Robert Irwin Gautsche, 58, left Silver Heights Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation in Castle Rock, Colorado, on the evening of February 4, 2021, after telling a nurse he was stepping outside for a cigarette and never returned. He had only been at the facility three days after a transfer from a more secure lockdown rehabilitation center and walked away without a phone or money. His family says they did not realize the new facility was not a lockdown.

Gautsche lives with a traumatic brain injury and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome that impairs his memory; he was described as intelligent and well-spoken but vulnerable and in need of medication. Shortly after leaving, he was seen trying to buy cigarettes at the King Soopers in the 5500 block of Promenade Parkway and last observed walking eastbound in that store’s parking lot. There was a possible, unconfirmed sighting on the southbound shoulder of Interstate 25 near mile marker 184.

Douglas County search teams and deputies conducted searches in the days afterward but found no confirmed leads. Authorities have said he may have accepted a ride, which would broaden possible routes. Detective Tinsley continues to investigate; any small detail from that evening could be important. If anyone saw Robert Gautsche around Castle Rock on February 4, 2021, or thereafter, please come forward with information.