Family members of a missing Tennessee man are still searching for answers on his whereabouts after his truck was discovered in McDowell County almost a year ago.
Dusten “Dusty” D. Toschlog, 38, was reported missing from his residence in Kingsport, Tenn. on March 5, 2014. He is listed as a missing person on the FBI’s website, where it states he left his residence at approximately 4 a.m. in his brown Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
WNCT-TV reported in March that a press release from the Kingsport Police Department said he left his home of his own free will, but that personal information given to law enforcement has raised concerns about his overall welfare. He did not tell family members where he was going and calls to his cell phone went unanswered.
This week, The McDowell News received an email from Toschlog’s aunt Melanie Eckert claiming that authorities have not done all they can to find him.
“As you already know my nephew Dusten Toschlog's truck was found in Old Fort. He went missing early morning of March 5th. His truck was towed the same day from a convenience store on Bat Cave Road by AJ's towing,” the email reads. “To my knowledge the local authorities I've been dealing with Captain Shannon Smith with McDowell police department, are not doing anything about this. They searched with dogs around the area his truck was found......now mind you this was 8 months later...found nothing...and that was it.”
Capt. Shanon Smith of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday that they weren’t even aware of the missing Tennessee man until this November when his truck was pulled over by the Marion Police Department.
“The day after he was reported missing, his truck was located behind Joy Foods. The owner contacted a local wrecker company to come pick it up. They (towing company) made numerous attempts to contact the owners,” said Smith. “They put a mechanic’s lean on it and for whatever reason the state DMV didn’t pick it up as missing. Sometime in November, MPD ran the tag, then we got involved.”
Eckert’s email said when police pulled over Toschlog’s truck it came back with a ViCAP alert. “There was evidence (in the truck) that may have suggested he may have done or was going to do something to harm himself, instead of calling the authorities they burnt it,” she said in the email.
