The mother and father of missing ex-Marine Eric Hall are now reaching out to the homeless community for help in locating their son, who disappeared in Florida about a month ago.
Hall, a 24-year-old native of Clark County and Iraq war veteran, was said to be experiencing hallucinations and war flashbacks when he fled a family member’s home in Charlotte County, Fla.
Searchers, including the ex-Marine’s mother, are now looking to Charlotte County’s homeless population for answers, suspecting Eric Hall might have fallen in with other veterans living on the streets, said Kevin Hall, Eric Hall’s father.
The challenge for the Halls is gaining the homeless’ trust.
“It’s a very close-knit community and they’re leery of people they don’t know,” Kevin Hall said, explaining the family is working with churches and civic groups in their outreach.
There’s also worry that if Eric Hall is living amongst the homeless population, some could be keeping him hidden out of fear that he’d be institutionalized once discovered, Kevin Hall said.
Part of the outreach effort is to convince the homeless that wouldn’t be the case if they came forward to help, he said.
“We just want to know he’s alive.”
Eric Hall joined the Marine Corp after graduating from Jeffersonville High School in 2002. He was injured in June 2005 when a bomb exploded while he was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. A fellow Marine was killed in the blast.
He spent 13 weeks in the hospital immediately following the bombing, receiving treatment for damage to his right arm, left leg and hip and the left side of his abdomen.
His father told The Evening News and The Tribune in a recent interview Eric Hall had experienced war flashbacks prior to moving to Florida earlier this year. He was also on pain medication prescribed after his injury.
He relocated to Deep Creek, Fla. to stay with relatives about two weeks before his disappearance. He was last seen when he left the relative’s home on his motorcycle, which was later found along a nearby roadside, still running.
He’s believed to be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Earlier this month, a female friend of the family received two phone calls, initially thought to be from Eric Hall. Hopes were dashed when one of the calls was traced back to Louisville and found to be a hoax — perpetuated by someone with whom the family friend used to be involved, said Kevin Hall.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether the other phone call was real or not.
“After the phone calls - we’re back to square one,” he said. “It totally tore our hearts out, really.”
Right now, Kevin Hall said, there appears to be no way of punishing the hoax caller. “If I had the opportunity I’d do everything in my power to prosecute this man.”
The search effort has been handled from a law enforcement standpoint by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s office in Florida. However, many retired military personnel and missing persons experts have joined as volunteers.
Kevin Hall said before the Louisville phone call — originally believed to be from his son — was determined to be a hoax, the Florida search lost some of its momentum because volunteers believed Hall had left the area.
Anyone with information locally can contact Kevin Hall via cell phone at (502) 644-3186.
Clark County
Related Photos
-
Eric Hall Jason McKibben
Discussion
Family turns to homeless for help in search for missing Jeffersonville Marine
-
-
Half of Jeffersonville Fire Department overtime budget already gone
During the closing moments of the meeting Councilman Matt Owen said he was shocked by Mayor Moore’s plans and comments pertaining to two Jeffersonville Parks and Recreation Department matters reported in the News and Tribune during the last week.
Continued ... -
Charlestown resident makes appeal for filtration plant
“I understand that manganese is a secondary contaminant and it’s not something that’s necessarily harmful to health,” Burchett said. “I would much prefer that the water that comes into my home have as little manganese in it as possible, as well as anything else. I just want water.”
Continued ... - News and Tribune briefs for Feb. 7, 2012
-
Student sues to wear breast cancer bracelet
An Indiana eighth-grader sued his school district in federal court Monday for the right to wear a bracelet promoting breast cancer awareness with the message “I (heart) Boobies.”
Continued ... -
Elderly man robbed outside Jeffersonville bank
The man returned to his car and sat down to close the car door when Williams grabbed the door and reached inside the vehicle, Hollis said.
Continued ... -
A fair fee? Indiana imposing fees for 4-H participants for the first time
Allen said his hope is the fee being charged by the state and the county will be enough to cover costs and that 4-H members will not be asked to cover any more expenses.
Continued ...
“They have never had to pay a program fee,” Allen said. - News and Tribune briefs for Feb. 6, 2012
- Feb 5, 2012
-
CAPITOL CROSSROADS: Bauer tactics unite, divide outnumbered Dems
Democrats like Rep. Peggy Welch, who was drawn into a more Republican district last year, refused to boycott with Bauer.
Continued ... -
Greater Clark begins Fitness Calendar Challenge
Teresa Stengel, health services coordinator, said if other family members get involved with students, children might be more likely to continue with exercise routines and watching their diets.
Continued ... -
Man struck, killed on I-65
The preliminary investigation shows Jones was struck by a northbound Chevrolet Penske rental van driven by Patrick Shroering, 26, of Mount Washington, Ky.
Continued ...
-
