BOUSE, Ariz. – There are growing concerns about a St. Louis area man who has been missing in Arizona for nearly a month.
34-year-old Chris Sins grew up in Millstadt, Illinois, and had been living in Belleville until about a year and a half ago. He then moved to Arizona to help care for his aging father.
However, he disappeared July 21.
His loved ones consider the circumstances to be extremely suspicious.
Chris had relocated from small-town Illinois to the even smaller town of Bouse, Arizona, about 130 miles west of Phoenix.
The La Paz County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona posted a missing person alert, saying a man with Chris called 911 as they were allegedly lost in the desert, looking for water. The caller said that Chris walked off alone, which is the detail that immediately raised questions for Chris’ family.
His brother, Josh, who is a St. Louis area paramedic, tells FOX 2 that Chris has trouble walking, especially long distances, due to an injury he suffered long ago.
“He has what they call drop foot,” Josh said. “He kind of drags his foot along with him as he walks… for them to say he’s walking miles into the desert, mind you, at this time it was 100+ degrees even at night out there, the whole story doesn’t make sense to any of us.”
Josh, his mother, and sister have been to the desolate area and found questions instead of answers.
Allegedly, Chris took his father’s car to give the other man a ride to the man’s mother’s house. The car was left at that house with the keys on the front seat, but oddly, the men were in another car when they supposedly got lost.
Authorities easily found the other man, but not Chris. Now, more than four weeks later, Chris’ family fears he may no longer be alive.
“He didn’t deserve to be left alone out in the desert,” Josh said. “He would do anything for anybody, which is why he’s in this predicament, because he was doing something for somebody like he always did… we just want to bring him home and put him to rest like he deserves.”
Chris’ family is calling for more extensive police questioning of the last people to see him and a more extensive search of the area where he supposedly disappeared. The family is also offering a $5,000 cash reward.
Anyone with information should call the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office at 928-669-2281.
FOX 2 made repeated inquiries to the sheriff’s office Monday, but got no response.
Chris’ family has set up a GoFundMe account to support search efforts and the reward fund. To donate, click here.
