Missing dad known for ‘heart of pure gold’ found dead after weeklong search, cops say
The search has ended for a 45-year-old Alabama man after a body was found by the side of the road, deputies said.
Dustin Ryan Butler, reported missing since April 23, was last seen in a 1996 maroon Dodge Ram, according to Facebook posts from his daughter, Savannah Harry.
On April 30, Harry posted a video of her father doing a TikTok dance trend, saying it was day seven since he had gone missing.
“To know my dad is to love him,” she wrote. “He has a huge heart of pure gold.”
Harry said her father left home in his truck without extra clothes, money or a phone charger and was heading from Forestdale to Leeds, just a 30 minute drive away.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office searched for days, but on May 3, a postal worker spotted human remains on the side of the road in Mulga, the opposite direction of Leeds, AL.com reported.
When deputies arrived, they found a body in “the later stages of decomposition,” according to a May 3 news release.
On May 5, the Jefferson County coroner’s office identified the remains as Butler, and confirmed to WBRC that the coroner did not suspect foul play after no evidence of trauma was found. The cause of death remains under investigation.
Deputies did not release whether a truck had been found.
“This is the most gut wrenching, helpless feeling,” his daughter said in a Facebook post. “He is so loved and so missed.”
Butler was a father, grandfather, son, brother and friend, according to his daughter. He had a goofy personality and would light up a room with his sense of humor and laughter.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but we’re gonna keep on for you,” Harry wrote. “You have a huge piece of my heart up there with you, but I’ll get it back from you one day.”
This story was originally published May 5, 2023 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Missing dad known for ‘heart of pure gold’ found dead after weeklong search, cops say."
