No leads for missing Shelby man, specialized search concludes
By David Jacobs
At least for now, the Ohio Special Response Team has concluded its daylong search for a 37-year-old Shelby man missing since Nov. 13, though efforts continue with local authorities as an active missing persons case.
Robert Shaull is a Gamble Street resident.
Despite the search and rescue team’s resources, which included trained and specialized K-9 units and specialized mapping tools and manpower, no new leads were uncovered Wednesday, a team member detailed via social media.
"We searched many high-focus areas (Wednesday), including along the river, railroad tracks, abandoned buildings, checked with businesses and many more," team member Tyler James wrote Thursday on the Shelby Ohio Community news Facebook page.
"...We had units on-scene from Stark County, Geauga County, and Richland County," James detailed.
He and other searchers were in Shelby "from basically sun up to sundown" Wednesday, he noted.
"Unfortunately Robert is still missing, and there are no current leads, thus our search ended (Wednesday) evening," James added later.
"It’s clear that Robert is extremely well known and liked in Shelby," James noted.
Though the Ohio Special Response Team has ended its current involvement, James urged anyone with leads to contact the Shelby Police Department as efforts continue to find Shaull.
"We would be happy to come back out if we are requested by the Shelby Police Department," James said in answering a separate question from the Shelby News Reporter online newspaper.
"We will watch for updates, hopefully Robert comes home,” James added.
Further questions were referred to the Ohio Special Response Team's media contact. A message was left.
In his initial post, James highlighted the support from the community and local agencies.
“The Shelby police and fire department were great to work with yesterday,” he wrote.
“They gave us access to any area we wanted to search yesterday," James said of Wednesday's efforts. "They spent the entire day with us, provided security as we searched abandoned buildings, escorted us on the main road while we searched with dogs, and more."
Community support played a vital role in aiding search efforts.
James thanked the Shelby McDonald’s for providing a staging area, as well as food and drinks, free of charge all day.
“It was a huge benefit to have a warm area with bathrooms, let alone free food,” James stated, also acknowledging an anonymous donor who contributed funds for the food.
James commended Shelby residents for their kindness and cooperation during the search.
“Every single person we spoke with was informative, kind, welcoming and wished us luck,” he said.
The search group's mission is to aid law enforcement when requested to look for missing persons, James noted. Units are spread across Ohio.
Shaull is described as a white male, 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Shaull was last known to be wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, and brown hiking boots.
The Shelby police ask anyone with information on Shaull’s whereabouts to contact them at 419-347-2242.