Cold Case Files: Everton County man went missing from his Boone County home on New Year's Day 2015
- Dennis McCaslin
- 1 minute ago
- 2 min read
On the morning of January 1, 2015, 72-year-old Clarence W. Eaton was last seen at his rural home off Crawford Road in the Harmon area of Boone County near the town of Everton. The area, straddling the Boone-Marion county line in the scenic Ozarks, was where Clarence lived a quiet life with his wife.
Around 8:30 a.m., he was at home, but when his wife returned later that day, he was gone. She discovered a note suggesting he intended to harm himself, raising immediate concerns that he may have been suicidal. Authorities were notified, and a search began that would span days without yielding any trace of him.
Clarence's pickup truck was found abandoned near a creek on his own property, approximately three-quarters of a mile from the house, but there were no signs of him nearby.
Extensive searches involved the Boone County Sheriff's Office, Marion County Sheriff's Office, Yellville Police Department, Arkansas State Police, local fire departments, and volunteers. Teams used helicopters, drones, search dogs, and divers to scour creeks, ponds, and the rugged terrain, but no body or further evidence was located.
Clarence was described as a white male, about 5'10" tall and 200 pounds, with graying brown hair, blue eyes, a mustache, and wearing glasses. At the time, he was dressed in brown Carhartt pants, Red Wing boots, and a baseball cap. He had a pacemaker and possibly a scar on his abdomen.
More than a decade later, as of December 2025, Clarence's case remains open and classified as an endangered missing person investigation.
In 2019, he was highlighted among missing individuals from the Twin Lakes Area by the Arkansas Attorney General's Office during events aimed at raising awareness and supporting families. No foul play is suspected, but the lack of closure has left his loved ones and the community searching for answers in the vast Ozark wilderness.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate, urging anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the Boone County Sheriff's Office at 870-741-8404 or the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 870-449-4236.
Even small details could help resolve this enduring mystery and bring peace to those who knew Clarence.
