The desperate search for an Illinois man who vanished over a month ago continues, with his family describing a series of strange and unsettling events in the days before his disappearance. Daniel Davis, a 59-year-old from Merrionette Park, was last seen on 24 November walking away from 115 Bourbon Street in South Chicago, the nightclub where he had worked as a lighting designer for 25 years.
A Trail of Disturbing Clues
His daughter, Wendy Davis, 27, told the Daily Mail the case was like "a crazy vanishing person case," with no trace of her father since. The last confirmed sighting came two days later, on 26 November, when surveillance footage captured Davis leaving St. Donatus Church in the Blue Island neighbourhood, appearing disoriented and unsteady.
Prior to that, a bizarre sequence was captured on neighbourhood cameras over three days. Davis was seen wandering alleys with his hoodie worn inside out, at one point colliding with the pavement. Footage from inside his apartment building showed him trying to open his neighbours' doors. "The fridge in his apartment was left open, his windows were left open... in November," Wendy shared, adding a plate of food was found on the kitchen floor. "There are a lot of signs that something sudden happened."
A Sudden Medical Emergency Suspected
Wendy believes her father suffered a sudden medical episode, possibly a stroke, brain bleed, or fall, before he even left for work on the 24th. This theory is bolstered by a car accident he was involved in that night, minutes from his home while driving to the nightclub. Although his car was totalled, he refused medical treatment at the scene.
Police bodycam footage from after the crash showed Davis responsive and even sarcastic, but Wendy noted alarming signs. "You can tell the left side is impaired... his hand is limp, and the left side of his face is droopy," she described. He was given a ride to work and was last seen leaving the club on foot at 1:15am on 25 November.
Exhaustive Searches Yield No Results
His disappearance triggered immediate concern due to his impeccable work ethic. "He never missed a day of work, never complained," said Jon Haenke, general manager of 115 Bourbon Street. An endangered missing person alert has been issued.
Extensive search efforts have so far failed. Code 3 Search and Rescue, along with Ohio-based SAR Sheps Rescue, combed wooded areas and bodies of water. The Blue Island Fire Department conducted water searches, and drones were flown over a freight rail yard where a bloodhound lost his scent. A dedicated Facebook group, 'Find Dan Davis', has nearly 37,000 members assisting, and a GoFundMe has raised over $21,589 for billboards and expenses.
Wendy describes her father as a dedicated, funny, and predictable man, making his disappearance the "biggest surprise" he has ever given them. The family continues to plead for any information from the public.
