Cole Case Files: Hector man who disappeared in the summer of 2017 has not been heard from since

On a warm summer evening in Hector, Pope County , on July 12, 2017, 62-year-old Michael Elkington vanished without a trace, leaving behind a small town buzzing with questions and a family grappling with uncertainty.

Michael, a Caucasian man standing between 5'8" and 5'10" and weighing approximately 215 to 245 pounds, was known to his community in Pope County. With his graying hair and hazel eyes, he was a familiar figure--until he wasn’t.

That day, Michael’s behavior took an alarming turn. According to reports, he acted erratically and made threats toward officers of the Hector Police Department. The encounter marked the last confirmed sighting of him. After that moment, Michael seemed to evaporate from the face of the earth. No phone calls, no sightings, no clues.

His family, who had always known him as a private but steady presence, was left in a void of silence. Deputies, too, found no trace despite their efforts.

Michael’s disappearance wasn’t formally entered into the NamUs database until August 25, 2020, over three years later, which deepened the mystery.

Why the delay? What happened in those unaccounted hours after his confrontation with police? The rural landscape of Hector, with its dense forests and winding backroads, offered plenty of places for someone to slip away--intentionally or otherwise.

No clothing descriptions, no distinctive physical marks, no accessories were noted in the case file, leaving investigators with little to work from. Michael’s last known location, somewhere in the quiet expanse of Hector, became a haunting question mark.

Was he still in Pope County? Did he leave of his own accord, driven by whatever turmoil surfaced that day? Or did something—or someone—else intervene?

As of today, May 12, 2025, Michael would be 69 years old. His case remains open, a lingering shadow over Hector.

The lack of leads has turned his story into a cold case, but not a forgotten one. If you have information on this case call the Pope County Sheriff's Department at 479-968-2558.