NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Members of a Bay Area family are asking residents across Northern California to be on the lookout for their elderly father, who has been missing since earlier this month.
Paul Merrill, 87, of Belmont, took a road trip to the McCloud area in Siskiyou County, where he was last confirmed seen on Sept. 4, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office.
His family is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of Merrill or the classic 1956 Mercedes 190SL convertible he was driving.
The California Highway Patrol issued a Silver Alert for Merrill across 19 Northern California counties – including Lake – early on the morning of Sept. 5 after Merrill's family reported that he hadn't returned home from his McCloud trip.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said Merrill was last seen at the McCloud Chevron Station on Sept. 4. A witness said Merrill left the station, traveling in the direction of Fowlers Campground and Cattle Camp off of Highway 89 near McCloud.
Siskiyou County Search and Rescue, California Highway Patrol, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Modoc National Forest and Lava Beds National Monument Park Ranger personnel responded to the area and deployed search teams in the Fowlers Campground, but didn't find him, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported.
There also had been reports of sightings of Merrill which couldn't be confirmed, according to Jayme Lynch, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office public information officer.
Lynch told Lake County News that the search for Merrill was suspended this past Saturday evening after they stopped receiving extensive leads and information about sightings of the missing man.
Since then, authorities have received no new information about Merrill, Lynch said.
“Until we get any more positive leads, we've ended our search efforts here,” she added.
According to a letter posted by his daughter, Aimee Merrill, on the Find Paul Merrill Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/findpaulmerrill – Merrill was an Eagle Scout and also had been a US Army Ranger, and during his younger years was an avid fly fisherman and hunter.
Merrill's wife died last year, and his daughter said he headed north in his convertible and was “recreating romantic memories” of a trip he and his wife had taken to McCloud.
While there, he planned to spend some time writing his annual Christmas letter, in which he planned to “convey his sentiments about the passing of his beloved wife,” his daughter wrote.
Aimee Merrill said her father was not known to be depressed at the time of his trip. The innkeeper at the McCloud Hotel reported talking with him on the morning he checked out, finding him to be talkative and in good spirits.
Lynch said the sheriff's office was not advised of Merrill having dementia or any other specific health issues.
“We have no reason to believe any foul play or anything like that” has occurred, Lynch said.
Despite the fact that the search was suspended, Aimee Merrill said her family is not giving up hope that her father will be found safe.
Aimee Merrill said they received reports of a sighting from the night of Sept. 5, when the Mercedes was spotted on the side of Highway 89 – 10 miles east of McCloud – after dark. No person was seen.
Witnesses also reported seeing Merrill later that same weekend walking at the McCloud River between Cattle Camp and Fowler Campgrounds. His car was not seen at that time, and his daughter suggested he could have put a beige car cover over it to protect it from the elements.
A family friend reached out to Lake County News in the hopes that someone in the region may have seen him as he was heading north or – possibly – traveling south on his way back home.
Merrill is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has white hair and blue eyes, and wears glasses. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said he was last seen wearing a cream-colored, long-sleeved shirt with embroidery on the front, khaki pants and brown shoes.
His car is a two-door, silver 1956 Mercedes, 190 SL convertible, California license plate number EZX295 with a Stanford University license plate frame. The car has a primered front hood. Merrill left the Mercedes' removable hardtop at his residence in Belmont.
Anyone with information about Merrill's whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office 24-hour Dispatch Center at 530-841-2900 or the Belmont Police Department at 650-595-7400.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.