BOZEMAN, Mont. -- The Gallatin County, Mont., Sheriff's Office has requested the assistance of the Bismarck Police Department in searching for clues in a van owned by a missing retired Bismarck eye doctor.
Bismarck Police Sgt. Mark Buschena said his department was called by a lieutenant in Bozeman, Mont., after it was learned that Dr. Patrick Fitzpatrick left a van parked in front of Dakota Tackle, 2205 E. Bismarck Expressway.
Fitzpatrick then took a truck and trailer to Montana, where it was found abandoned in the Three Forks, Mont., area on July 3.
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Buschena said police searched the van and forwarded information to the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office.
Meanwhile, the search for the missing 74-year-old doctor has expanded to Harrison, Mont., in neighboring Madison County after media coverage led somebody to call in a tip.
Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin, in a statement, said that five dog teams, seven all-terrain vehicle crews, ground searchers, helicopters and airplanes with high-tech cameras have so far failed to locate the missing doctor.
Though the search in the Willow Creek area has been suspended, in a statement Gootkin wrote, "Sheriff’s detectives continue to piece together his movements and attempt to develop leads."
Fitzpatrick is 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 250 pounds. He has gray eyes, white hair, wears glasses and speaks with an Irish accent.
Anyone with information regarding Fitzpatrick is encouraged to call the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office at 406-582-2100 or Madison County Sheriff's Office at 406-843-5301.
