The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for Chad Eugene Reynolds, a 40-year-old registered sexual predator who has been missing since February of 2009.
“We know there is someone out there who knows the truth,” stated MCSO in a social media post on Friday morning. “Someone can help us find out what happened to Chad.”
In 2003, Chad Eugene Reynolds was convicted of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim under 12 years of age in Putnam County. According to the sheriff’s office, Reynolds wore a mask, broke into a home, and sexually assaulted a child while armed with a knife.
Reynolds served 5 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation.
Shortly after Reynolds’ release from prison in 2008, he went missing. MCSO states that Reynolds was last seen in February 2009 during a Super Bowl party at a bar located on Highway 42. While at the bar, he got into a fight with several patrons and was asked to leave the premises.
Reynolds borrowed a friend’s maroon Ford Taurus to head to a local store. At around 2:15 a.m., he called his friend to report a breakdown near the Walmart in Summerfield, and the abandoned vehicle was found on Highway 441 in Sumter County.
According to MCSO, Reynolds vanished before help arrived. The sheriff’s office stated that Reynolds had spoken with family members and mentioned that “if he disappeared, law enforcement wouldn’t find him.”
In a recent social media post, MCSO stated that Reynolds’ whereabouts remain a mystery, though there is a possibility that he fled to North Carolina. However, the sheriff’s office added that circumstances suggest that he might be back in Florida.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has released an age progression image of Reynolds.
Reynolds has a distinctive cross tattoo on his left rib cage, which is encircled by the names of his mother and sister.
“We urge anyone with information about what happened to Chad to come forward immediately,” stated MCSO on social media. “Chad is a danger to our community.”
If you have any information about Reynolds’ whereabouts, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office asks that you call Detective Tasha Nix at 352-369-6775.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact the Crime Stoppers of Marion County by calling 352-368-STOP(7867) or clicking here to submit an online tip.