Almost one month after he went missing, the family of a retired Kansas trucker is pleading for his safe return.

At approximately 6 p.m. on Oct. 16, Richard Lee Clark, 67, a former OOIDA member, wandered away from his daughter’s home near Pleasanton, KS. Pleasanton is a small community about 50-60 miles south of Kansas City, KS. Kim Eastwood, Clark’s daughter, said that her father has diabetes and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, and that he may not be able to remember his address to find his way home. She is also concerned that he may not even realize he is missing.

“I don’t know that he’s not out there with the truckers trying to make money and come back home, and just not know where home’s at,” Eastwood said.

According to a police report, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office searched for Clark near Eastwood’s home the evening he was reported missing and the following day before calling off their search. There was no sign of Clark in the area.

Police also followed up on a sighting of Clark at a grocery store in Louisburg, KS, as well as a separate alleged sighting at a truck stop in Ohio, neither of which has resulted in any leads.

“We are at a standstill,” said Linn County Sheriff Marvin Stikes. “Even our tips line calls have, I’m sorry to say, stopped. We haven’t heard from him or any tips on him.”

Clark, also known as “Papa,” is described as a white male, 5’10”, 130 pounds, with white hair, brown eyes and a light complexion. He is missing all of his teeth except for his front teeth. On the night of his disappearance, Clark was wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans, grey athletic shoes, a leather belt and a stainless steel wind-up watch.

Eastwood believes her father’s dementia may cause him to believe he is still employed as a trucker, and he may have hitched a ride with a truck without informing the driver that he was lost or missing.

Having grown up with her father as a trucker, Eastwood said she has fond memories of Clark coming home from the road with only half of the clothes he took with him, explaining he had given them to a needy person. Sometimes, he came home with a passenger who couldn’t afford shelter for the night. She said she is certain that if he is with a trucker, he is in good hands.

“I’m sure if he’s out with the truckers, he’s probably taken showers and shaven, and somebody’s probably given him some clothes,” Eastwood said. “They’re notorious for that. Truckers are giving creatures.”

Stikes agreed, and said he hopes the trucking industry can shed new light on the case.

“Any lead, right now, would be helpful,” Stikes said. “If he followed the trucking industry, it’s quite possible that he might be traveling in that circle.”

Anyone with further information regarding Clark’s case can contact the Linn County Sheriff’s Department at (913) 795-2666. Additional information can be found on the National Center for Missing Adults Web site at www.missingadults.org.