EquuSearch called in to help find Byerly
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Newsboy photo/Charles Kerr SCOTT DUCKWORTH, left, and Tim Miller, of EquuSearch, look over a map as a search is conducted for Martin Byerly. Teams searched throughout Jasper County last weekend for the missing man.

Experienced Texas EquuSearch teams joined locals in a massive search this weekend for Martin Byerly, officially missing since Sept. 30.

With a base of operations at the edge of the Lowe's parking lot on U.S. Highway 190, searchers used a helicopter, trucks and ATVs. They fanned out to search "areas of interest," but at the end of a long weekend, no new clues had been found.

According to the missing person flyers, Martin Byerly, 58, of Jasper was last seen Friday, Sept. 28 at Jake's Place near U.S. Highway 96. His white 1990 Chevrolet pickup truck was located Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Payless Shoe Store in front of Wal- Mart. A forensic team from Jefferson County examined the vehicle and took samples for analysis.

Scott Duckworth, owner of a local music store, knew Byerly as a customer and friend. "Family members here were getting frustrated, and I was familiar with EquuSearch from a news program about the Aruba search for Natalie Holloway (who went missing from a cruise ship more than two years ago), so I thought I'd call them and ask what we needed to do," Duckworth said.

That was Thursday night. Friday, EquuSearch sent out calls to a network of more than 400 members, and by Saturday morning they were set up and mapping out search grids.

Tim Miller founded EquuSearch after his daughter, Laura Miller, was abducted and missing for 17 months before being found murdered in a field; that was seven years ago. Miller's long-time partner Lisa Hoffman said, "Tim vowed then he would make it his life's work to find missing people and bring closure to families."

What started as local group of Houston people who searched on horseback has grown into a national organization that has solved dozens of cases. Hoffman said a core of less than 10 do the planning and organizing. The rest are volunteers from all walks of life.

"We have divers, forensic experts, pilots, law enforcement, teachers- -people from 21 states who come when we call and volunteer their time," Hoffman said. "But it's Tim who has really developed a knack for it. I guess it comes with experience." They have worked on more than 760 cases.

Randy Balsamo from Fannett, wearing a Marines neck strap, searched both days. "When I woke up Sunday morning, it was hard to get up and go out again," Balsamo admitted. "But my wife reminded me, 'if it was one of ours missing, you'd want somebody to be doing this for our family' so I rolled out and here I am," Balsamo said with a shrug.

Balsamo has been answering the call for about three years. "It's hard to say no when you get involved," he said.

Hoffman says Miller has a sixth sense when it comes to finding missing people. "One month we recovered nine bodies," Hoffman said, but this time clues are slim.

Police say foul play is suspected, so the search party started with the assumption that they were looking for a body, with the highest probability being that it is near Jasper in a remote area but accessible by the Chevy pickup that was found. The only other solid clue, evidence from the truck, was pure white sand found on the vehicle.

Dave Lewis, a helicopter pilot who flies from Hooks Airport north of Houston, joined the search on Saturday. Hoffman flew with him over a lot of remote creeks and lakes. "We hovered right on top of some big gators near Dam B," she said, "but we didn't see any signs of the missing man."

What is needed here, the command group agreed, is another clue, a witness, somebody who saw the truck, heard something, knows something. Talk of the search may be exactly what is needed for someone to say something that will lead to finding Byerly.

"When we are successful, when we find or think we find what we are searching for, we rope it off, step back in our own tracks and try not to touch or disturb anything and wait for law enforcement," Hoffman explained. "When we've got local volunteers, like here, we have to tell them not to touch anything. Find it, report it, and stand back." But that call never came.

Crews searched the area around Bell Field, behind the hospital and Lowe's, near Harrisburg community, and along dozens of sandy roads to nowhere all over Jasper county.

"Basically, we rode every oil field road and pig trail that has easy access and little population," Duckworth said.

In spite of coming up empty, Duckworth said it was worth it to get EquuSearch in here.

"There's a lot of places in close proximity that we can now rule out," he said. "And it got a lot more people looking and involved in trying to solve this. I was really pleased with the community support. Even the kids, teenagers, took the search seriously and didn't act like it was a chance to take a pleasure ride. They were seriously searching and I know that means a lot to the family."

Christina Peters, one of the organizers of the Cowboy Church near Kirbyville, said they will donate funds from bull riding events to help support EquuSearch; the organization depends on volunteers and donations and never charges for their services.

Duckworth said, "I can't believe the effort the EquuSearch put into this at the drop of a hat. Most of their volunteers are spending money out of pocket to be here." Duckworth plans to set up a fund to donate to the group. Anyone who would like to help can call Duckworth at 384-5513. Anyone with information about the search or the missing man can call the Jasper Police Department at 384- 5417 or EquuSearch at 877- 270-9500.

For more information about the organization, go online to www.txeq.org.