Police ask for public’s help in search for missing Texas pastor
A Texas pastor has gone missing, sparking a statewide search by law enforcement and causing deep concern among his congregation and family. The 47-year-old was last seen on Wednesday morning when he left for work at an oil and gas company.
The Corpus Christi Police Department is actively searching for Pastor Phillip Loveday, KRIS 6 News reported.
Concerns arose when Loveday accidentally left his cell phone behind at home while heading to work at Kinder Morgan, an oil and gas company, the media outlet said. His wife discovered the phone later in the day, ringing in the bathroom, which was not an uncommon occurrence as he occasionally forgot his phone. However, what raised red flags was his unusual lack of communication with the family throughout the day.
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Loveday’s boss at Kinder Morgan informed the family that he never arrived at work that morning, further intensifying their concerns.
His oldest daughter, Kayleigh Purnell, expressed her worries, believing he might have encountered an accident while working outside in the scorching South Texas heat.
Desperate to find their beloved shepherd, members of Faith Christian Center Church, where Loveday serves as a pastor, anxiously awaited his arrival for Wednesday night service but grew alarmed when he didn’t appear. Instead of proceeding with the scheduled Bible study, the congregation gathered to pray for his safety and well-being, deeply missing his guiding presence.
The family shared information about Loveday's vehicle, a white 2016 Ford F-250 work truck that has two Texas license plate numbers associated with the vehicle, HTN9773 and PPN1389, in circulation to aid in the search, according to Heavy.com.
The CCPD has assigned a detective to the case and is coordinating a statewide search with other community police departments, the Department of Public Safety and county sheriffs. While no indication of foul play has surfaced, the vast terrain between his home and work site makes it challenging to draw conclusions.
Loveday is described as roughly 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark blue long-sleeve shirt, Wrangler pants, and steel-toed boots. The family is urging residents living between Corpus Christi and Freer to inspect their surveillance cameras and be vigilant around their properties for any signs of Loveday.
In a show of solidarity and hope, local residents came together for a community prayer on Thursday evening, according to Freshers Live.
The CCPD has urged anyone possessing any information that could be pertinent to this case to contact them at either 361-886-2840 or 361-886-2600.
