Benjamin Joel EleazerMarion County, Tenn., authorities want the public's help in a search for a Grundy County man who went missing in a remote, wooded area a few miles south of the Marion-Grundy county line on Dec. 13.
Benjamin Joel Eleazer, 29, described as 6 feet tall with brown hair and hazel eyes, was reported missing from Grundy County and was last seen by hunters in the Highway 150 area of Marion County south of Tracy City, according to Marion County Sheriff's Office Detective Gene Hargis.
"There's thousands of acres out there," Hargis said.
The area where Eleazer was last seen is sparsely populated and the terrain is extremely rugged in all directions. The area is about halfway between Jasper and Tracy City.
Hargis said Eleazer was on property that was being leased by hunters when he ran into the men while they were hunting.
Eleazer told the hunters he was there to strengthen his survival skills, but then he moved his black 2000 Mitsubishi four-door sedan about a mile south of that location, Hargis said. Authorities found the car parked on an abandoned road just a few feet off of Highway 150.
Authorities conducted three ground searches in the area since Dec. 13, Hargis said.
Eleazer's cell phone, tennis shoes, empty cans of food and a small campsite were found during the searches but there were no other leads or signs of the man, the detective said. There have been no signs of foul play.
In the coming days, authorities plan to search another location around Lickpoint Road not far from the first search site and the spot where the car was found, Hargis said.
Meanwhile, anyone with any information on Eleazer's whereabouts should call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 423-942-2525.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben. benton1 or 423-757-6569.