A search for Cecil Keith Marske, 86, continues after he was reported missing earlier this month in the Falls Creek area north of Durango by a former spouse of his, Eileen Music.
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release a code red alert was issued at 1 p.m. Jan. 10 announcing Marske, who goes by Keith, as missing in the Falls Creek area. Marske is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall with hazel eyes and gray hair, and he was last seen wearing a polar blue fleece jacket, tennis shoes and possibly a gray wool hat.
La Plata County Search and Rescue joined by sheriff’s deputies conducted a search in the Falls Creek area, the release said.
Janet Becker, another former spouse of Marske who had three sons with him, said drones and dogs were deployed in the search by Search and Rescue, which lasted several days, but Marske was never found. Her sons continue the search.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Chris Burke said in an email on Tuesday that Marske was not driving and is believed to have been alone at the time of his disappearance. He lived in a small trailer in the Falls Creek area.
“He was in the beginning stages of not being steady on his feet. Flyers and information regarding his description were disseminated the day he went missing,” he said.
He said teams searched trail areas where Marske was known to walk.
“The neighbor said he would occasionally walk up to get the mail, but sometimes he barely made it, because his health is pretty bad,” Becker said.
She said Marske has Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, poor vision and his mental capacity is waning. She’s been told he can only communicate by pointing at times.
“Dementia, more or less,” she said.
She added he might not be able to recall his own address.
A photo of Marske included in the Sheriff’s Office news release was taken from his 2021 driver’s license, although Becker said she doubts he has a driver’s license or a vehicle to drive at this time.
Before Marske’s health declined, he regularly took walks and was an outdoorsman, she said. He could have become disoriented and wandered off.
“We just can't imagine. He's got to be somewhere,” she said.
The Falls Creek area is nestled in a valley with steep trails that climb about 1,500 feet, and Becker and her sons don’t think Marske is capable of scaling them, she said.
“So did he walk down the road? Did he get picked up by somebody?”
She said she called a homeless shelter but was told it’s against the shelter’s rules to identify anybody present there.
Becker said Marske is a loner, ruling out any notion that he could have gone off to an establishment in town he likes to frequent.
“Keith didn't like people. ... He didn't communicate with people very well,” she said.
He used to go up into the mountains for the summers and out to the desert for the winters, she said.
“He just didn't like people, and so I don't think he had any social contact with anybody. He didn't even contact his sons,” she said.
Nonetheless, Becker’s and Marske’s sons are determined to find Marske, she said.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Marske can contact the Sheriff’s Office investigations units via the dispatch number at 385-2900.
cburney@durangoherald.com
