On a summer day in Alabama, David Michael Burney, a 46-year-old father of six, seemingly vanished. He had recently purchased a red 1987 Toyota Tercel and was planning to drive to Georgia to visit his two daughters. On June 29, 2007, he made a stop at a Jet-Pep gas station and convenience store on Highway 157 in Battleground, Alabama. This would be the last confirmed sighting of David Burney.
At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a white male, between 5'4' and 5'7' tall, and weighing between 155 and 165 pounds. He had graying brown hair, brown or hazel eyes, and was missing several teeth. Distinctive features included numerous tattoos on his arms, a scar on his right arm, and a brown birthmark on the front of his neck, just under his chin.
Worried family members reported him missing, stating that it was entirely out of character for him to leave without a word. His mother, sister, and six children were adamant that he would not have voluntarily abandoned his family. They feared for his safety, suggesting that he had enemies who might have wished him harm. For two months, there was no sign of David or his newly acquired car. Then, in late August, his red Toyota Tercel was found abandoned in Bankhead Forest, off of a county road in Winston County. Locals reported that the vehicle had been there since as early as July 7th, just a week after he was last seen. The car was out of gas and its battery was missing, but there were no signs of a struggle or any evidence of what might have happened to its owner.
The discovery of his abandoned vehicle, far from his intended route to Georgia, only deepened the mystery surrounding his disappearance. The Cullman County Sheriff's Office is the investigating agency for this case, which remains unsolved. David Burney is listed as an endangered missing person. His family continues to hope for answers in the disappearance of a man who set out to visit his children and was never heard from again. The case is a perplexing one, with the discovery of his car offering few clues and leaving a family with unanswered questions.Last Seen: Jun 29, 2007
