POTTSVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas Army veteran Shannon Collins was last seen in the small town of Pottsville.
He’s been missing since March 2021, but it wasn’t reported until months later in November.
Collins’ sister, Holly Beckwith, said his wife and kids claimed he was traveling and were in contact with him.
"They came down to visit me, just in my dining room, and I had a good visit,” Beckwith said. “At the same time, I still was trying to figure out why my brother wasn't around."
According to Beckwith, she and her other brother believed the story for a while, but after months of not hearing from Collins, they informed the Pope County Sheriff's Office.
Lt. Jacob Yarbrough has been investigating the case since then
"His brother, his sister, his parents are in agony,” Yarbrough said.
Yarbrough said conversations with Collins' immediate family–the wife and kids–haven't been successful.
"We went back for follow-ups, and they weren't talking to us,” Yarbrough said. “They said they wanted counsel, and even to this day, we welcome them to come down and talk to us."
We also tried to contact Collins’ immediate family, but didn’t hear back.
This week, the Pope County Sheriff’s Office released an update, saying that “investigators are looking at this case as a missing person with foul play involved.”
Beckwith said she fears they're right about her brother.
"At this point, I feel like he is not alive,” Beckwith said. “I don't know how that happened or what happened."
Beckwith and her other brother still run a Facebook page called "Share Shannon's Story" to help make people aware.
Yarbrough said he can't share everything he knows about the case, but his department will continue working to solve it.
"Our goal is to find Shannon,” Yarbrough said. "There are people that can help with that, and we're willing to talk with them."
Anyone with information on Collins' whereabouts is asked to contact the Pope County Sheriff's Office at 479-968-2558.