On Saturday February 13, 2016 at 8PM, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing person. A woman called to say that her husband had not been heard from all day and it was highly unusual for him. He was last seen at their home around 9AM in Santa Rosa. She tried his cell phone but could not reach him. Deputies entered his information into a national database and broadcast a BOLO to adjoining agencies.
Sunday morning at 7:11 AM, the woman called again to state that her husband’s phone was last used in the Bodega Bay area. Our resident Deputy and State Parks Rangers went out in search of his car. At 7:56 a State Parks Rangers found the car parked and unoccupied on Carlevaro Way in Bodega Bay. More Deputies, Sonoma County Search and Rescue as well as Henry-1 joined in the effort to find him.
There was nothing suspicious about the scene and they did not suspect he had been a victim of foul play. Personnel searched for hours but did not find him. The case was referred to the Violent Crimes Investigation unit, as is standard protocol in all Missing Person Cases.
Missing is Steven Mitchell, a 56 year old man from Santa Rosa, who is a local civil attorney. This investigation is in its infancy and details are limited. Information will only be released in a manner that does not interfere with the integrity of the case. It is not common practice for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to release details in Missing Person cases wherein there are no suspicious circumstances. This information is being provided only because of recent inquiries. Please respect the privacy of the family and the sensitivity of the case.
