Thomas Eugene Cotten, 53, was last seen on September 9, 2009, after being dropped off on Weyerhaeuser Road 100 near Eugene, Oregon. He was carrying a .22 rifle and a green backpack and was dressed in blue jeans, a blue and purple tie-dyed t-shirt, and tan tennis shoes — gear consistent with planning a short stay in the nearby wilderness he frequented.

Thomas is described with brown hair (sometimes in a ponytail), hazel eyes, tattoos on his upper right arm and right shoulder, and a distinctive left-arm tattoo of a devil with the words Born to be Free in its tail. Parts of his left index, middle and ring fingers had been amputated, another notable identifier. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office was notified and a report was filed on September 18, 2009; searches in rugged terrain turned up no sign of him and the investigation remains open.

Were you in the area around Weyerhaeuser Road 100 in September 2009 or do you recognize the description of Thomas or his backpack and rifle?