BEEBE, Ark. — A cold case investigation spanning more than two decades led detectives from the White County Sheriff's Office to an area previously at the center of their search.
On Friday, March 15, the sheriff’s office executed a search warrant outside Homer's Ace Hardware on Dewitt Henry Drive in Beebe. They were searching for evidence in the 1995 disappearance of Douglas Gene Kirk.
“Recent information was brought to our attention; we were able to corroborate that information, which resulted in a search warrant being issued for this location we're at today here in Beebe that we might try to recover evidence or Mr. Doug Kirk,” Sheriff Phillip Miller said.
Kirk was 35 years old when he was last seen near McRae on August 5, 1995.
“Of course, we remember him about every day,” his brother Keith said.
Family members looked on Friday as a crew excavated part of the store’s loading dock.
The sheriff says the building was under construction when Kirk disappeared. In 1999, the search led investigators to a different area of what was then a Harvest Food Store after an informant told them they would find Kirk buried underneath the parking lot.
Keith watched that excavation, which did not produce new evidence. As he watched a familiar sight play out on Friday – some 20 years later – Keith said he felt “anticipation, hopeful to bring him home.”
“Unfortunately, we didn't get the results we were wanting today,” Sheriff Miller said Friday. “We didn't get the closure we were hoping for the family, but we're not giving up.”
Despite their pain, Keith said his family won’t give up either.
“Someone step up and give us the right information that we need,” he said.
Sheriff Miller urges anyone with information on this, or any, cold case to contact his office at 501-279-6279.
