Highway Billboard Will Soon Be Visible for Missing Man

EUFALA, Okla. - March 30, 2015 - PRLog -- Community residents will soon notice a roadside billboard for missing Tommy Raymond Eastep who disappeared on July 06, 2013. Eastep’s parents obtained the help of LostNMissing Inc., a nonprofit organization based out of New England, to help bring awareness to the plight of their missing son.  Carla Eastep, mother of Tommy, says “Our grief is overwhelming and beyond words. We know that Tommy would not go missing willingly and we hope this billboard will bring tips to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to help find our son.”

Officials say Eastep, age 30 at time missing,  drove to Lake Eufaula, from his home in Blanchard, to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. He left a family gathering to check into the same hotel as his parents, at the Best Western Hotel in Eufaula on July 6 and has never been seen since. Nearly three months later, on Sept. 29, Eastep’s 2003 silver Chevy 4X4 pickup truck was found abandoned in rural Hughes County.  Numerous searches have been conducted by Texas Equusearch, a professional search and rescue group, Tim Tipton of OKC Hwy patrol, and other law enforcement searches which also included lake searches with side by side sonar.  To date there has been no sighting.

According to April Ayers, Family Services Administrator at LostNMissing, “One of the key purposes of the billboard is to have Tommy’s photo displayed with the hopes that someone may make recognition of what may have happened to him.” She further added, “ At the same time, a number of Tommy’s personal possessions, on him at time of missing,  will also be displayed on the billboard in case someone may have found his items and not realize they belong to a missing person.”  The items displayed will be jewelry worn by Eastep on the day he vanished such as his black leather braided bracelet with a Fleur de lis charm,  a unique silver necklace as well as a white wide-band wristwatch. Eastep’s iPhone 5, a black 16 GB smart phone, is also missing; which was on his person.

In working to obtain the billboard, LostNMissing teamed up with Ian Gollahan, Account Executive with Lamar Outdoor Advertising; in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to help bring the need of reaching a large audience for awareness.  A special donation fund was set up to obtain funds for the billboard graphics, while the Lamar group is donating the roadside space as well as the printing and erection of the billboard.  Gollahan says, “We were honored to help Eastep’s family as we all have loving family members and cannot imagine the pain they’re living each day in not knowing where their son is or what may have happened.”  The billboard will be initially located on Highway 69, which is ½ mile North of Highway 9 south.  Throughout the year it will move to various locations, for awareness, within a 25 mile radius.

Eastep says, “I am at a loss for words to express my utmost gratitude.  Although this makes me very pleased (to have a billboard) it is quite the two edged sword. Never would we have imagined that our son would wind up on a missing persons poster, let alone a billboard.”  Officials, and family, ask that should anyone have information on the disappearance of Tommy, or believe they may have found any of his personal items, to please contact the OSBI, Lead Investigator Ben Rosser, at 918-423-6672, or 800-522-8017, or Texas Equusearch at 281-309-9500, or your local police. Please reference OSBI case #2013-1137. A reward has been established and terms can be found on the “Missing Person – Tommy Raymond Eastep” Facebook page.