Kitts Hill man not found

The Toyota Rav car of a Kitts Hill man reported missing this past Friday was found Wednesday at approximately the 8-mile marker of County Road 5 in Kitts Hill.

“A hunter had spotted it there,” Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said. “He had seen it there earlier and came out from hunting and thought that might be the car we were looking for.”

Billy R. Harper, 41, of County Road 19, Kitts Hill, is believed to have been missing since April 20.

The vehicle was unoccupied and there were no signs of foul play, according to Lawless.

Grid searches by the sheriff’s office, National Forestry Service, Elkins Creek Horse Camp and area ATV searches started early Wednesday morning.

“You take an area around the car and spread out to make sure no bodies are lying around,” Lawless said.

Riders from the horse camp are expected to be going out later today.

“We will process the car today and take fingerprints,” the sheriff said. “We have overturned every rock and looked wherever we can look and we can’t find anything.”

Harper is a white male, 41 years old 5-foot-10 weighing 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He has a beard and wears glasses.