Larry Bob Ballard, Jr. was 56 and worked as a welder when he vanished from Douglassville, Texas, in late April 2023. On April 26 he left home saying he was going to a feed store and did not return; calls went unanswered. On April 27 he called to say his truck was stuck in a mud hole. A brother-in-law helped free the vehicle but a blown tire left it inoperable, so he left Ballard there overnight intending to return with a spare.

When the brother-in-law returned the morning of April 28 the truck was locked with Ballard’s wallet, phone and other belongings inside, and the keys were missing. Initial phone pings showed movement on foot north of Douglassville, prompting searches by law enforcement and volunteers. A game warden and tracking dog were used; water searches were conducted. After the vehicle was processed, Ballard’s wife found his phone on the truck console. No trace of Ballard has been found and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is ongoing.

Ballard’s family, who held a vigil a year later, say he struggled with substance abuse but his wife does not believe he would have left voluntarily. Does anyone who was in the Douglassville area on April 26–28, 2023 have information that could help locate him?