nichols said Wednesday that the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and Maine Warden Service personnel had been looking for Dustin Merrill, 15 of Kingfield, since Monday. At approximately 10:53 a.m. Monday morning, FCSO received information about an incident at a residence on the Hinckley Pit Road. The incident reportedly concluded with the juvenile running away into the woods.
Initial efforts focused on the area around the residence where the boy had run away to in the past, Nichols said. Sgt. Nathan Bean and Lt. David Rackliffe used K-9 dogs to try and locate Merrill. One track led police 3.5 miles to the Tufts Pond Road, according to the FCSO Facebook page. Merrill’s family requested help searching from family members and friends yesterday; Nichols said that search was taking place along with the FCSO’s ongoing efforts.
“It is assumed that due to the heavy density of bugs in the woods, that the teen may be held up in an unoccupied structure or car,” Nichols said via email Wednesday.
Merrill is described as being 85 to 90 lbs. and roughly 5’6”, with blond hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a light blue t-shirt and a long-sleeve blue-t-shirt, as well as gray sneakers. The information is being shared by FCSO with the permission of Merrill’s family.
Anyone who has seen Merrill is being asked to contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office through the Franklin County Regional Communications Center at 207-778-6140.
